Model year 2018 · Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2018 Volvo XC90: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2018 Volvo XC90 at 23–27 mpg combined across 4 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 52 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

23–27

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Volvo dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2018 Volvo XC90 recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2018 Volvo XC90, newest first.

Seat belts: Critical fasteners

NHTSA 23V827000 Reported Dec 7, 2023

Filed by: Volvo Car USA, LLC (manufacturer recall no. R10259)
Units affected: 2,911 (estimate)
Problem: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2015-2024 XC90 vehicles. The second-row seat belt buckle and lower belt anchor bolts may not be tightened properly.
Risk: An improperly tightened seat belt buckle may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing their risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the second-row seat belt buckle anchorage bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10259.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Electrical system: Software

NHTSA 21V273000 Reported Apr 21, 2021

Filed by: Volvo Car USA, LLC (manufacturer recall no. R10093)
Units affected: 162 (estimate)
Problem: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2016-2020 XC90 Excellence vehicles. Liquid or condensation on the rear seat control display may cause the front passenger seat to move back as far as possible.
Risk: The rear passenger may become trapped by the front seat without the ability to cancel the seat's movement, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will update the rear seat control display software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10093.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Electrical system: Software

NHTSA 18V800000 Reported Nov 13, 2018

Filed by: Volvo Car USA, LLC (manufacturer recall no. R39917)
Units affected: 17,548 (estimate)
Problem: Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Volvo XC90, S90, V60, V60 Cross Country, V90, XC40, XC60, and V90 Cross Country vehicles. The software installed in the Vehicle Connectivity Module (VCM) may have an error causing the Telematics and Driver Support Systems to function improperly. As a result, the GPS will not provide location information to emergency personnel in the event of an emergency.
Risk: If the GPS location is not provided to emergency personnel it can inhibit emergency response in the event of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will correct the software, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R39917.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2018 Volvo XC90 fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination; electric figures are in MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2018 Volvo XC90 EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Electric range	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
XC90 AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Premium	20/27/23 mpg	—	$3,550	394
XC90 AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Premium	22/28/24 mpg	—	$3,400	365
XC90 AWD PHEV	2.0L 4-cyl turbo plug-in hybrid	Automatic 8-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Premium and Electricity / Electricity	26/30/27 mpg 62 MPGe on electricity	19 mi	$3,050	187
XC90 FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	22/29/25 mpg	—	$3,300	353

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2018 Volvo XC90 crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2018 Volvo XC90 NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2018 Volvo XC90 T5 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	17.9%	Standard
2018 Volvo XC90 T5 SUV FWD	Not rated	5 stars	5 stars	Not rated	—	Standard
2018 Volvo XC90 T6 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	17.9%	Standard
2018 Volvo XC90 T6 SUV FWD	Not rated	5 stars	5 stars	Not rated	—	Standard
2018 Volvo XC90 T8 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	15.9%	No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2018 Volvo XC90 owner complaints

Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Volvo XC90, most recently on Oct 25, 2026. 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2018 Volvo XC90 complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Electrical system	15
Service brakes	12
Unknown or other	10
Fuel/propulsion system	6
Engine	5
Power train	5
Visibility/wiper	4
Structure: Body	3
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking	2
Latches/locks/linkages: Doors: Latch	2

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Volvo XC90 model years

Volvo XC90 by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 XC90	23–25 mpg	—	—	5/5
2026 XC90	23–27 mpg	1	8	5/5
2025 XC90	23–27 mpg	3	29	5/5
2024 XC90	23–27 mpg	4	37	5/5
2023 XC90	22–27 mpg	7	41	5/5
2022 XC90	22–27 mpg	5	31	5/5
2021 XC90	22–27 mpg	7	42	5/5
2020 XC90	21–27 mpg	9	34	5/5
2019 XC90	22–25 mpg	6	42	5/5
2017 XC90	22–25 mpg	7	82	5/5
2016 XC90	22–25 mpg	8	198	5/5

All Volvo XC90 years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2018 Volvo models

2018 Volvo S60 2018 Volvo S90 2018 Volvo V60 2018 Volvo V90 2018 Volvo XC60

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Volvo.