2025 VOLVO EX90 Recalls, Complaints & Safety

On November 28, 2025, my 2025 Volvo EX90 displayed a headlight warning message on the dashboard and the headlights failed to function properly while parked and after starting the engine. The defect temporarily resolved but recurred on December 5, 2025. A headlight defect that is not immediately apparent to the driver poses a serious safety risk before or during nighttime driving. The symptoms are consistent with NHTSA Safety Recall No. 25V-071 (Volvo internal reference R10298), which covers 2025 EX90 vehicles and involves unexpected headlight malfunction. I request that NHTSA investigate whether my vehicle's defect is related to Recall No. 25V-071 and whether the recall remedy has been properly implemented. If unrelated to Recall No. 25V-071, I request that NHTSA investigate this as a separate unreported safety defect. Other 2025 EX90 owners may be experiencing the same issue without reporting it. Volvo has contacted me directly on multiple occasions to schedule a central computer replacement on my vehicle. I understand this replacement is being offered to all 2025 EX90 owners. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this widespread hardware replacement is related to the safety defect I experienced and whether it should have been conducted as a formal safety recall. When brought in for repair on December 13, 2025, the service department advised parts were on indefinite backorder with no estimated delivery date. The vehicle remained at the service center for 47 days while Volvo was unable to supply the necessary parts. I request that NHTSA evaluate whether this represents an adequate response to a safety-critical defect.

While driving the car the car will suddenly stop working, it will be unable to accelerate. When this happens a multitude of alerts display on the screen. The car is very dangerous to drive and I’m concerned someone may die if this car is not recalled for safety.

The contact owns a 2025 Volvo EX90. The contact stated that while using the house charger, the breaker tripped. The check connection message was displayed. The vehicle failed to charge at the residence. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, who was unable to charge the vehicle. The contact eventually used a standalone charging system to charge the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Subaru of Melbourne Service Center (4340 W New Haven Ave, Melbourne, FL 32904); where it was diagnosed and determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 80.

My car will not charge at my home power charger or any L1 or L2 AC based power system. It will only charge at higher price fast DC chargers which are limited and not at my house. This is apparently a commonly known flaw with this vehicle that has not been addressed and I am now waiting more than 20 days for a replacement part to be ready.

Was given a 'critical brake fault' warning on the dashboard. Car defaulted into neutral and I was not able to put it park, drive, reverse or even turn off the car (had to keep my foot on the brake until someone could help me push it onto a flat surface). Could not open the car doors from the outside, no resets would work, had to be towed to dealership. Car was left "running" at the dealership for over 24 hours.

Unable to charge the car, interrupted charging

My Volvo EX90 has recurring software reliability problems affecting safety-related detection systems and hands-free operation features. These failures involve inconsistent or incorrect detection of vehicles and pedestrians and unpredictable loss of hands-free phone functionality. These issues create increased distraction and reduce confidence in driver-assistance safety features.

Our 2025 Volvo EX90 was delivered with the seat track covers missing for the second row captain's chairs. It took a few weeks for the dealer to order them and install them. Looking at other active listings it appears most of the 6-seat Volvo EX90s being offered for sale is missing the seat track covers. I believe this is a saftey issue as without the cover the seat tracks and wiring is exposed and likely increases the risk of injury to 2nd row passengers (feet getting caught in seat tracks or debris getting into seat tracks preventing them from working properly, etc). I have reported this to my local Volvo dealership and Volvo Customer Support. I believe they should issue a recall to ensure the seat track covers are installed before delivery and that all already-sold EX90 missing the seat track covers gets them installed.

The onboard charger (GHCA) has now failed to charge on any Level 2 (the most common kind) charger. The first time it failed was on December 15, 2025 and was replaced under warranty and released back to me on December 31, 2025. Then on February 4, 2026, it failed to charge on a Level 2 charger and was confirmed to have a second onboard charger failure. (Both failures confirmed by Volvo technicians.) Not being able to charge presents safety issues of being stranded and leaving the car completely in-operational. In addition to the GHCA failure, the dash that sits on top of the steering wheel has gone black/dark twice in the last 2 weeks. while driving, with no known reason. That dash houses the speedometer, the battery percentage indicator, my gear shifting indicators as well as other ancillary items such as a map and speed limit signs.

GHCA Failure that resulted in inability to charge the car.

The GHCA failed while AC charging at home, and the vehicle made loud banging noises. AC charging is no longer possible, and a replacement part is still backordered with no ETA over three months later. A corporate case has been filed with Volvo and they are effectively unresponsive, only emailing me once a few weeks after the case was created, saying that they would promptly reply to any of my responses, but have not replied for almost a month after my immediate response.

Ongoing Software Issues From shortly after delivery through now, the vehicle experiences frequent and recurring warning messages and system failures, including but not limited to: Suspension system warnings Driver assistance and self-driving feature failures One-pedal driving malfunctions Parking camera and sensor errors Other system warnings that appear to be software-related While the vehicle was often still technically drivable, these issues regularly caused the car to operate at reduced functionality, with key safety and convenience features disabled. Although software updates have reduced the frequency of these issues, they still occur intermittently and often require a vehicle reset or time to resolve. Because of these persistent and unpredictable warnings, my family and I have avoided taking this vehicle on long trips out of concern that the car may become unsafe or inoperable while traveling. The vehicle was brought in for service in December 2024 in an attempt to address these software-related issues; however, the service did not resolve the problem at that time. Hardware Failure #1 – GHCA In January 2025, the vehicle experienced a failure of the GHCA component, rendering the all-electric vehicle unable to charge. This occurred shortly after purchase. Service appointment booked: January 27, 2025 Vehicle in shop: aprox 30 days The vehicle was out of service for approximately one full month. During this time, I shared my experience on Reddit due to the severity of the issue and the vehicle’s newness. That post received over 350,000 views, and numerous Volvo EX90 owners reported experiencing the same GHCA failure—many stating they had required multiple replacements of the same component. This strongly suggests a widespread defect rather than an isolated incident. Hardware Failure #2 – GHCA (Repeat Failure) On February 3, 2026, the GHCA failed again, and the vehicle was returned to the dealership for service with no ETA on a fix.

The instrument panel displays symbol for exterior lights malfunction and the vehicle status screen reports “1 serious issue detected – Headlight fault – Book a service”. The high and low beams appear to function normally on both sides of the car. The daytime running lights (white) around the headlight are only illuminated on the drivers side; the passenger side running lights are not working. This issue is intermittent. It first occurred within one day of ownership and has recurred about once per week since then. Service department stated in mid-December that this is a software issue that will be fixed in a future update, but there hasn’t been one and the issue still presents. Car software is currently version 1.4.15, and I believe has been since delivery.

The onboard charger (ghca) failed, destroying my evse and tripping the circut breaker in my electrical panel. It took 3.5 weeks for the replacement part to come in and be installed. On another occasion, the pilot assist adas presented an error and was unavailable until the computer was rebooted.

AC charging failed.

The Grid to High Voltage Converter A (GHCA) is a critical, often failing, component in 2025+ Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 electric vehicles that converts AC grid power to high-voltage DC for the battery has failed 5 times in my car with no fix from Volvo in the foreseeable future. There are some reports on reddit/ex90 and other owner forums that these failures can cause unsafe voltages and have blown up home chargers. It seems like it is getting to the point where they need to be forced to issue a recall for this part and compensate owners.

Ongoing Software Issues From shortly after delivery through now, the vehicle experiences frequent and recurring warning messages and system failures, including but not limited to: Suspension system warnings Driver assistance and self-driving feature failures One-pedal driving malfunctions Parking camera and sensor errors Other system warnings that appear to be software-related While the vehicle was often still technically drivable, these issues regularly caused the car to operate at reduced functionality, with key safety and convenience features disabled. Although software updates have reduced the frequency of these issues, they still occur intermittently and often require a vehicle reset or time to resolve. Because of these persistent and unpredictable warnings, my family and I have avoided taking this vehicle on long trips out of concern that the car may become unsafe or inoperable while traveling. The vehicle was brought in for service in December 2024 in an attempt to address these software-related issues; however, the service did not resolve the problem at that time. Hardware Failure #1 – GHCA In January 2025, the vehicle experienced a failure of the GHCA component, rendering the all-electric vehicle unable to charge. This occurred shortly after purchase. Service appointment booked: January 27, 2025 Vehicle in shop: aprox 30 days The vehicle was out of service for approximately one full month. During this time, I shared my experience on Reddit due to the severity of the issue and the vehicle’s newness. That post received over 350,000 views, and numerous Volvo EX90 owners reported experiencing the same GHCA failure—many stating they had required multiple replacements of the same component. This strongly suggests a widespread defect rather than an isolated incident. Hardware Failure #2 – GHCA (Repeat Failure) On February 3, 2026, the GHCA failed again, and the vehicle was returned to the dealership for service with no ETA on a fix.

While Level 2 charging at home from a NEMA 14-50 receptacle using the Volvo-supplied cable/adapter, charging stopped unexpectedly accompanied by a loud thunk. The central computer restarted and presented a profile setup routine as if the car was new. Stored settings were not retained. Repeated attempts to re-initiate charging resulted in ‘Charging fault’ notifications on the instrument panel and a solid red light on the charging port indicator. The car can no longer charge with AC power, but still charges with Level 3 DC equipment. Also, the car software doesn’t seem to recognize that there is a problem with the vehicle. It shows the status as ‘everything is OK’.

The onboard charger (ghca) failed, destroying my evse and tripping the circut breaker in my electrical panel. It took 3.5 weeks for the replacement part to come in and be installed. On another occasion, the pilot assist adas presented an error and was unavailable until the computer was rebooted.

Recall R10342 Power Operated Tailgate (POT) Drive Unit separation was not remedied by dealer prior to delivery of new vehicle. While performing research on this vehicle for another issue, NHTSA's stite provided an unrepaired recall on the vehicle in question. Upon further research, Volvo was aware of this issue and had already reported it to NHTSA prior to the date of vehicle delivery. See attached.

Vehicle will no longer charge with 120 or 240 volt chargers.

I am writing to file a formal safety complaint regarding my Volvo EX90, which experienced a complete and dangerous shutdown while driving on a LA freeway on Christmas Day. While traveling at freeway speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power and displayed a warning stating “Critical Electrical Fault.” The car shut down in the middle of active traffic. Two vehicles narrowly avoided colliding with us, and we were extremely fortunate to be able to turn the car back on, maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road before being struck. The vehicle had to be towed from the shoulder of the freeway. This incident posed a serious risk of severe injury or death, not only to my passengers but also to other motorists. This was not an isolated incident. This is the second time this vehicle has experienced a sudden shutdown. The first incident involved a warning reading “Critical Propulsion Fault,” which also resulted in loss of vehicle function. Following the Christmas Day incident, the vehicle has been at an authorized Volvo dealership for over three weeks. As of today, Volvo has been unable to identify the root cause or provide a clear explanation or repair. The uncertainty surrounding the failure of a brand-new vehicle (1,754 Miles) further reinforces the seriousness of this defect. A vehicle that can unexpectedly lose all power at freeway speeds is fundamentally unsafe. Based on my experience, I believe the Volvo EX90 presents a significant safety defect, and I am deeply concerned that these vehicles continue to be sold and driven on public roads. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter to determine whether a broader defect or pattern exists and to take appropriate action to protect the public.

While driving on I-5 north by Castaic (exit 176A) the car displayed "electric system temporarily limited" then "critical electric fault" at which time it rapidly decelerated while on the freeway. The hazard lights were pressed but did not work. There was no shoulder and cars nearly rear ended our vehicle, with our family of 4 (including 2 kids) inside. We were able to navigate the vehicle to a small shoulder at the freeway exit and called CHP for support to ensure our safety while we seemed roadside assistance. Volvo roadside assistance contacted a tow truck and walked us through a "hard reset" of the vehicle. After about 15 minutes we were able to drive the car with a CHP escort off the freeway ramp to a nearby parking lot. The "electrical system temporarily limited" fault remained. Our car was towed to the nearest dealership where the fault was observed. At this point (8 calendar days later) no fix has been identified. This vehicle has had repeated electrical system faults since we leased in on 9/5/25 and has been serviced 3 previous times. This was the first time it stopped while driving.

I have been in multiple situation where my car is unable to charge from my home charger, and the issue is always same which is the need of GHCA replacement. Right now, GHCA for EX90 is in national back order with unknown ETA

Charging failure. GHCA failure.

Please note this is an all electric SUV. On Saturday 6th December, I unplugged the car from the A/C charger after it had finished charging to 90% in my garage and there was a very loud bang heard from under the car. The dashboard then reported there is a fault with the car and it cannot charge. Took the car to the dealer same day and they suspected it was a failed GHCA part (AC to DC converter). They ordered a replacement and fitted it on 20th December but the car still will not charge on A/C. It still charges on DC and the dealer is using that to keep it powered. I received a call from the dealer today (1/2/26) to say that Volvo corporate needs to perform a detailed investigation as to what has caused the car to stop charging on AC. The dealer will not let me have the car back as they are concerned about the safety of the car and have been without it for approaching one month now. With that in mind and the many reports on social media of similar failures as well as multiple months of having faulty cars, it appears this is a major problem that should be subject to a recall. An example of posts can be seen here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The car triggered a "charging fault" while charging on a trip and will no longer charge on a level-2/AC charger. I was lucky to have enough charge to make it to a DC Fast charger and continue my trip. If I had not been so close to an alternative DC Fast charger this could have left me stranded.

On [XXX] around [XXX], while driving on [XXX] fro Santa Paula to Ojai, my car displayed a message on the dash that said "critical brake fault, pull over safely." When I applied the brakes they did not respond. I came to a stop only when the car lost momentum. When I exited the car to investigate, I shut the driver's door and was locked out. Neither my key card, nor phone key worked and the Volvo app indicated the reason was that the car was still driving it was not). I was just a mile away from descending a steep and winding road on the [XXX]. Had I been on that stretch of the road, the consequences I am certain there would have been a serious crash, as one side of the road has no shoulder and the other side is a steep cliff into a ravine. I had it towed that night to the dealership and it has been there at the dealership for almost three weeks. Both the dealership (Rusnak Volvo) and Volvo Customer Care have been uncommunicative, though on 12/7/22 Volvo Customer Care informed me I have a case number ([XXX]). When I called for an update today 12/12/25, I was told only that it had been assigned. No additional information has been provided. A simple internet search indicated that this brake issue has affected many Volvo cars in the past few years. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When leaving a downtown parking garage, I noted the following alert on the driver's screen: "Steering fault - Drive with caution. Book a service." The driver's screen also showed that there was a driver support system fault and that the lane keeping aid was not available. The center stack stated the following: "1 serious issue detected. Steering fault Drive with caution. Book a service." At the time that the fault came up, the car had been driven out of its parking spot (by turning left) approximately 50 feet. I had then stopped the car to talk to a friend. When I got back into the car, I noted the fault message on the driver's screen when I went to back the car up so that I could leave the parking garage. During my trip from downtown to the dealership, I did not note anything unusual other than the fact that the fault messages were displayed. The messages were displayed when I arrived at the dealership and stayed displayed until I exited the car. When I got back in the car to turn it on, the error messages had disappeared.

While driving, my car suddenly displayed the "Driver Support System Fault" icon (Picture 1). At that time, the only issue was the fault icon. I still had full navigation, lane departure warning and 360 camera functionality when I backed into my parking spot. The car was locked with my key card. I returned to 15 to 20 minutes later. The Driver Support System Fault Icon was lit in addition to the lane departure unavailability icon (Picture 2). The following functions and/or features did not work: - Lane Departure - 360 Camera - Front Camera - Tracking Lines for the Rear Camera - Park Sensor audible alerts (Forward or Backup) - Ambient Temperature (Reads "0 degrees Celsius") - Odometer in the central stack (Reads "-- km") - HVAC Functionality - Heated Seats - Heated Steering Wheel - Bluetooth - Wi-Fi - Google Assistant - Navigation, including map being frozen in one position - Glovebox access - Connectivity with Internet or Volvo App - Volume control for the radio did not function. - 4-way hazard button greyed out and non-functional on center stack Attempted reset/reboot of the Infotainment System did not resolve the issue and the car was taken to the local Volvo dealer. Summary of Pictures attached: Pic 3 - Quick Controls - Shows glove box, 4-way hazard icon and other control icons greyed out Pic 4 - Status - States "Everything is OK", but tire pressure button is not available and Total distance reads "--km". Additionally, as shown in Picture 3, the 4-way hazard icon is greyed out. Pic 5 - Similar shot as Picture 2 - Shows Driver Support System Fault and no Lane Departure Pic 6 - Car is in reverse. Shows rear back up camera without guidance lines. Does not show 360 camera. Pic 7 - HVAC Climate is off and cannot turn on. All controls were greyed out. I pressed "Manual" and "Auto" with no change. Pic 8 - Heated seats and heated steering wheel would not turn on even when I pressed the buttons.

On three occasions my car has initiated automatic emergency braking while I was driving across the same grated bridge deck (Montlake Bridge in Seattle). In each instance there was no potential for collision and my car slammed on brakes and jammed on my seatbelt with varying levels of discomfort and terror. This also created a safety risk because I could have been rear ended as there was so reason to suddenly stop and certainly was shocked to have my car brake urgently and restrain me suddenly with seatbelt. My best guess is that this related to boats traveling under the bridge as this happened three times during higher boat traffic. I reported incident to Volvo and was told a case would be opened and that I would be contacted. I was not contacted. I scheduled a service appointment to address this and other issues with the EX90 that are unrelated but for the third time my appointment was cancelled as the Volvo dealership is refusing to service the ex90s they have been selling.

The vehicle supports a feature to reset the display computer by holding the play/pause button for approximately 45 seconds. When executed the center console display as well as the speedometer display over the steering wheel reset and go blank for up to 1 minute. The safety issue is that this function can be performed while the vehicle is in motion. This leaves the speedometer inoperable until the reset completes. This poses an extreme safety hazard as the driver has no way to assess current speed. I'm able to reproduce this on the latest OTA software update 1.3.18.

Car accelerates and lurches forward on its own sometimes.