Volvo EX90 1
Weaknesses, engine ratings and buying advice
The EX90 (from 2023) is Volvo's electric flagship: a seven-seat luxury SUV, the spiritual successor to the XC90, packed with LiDAR, a central computer and premium ambition. Comfort, build quality and the serene ride are excellent — when the tech cooperates. And that's exactly the problem: the EX90 is a textbook case of a premature market launch. The hardware shines; the software embarrassed the car early on.
The list of launch problems is long and well documented: infotainment crashes, a full-system crash where the central control collapsed repeatedly (Consumer Reports reported it drastically), standby drain from a central computer that draws too much power asleep and empties the battery overnight, unrecognized keys, falsely detected passengers, volume controls that quit. Plus several recalls: seat bolts (24V869), front-light failure for 2–3 seconds (25V071, 593 cars in Germany), and the tailgate, whose drive unit can come loose and let the spring snap out (25V654). On top of that, reports of inconsistent paint quality. Volvo has patched hard via OTA, but anyone buying an early EX90 should insist on seeing the complete recall and update history.
Range honestly: WLTP claims up to 600 km, the ADAC measures around 520 km in reality. In everyday use at 20–26 kWh, expect more like 400–450 km; the Performance variant managed just 345 km under hard testing. Fast charging from about 30 minutes.
Test-drive red flags: boot and restart the system several times, watch for crashes, lag and overnight standby battery loss, demand proof that all recalls are done, check the paint for consistency, test key recognition and the tailgate. Which version? Steer clear of very early examples without completed updates — a young 2026 with current software and all recalls done is a different world.
2026 market price: new from EUR 110,650 (Performance Ultra); young used cars are still scarce and pricey, as deliveries ramped up late. Insider pick: a 2026 Twin Motor with proven current software and all recalls completed — then the EX90 is the commanding luxury SUV it always wanted to be. Not before.
Engine Overview
The Volvo EX90 1 is available with one engine variant at 408 hp.
Single-motor drive of the large three-row EX90 on the SPA2 platform with a permanent-magnet synchronous machine and a 107 kWh pack. The EV drive hardware and the high-voltage battery itself have so far proven solid — range tests meet EPA figures. The EX90's problem is immature software: the central computer can crash, which has led to reduced power or even loss of drive while driving. There is also high phantom drain of the high-voltage battery while parked (initially up to 3 percent per 24 hours until deep-sleep modes were enabled by update) plus occasional 12 V drain. Volvo delayed the launch by over a year; MY2025 cars get the more powerful central computer retrofitted. Check software level and computer replacement status.
- !! Infotainment total failure and missing functions at launch
The EX90 suffered from severe software problems at launch: infotainment screens went black, digital keys failed, the A/C cut out, and vehicles lost drive power on the motorway. Root cause: incompatible ECU software from different suppliers.
Symptoms: Black screen while driving, A/C cuts out, vehicle loses drive power, key not recognised. - !! High-voltage phantom drain + 12 V drain while parked from 5,000 km
Early EX90s initially lose up to 3% of high-voltage charge per 24 hours while parked because the central computer does not enter deep sleep. In addition, after longer standstill (airport, long-term parking) the 12 V battery drains until the vehicle becomes unresponsive.
Symptoms: Noticeable charge loss after standstill, car unresponsive to key/app after days, restart or 12 V jump-start required. - ! Software-related delays and post-launch fixes
The EX90 was delivered with a delayed market start due to software immaturity. Early owners report missing functions that were added later via OTA. Very little long-term reliability data available.
Symptoms: Missing driver assistance functions, infotainment errors, slow software responses
Vehicle Weaknesses
| Weakness | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle control collapses — climate, audio, basic functions Consumer Reports and forum members document a major system failure: climate control, audio and all operating functions fail simultaneously. In some cases the EX90 takes minutes to become driveable again. The cause lies in the central vehicle computer. Symptoms: All displays black, no response to inputs, climate control and audio fail simultaneously, vehicle requires several minutes to restart, occasional inability to start. | Medium | |
| Airbag warning light illuminates permanently On some EX90s the airbag warning light illuminates permanently. Vehicles were delivered with open recalls in some cases. The fault requires diagnostics and a software reset at the dealership but can return after updates on individual vehicles. Symptoms: Airbag warning light on permanently, occasionally accompanied by additional warning messages in the instrument cluster, power-adjustable seats not responding. | Low | |
| Recall 25V071: headlight shutters close Recall for 2025 EX90: a software bug can close the shutters of the Thor's Hammer headlights over the low and high beams while driving. Night-time visibility drops sharply. Fixed via OTA update or at the dealer. Symptoms: Light suddenly dim at night, headlights appear blocked, visibility drops. | Low | |
| Infotainment freezes and crashes The central display goes black, hangs or reboots while driving, apps fail to load or crash. The software issues were so persistent that Volvo is replacing the central computer in every 2025 EX90 free of charge with the 2026 generation. Symptoms: Display black or frozen, app crashes, reboots while driving, error messages. | Low | |
| Digital key (Walk-Away Locking) consistently unreliable Walk-Away Locking and the digital key function show repeated malfunctions. Some owners report complete failure of the digital access control; physical key required as backup. Symptoms: Vehicle does not lock automatically, digital key not recognised. | Low | |
| Central computer stays on, high standby drain The central computer does not shut down cleanly when parked and noticeably drains the HV battery (vampire drain). Early software builds are affected; the computer swap to the 2026 generation substantially cuts standby consumption. Symptoms: Higher overnight range loss, car never seems fully off when parked, load on the 12V system. | Low |
Top Reported Issues
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Known Problems and Issues +
A total of 14 weaknesses have been documented for the Volvo EX90 1 (2023–2026) — 3 engine-related and 11 vehicle-related. Typical issues affect Electronics, Other, Body, Suspension.
EX90 (Volvo-ERAD-EX90-SM, 2023–2026) — Be Careful: Infotainment total failure and missing functions at launch, High-voltage phantom drain + 12 V drain while parked, Software-related delays and post-launch fixes. Power: 408 PS.
EX90 (Volvo-ERAD-EX90-SM, 2023–2026) — Be Careful: Infotainment total failure and missing functions at launch, High-voltage phantom drain + 12 V drain while parked, Software-related delays and post-launch fixes. Power: 517 PS.
What to watch out for with the Volvo EX90? See the detailed listing of all engine and vehicle weaknesses in the sections above.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Last updated: February 2026 · All information without guarantee