2016 Volvo XC90 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Volvo XC90 holds 0 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 0 per year. XC90 years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 0 complaints per year. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Critical fasteners, Electrical system, software, and Hoses and fittings.

2012 Volvo XC90 — Photo by Alexander Migl, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

Next to 2014 and 2017

The 2014 XC90 has 4 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2017 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Volvo XC90. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (8)

Recall seat belts, critical fasteners 2023-12-07 · NHTSA campaign 23V827000

Summary Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2015-2024 XC90 vehicles. The second-row seat belt buckle and lower belt anchor bolts may not be tightened properly.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and tighten the second-row seat belt buckle anchorage bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10259.

Recall electrical system, software 2021-04-21 · NHTSA campaign 21V273000

Summary Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2016-2020 XC90 Excellence vehicles. Liquid or condensation on the rear seat control display may cause the front passenger seat to move back as far as possible.

Remedy Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will update the rear seat control display software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10093.

Recall engine and cooling, cooling system, hoses and fittings 2019-04-17 · NHTSA campaign 19V308000

Summary Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2016 XC90 vehicles. Exposure to heat and humidity may cause the engine coolant bleeder hose to crack, resulting in a coolant leak.

Remedy Volvo Cars will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine side coolant bleeder hose, free of charge. The recall began June 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29936.

Recall seat belts, front, buckle 2016-11-02 · NHTSA campaign 16V798000

Summary Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 XC90, S90, XC60, V60 Cross Country, V60, S60 Cross Country, S60, and S60 Inscription vehicles manufactured February 16, 2015, to August 22, 2016. On the affected vehicles, the front passenger seat belt buckle attaching stud may loosen, allowing the buckle to separate from the seat belt bracket. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages" and number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."

Remedy Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front passenger seat belt buckle stud, replacing the seat belt buckle as needed, free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89708.

Recall equipment, appliance, air conditioner 2016-09-26 · NHTSA campaign 16V690000

Summary Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Volvo XC90 and S90 vehicles manufactured April 15, 2015 through September 19, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning may leak into the passenger compartment due to a drain hose installation error during manufacturing.

Remedy Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air conditioning drain hose for proper installation, replacing the hose as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on November the 14, 2016. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this campaign is R89707.

Recall visibility, sunroof 2016-05-04 · NHTSA campaign 16V268000

Summary Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 XC90 vehicles manufactured January 27, 2015, to April 23, 2016. The sunroofs on the affected vehicles have a switch on the overhead console that may not be adequately recessed to prevent the switch from being unintentionally pressed. When pressed, the sunroof may fully close. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems."

Remedy Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software upgrade that disables the auto-close function, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552 or by visiting http://Volvo.custhelp.com. Volvo's number for this recall is R89702.

Recall air bags, side and window 2015-08-06 · NHTSA campaign 15V497000

Summary Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 Volvo XC90 vehicles manufactured January 27, 2015, to July 10, 2015. The third row seating side curtain air bags may not fully inflate.

Remedy Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will modify the D-pillar interior panels to allow full inflation of the third row airbags, free of charge. The recall began on September 21, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo Customer Care at 1-800-458-1552.

Recall air bags, side and window 2015-06-03 · NHTSA campaign 15V342000

Summary Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 Volvo XC90 vehicles manufactured January 27, 2015, to May 19, 2015. The affected vehicles have front seats whose wiring harness for the Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) may have been routed incorrectly.

Remedy Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the routing of the SIPS wiring, correcting the routing and installing a protective sleeve as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 30, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89571.

Complaints by component (0 total)

No complaints on file with NHTSA for this model year.

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2016 Volvo XC90 T5 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2016 Volvo XC90 T5 SUV FWD	Not rated	5 stars	5 stars	Not rated
2016 Volvo XC90 T6 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2016 Volvo XC90 T6 SUV FWD	Not rated	5 stars	5 stars	Not rated
2016 Volvo XC90 T8 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
XC90 all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	20	25	22 MPG	$3650
XC90 all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	25	23 MPG	$3450
XC90 all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	24	27	25 MPG / 350 mi range	$3200
XC90 front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	26	24 MPG	$3300

Specs and fitment

Second generation (SPA), 2015–present

Body styles SUV

Oil 0W-20 (2.0L) , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 235/60R18, 235/55R19; optional 275/45R20+ (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V308000 covers certain 2016 XC90 vehicles. Exposure to heat and humidity may crack the engine coolant bleeder hose and leak coolant; if unnoticed, coolant may accumulate in catalytic-converter heat-shield insulation and catch fire when the vehicle is stationary. Recall 16V268000 covers certain 2016 XC90 vehicles where the overhead sunroof switch may not be adequately recessed and can be pressed unintentionally so the sunroof fully closes. Recall 23V827000 covers certain 2015-2024 XC90 vehicles where second-row seat belt buckle and lower belt anchor bolts may not be tightened properly.

Compare

Next year 2017 Volvo XC90 See every Volvo XC90 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Volvo XC90 reliable?

Is the 2016 Volvo XC90 more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2016 Volvo XC90 been recalled?

The 2016 Volvo XC90 has 8 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Volvo XC90?

Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 2016 Volvo XC90 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Volvo XC90 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Volvo XC90 is 23.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Volvo XC90 take?

P2 (2012-2014) 3.2L lists 0W-30/5W-30 (~7.2 qt); SPA (2015-on) 2.0L lists 0W-20 (~6 qt).

What does recall 19V308000 cover on the XC90?

Certain 2016 XC90 vehicles: heat and humidity may crack the engine coolant bleeder hose and cause a leak that can lead to a fire risk if unnoticed—see the NHTSA campaign for the remedy.

What tire sizes does the SPA XC90 use?

OEM sizes include 235/60R18 and 235/55R19; larger optional sizes such as 275/45R20 also appear by trim.