I am writing to file a formal safety complaint regarding my Volvo EX90, which experienced a complete and dangerous shutdown while driving on a LA freeway on Christmas Day. While traveling at freeway speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power and displayed a warning stating “Critical Electrical Fault.” The car shut down in the middle of active traffic. Two vehicles narrowly avoided colliding with us, and we were extremely fortunate to be able to turn the car back on, maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road before being struck. The vehicle had to be towed from the shoulder of the freeway. This incident posed a serious risk of severe injury or death, not only to my passengers but also to other motorists. This was not an isolated incident. This is the second time this vehicle has experienced a sudden shutdown. The first incident involved a warning reading “Critical Propulsion Fault,” which also resulted in loss of vehicle function. Following the Christmas Day incident, the vehicle has been at an authorized Volvo dealership for over three weeks. As of today, Volvo has been unable to identify the root cause or provide a clear explanation or repair. The uncertainty surrounding the failure of a brand-new vehicle (1,754 Miles) further reinforces the seriousness of this defect. A vehicle that can unexpectedly lose all power at freeway speeds is fundamentally unsafe. Based on my experience, I believe the Volvo EX90 presents a significant safety defect, and I am deeply concerned that these vehicles continue to be sold and driven on public roads. I respectfully request that the federal safety agency investigate this matter to determine whether a broader defect or pattern exists and to take appropriate action to protect the public.
2025 Volvo EX90 fuel system complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 15 of 15, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While driving on I-5 north by Castaic (exit 176A) the car displayed "electric system temporarily limited" then "critical electric fault" at which time it rapidly decelerated while on the freeway. The hazard lights were pressed but did not work. There was no shoulder and cars nearly rear ended our vehicle, with our family of 4 (including 2 kids) inside. We were able to navigate the vehicle to a small shoulder at the freeway exit and called CHP for support to ensure our safety while we seemed roadside assistance. Volvo roadside assistance contacted a tow truck and walked us through a "hard reset" of the vehicle. After about 15 minutes we were able to drive the car with a CHP escort off the freeway ramp to a nearby parking lot. The "electrical system temporarily limited" fault remained. Our car was towed to the nearest dealership where the fault was observed. At this point (8 calendar days later) no fix has been identified. This vehicle has had repeated electrical system faults since we leased in on 9/5/25 and has been serviced 3 previous times. This was the first time it stopped while driving.
I have been in multiple situation where my car is unable to charge from my home charger, and the issue is always same which is the need of GHCA replacement. Right now, GHCA for EX90 is in national back order with unknown ETA
The car triggered a "charging fault" while charging on a trip and will no longer charge on a level-2/AC charger. I was lucky to have enough charge to make it to a DC Fast charger and continue my trip. If I had not been so close to an alternative DC Fast charger this could have left me stranded.
The vehicle gear selector had reverse (R) selected and pressing the accelerator pedal caused the vehicle to drive forwards. This appears to have been a result of enabling the "one pedal drive" function from the infotainment display while the gear selector was already in reverse. The mismatch of selected / indicated direction vs the resulting direction is a safety issue
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