2025 Volvo XC90 Problems: 7 Known Issues

On the 2023-2025 Volvo XC90 2.0L plug-in hybrid, xC90 Recharge owners have reported propulsion-system warnings, inability to charge, reduced power, and 'hybrid system failure' type messages affecting drivability. On some vehicles the fault triggers a check-engine light, limited EV operation, or a transition to reduced-performance mode. These complaints appear across owner forums and NHTSA filings for recent Recharge models and can involve battery management, onboard charging, cooling, or high-voltage isolation faults.

On the 2023-2025 Volvo XC90, owners of SPA-platform Volvos including the 2023-2025 XC90 continue to report TCAM-related failures where the vehicle loses cellular service, Volvo Cars app communication, GPS position, remote start/lock functions, and sometimes emergency-call features. In many cases the issue appears as an intermittent 'SOS service required' or connectivity warning, often after software glitches or low-voltage events. The problem is well documented in owner forums and dealer service visits, with some vehicles requiring module reset, software reload, or TCAM replacement.

On the 2023-2025 Volvo XC90, multiple 2023-2025 XC90 owners report the Android Automotive/Google Built-In infotainment system freezing, rebooting, dropping LTE/GPS, or failing to load climate, camera, and vehicle settings menus. Unlike older Sensus complaints, this issue is specific to the newer Google-based software stack used in current XC90s. Owners commonly describe intermittent black screens, missing app tiles, inoperative backup camera display, and loss of audio/navigation until the system is reset or updated.

On the 2023-2025 Volvo XC90, a recurring owner complaint on newer XC90s is unexpected 12V battery discharge leading to '12V battery critical charging fault,' no-start conditions, warning lights, and multiple electronic features going offline. The issue can be intermittent and is often tied to software sleep-state problems, telematics modules staying awake, or a weak auxiliary battery. Because the XC90 relies heavily on networked modules, low system voltage can create a cascade of unrelated warnings that disappear after charging or battery replacement.

On the 2023-2025 Volvo XC90, 2023-2025 XC90s are included in Volvo Car USA's rear-visibility recall. Shifting into reverse may not bring the rearview camera image up on the display. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111 requires that image, so the affected XC90s fail to comply. In a vehicle this size, where the rear view is the whole point of the camera, NHTSA's stated consequence — a reduced view behind the vehicle and increased crash risk — carries real weight. Volvo identified a software cause and filed a software remedy. Note that only the 2023-2025 XC90 model years are named here; the campaign's overall 413,151-unit total covers every Volvo model in the recall, not XC90s alone.

On the 2023-2025 Volvo XC90, on 2023-2025 XC90s covered by this recall, selecting reverse may not bring up the rearview camera image on the center display. NHTSA filed the defect under back-over prevention software, and because the image can be absent when the driver shifts into R, the vehicles fail Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111, "Rear Visibility." In a vehicle the size of the XC90 the camera view matters, and NHTSA's stated consequence is blunt: a rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle and increases the risk of a crash. This is a software defect only — Volvo's remedy is a software update, not new camera hardware. The 413,151-vehicle figure NHTSA lists applies to the entire campaign across all included Volvo models; it says nothing about how many XC90s are involved. Note also that 25V908000 replaces the earlier recall 25V282.

On the 2023-2025 Volvo XC90, owners of recent XC90s frequently report persistent front brake squeal or groaning at low speeds, sometimes accompanied by pulsation or early rotor replacement recommendations. The issue appears on both mild-hybrid and Recharge variants and is often most noticeable during light braking after the vehicle has sat overnight or in damp conditions. In some cases dealers resurface or replace pads/rotors, but noise can return if the underlying pad compound or rotor condition is unchanged.