Volvo S90 Plug-In Hybrid 2nd gen Problems, Recalls & Lemon Law

brake pedal problem; reduced braking; unexpected braking; brake warning light

Recall 20V144000 addresses a software/hardware incompatibility in the Automatic Emergency Brake system that may prevent the S90 Recharge's City Safety from detecting obstacles and engaging. This is a safety non-conformity under both FMVSS requirements and Song-Beverly: a manufacturer-acknowledged active safety system that cannot be relied upon for its core function. Owners who experienced a City Safety non-engagement or unexpected near-miss before the ASDM software update was applied have documented the safety defect. If subsequent Pilot Assist or City Safety complaints arose after the recall remedy, each subsequent dealer visit for ADAS failure counts as a separate repair attempt under §1793.2.

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29998.

engine stalls while driving; vehicle will not start; loss of power; fuel pump recall

Recall 21V414000 covers a low-pressure fuel pump defect that can blow a fuse and stall the S90 Recharge's combustion engine while driving — particularly relevant in a PHEV where the driver may not anticipate a fuel-system failure when operating in hybrid mode. The T8's dual-energy architecture means an unexpected fuel system shutdown can occur at highway speed without the driver receiving advance warning. Owners who experienced stalling or no-start conditions before the fuse/pump remedy was completed have a safety-defect record. If parts shortages delayed repair beyond 30 days, Volvo's failure to repair within that window may independently support a Song-Beverly claim under §1793.2(b).

Dealers will replace the fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10100.

brake pedal problem; reduced braking; unexpected braking; brake warning light

Recall 21V716000 is more severe than the AEB software recall (iss-01): an improperly welded rotor and shaft that may physically separate within the integrated brake system is a brake failure risk, not merely a software-calibration gap. Separation of the rotor from the shaft in Volvo's integrated brake system can result in complete loss of power-assisted braking — a safety condition warranting the Tanner Act's two-attempt presumption (§1793.22(b)(2)) even on the first recurrence after the hydraulic unit replacement. Owners who notice brake pedal changes, unusual brake effort, or warning lights after the recall remedy should return immediately and document every visit.

Dealers will replace the hydraulic unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10120.

engine knocking; engine stalls; sudden loss of power; check engine light; engine failure recall

Recall 22V793000 targets an ECM software error that prevents the S90 Recharge's combustion engine from starting, causing loss of drive power. In the T8 PHEV, this creates a layered failure: the combustion engine is needed when HV battery charge is depleted or at high speeds, so an ECM error stranding owners in EV-only mode can result in a complete vehicle stop in traffic. Owners who had the ECM software updated under this recall and subsequently experienced engine-related stalling or power-loss events should document each as a separate repair attempt — the ECM software history and the underlying oil dilution issue (iss-09) may be interrelated.

Dealers will update the ECM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 8, 2022. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10198.

EV warning message; reduced power; charging fault; battery recall; fire risk warning

Recall 25V179000 is the most serious defect in the S90 Recharge's record: Volvo documented that the high-voltage PHEV battery can internally short circuit when fully charged and parked, creating an unattended fire risk. The interim remedy required owners not to charge the vehicle — functionally disabling the core PHEV capability they purchased. Owners who were advised to stop charging for weeks or months while awaiting battery module replacement experienced substantial impairment of use. Any owner whose HV battery caused a thermal event, or who spent an extended period without the charging function, has both a safety-defect history and a 30-day out-of-service argument under Cal. Civ. Code §1793.2(b).

Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles until the remedy has been completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the high-voltage battery module as necessary. In addition, dealers will update the software to monitor the battery. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification l

backup camera blank; screen goes black in reverse; rearview camera distorted

Recall 25V282000 addresses a software defect causing the rearview camera to not display when the S90 Recharge is placed in reverse — a violation of FMVSS 111 (Rear Visibility). This is the first of two overlapping rearview camera recall campaigns on this vehicle; the existence of a second campaign (iss-07, 25V908000) covering the same MY range indicates the initial software fix was incomplete or the underlying defect scope was underestimated. Owners who received the OTA or dealer software update under 25V282000 and subsequently lost the rearview camera image again should document each failure: two recalls for the same system defect is strong evidence that the manufacturer has not been able to repair the non-conformity.

The software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10320.

backup camera blank; screen goes black in reverse; rearview camera distorted

Recall 25V908000 is the second NHTSA campaign for the S90 Recharge's rearview camera failure — issued December 2025, approximately seven months after the first camera recall (iss-06, 25V282000). The need for a second campaign covering the same 2022-2024 model year range and the same rearview camera symptom is directly relevant to Song-Beverly: it is evidence that Volvo failed to fully repair the non-conformity on the first attempt. California owners whose rearview camera failed after the first recall remedy was applied — and who required a second dealer visit for the second campaign — have a documented two-attempt repair history for a FMVSS 111 safety defect, meeting the Tanner Act's two-attempt presumption threshold for safety defects.

The software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 24, 2026. Owners may contact Volvo Car’s customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10333. Vehicle Identification Numbers

touchscreen goes blank or black while driving; center stack display stuck on boot logo or recovery screen; infotainment requires hard reboot to restore; Pilot Assist / adaptive cruise drops off without warning when screen crashes; navigation freezes mid-route; Bluetooth audio cuts out; over-the-air software update fails to download or install; dealer reports vehicle is 'missing' 3 or more OTA updates; vehicle cannot accept new OTA updates until dealer USB reflash

When the center stack display crashes and forces Pilot Assist and adaptive cruise to disengage at speed, this is not merely an inconvenience — it is a loss of active safety technology that the owner paid for and reasonably expects to function. Under Song-Beverly (Cal. Civ. Code §1793.2), an infotainment defect that recurs after software updates — or requires multiple dealer USB reflash visits — qualifies as a non-conformity that substantially impairs the vehicle's value and use. Owners who return to the dealer for repeated screen freeze or OTA failures after the C00013 upgrade should document each visit: the symptom, the date, the mileage, and whether the screen crash disabled ADAS functions. Every service visit for the same complaint is an attempt toward Song-Beverly's repair-count threshold.

Complimentary Upgrade C00013 via dealer USB flash per TJ 36139. For CSD recovery-mode loop: dealer reflash per TJ3655530. Both repairs are at no charge. Vehicles must remain on V2.8+ software for future OTA.

check engine light illuminates; ECM codes P061C48 or P060C48 stored; oil smells like fuel (gasoline odor from dipstick or oil filler cap); engine oil level rises above full mark on dipstick; combustion engine starts unexpectedly in Pure EV mode or Hybrid mode; oil life monitor resets very quickly; rough idle or misfire after predominant EV-mode driving

Engine oil dilution is a documented engine damage mechanism: fuel in the oil degrades lubrication film and accelerates bearing and cylinder wear. An owner who returns to the dealer multiple times for oil changes tied to P061C/P060C codes — or for unexpected combustion engine starts — has a documented repeat-repair pattern for the same underlying PHEV system non-conformity. Under Song-Beverly, each dealer visit for this constellation of symptoms counts as a repair attempt, regardless of whether Volvo frames each visit as a 'routine' oil service.

Immediate oil and filter change per TSB 3692010. Software update to latest ECM calibration (per TJ3641540) to reduce unnecessary cold-start combustion cycles. Owners using the vehicle predominantly for short EV trips should shorten oil change intervals to 5,000–7,500 miles until a permanent calibration fix is confirmed.

vehicle will not start after sitting overnight or for several days; all displays go dark — infotainment, instrument cluster, climate controls; key fob does not unlock the car (no 12V power); VIDA Wi-Fi indicator or connectivity icon remains active when vehicle is parked; requires jump-start or 12V battery replacement; battery warning light after restart; infotainment reboot loop after jump-start

A vehicle that will not start due to a software-caused parasitic draw is a substantial impairment of use. Under Song-Beverly, owners who have had the 12V battery replaced once (or multiple times) and continue to experience drain after the software update has a documented pattern of failed repairs for the same root cause. Each dealer visit — whether framed as a battery replacement or a software update — counts as a repair attempt if the underlying drain complaint is the consistent symptom. Owners should note on every repair order: 'vehicle would not start due to dead 12V battery.'

Update vehicle software to version V2.8 or later (released 2023 week 16) per TSB 3642612. If 12V battery has been fully depleted multiple times, test and replace the 12V battery per Volvo battery testing guide (TJ3684514). Do not replace the 12V battery alone without applying the software fix — drain will recur.

car brakes hard suddenly with no obstacle present; City Safety emergency brake activates without warning on open road; Pilot Assist steers toward guardrails or into adjacent lanes; adaptive cruise control disengages abruptly; Forward Collision Warning sounds without a vehicle in front; seatbelt pretensioner fires during false braking event; dealer cannot replicate the symptom during test drive

An unexpected hard stop triggered by a malfunctioning ADAS system at highway speed is a safety-class defect under Song-Beverly. California's Tanner Consumer Protection Act (Cal. Civ. Code §1793.22(b)(2)) presumes lemon eligibility after just two or more repair attempts for a safety defect — a substantially lower threshold than the four-attempt standard for non-safety issues. Phantom braking that the dealer cannot replicate does not relieve the manufacturer of its repair obligation; under §1793.2, a 'could not duplicate' notation still counts as a repair attempt. Owners should document every Pilot Assist false engagement in writing (date, mileage, road conditions, speed) and submit a repair order request for each event.

Software update to latest Pilot Assist / City Safety calibration via VIDA (often included in Total Upgrade Software downloads). If phantom braking recurs after software update, escalate to Volvo Cars USA field technical representative for camera and radar sensor inspection and recalibration.

EV-only range drops significantly below advertised range within first 2-3 years; charging session stops before battery reaches full charge; charging error message or warning lamp during Level 1/Level 2 AC charging; charging cable disconnects or cutoff mid-session with no user action; ISGM-related DTCs stored (charging system fault codes); reduced power mode activates with battery charge warning; Volvo Car app shows charging 'Interrupted' without explanation

A PHEV sold in part on the basis of its EV range and charging capability has a material warranty non-conformity when the charging system repeatedly aborts or the HV battery degrades substantially within the warranty period. Under Song-Beverly, a defect that substantially impairs the vehicle's value includes failure of a feature material to the purchase decision. Owners who purchased the S90 Recharge for its plug-in capability and find the charging system unreliable — with multiple dealer visits for ISGM codes or charging cutoffs — have a documented repair pattern directly tied to the vehicle's PHEV core function.

For ISGM charging error DTCs: software update per TJ3622620. For HV battery short-circuit risk: battery module inspection and replacement per recall 25V179000 / rcl-05 (if not already completed). For sustained EV range loss: HV battery capacity test via VIDA; warranty coverage applies if degradation exceeds Volvo's published threshold.