Water leaking from the windshield seal (possibly the moonroof) gets into electronics under the dash and causes the transmission to stop working properly and also causes the engine to just stop completely. It happened 4 years ago and Volvo replaced a module but it happened again a week ago.
2018 Volvo XC60 electrical problems
11 complaints (31% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 5,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 31%
- typical mileage
- 5,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Volvo XC60 electrical problems in other years
Related recalls
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 18V800000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, the federal safety agency opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified the federal safety agency he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
What 2018 Volvo XC60 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My air conditioning system failed. The entire dashboard and front seats had to be removed. This included having to replace the A/C evaporator, evacuated A/C refrigerant system, removed center console, removed dshboard and all related components, removed and replaced evaporator, adapter for evaporator, o-rings at expansion valve, reinstalled wiring harness behind dash board and all related clips, Recharged A/C refrigerant system, Additionally, I continually received a power steering disable notification, and parking assist disable notification. This is so frustrating.
When I had to slow down or suddenly stop because there were other cars in front of me, I. stepped on the break, but it did not stop; maybe it slowed down a little, but the acceleration seemed to accelerate faster. I could hear the acceleration sound. I had to push the gear to stop. The car finally stopped. But I almost hit the front car. Similar occurrences happened when I came to a stop signal, which could have involved me in a serious accident, even fatal. I still drive the car because I have only one car. Most of the time, it works normally, but the problem occurs occasionally. I am scared, thinking it will happen again.
Vehicle completely had multiple warning lamps come on while I was driving and it was apparent the computer was failing. Car would not turn off when I moved to turn off the ignition knob. When restarted, car would not shift. Car had to be taken to dealership by tow truck. Dealership notes that water leaked through sunroof over time and accumulated under seats of car, entering into electrical systems. This is also noted by owners of other Volvo cars in public forums.
While driving, the engine will shut off while stopped and fail to restart when the gas pedal is engaged. The car will not turn on, the steering column and brake pedal lock rendering it completely unresponsive to any attempt to restart the vehicle. It has now happened over six times and Volvo has made two attempts to fix it, but it continuously occurs.
Rainwater leaked into front of vehicle and settled in undercarriage causing a short in the passenger side airbag and error message for gear selector. The warning light for the airbag lit up. The vehicle has been inspected by a dealership and the cause of the problem was a clog in the drainage system under the windshied. The clog was redirecting water down into the vehicle and destroyed the main wiring harness. My passenger's safety was at risk because the airbag malfunctioned during driving. Other components could have also shorted out. The ability of the rainwater to drain into the vehicle's electrical components is the result of poor water drainage design and could be remedied easily.
The consumer purchased the vehicle december 21,2019 and it was totaled december 22,2019. The consumer had the feature on their e on my vehicle that caused the engine to shut off while stopped and start up again as they put their foot on the gas. The vehicle failed to restart when they hit the gas while stopped at a light on 27 south. The ending result was an accident for which their insurance company is being personally sued by the liable couple that hit their vehicle. They were unable to turn the car off and the steering column and brake pedal were locked when they attempted this. The vehicle turns on when the key is in the car and the brake is pushed while the ignitions button is turned. They attempted this move because it is also how the vehicle is turned off. This was unsuccessful. When the vehicle's repair record was pulled it was noted that a sensor for that device had been repaired previously. The consumer stated that their concern is that the mileage for this vehicle was 26000 miles and it was a 2018. It could have potentially resulted in more serious injuries or death if the situation had been different. Thank you *ln
On thursday - december 19, 2019 I stopped at an intersection for a traffic light. My vehicle has an auto stop/start feature, so it went into standby mode. When the light turned green - I pushed down on the accelerator and nothing happened. I looked down at the dashboard and the car had shut itself completely off. In order to get moving - I had to put the gearshift into park, restart the car and then put the gearshift back into drive again. At that point I proceeded through the intersection and continued on my way. I live in a community with common mailboxes, so each day on the way home from work I stop at the mailbox, put the vehicle into park, unbuckle my seatbelt and then open the door. Sometimes the vehicle remains "on" and other times it shuts completely off. It occurs randomly. My point is - that perhaps these two circumstances are related. The latter is just an annoyance, but the former is a huge safety problem.
On the evening of november 20, 2018 my family and I were in a car accident. My daughter was driving my husband's new xc60 that he had recently purchased. As the five of us sat stopped at a traffic light, 2 cars collided and one hit us hard enough from the front corner that the impact forced my daughter back into the seat and then propelled her forward slamming her chest into the steering wheel despite her wearing her seatbelt. No air bags deployed. The damage to the car was so extensive it took over 2 months to repair. Yet no air bags deployed.
This happened on two separate occasions - while driving normally on a regular city street the engine suddenly shut off. With no power available, the power steering and brakes were also affected. This caused an extremely dangerous situation as the car suddenly stopped in the middle of a busy street. After a minute or so the engine was able to be restarted. The engine shutoff option was disabled and all other functions had been working normally at the time.
Questions about the 2018 Volvo XC60 electrical
Does the 2018 Volvo XC60 have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the electrical of the 2018 Volvo XC60, 31% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2018 Volvo XC60 electrical problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 5,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Volvo XC60 electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 18V800000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Volvo XC60 have the most electrical problems?
The Volvo XC60 model years with the most electrical complaints are 2022 (34 complaints), 2023 (21 complaints) and 2021 (15 complaints).
Is there a class action lawsuit over the Volvo XC60?
Yes. New class action says Volvo's Google-based infotainment screens freeze and take climate and rearview camera with them (November 9, 2026).
Other 2018 Volvo XC60 problems
Brakes 7Driver assistance 6Airbags 4Body 4Acceleration 3Engine 3Steering 2Tires 2Visibility 2Lights 1Seat belts 1Seats 1Suspension 1Transmission 1Wheels 1
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