Volvo XC90

Disappointing Volvo XC90 Experience: A Premium Price for Subpar Quality – I regret my decision to purchase the Volvo XC90. The car was sold with high expectations and promises, but unfortunately, it has failed to deliver on basic requirements. Here are the main issues I’ve encountered: Bluetooth Connectivity Issues: The phone connection via Bluetooth is unreliable. Despite trying multiple times, I have to resort to the… Read more

old-fashioned method of connecting my phone via cable—something that shouldn’t be necessary in a premium vehicle.

Unnecessary Wiper Replacement: During the first service, I was told I needed to replace the wipers, which seemed odd given Sydney's mild weather. The need for replacement after such a short period didn’t make sense.

Poor Quality Tires: I’ve had to replace one Michelin tire at just 18,000 km, and now the second one needs replacement due to a minor curb scratch. I’ve driven my previous car, a Mazda CX-5, for over 90,000 km, brushed curbs multiple times, and never had an issue with tire durability. The Michelin tires that come with the XC90 are soft and seem to have a much shorter lifespan.

In summary, Volvo charges a premium for this vehicle, but the quality of its parts doesn’t justify the price. I’ve invested $110,000 into a car that hasn’t met basic expectations, and I can’t even sell it without taking a massive loss.

Recommendation: I strongly advise against purchasing a Volvo XC90. The cost is not worth the subpar performance and quality issues that come with it.

This car was a great purchase in 2010 – Our 2007 Volvo XC90 diesel had 50,000kms on it when we bought it in 2010 for $54,000.00. It was still under warranty, which we were able to extend and the car was in excellent as new condition. The car is now 16 years old. Travelled 280,000kms and continues to be a pleasure to drive. When we decide to replace it, we will buy another diesel XC90… Read more

that's around 3-4 years old with hopefully less than 100,000kms on it. We would spend say $40K - $50k depending on mileage.

I'm a believer in regular maintenance to keep a car reliable. I've always done that have have suffered only one breakdown over the past 30 or more years. The most recent was a month ago when the engine in this XC90 just cut out without warning. The cause - something had hit the fuel filter assembly which is under the car just in front of the right side rear wheel. The NRMA tech who attended to my car, tested all electrics before calling a tow truck. When the car was on the back of the truck we could then see diesel leaking from the filter housing, so the cause for the engine stopping was easily identified. The filter assembly has been replaced and the car is running normally again.

With regards to the numerous negative comments about Volvo XC90's, I wish to say this. It is rare for a car these days to have some inbuilt fault that a manufacturer will not repair under warranty. Local laws in most countries require this, as well, the manufacturer has a reputation to protect. In the case of Volvo supporting owners, I've had a number of experiences in which Volvo has been very helpful and generous and this is another good reason to ensure your car is serviced by an authorised Volvo Dealer.

Separate to this is the reponsibilty of an owner to comply with the manufacturer's service recommendations. If an owner fails to do so and something fails, which is highly likely, the manufacturer is entitled to refuse to repair the car under warranty. When I was working in the automotive industry, I witnessed this on numerous occasions and it happened to a number of manufacturers.

Summed up, Volvo makes cars to last. They are robust, extremely safe and all of the critical functions such as brakes, steering and lighting works extremely well. So much so, we bought a 2009 diesel XC60 for our daughter a couple of years ago and that car is excellent.

Please remember, if you want your car to perform reliably and not let you down, make sure you have every service done by a repairer authorised by the manufacturer when it is due.

Love this car! – I purchased my XC90 in 2017 from Annlyn Motors in Penrith. I hadn't considered buying a Volvo previously but it was recommended to me. I use the car to and from work and taking the kids to weekend sport. The boot space is very generous which is great for holidays. The 360 camera is the my most used feature, the screen is easy to navigate… Read more

around and very user friendly.

My only small issue is that is it 'too safe'! It may think I'm about to collide with another car so it will break for me and this causes the seatbelts to tighten and give the kids a fright. This has only happened on a few occasions. I would recommend this car, the service from Annlyn Motors is great too, they are reliable and a very friendly family business.

Perfect car, still nothing comes close as far as we are concerned – With 7 full sized seats that are used daily, towbar and roof rails, this car gets loaded for trips up and down the east coast during school holidays. We have owned this vehicle since 2017. During the school period, it does the normal take and fetch and never misses a beat. With an annual service that only issue is a small ongoing oil leak, but… Read more

isn’t major and has been repaired under warranty.

It is an absolute pleasure to drive, and the adaptive cruise control works a treat. It has pretty much everything you could want plus more.

I could never imagine owning a different car to this one – I love the XC90. It is so well thought through - every detail is exceptional. It hugs the road, it is quiet, it is safe and it is very comfortable. There is nothing I don't like. I love my heated seats, I love the 7 seats and the extra air con for the back two seats and the turbo. I love the leather seats that just wipe clean, the great rubber mats and the integrated booster seat.  Show details

AVOID VOLVOS; lock failures a danger to occupants, Volvo denies any responsibility or claim – After just being outside of warranty both locks on the rear passenger doors have failed. We took it to a Volvo dealer who denied any responsibility to fix it under consumer guarantee laws and said we needed to contact Volvo support. Volvo support also denied any responsibility and wanted us to pay a further $1800 on top of $1105 we had already… Read more

paid to diagnose the issue with the locks. This has to be some of the worst customer service I have ever encountered and have reported the case to the ACCC. Not only is this car faulty it is now also unsafe and a hazard to drive as passengers can only get out of the back seats by climbing through to the front. On any car let alone a premium car that is 4 years old you do not expect this to happen. Avoid

Volvo cannot withstand pothole impact – Brand new Volvo XC 90, Bought from Volvo cars fivedock, 7000kms on clock had its tyre burst hitting a very normal looking pothole. Very sad to see this happen to Volvo who highlights its safety features. Show details

Bad Experience with Head Office – Purchased my new xc90 before Christmas and the dealer Volvo cars Newcastle mislead me with false and inaccurate information about the car . When I contacted Volvo cats Australia they told me that they couldn’t help me. Even after I submitted proof of the lies and inaccurate information . Bad , bad service don’t buy a Volvo Brand New. Show details

Faults timed to perfection – My 2016 Xc90 T6 has started to electronically malfunction within weeks of the warranty expiring. First the was the fuel system. The second the HUD. All through the warranty period there have been major issues but after 3 years theyre coming thick and fast. I love the ride and interior but its become clear that the build quality isn't up to standard. I doubt that I will buy Volvo again. Show details

Volvo Australia – My Volvo is full option XC90 which in my mind is the best car for my family. I got very upset with Volvo Australia when we realized we didn't have the Sim card Modem. I wasted my precious time reviewing how to activate my car internet, watching you tube videos and even driving to my local Volvo dealer-the poor sales agent struggled to find a port… Read more

that does not exist. I rang Volvo Sydney office only to be told, that option is not available in Australian Volvo cars. No one had the decency of telling customers at purchase. Very very disappointed. I feel cheated.

Citron (aka Swedish Lemon) – Constantly at the dealership for repairs 1) Blown supercharger at ~25k km 2) Failed front suspension at ~75k km (card would suddenly veer left or right, so I'd appear to fishtail up a road) 3) Persistant low oil warning light - have taken the car 4 times to the dealer where they have drained the oil from the car, weighed it and sent the data… Read more

to Volvo (?Australia or Sweden). Now apparently the sourec of the leak is from cracked pistons (which need replacing!!)

Whilst this is "all under warranty" it is extremely disruptive as I have to take time off work to take the car in whenever there is a problem (approximately every month). Also, I would not expect this of a 3 year old $130k (supposedely well built) car. What's worse is that I had words with the dealer principal about the sorry state of affairs and he was completely rude and dismissive stating "....well all cars have some problems from about this age"....or its ".....due to driving style".....or "....the car is swerving because of a wheel balance/alignment problem. You probably hit a curb thats why its doing it"

Never, never again........

I love this vehicle – I've owned this vehicle for 6 months. I did a LOT of research and exploring before I found the right car but it was worth it. I use the XC90 daily whether it's going to work, doing the shopping, taking animals to the vet or collecting a bale of straw (I'm not joking, I actually collect bales of straw!), I can do it all. Okay so the vehicle is… Read more

versatile but it's also extremely comfortable, easy to drive, sure-footed in any weather and comes with ample power for any situation. As the title says I love this vehicle.

In 6 months I've had no mechanical issues, in fact, no issues of any kind.

I highly recommend the 2009 XC90 but of course you need to shop around because like any used car there are well looked after ones and absolutely trashed unloved ones. If you're reading this review because you're thinking of buying one then, as you can see from my review, this is an exciting car which is a joy to own and a pleasure to drive.....just PLEASE shop carefully, be patient and find a good one.......then enjoy a fantastic vehicle!

Many software bugs with bad childlock design – 1. Bad Designs a) Can’t control the child lock of rear door separately: When I want to release the child lock for my wife to get off the car, my baby often open the door. This may cause serious traffic incident. b) The map the navigation system is much worse than the google map. 2. Reproducible Problems a) When I set the language to Chinese,… Read more

it still speak English in navigation.

b) I have 2 wifi spot at home, both are WPA2/AES. The car can connect to one of them but can’t connect to the other one.

c) When the Auto-Hold is set, it will often be braked automatically when I am parking.

d) I can never drive the car by using only electricity over 30km, even if I drive it on highway.

3. The problem hard to reproduce but have occurred for over 3 times

a) Recognize wrong speed limit, especially 80 to 30.

b) If I drive on curved road, it often show me red alert and sometime even brake for me.

c) Sometimes, I can’t use any camera at all, even if I stop and restart the system.

d) I often find the outside mirror in wrong position, then I have to press button 1 to recall it back.

e) The HUD position was often reset then I have to press button 1 to recall it back.

f) I know it’s very dangerous to release the child lock, so I never release it at all and would like to keep it locked and go out to open the door for my wife. But I was surprised to find out that the child lock was released automatically.

Perfect family car – Three years on and we couldn’t be happier with our XC90 2012 model. After doing quite a bit of research at the time, my wife and I couldn’t fault the Swedish Valiant. The previous transmission problems had been ironed out and for the price, nothing came close to the Volvo for solidity, safety, size and comfort. The quality of finish is far above… Read more

that of similar Japanese cars. We have had no major faults, doing about 10,000 klms/yr. Fuel/Diesel economy is fair around town, but excellent on the open road. At 2.5 tonne, the car drives a bit like a brick, so if sportiness is your thing, then this is not a car for you. My only qualm is that we don’t get priority parking at IKEA and the turning circle is huge. It is a joy to drive and perfect for a family.

Motoring perfection – Smooth, roomy family SUV. This vehicle has a 2.9 twin turbo engine, all wheel drive that is capable of comfortable long distance travelling.even on the not so extreme off roads. This vehicle is built to last and handle all road surfaces with ease.My 2004 XC90 is a 7 seater with leather all round and plenty of leg room for 7 people and a standard… Read more

on board roof mounted DVD player for the rear passengers on wireless headsets.Running costs are standard compared to most vehicles in its range. Driving this car makes you fell superior and in control of a tamed beast.

Transmission Failure at 78,000km $$$$$$$$$$ – We purchased our XC90 in 2004 new and now it's 13 yrs on and only travelled 78,000km, this was from travelling around a small country town. We loved the car, it did all we wanted of it. But now at 78,000km we started having Auto Transmission Issues($9,000) and Brake Module Replacement ($3,900) We are now stranded in Perth and having to fly back to… Read more

our town with no transport and a Volvo for a door stop. Searching online it brings up a lot of Transmission Issues with this model and a class action in America which was settled in 2013. With XC90 having the problem at around 65,000km to 100,000km in the 03,04,05 models with the GM Transmission. It would good to hear from other XC90 Volvo owners if they have had the same issues, We own and have owned numerous Toyota's and have never had an issue like this. Our dealer initially was wanting to help sort it out but then the manager rang and squashed this. We now need to try and raise it with Volvo Aust. You would expect to get at least 200,000km before any major repairs are needed not 78,000km,

Will keep you posted

amazing vehicle – Recently purchased for growing family. The seats are phenomenally comfortable and the interior quality is second to none. The 4-cylinder engine is surprisingly responsive and it doesn't feel underpowered at all. In addition very little road noise. Perhaps the ideal family SUV with 7 seats. The sensus screen takes a little time to get used to but… Read more

after a short time it becomes easy to use and is preferably to a multitude of buttons all over the cabin.

Brilliant design, absolutely hopeless reliability – We bought our 2008 XC90 Diesel four years ago. It's actually our second XC90, the first being a 2.5T petrol model, which was on a three year lease / company car. I loved this car, and had to settle for the petrol model at the time as the diesel motor wasn't an option. Thankfully I didn't have to pay for the gas... We purchased our 2008 XC90… Read more

with just 60,000 km on the clock, and the fair price. It's now ticked over 120,000 km and something breaks on it just abut every month. So far we have repaired the following:

- three complete engine mounts

- the electric window panel on the drivers door

- a complete set of front suspension bushes

It's also got a fault with the inlet manifold butterfly throttle body ($2600 to repair) and the passenger side mirrors. We also had a fault with the turbo unit failing and the vehicle losing power, although it didn't require a replacement of the turbo unit itself.

Conclusion: great car, fantastic design, poor reliability. Buy a car with 100,000 km on the lock and prepare to spend money. A lot of money.

Cheap, cheap, cheap... but not the price – I spent a lot of money on this vehicle, so I'm pretty irritated at the single USB point - really, Volvo, was it asking too much for the rear passengers to have power??? And I am VERY upset that the upgrade to the Mac app costs $700 when I was told by Purnell that it was part of the first service. Sure, it is. For $700. That is just… Read more

unacceptable. I'm guessing everyone at Volvo uses an iPhone and a Mac? Archaic. They build the motor, very nicely, they forget that people actually use the machine for more than just driving about.

And finally ... a space saver spare. You've gotta be kidding. We are driving for thousands of miles and we get a flat. We drive out of it on a space saver?

Point 1 cheap, point 2, cheap, point 3, cheap.

XC90 T6 Inscription - Well appointed quality Excellent Performer – Very comfortable classy car with good leg room even in the 3rd row. Excellent performance from small sized engine. Handles well on open roads with more than enough power to overtake quickly and safely. Fuel efficiency is good. The interior and technology is right up there. Highway headlights are amazing for providing the best vision in any night… Read more

driving situation. Compares favourably with all the top named competitors and in many cases it rates better. A good range of driver package options available. Air Bag Suspension gives a luxurious ride. Many observers remark on the beautiful body design. Have now traded into latest model - '18MY.

Great SUV & Powerfully Refined – I bought a 2006 Volvo XC90 recently as my old clunker Holden was written off. What surprised me was that for $8k ($110k new), I have an AWD SUV with all the bells and whistles, heaps of power being a 2.5L 5 cylinder turbo model and not too bad on fuel unless you hit the gas hard on take off all the time. I've been off road once in the sand dunes… Read more

and it did ok for an AWD, nothing compared to a 4WD though, even still it handles very well. I'm very happy with this purchase and would recommend it to buyers of used and affordable SUV's.

Great Car, 2016 T6 Inscription – Good to drive. The Petrol Engine has enough power, and very quiet when cruises on freeway. Air suspension works well. Great interior and technology. Love the driver support pack. Plenty of space for family. Easy to get into the third row. Voice control does not work sometime. Touch screen is not responsive sometime.  Show details

XC90 2016 T6 Inscription - Great car – Lovely car to drive and ride in. Plenty of space for family trips. Diver support pack is fantastic after driving a car with standard cruise control. Twin charged engine has plenty of power. Much better value than X5 or Merc 7 seater and a nicer design and not a run flat tyre in sight!  Show details

Not outstanding – This is regarding the 2010 model with most options; Overall it was outdated even in 2010. My wife bought used but still a big price tag (valid given research ). Numerous minor electrical faults, not overly comfortable for long trips, medium fuel mileage, Ruined my want of another Volvo really.  Show details

Disappointed with reliability – Roomy and good sized boot even with the 3rd row of seats up....hmm can't think of much more to say on a good note. It has the turning circle of a house boat which creates dramas getting around car parks. Rear visibility is all most non existent with the 3rd row of seats up. (reversing sensors only no camera). The ride is quite stiff on the… Read more

R-Design due to the low profile tyres on the wider rims.

No spare wheel, just an air compressor and a tub of goo that you fill the tyre up with if you get a puncture, although if the wall of the tyre is damaged then you are stranded and need a tow truck.

New brake pads mean you have to renew the discs as well.

Trying to find a garage that can service the thing is a drama. Main dealers charge $950 for a routine service which means they change the oil and oil filter. Ok so they give it a wash but that works out at the most expensive clean in history.

50,000 needed new wheel bearing

110,000 needed new rear diff and new angle gear. the latter has a design weakness with the oil seals giving up and the gears wearing.

120,000 Oil level sensor needs replacing

130,000 intercooler pipe comes apart and needs replacing

140,000 error messages coming up for the transmission indicating its on its way out.

Maybe someone will read this and think that doesn't sound that bad but I'm from the old school where things were originally built to last. (My 20year jeep has done twice the Km's and still running fine on the original diff, transfer box, transmission.

Best car I've had after BMW – I bought this car 2nd hand from a bad dealer with horrible reputation (I didn't know then) with 170K on the clock. Car had some issues which I gradually fixed and cost me around 5k. Should I have bought a newer model with less mileage and paid more? Maybe but at least I know what I have done on this car. It was not car's fault that I didn't… Read more

check the dealer's history or didn't check the car and trust that con artist.

Anyway this car is fantastic to drive, plenty of room,even 3rd raw of seats, you can still sit there comfortably with having a separate aircon at the back.The computerised AWD system works great, I've taking the car to off roads where Mitsi and Holden SUV got stuck and Volvo just smoothly found its way.

Sound system is superb with 10 speakers and fibre optic instead of wires.

It is very safe and even 2.5 litre engine can handle the big 2500km car. That engine a little bit slow for the start but having turbo will sort it out easily.

Leather seats are very comfortable and there are 3 layers of steel on the roof and multiple airbags ,so it is very safe.

The cost of repairs as others say is high but most of the time, problem is the owner who leaves the car with mechanic and expects to get it serviced or fixed cheap.

Basically if you have a European car, you have to find the fault first, buy the part online from USA, then ask around for the cost of labour and usually the cheapest ones are the mobile mechanics.That's what I've been doing in last couple of years.When mechanic quoted $1100 to replace a radiator, I got it done $550 by buying the part from USA(shipped to AUS in an impressive 5 days) and paying a mobile mechanic to fit it.

Ford bought Volvo around 1999 to 2001 and during that time used GM transmission which is horrible, so better stay away from T6 and GM transmission if you want to buy one.

Look for full service history specially around 10 years services, since timing belt needs to be replaced and also a very good regular oil service, failing to do on time oil service will cause the oil pump dies soon.

The petrol engine has breathing system like diesel one, so that is another thing you need to check, if it gets blocked,it put a lot of pressure on the oil gasket and engine starts leaking eventually.

How to find if it is blocked? Just when engine is warm and running, take out the dipstick and look for smoke.

There are lots of good forums around and if you ask a question, they will answer you quickly,but if you are not good with cars,better buy Japanese or Korean and miss the fun.

It's a good car. But do your research – The only reason I wrote this review because I missed the XC90. Sold it in 2013 to get a Prado D4D for 4WD. After many moons of research, I went ahead to get a brand new XC90 3.2L in 2009 The car model is not new, so all the little tweek had gone to make this a reliable car. Truly enjoyed the car. Hit 170km/h easily and can go faster. It is… Read more

safest car around because of BORON cage. That is 5 times stronger than steel.

For a used model, 2.5L model is okay - 5 speed (Japajnese Aisin gearbox)

But you need to be wary of the 2.9L version - 4 speed. Ford took over Volvo during this period.

and change the gearbox to GM. Lots of problem with this gearbox model.

Later on, Ford sold off Volvo and engine went to 3.2L (inline 6) and 6 speed (Aisin).

The 3 years plus I had the car, no issues. My only gripe was the space saver tyre. Why? - I actually purchase an additional full size tyre and rim and kept it at home. R-design was worst - no spare tyre.

XC90 is NOT a 4WD. I got stuck twice in the soft sand. But I truly love it for the ride and comfort.

Wifey and kids have been unhappy (in Prado) ever since I got it. (Been off-road only once since). And now I realised it was mistake to let the XC90 go.

XC90 Intercooler – Volvos build quality is clearly not that great anymore and their warranty sadly is well below Korean and Japanese brands. We found out this fact the hard way. We bought our car about a year ago second hand from a private seller. We have been very happy with the car though the servicing and repair costs and parts are inflated. The other day the… Read more

car started making an awful sound and broke down. It is a 2012 model with 70k on the clock, so not overused. It's also been maintained at Volvo service agents all its life. The culprit was an faulty intercooler. The cost of repairs was $1650 (the part was $1150!). On a sub four year old car! - the warranty is 3 years. Thinking this was a major part of the car and was not caused by user error I hoped Volvo would pay or at the very least reimburse for the part.

Having a young family and both working, we of course had gone about as long as we could without a car, so we paid for the repairs and bought the car home, having spoken to the repairer about any recourse with Volvo earlier that day.

Volvo's response?

1) It is out of warranty (great brand promise there guys) and

2) reimbursement MAY [read no chance] have been possible if I had contacted them early on before paying the bill.... "all Volvo authorised dealerships are independent franchises, that is to say, separate companies to Volvo Car Australia and as such, we are unable to reimburse you for a retail repair, authorised and paid for by yourself, that has taken place between yourself and [said repairer]"

So, my advice is to consider the warranty as repairs cost a fortune. Once a car changes hands, you have no recourse and Volvo don't care though they offered me their positive intent which filled my heart with joy.... "we make this decision with all positive intent towards you as a valued Volvo owner". I did point out that positive intent to their customers really is empty, doesn’t pay the bills nor does it fill me with 'positive intent' to consider buying a volvo in future!

Not for life – Wonderful to drive while it works. Comfortable, quiet, suited large family. It was our dream car. The services are expensive and any repairs, even minor ones are also expensive. We felt, until now, that it was worth it as the brand had a strong reputation and we would have it for a long time and we loved the car. Sadly, at 6 years old the entire… Read more

transmission needs replacing at a cost, to us of $10,000. That's our xmas holiday and presents gone, in a flash.

Volvo Australia have said they will look into it, but as it is out of warranty they will not cover the entire cost. I am waiting to see what they will cover. In my opinion an $85,000 car should last longer than 7 years (which is what the budget car Kia offers and Citroen 6 years) I will keep this site posted.

Real life crash test – We brought a 2nd hand 2011 V8 XC 90 with very low kms 3 and a half years ago - we picked the XC 90 as it was fully optioned (reversing cameras cruise control heated seats etc etc ) and value for money wise it was a no brainer compared to the BMW X5 or Audi Q7. We did 65000km in it and had zero mechanical issues with this car - I had researched it… Read more

previously and had decided to steer clear of anything pre 2011 due to the reported issues around the mid decade (2003 to 2007) models and transmission failures. But post 2010 this issue seemed to be almost non existent so we decided on the 2011 model.

As far a SUVs go this car was brilliant - for long trips it was roomy, comfortable, had plenty of luggage space in the back and could seat seven if required. It was great around town and we opted For a slightly harder compound tyre at 30,000kms (a Bridgestone) rather than the Pirellis that had been on it previously and they were still going strong at 65000km, but tyre rotation during servicing is a must to get even ware out of them.

We had a supercharged Range Rover sport previously and although the Volvo clearly wasn't as fast off the line, the V8 did go like a scalded rat when you put your foot down on the highway (it also cost a lot less money to keep maintained and on the road than the Range Rover)

I couldn't fault this car and would still have it today if some idiot hadn't come through a red light and cleaned us up at an intersection 3 weeks ago - we basically had a head on collision at 70kms per hour and my wife and I got out with little more than a few seatbelt bruises, so from a safety perspective we are sold, as both cars were completely written off in the accident, but the Volvo did everything it was meant to do from a safety perspective and we got to go home and see our kids

I have just bought a late model fully speed RDesign D5 with low kms - would have happily bought another V8 but l was told 2011 was the last year they produced the V8s and the 2011s were kind of hard to get now as there were not many on the market - so we will see how we go with a diesel instead.

Best Car ever – Safest Car available in Australian market in 4WD SUV category. Wonderful luxury and safety features. 7 seats option is handy. Price range cheaper than other brands in this category. Amazing interior with comfortable seats. Bowers and Wilkins sound system with 19 speakers doesn't allow you to get out of car. I recommend Volvo XC90 to everyone who is interesting to buy 4WD SUV.  Show details