2005 Volvo XC90 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
304 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Volvo XC90, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 44/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 97,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2005 sits among all XC90 years
What owners report
“Front head lamps go out while driving. This happened at night. The next day i drove the car and the lights were on but one is very dim. I have already replaced this light. It is still dim and i got a warning from a police officer on 01/30/16.he stated this is a safety hazard and next time i would…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 XC90
“2005 volvo xc90 v8 - engine number 6163 - counter balance shaft failure due to engine design defect. No recall by volvo despite very high volume of incidents and the safety risk to drivers and passengers of their vehicles. No check engine lights. Volvo knows about this issue and chooses to ignore…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 XC90
“I own a volvo 2005 xc90 and only 58,000 miles need to replace the transmission. I search in the internet for volvo xc90 transmission and it seems alot of people having the same problem with this model.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 XC90
“Bought car and been having problems every since i have had problems i keep fuel injection in it so i can move the car to point a and b”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 XC90
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 260 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 89,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 61,500 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.
Fix: VOLVO ADVISES OWNERS TO PLEASE STOP USING THE GARMIN PORTABLE GPS DEVICE IMMEDIATELY, AND VISIT THE GARMIN WEBSITE TO DETERMINE IF THEIR UNIT IS AFFECTED. THE UNIT'S BATTERY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A…
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001-2005 S80, MODEL YEAR 2001-2004 V70, S60, XC70 AND MODEL YEAR 2003-2005 XC90 VEHICLES SOLD IN OR REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL PUMP INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE, AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP WITH A PART OF A MODIFIED DESIGN. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT WHILE DOING BATTERY MAINTENANCE THE JACK'S CRANK HANDLE CAN BE MISPLACED UNDER A BRACKET WHICH RETAINS THE BATTERY.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE PROPER PLACEMENT OF THE JACK CRANK HANDLE AND A WARNING LABEL WITH APPROVED TEXT WILL BE AFFIXED TO THE BRACKET WHICH RETAINS THE BATTERY. THIS WARNING LABEL WILL…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES,THE OUTER TIE ROD BALL JOINT CAN DEFORM AT HIGH LOADS CAUSING A LOSS OF THE CLAMPING FORCE AND THE NUT MAY LOOSEN, WHICH MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE OUTER TIE ROD BALL JOINT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE OUTER BALL JOINT TIE RODS WITH IMPROVED OUTER BALL JOINT TIE RODS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 23, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, IF THE WIPER ARM IS ACTIVATED IN EXTREME WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WITHOUT LIFTING THE WIPER ARMS AND CLEANING THE WINDSHIELD PRIOR TO MOVING, THE WIPER ARM MIGHT SLIP ON ITS DRIVESHAFT, RESULTING IN AN INABILITY TO MOVE THE WIPERS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER ARMS AND RETAINING NUTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO AN ERROR IN THE FACTORY ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTION, THE B+TERMINAL MAY BE IN CONFLICT WITH THE STARTER MOTOR SOLENOID. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE B+TERMINAL AND THE STARTER MOTOR SOLENOID MAY…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND INCREASE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE B+TERMINAL AND THE STARTER MOTOR SOLENOID BY ADJUSTING THE TERMINAL. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 07V221000.
Led to recall campaign 06V144000.
Led to recall campaign 05V529000.
Technical service bulletins
219 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2005 Volvo XC90. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Volvo XC90 reliable?
The 2005 Volvo XC90 drew 304 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 44/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2005 Volvo XC90 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Volvo XC90 are electrical (77 complaints), engine (69), and transmission & drivetrain (64).
At what mileage do 2005 Volvo XC90 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Volvo XC90 problems around 89,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 61,500 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Volvo XC90 have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Volvo XC90. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.