2009 Volvo XC90

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Electrical

Electrical leads by volume: 3 of 7 complaints (43%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Body, Seats & Latches include more reported injuries (1) than those mentioning any other identified area.

Complaints filed fell from 29 in 2008 to 7 in 2009.

Data last changed Sep 16, 2026. Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology

Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 5 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.Also cataloged for 2009: 1 configuration(s) of a different vehicle class, excluded from the comparison bar only (but included in the figures above).
Category	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	vs. 2009 Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Annual fuel cost ($)	4,300–5,150	4,850–5,150	3,650–4,150	3,450–4,150	3,450–3,900
Combined MPG	15–18	15–16	15–17	15–18	16–18
City / Highway MPG	13–15 / 19–21	13–14 / 19–20	13–14 / 19–20	13–15 / 19–22	14–16 / 21–22
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)	494–592	555–592	523–592	494–592	494–555
Complaints filed	38	29	7	12	19	Not compared
Recalls issued	2	3	1	3	1	Not compared
Crash-involved complaints	0	1	0	0	0	Not compared
Fire-involved complaints	5	1	0	0	1	Not compared
Injuries reported	0	0	1	0	2	Not compared
Deaths reported	0	0	0	0	0	Not compared
Configurations compared	3	2	2	2	2

Common questions

How many recalls does the 2009 Volvo XC90 have?

1 NHTSA recall campaign as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.

What is the most common complaint about the 2009 Volvo XC90?

Electrical: 3 of 7 NHTSA complaints (43%) mention it.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Volvo XC90 get?

EPA rates it 15–17 MPG combined.

How much does it cost to fuel a 2009 Volvo XC90?

EPA estimates $3,650–$4,150 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

Similar Vehicles

EPA-Rated Configurations (3)

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
Configuration	Transmission	Cylinders	Displacement	Drivetrain	Fuel Type	Vehicle Class	City	Highway	Combined	Annual Fuel Cost	CO₂
Configuration 1	Automatic (S6)	6	3.2L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD	14 mpg (high)	20 mpg (high)	17 mpg (high)	$3,650 (low)	523 g/mi (low)
Configuration 2	Automatic (S6)	6	3.2L	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive	Regular	Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD	14 mpg (high)	20 mpg (high)	16 mpg	$3,900	555 g/mi
Configuration 3	Automatic (S6)	8	4.4L	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive	Regular	Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD	13 mpg (low)	19 mpg (low)	15 mpg (low)	$4,150 (high)	592 g/mi (high)

Complaints by Category

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
Category	Complaints	Injuries
Engine	1	0
Transmission & Drivetrain	0	0
Fuel System	1	0
Electrical	3	0
Brakes	2	0
Steering	0	0
Suspension, Wheels & Tires	1	0
Airbags & Restraints	0	0
Driver Assistance & Speed Control	1	0
Body, Seats & Latches	1	1
Visibility & Lighting	0	0
Other	1	0

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

Recalls (1)

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM) · Campaign 10V566000 · Nov 16, 2010
Defect: VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.
Consequence: AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.
Remedy: 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 NEW BATTERY AND A SPACER WILL BE INSERTED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY NEXT TO THE PCB. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN AT 866-957-1981 OR VISIT GARMIN'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GARMIN.COM/NUVIBATTERYPCBRECALL.