Visibility/wiper and service brake issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Very few automakers continue to produce wagons, but that didn’t stop production of the 2020 Volvo V90. This luxury model claims to be “Crafted for comfort. Built for adventure.” However, many customers disagree with the publicity, as they are left dealing with visibility and malfunctioning service brakes. Launched in the U.S. in 2017, it was withdrawn from the American market in 2021 due to low sales. They do still make an SUV-like version of the wagon, the V90 Cross Country.
Complaints lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are varied. Components and systems they relate to include the electrical system, service brakes, steering, tires, visibility/wiper, and unknown or other problems.
The 2020 Volvo V90 model is also subject to two recalls, one that relates to the electrical and gasoline fuel systems and the other to forward collision avoidance and the automatic emergency braking system.
NHTSA Campaign Number 21V414000 warns that 85,550 Volvo cars, including the 2020 V90, have low-pressure fuel pumps that can blow a fuse and fail. If this happens, it can cause a stall, which increases the risk of a crash.
NHTSA Campaign Number 20V144000 affects 121,605 Volvo cars, including the 2020 V90. It states that because of software/hardware incompatibility, the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended. This also increases the risk of a crash.
Volvo Car USA LLC doesn’t indicate how many 2020 Volvo V90 vehicles are affected by either of these recalls.
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| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Steering | |
| Tires | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Visibility/wiper |
Seeing out of the windshield and noticing what’s around the vehicle is key to staying safe on the road. Yet, this Volvo wagon struggles to provide the visibility that customers demand.
Here is one NHTSA complaint worth reading. “I just swapped my Volvo S90 2018 for a Volvo V90-CC 2020. This vehicle has an excessive amount of windshield glare from the dashboard and heads-up display that creates a great amount of distraction and vertigo while driving. This can create such a distraction that I don’t know what to do.”
Volvo has been completely transparent about other visibility concerns — with a total number of 17 visibility communications to dealers as of March 2023. For example, Service Bulletin #TJ35583.1.0-2020 discusses how the panoramic sunroof has a roller blind that continues to hang loosely. There are also multiple notifications to dealers about rattling noises from the roller blind. They are advised to replace blinds that do this. Several other manufacturer communications talk about the outer rear mirror glass moving into the incorrect position after the vehicle reverses.
When organizations are rating new vehicles, the standard safety features are always looked at. The service brakes represent a vital system that must work correctly to keep vehicle occupants protected.
Yet, U.S. News and World Report pointed out that this model featured a “below-average predicted reliability rating.” This lower rating might have had something to do with the brake recall mentioned above.
While the recall is an issue with the AEB system, a complaint describes various problems that relate to the entire brake system including service brakes and the AEB system.
After getting an error message, “Brake Failure – Stop Safely,” and stopping, the driver got another message, “Parking Brake Sets,” and the car wouldn’t come out of Park. He couldn’t turn the engine off either, or open the rear lift gate. Because the parking brake was locked, it wasn’t possible to tow the vehicle. Additionally, the brake warning light remained on though the brake pedal had “adequate pressure.”
After nearly five hours, following instructions from Swedespeed, an independent Volvo workshop, he opened the hood and pulled fuse #38 out of the engine compartment fuse box. After 3-4 minutes he replaced it and everything worked again, including the emergency brake.
If you think you’ve bought a lemon, you can contact Lemberg Law and we will assess your problems at no cost to you. The law makes Volvo pay legal fees. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace, or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners, you could be the next one.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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