There are 4 owner-reported driver assist & adas complaints for the 2016 Volvo XC90in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Backup camera not activating when in reverse sporadically. My recorded video of this happening: [XXX] Issue has been brought to the Volvo dealership service department. Remedy from the Volvo service has been to update software but it has not corrected the issue. Multiple of owners have encountered the same issue which is widely documented online. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with his four children sitting in the rear of the vehicle, the parking brake engaged independently and the vehicle stopped abruptly. The contact stated that the seat belts engaged to the point of choking himself and the passengers. Additionally, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the vehicle resumed normal driving independently and he was able to drive to his residence. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would stall while driving. The message "Loss of Power" was displayed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts; however, the vehicle would occasionally start only when jumpstarted. The contact stated that the vehicle would often times be restarted within an hour. The dealer was notified and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Same issue as complaint #11416043. Leak in sunroof has caused several electrical issues with the car. I had noticed occasional drips from the rear view mirror but had no idea that water was pooling under the spare tire in the trunk where several electrical components are located. When I originally brought it to the dealer (when I noticed the occasional drips) they said I needed to replace a major part of the sunroof which would have cost around $2,000. They did not mention that the water could/would reach the under carriage (not sure if that is the correct term) and could cause major electrical issues. I've since noticed that many others with this vehicle have had issues with the sunroof. I also had multiple times when my battery had to be replaced in the rear of the car when it should have been fine (was relatively new) which looking back could have been a result of the sunroof leak.
MY ROOF IS LEAKING, IT WAS COMING OUT THE FRONT CABIN LIGHT. THIS PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND NOTED ON MANY WEBSITES WITH PICTURES FOR MY YEAR/MODEL. THEN WE STARTED GETTING ERRORS WITH SUSPENSION AND MY WIFE GOT A WARNING SHE SHOULD STOP THE CAR. SHE GOT IT HOME AND WE FOUND THE WATER HAD NOW LEAKED INTO THE REAR RIGHT QUARTER PANEL WHERE AT LEAST 1 COMPUTER IS STORED. THAT AREA HAD AT LEAST 1' OF WATER IN IT. I HAD TO PULL A DRAIN PLUG TO DRAIN IT. THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THE COMPUTER WAS FRIED ($2600) AND HAD PREVIOUSLY SAID OUR DRAINS WERE CLEAR AND THE FIX WAS A NEW REAR SEAL. WHILE THEIR ANOTHER PERSON HAD JUST GOTTON THAT SUNROOF $2K FIX ON THEIR CAR. THE COMPUTER HAS DISABLED THE BLIND SPOT LIGHTS ON THE SIDE MIRRORS, FRONT COLLISION WARNING AND ASSUME AUTO BRAKING, THE REAR CAMERA IS OUT, AND GPS. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE OBVIOUS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE IS DISABLED I DON'T KNOW. THE DEALER ALSO SAID THEY WERE LIMITED ON THE FAULT CODES THEY COULD GET BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE AS WELL. IN DOING MORE RESEARCH FOR 'VOLVO SUNROOF LEAK' I FOUND A SITE CALLED TOPCLASSACTIONS.COM WITH SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL INCIDENCES OF NEWER YEARS AND OTHERS MODELS WHERE THE ROOF LEAKS INTO THE REAR AND FRIES THE COMPUTER. ONE NOTED ' THAT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING! I LOST BRAKES AND ENGINE POWER, THE GEAR BOX GOT LOCKED. EVENTUALLY I PULLED INTO PARKING LOT. AT THAT POINT I TRIED TO TURNED OFF THE ENGINE OF THE CAR BUT IT WOULDN'T LET ME.' SOMEONE ELSE NOTED BRAKE FAILURE AS WELL. THE SUNROOF ISSUE IS NOT UNCOMMON AND VOLVO IS GIVING CONSUMERS THE RUN AROUND WHEN THEIR DESIGN LEAKS AND DAMAGES THE COMPUTER CONTROLLING KEY SAFETY FEATURES. THESE ARE 'NEW' CARS 2016 AND UP. THERE ARE ALSO INSTANCES WHERE THE CONSUMER PAYS TO GET THE LEAK 'FIXED' AND IT CONTINUES TO LEAK THEREFORE INCREASING THE CHANCE OF THE SAFETY COMPUTER FAILING.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026