The rear passenger-side door latch on my 2021 Volvo XC90 failed, and the door will not open from inside or outside. This prevents an occupant from exiting through that door, including in an emergency or after a crash. The failure occurred on XXX at approximately 45,000 miles while the vehicle was in normal use. I have small children and they are now not able to get out of the car so this is a major safety issue. There was no crash or injury. Borton Volvo ([XXX]) diagnosed a failed door latch assembly and quoted $1,106 to replace it. Volvo declined goodwill coverage. Owner reports indicate door latch failures are common on 2016+ XC90 models INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Volvo XC90 door locks problems
63 of the 1,546 owner complaints about the Volvo XC90 describe doors won't lock, open or latch, most of them for the 2016 model year.
- owner complaints
- 63
- worst model year
- 2016
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,280
- typical mileage
- 67,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Airbag light 5Wipers 4Key fob 4Jerking 4Won't start 2Steering lock-up 2Stalling 2Loss of power 2
What owners say
The exterior chrome trim on the door handle has severely delaminated and flaked. The peeling metallic coating has separated from the plastic handle structure, creating a razor-sharp edge. This component is located on a primary vehicle entry point, creating an immediate laceration hazard to anyone attempting to open the door. The flaking metal shards are sharp enough to cut fingers or hands during normal vehicle operation, posing a particular safety risk to children or anyone unfamiliar with the vehicle's defect. This is a known manufacturing material failure affecting 2019 Volvo models.
The exterior chrome trim on the door handle has severely delaminated and flaked. The peeling metallic coating has separated from the plastic handle structure, creating a razor-sharp edge. This component is located on a primary vehicle entry point, creating an immediate laceration hazard to anyone attempting to open the door. The flaking metal shards are sharp enough to cut fingers or hands during normal vehicle operation, posing a particular safety risk to children or anyone unfamiliar with the vehicle's defect. This is a known manufacturing material failure affecting 2019 Volvo models.
The rear door on the driver side will not open. The child lock will not deactivate. No accident. I took my son to school and when I returned to open the door for my [XXX] old the door would not open. No warnings. A regular maintenance appeared days later. I do not understand why this is not being recalled based on online research showing the same thing happening with other Volvos. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle: 2017 Volvo XC-90 Component: Door latch / door lock mechanism Both passenger-side door latches failed within approximately three weeks of each other due to internal corrosion/rust, as confirmed by Volvo diagnostics. The affected doors cannot be opened from inside or outside, including by key fob or interior door controls. This condition presents a serious safety risk, including potential occupant entrapment in the event of an accident, fire, or emergency evacuation. The vehicle has been well maintained, garage kept, and has not been exposed to flooding. Volvo Cars USA and an authorized dealership acknowledged the failures; however, Volvo declined assistance. The dealership offered partial labor coverage while the owner paid for parts to restore vehicle safety. Because this involves a critical safety component and occurred on multiple doors in close succession, I believe this represents a design or material defect, not normal wear, and warrants formal investigation.
All seatbelts in vehicle sticks and/or catches have to use seriously more pressure on release button,or seatbelt/latch it’s self or both. My wife and children have had me have to come get it because it wouldn’t release. Engine motor mount bolt had to be replaced, I noticed when alternator went out, vehicle wouldn’t respond from throttle acted like it was missing then threw dash lights then no lights all of a sudden it happened within 1-2mins vehicle wouldn’t respond while running stopped in middle of road. Didn’t give any warning was even going out. Locks not working right with key fob 1or more locks won’t lock/unlock including the fuel door lock, as well as child saftey locks coming on randomly. Steering locked in full turn left/right have to manually turn wheel because it will continue in direction wheel is associated in while moving instead of returning towards middle on its own momentum. Climate control fan not working properly not enough blowing force and ambient temperature sensor for climate control not regulating temperature/doesn’t read correctly.
Rear Drivers door (left) fails to latch. Volvo has an updated part for better water ingress prevention, then the part that was used to build the car. The problem is that water enters the moveable window, runs down the metal channel separation gthe fixed and moveable window, and enters the door latch mechanism. This is extremely dangerous, in that the door may appear closed, and the vehicle may allow the driver to move forward or backward, but the door is not latched and can fly open leading to death! This is an issue known by Volvo, hence the updated OEM replacement part, however they are grossly negligent in not reporting or self recalling vehicles for this issue.
The rear door latch/lock actuators on my 2017 Volvo XC90 fail to latch in cold temperatures, making the vehicle undrivable and unsafe. The doors may appear closed but are not secure, creating a serious risk to the driver, passengers, and others on the road; I rely on this vehicle daily to transport my children. The issue has worsened over multiple winters, and on one occasion the doors remained frozen for about four hours, preventing safe travel to work and school. A local independent garage has confirmed this is a known issue affecting XC90 models in cold-weather climates and identified the likely cause as failing or frozen actuators. This can be confirmed online with a simple google issue that it is a sever and prevalent safety issue. Especially with children riding int he back seats. The vehicle has been run with remote start and for extended periods in attempts to resolve the issue, and temporary measures like sprays or lubricants have not helped. The car had to run for 4 hours to be operable and it was only 10 degrees out. The problem has no warning lamps or messages and occurs only in cold weather. The system is available for inspection upon request.
At random times the back doors will not open, from the inside or outside…hit all the unlock buttons and will NOT open. If this is not a massive safety issue, I don’t know what is…. If we get in a wreck and our car is on fire and we cannot instantly get ourselves or our children out quickly that’s a problem… if we wreck on the freeway and we see vehicles coming at us and we cannot quickly exit. This is a problem. For a car company to not address this it is gross negligence… we own a Ford focus it’s been taken in about three times for door recalls, but we never even actually had an issue…Volvo being a luxury car company and choosing to ignore this issue at the expense of the consumer has went on too long! This hasn’t happened only once, has happened sporadically multiple times
To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint to report a repeated and unresolved safety defect in my leased Volvo vehicle involving rear passenger door lock failure, which has resulted in minor children being trapped inside the vehicle on multiple occasions Vehicle Safety Issue: The left rear passenger door fails to open from both inside and outside, despite the child lock not being engaged. This creates a serious safety risk, particularly during emergencies when occupants must exit the vehicle quickly. Incident History: [XXX]: Rear door would not open from inside or outside, trapping my two children (ages [XXX] and [XXX] ). At the same time, the infotainment system froze and the backup camera was not functioning. I reported this to Volvo service. [XXX]: The same issue occurred again, resulting in my children being locked in the rear seat. One child was experiencing leg pain, and it was extremely difficult and unsafe to remove him through the front door. The dealer stated the rear lock assembly was replaced. [XXX]: Despite prior repair and assurances, the rear door failed again, trapping my child inside the vehicle. I have video evidence showing the door cannot be opened from outside. In addition, on a separate occasion, the vehicle completely froze and could not be unlocked using either key. AAA was required to jump-start the vehicle, and I was informed that a required software installation had not occurred. Safety Concern: A rear passenger door that cannot be opened from inside or outside presents an immediate safety hazard, especially involving children, medical emergencies, accidents, or fire. A non-functional backup camera further increases the risk of injury while reversing. This issue has occurred three times, including after a component replacement, indicating a recurring defect rather than an isolated incident. I am reporting this issue so it can be reviewed for potential safety investigation and corrective action. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOI
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Volvo XC90 door locks
Which Volvo XC90 years have doors won't lock, open or latch problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2016 (22 complaints), 2004 (11 complaints) and 2017 (6 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix doors won't lock, open or latch on the Volvo XC90?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,280 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Volvo XC90?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history