2021 Volvo XC90

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Volvo XC90, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

• Electrical system13
• Engine8
• Service brakes7
• Unknown or other6
• Fuel/propulsion system5
• Seat belts3
• Power train3
• Forward collision avoidance3
• Chest clip, buckle, harness2
• Steering2

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported

Compared with other years

NHTSA ODI complaints by model year

Fatal crashes in the US

From 2020 to 2023, 4 2021 XC90 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.

NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)

New York safety inspections

At its first New York inspection the 2021 Volvo XC90 failed the safety check 0.55% of the time — 42% less often than the average 2021 passenger car (0.95%). Median odometer at inspection: 24,476 miles.

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Registered new in Europe in 2021

21,158 new Volvo XC90 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2021; the largest markets were Germany (6,745), Sweden (2,381), France (2,023).

Average mass

2,264 kg

Average CO₂

111 g/km (WLTP)

Average power

204 kW

Fuel type recorded

Petrol/electric 61% · Diesel 36% · Petrol 2.6%

European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement

Real-world fuel consumption

17,280 Volvo XC90 cars first registered in Europe in 2021 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Diesel hybrid versions use 8.3 l/100 km on the road against 7.0 in the WLTP test (+19%).

Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0

Engines

The most common engines in 2021 Volvo XC90 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 hybrid (223 kW, 299 hp), 2.0 hybrid (233 kW, 312 hp) and 2.0 hybrid (228 kW, 306 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.

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

2,410 first registered in 2021 are on Dutch roads; 67% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €93,700.

Most common APK defects

• Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde436
• Band onvoldoende profiel133
• Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld119
• Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm99
• Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm97
• Band beschadigd82
• Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht38
• Gordel beschadigd20

Colours

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording

In the United Kingdom

6,601 cars built in 2021 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 80 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, 117 of these cars first registered in 2021 took their annual MOT test. 89% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2021 the figure was 91%.

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

147 2021 cars are on the New Zealand register; 1% arrived as used imports, 98% 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 10.1–10.5 L/100 km (about 22–23 mpg US), CO₂ 236–245 g/km.

Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls in Canada

5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2021 Volvo XC90.

Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls

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 2021 Volvo XC90: known faults, fixes and updates.

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation