My vehicle's air bag light is on. My dash message is: passenger airbag off service urgent. I took it to koons volvo of owings mills, inc to be serviced. I was told that the passenger occupancy weight sensor has stopped working and need to be replaced. The service technician could not tell me why it would have stopped working. He just said it could just happen. I asked the service technician what does it do and he said that it weighs passengers for the correct pressure of the airbag in case it is deployed. He also said that my complete airbag system will not work without it which means that the driver's side as well as the side airbags will not deploy in case of an accident. The cost of this repair is $2,249 which is extremely expensive. This appears to be more of a defect and not wear and tear. Volvo advertises it's safety features which attracted me to purchase one. They don't tell you that the safety features may not work when you need them. I was told by another service station in alexandria, va that this is a common repair that he performs on volvos. I saw the airbag light one morning when I turned on the car after it had been sitting overnight. No one was in the passenger seat. It was not there the night before.
The worst 2013 Volvo XC90 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags3
- Body2
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Driver assistance1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags3
- Body2
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Driver assistance1
- Fuel system1
- Wheels1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2013 Volvo XC90 223
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 2 PDFs and 1 .PNG Oil Consumption test
- This is a TJ text only
- This is a Technical Journal
- This is a Technical Journal: Remote connection, BOMGAR application
- Unknown or other
- This is a Technical Journal: Vehicle/Connectivity report checklist
- Information about valid Software partnumbers to order and download Software for "PDS" Pre-Delivery Service
- This is a Technical Journal: 12V Battery Testing Method
- Complimentary upgrade C00009 description.
- Rubber cushion
2013 Volvo XC90 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6‑cyl | FWD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
| 3.2L 6‑cyl | AWD | 16 | 22 | 18 |
What 2013 Volvo XC90 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I am the second owner of this car the other owner was in the family and the airbags have never been deployed. A couple months ago the SRS airbag service urgent light came on and we took it to the dealership to have it looked at. They said that the airbags needed to be replaced. Being that this is such a crucial component that should be working if it has never been used I wanted to alert the federal safety agency and see if it were a more widespread concern. I appreciate you looking into this. There were no events leading up to the airbag light and that is the reason for my concern.
I was driving down an old highway at 45mph. The driver's door opened while in motion while the door was closed and locked. The door did not fly open, I think locking mechanism helped keep the door from swinging out. There was an immediate rush of air coming through my door and the warning light came on saying driver's door was open. I was able to unlock and pull my door back into the closed position while in motion.
Having bought a 2013 volvo xc90 with 36k miles on it, I was driving on a highway 2 weeks later when I saw smoke coming out of the engine. The engine stalled and shut down. I quickly pulled over the car and was able to get out as the smoke was increasing. Within 4-5 minutes, the car was on fire. It was completely gutted and destroyed. Volvo declined to accept blame and said that the cause of fire cannot be determined. This is supposed to be the safest car and I was surprised at their callous attitude. The dealer from summit nj was far more professional. The highway it happened on was rt. 295 near princeton nj. I hope others can learn from this debacle and get some help if there is a fundamental problem with 2013 xc90. They did have a recall for the 2010 xc90 for the same reason. I feel the cause was either an electrical short circuit or a problem with transmission.
The xc90 I just bought from a dealer as is two days ago has some leaking of fuel. I suspect something is wrong with the fuel pump. The previous owner did not bring the car to volvo dealer to replace the fuel pump under the extended warranty. Now I have to pay thousand dollars to repair it.
The anti skid service is not functioning. The warning light keeps coming on and off periodicially. When this happens, I sometimes lose the dash lights, blinkers and the fuel door unlocks. The issue is not happening consistently it happens when the weather gets bad. Everything just goes out. Its stationary at the because I have no lights or one light wont go off.
Anti skid warning lights are coming up
The anti skid service is not functioning. The warning light keeps coming on and off periodicially. When this happens, I sometimes lose the dash lights, blinkers and the fuel door unlocks. The issue is not happening consistently. Sometimes it won't happen for months and then it will happen again multiple times. I have taken it to volvo twice and they are unable to determine why this issue is happening.
Continental factory equipped tires are worn to the point of need for replacement at 25,000 miles. This vehicle is driven by a 65 year old lady and in most part in town at 45 MPH or less. It is maintained by the selling volvo dealer. Tires are tmps monitored and proper inflation is maintained. With no side to side difference in tread wear in both front and rear tire placements there is no reason for premature tire wear. One of the four tires have a bump when cold that disappears when the tires warm up. Why only one. I feel that continental tire company should adjust the tires for premature tread wear....
The anti skid service is not functioning. The warning light keeps coming on and off periodicially.
Compare the 2013 Volvo XC90
XC90 vs Acura MDXXC90 vs BMW X5XC90 vs Audi Q7XC90 vs Lexus RXXC90 vs Mercedes-Benz GLE 350XC90 vs Cadillac XT5
Other model years
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Questions about the 2013 Volvo XC90
Is the 2013 Volvo XC90 reliable?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2013 Volvo XC90, fewer than a typical XC90 model year.
What is the 2013 Volvo XC90 year score?
The 2013 Volvo XC90 scores 91 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Volvo XC90: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Volvo XC90?
Airbags, with 3 complaints. Next is body (2).
How many recalls does the 2013 Volvo XC90 have?
No recalls on record.
Is there a class action lawsuit over the Volvo XC90?
Yes. New class action says Volvo's Google-based infotainment screens freeze and take climate and rearview camera with them (November 9, 2026).
What gas mileage does the 2013 Volvo XC90 get?
Official estimates for the 2013 Volvo XC90 range from 18 to 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.2L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 16 city and 23 highway.
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