Selling a broken or junk Volvo V90
Lights are the part of the Volvo V90 owners complain about most. Of 37 complaints filed with NHTSA through October 10, 2026, 8 name exterior lighting, and they come from five different model years: 1998, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023.
- V90 complaints at NHTSA (Oct. 10, 2026)
- 37
- Year with the most complaints
- 1998 (10)
- Component named most
- Exterior lighting (8)
- Recall campaigns
- 11
- Built in, 2016 on
- Torslanda, Sweden
- Discontinued
- Globally in 2025 (Wikipedia)
If yours is past saving, sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars and offer free pickup anywhere in the US.
Two wagons, one name
The complaint file has V90 entries for 1997 and 1998, 11 complaints between them, then a gap until 2017. The newer wagon, with 26 complaints from 2017 to 2024, is the one Wikipedia covers: an executive car on the SPA platform, built in Torslanda, Sweden, from 2016 to 2025, and related to the S90 II. It replaced the V70 and XC70. Per Wikipedia, the V90 came with a 2.0-liter four and an 8-speed Aisin automatic, plus plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid drivetrains. EPA names include the V90 CC AWD and the V90CC B6 AWD.
Problems, grouped by years
1997-1998
On the 1998's 10 complaints, exterior lighting and structure lead with 2 each. One crash and one injury are reported. No recall campaign in the file covers these years.
2017-2019: air bags, lights, software
Fourteen complaints. Air bags lead the 2017 list with 2, which fits 17V104000: on 2017 V90 Cross Country wagons, the bolts that hold the curtain air bags may break. The 2018 has 9 complaints, 3 of them on lighting, plus 3 injuries. On 2017-2019 cars, recall 18V800000 fixed a Vehicle Connectivity Module software error. On 2019-2020 cars, 20V144000 updated the emergency braking software.
2020-2022: seat belts, fuses, a battery
Nine complaints, electrical items most often. Recalls in this stretch:
- 21V414000 (2019-2020): on these V90s the low-pressure fuel pump may blow a fuse and quit.
- 21V001000 (2021): the restraint system control unit may not be properly attached.
- 21V682000 (2021): rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may switch off early.
- 25V179000 (2022 plug-in hybrids): a module inside the V90's high-voltage battery may short circuit. Owners were asked to skip charging until the remedy is done.
2022-2026: camera software and belts
Three complaints across 2023 and 2024. Two V90 campaigns, 25V282000 and 25V908000, cover a backup camera image that may fail to appear. 23V012000 reaches 2023 V90 Cross Country wagons for a brake module error that may cost the antilock brakes. 25V589000 covers 2026 V90 Cross Country mild hybrids whose front belt retractor torsion bar may have been damaged in production.
Every campaign on this page names other models too, so NHTSA's vehicle counts, from 1,357 to 413,151, are campaign totals, not V90 totals.
Complaints and recalls by model year
| Model year | Complaints | Injured | Recall campaigns | Top item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) |
| 1998 | 10 | 1 | 0 | Lighting; structure (2 each) |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 2 | Air bags (2) |
| 2018 | 9 | 3 | 1 | Exterior lighting (3) |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 3 | Speed control; lighting (1 each) |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (2) |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (1) |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 3 | Three items, 1 each |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 3 | Exterior lighting (1) |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Unknown; electrical (1 each) |
The last V90 wagons are still young, so few owners have written in about them.
Keep it or sell it?
Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first; much of the V90's recall work is software. Lighting and module faults are covered in electrical problems. A plug-in hybrid with a dead pack belongs in hybrid battery failed.
How to sell a V90 whole
- Write down the VIN, the mileage and the warnings or faults.
- Get an offer, or call (877) 421-6008.
- Tell us where the wagon sits and whether it rolls.
- Leave everything on it, and mention anything already pulled.
- Have the title and ID at pickup. Plates and insurance: after you sell.
Questions people ask
- Which V90 model year has the most NHTSA complaints?
- The 1998, with 10 of 37 as of October 10, 2026. Among the newer wagons, the 2018 has the most, 9, with exterior lighting at 3.
- Is the V90 still made?
- Wikipedia says the V90 was discontinued globally in 2025 as Volvo shifts its focus to electric vehicles and SUVs. The EPA still lists V90 Cross Country variants through the 2026 model year.
- Will you buy a V90 with warning lights all over the dash?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Describe the warnings when you ask for an offer.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Volvo V90, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- EPA fuel economy data: Volvo V90 model years and variants fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA recall 17V104000: curtain air bag bolts nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 18V800000: connectivity module software nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 20V144000: automatic emergency braking software nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 21V001000: restraint control unit mounting nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 21V414000: low-pressure fuel pump fuse nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 21V682000: rear seat belt retractors nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 23V012000: brake control module diagnostic error nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 25V179000: plug-in hybrid high-voltage battery nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 25V282000: rearview camera software nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 25V589000: front seat belt retractors, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 25V908000: rearview camera software nhtsa.gov
- Wikipedia: Volvo V90 (production, plant, platform, discontinuation) en.wikipedia.org