Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 Volvo XC90, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train49
- Electrical system18
- Suspension9
- Engine and engine cooling7
- Structure6
- Fuel system, gasoline6
- Equipment5
- Fuel/propulsion system4
- Air bags4
- Steering4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 6 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2003 Volvo XC90 failed the safety check 3.83% of the time — 82% more often than the average 2003 passenger car (2.11%). Median odometer at inspection: 153,475 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2003 Volvo XC90 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.5 petrol (154 kW, 207 hp), 2.9 petrol (200 kW, 268 hp) and 2.4 diesel (120 kW, 161 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 petrol | 154 kW 207 hp | 416 |
| 2.9 petrol | 200 kW 268 hp | 368 |
| 2.4 diesel | 120 kW 161 hp | 68 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
866 first registered in 2003 are on Dutch roads; 69% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €74,435.
Most common APK defects
- Band onvoldoende profiel487
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen414
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt362
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)351
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde319
- Remvertraging / remwerking parkeerrem onvoldoende241
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar224
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm218
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
392 cars built in 2003 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 528 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 878 of these cars first registered in 2003 took their annual MOT test. 53% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2003 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 29.4% | 21.6% |
| Brakes | 23.3% | 13.9% |
| Suspension | 17.4% | 16.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| Tyres | 6.2% | 6.3% |
| Steering | 5.9% | 4.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In New Zealand
47 2003 cars are on the New Zealand register; 72% arrived as used imports, 23% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 13.0–15.1 L/100 km (about 16–18 mpg US), CO₂ 299–347 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| XC90 2.5T AWD Turbo · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 14.9 | 10.7 | 13.0 |
| XC90 T6 AWD Turbo · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 17.3 | 12.5 | 15.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2003 Volvo XC90.
| 2010396 8 Nov 2010 | Accessories On certain vehicles, there is a possibility of overheating issues of batteries in the Garmin nüvi® 760 when certain batteries manufactured within a limited date… |
| 2006108 8 May 2006 | Steering On certain vehicles, deformation at high loads may cause loss of clamping force of the outer tie rod and allow the nut to loosen. This may eventually lead to a… |
| 2006093 26 Apr 2006 | Visual System On certain vehicles the windshield wiper pivot splines may be damaged due to failure to remove snow from the windshield. This would result in a loss of wiper op… |
| 2006066 27 Mar 2006 | Seats And Restraints Certain Volvo 850, S40, V40, V50, V70, XC70 and XC90 equipped with integrated child booster cushions were incorrectly labelled during vehicle assembly. The lab… |
| 2003235 10 Oct 2003 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the seat belt attachment(s) in the second and/or third row seat(s) may not have been fitted properly. In the event of a crash, the seat oc… |
| 2003226 12 Sept 2003 | Other Certain vehicles do not comply with CMVSS 210.2. The symbol indicating the presence of a lower universal anchorage system, and a reproduction of this symbol we… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.
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, MISSISSIPPI, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, NORTH CAROLINA, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VIRGINIA AND THE U.S. TERRITORIES. WHEN EXPOSED TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS (HOT CLIMATE AND TEMPERATURE CYCLING) OVER TIME AND IN COMBINATION WITH VARYING FUEL QUALITY, THE FUEL PUMP CAN DEVELOP CRACKS IN THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE.
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.
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 FROM THE PARK POSITION.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE SEAT BELT ATTACHMENT(S) FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD ROW SEAT(S) MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FITTED PROPERLY.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volvo told its dealers about the 2003 Volvo XC90: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11007925 | Information about valid Software partnumbers to order and download Software for "PDS" Pre-Delivery Service |
| 10249191 | This is a Technical Journal: 12V Battery Testing Method |
| 10241661 | COMPLIMENTARY UPGRADE C00009 DESCRIPTION. |
| 10241651 | Rubber cushion |
| 10219421 | Engine Control Module (EMS) Software (MSW) Information August 2022; Improvement List (Change Log) - US21+OBD22 (13L VGT, TC) And US17+OBD22 (11L) Emissions |
| 10213885 | The Deutronic DBL-1200 is an advanced battery maintainer/charger with the flexibility to be updated as products and repair methods evolve. |
| 10213883 | ICUP/Google Built-In Diagnostic Operations |
| 10213882 | Battery Charger/maintainer requirement |
| 10212892 | Shipping and Handling of Volvo Lithium-ion 48V Mild Hybrid Battery to Global Battery Solutions (GBS) |
| 10212891 | VIDA QR Scanner Mobile App |
| 10205670 | XC90 Noise/Squeal from rear brakes |
| 10202436 | New Software Products (SP) have been developed to convert a Care Key to a standard key. |
| 10197371 | This is a Service Manager Bulletin : Volvo Electric Vehicle Technical De-Energization Permit to Work Form |
| 10188881 | Volvo?s Warranty Department tracks Retailer warranty spending by utilizing the Warranty Retailer Counseling Process (WRCP). The WRCP is used to gauge individual retailer performance on objective measures over time. By setting clear performance expectations and parameters and assisting retailers in focusing on individual processes and procedures, all retailers are provided with adequate tools to help achieve the ultimate goal of qualifying for self-authorization status. |
| 10182494 | This is a Service Manager Bulletin : Volvo Electric Vehicle Technical De-Energization Permit to Work Form |
| 10182493 | This is a Service Manager Bulletin : Volvo Electric Vehicle Technical De-Energization Permit to Work Form |
| 10181041 | Mandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians to properly diagnose and repair Volvo cars. They are used in development of Volvo labor operations and repair methods, and promote safety and quality repairs in a timely manner. Tools are classified as mandatory because associated repairs and/or diagnostics cannot be completed properly without them. |
| 10179681 | This is a Service Manager Bulletin: Service 2.0 Software & Total Upgrade Reminder |
| 10173760 | This is a Service Manager Bulletin: Service 2.0 Software & Total Upgrade Reminder |
| 10171688 | This is a Technical Journal: 4 Cylinder VEP engine: Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil. |
| 10171676 | Mandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians to properly diagnose and repair Volvo cars. They are used in development of Volvo labor operations and repair methods, and promote safety and quality repairs in a timely manner. Tools are classified as mandatory because associated repairs and/or diagnostics cannot be completed properly without them. |
| 10170147 | Service Manager Bulletin TITLE : Service Action Notification Re - Mails GROUP : NO : ISSUING DEPARTMENT : CAR MARKET : Product Safety & Compliance United States and Canada 00 325 REFERENCE BULLETINS : DATE : SMB00 - 323 and SMB00 - 323A YEAR MONTH DAY SERVICE SERVICE WARRANTY 2013 02 15 MANAGER WRITER ADMINISTRATOR Service Personnel : Read and initial Page 1 of 1 Volvo monitors completion rates for all service actions and will complete notification re - mails to vehicle owners when necessary . Listed below are the latest notification re - mails . Please refer to SMB 00 - 323 and SMB 00 - 323A |
| 10169394 | This is a Technical Journal: Swapping control modules from vehicle to vehicle for diagnostics should be avoided. Swapping control modules may result in consequential damage to the swapped control module and in certain cases several other control modules in the vehicle. Swapping the Driver Information Module (DIM) is strictly forbidden as the DIM it is the main carrier of the odometer function, and will, in case of swapping, result in manipulated odometer value. Service: Please do NOT swap any control modules from vehicle to vehicle for testing, unless instructed to do so in a Vehicle Report by |
| 10169393 | This is a Technical Journal: Swapping control modules from vehicle to vehicle for diagnostics should be avoided. Swapping control modules may result in consequential damage to the swapped control module and in certain cases several other control modules in the vehicle. Swapping the Driver Information Module (DIM) is strictly forbidden as the DIM it is the main carrier of the odometer function, and will, in case of swapping, result in manipulated odometer value. Service: Please do NOT swap any control modules from vehicle to vehicle for testing, unless instructed to do so in a Vehicle Report by |
| 10169391 | Software Installation Policy changes. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)