Volvo Australia Recalls XC90 Over Improperly Tightened Bolts

Published by the Department of Infrastructure in Australia, campaign R10259 concerns the safety of second-row passengers in the event of a crash. Volvo Car Australia says that second-row seatbelts may not operate as intended because of a manufacturing error. The seatbelt buckle and lower anchor bolts may not have been tightened to the correct specification.

If this sounds familiar, that's because Volvo Cars also issued a safety recall in the United States to address this very problem. Over in the United States, a grand total of 2,911 vehicles produced for the 2015 through 2024 model years between December 1, 2014 and September 23, 2023 have been recalled thus far.

The Australian division fails to explain how Volvo messed up this badly. In the United States of America, documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that a supplier, not Volvo, messed up. The supplier – Adient Sweden AB of Gothenburg – set up a rework repair line for the second-row seats without torque angle monitoring.

Dealers have already been instructed to inspect the seatbelt buckle anchorage bolts and – if necessary – retorque them to the correct specification. The repair will be carried out free of charge, and the very same applies to affected owners in the Australian market.

Volvo Car Australia recommends affected owners to get in touch with their preferred dealers to schedule a service appointment. At the moment of reporting, Volvo Car Australia lists two dealers in Perth, three in Brisbane, 14 in the Sydney area, one in Canberra, 8 in Melbourne, three on the island of Tasmania, and one in Adelaide. Alternatively, owners can contact Volvo customer care by telephone at 1300 787 802.

The XC90 soldiers on as Volvo's largest vehicle in the Oz, for the zero-emission EX90 is due in late 2024. Technically different from the combustion-engined XC90, the newcomer doesn't have a price yet in this part of the world. Prospective customers in the United States are charged $76,695 from the outset, whereas the XC90 Recharge is $71,900 sans destination fee. $76,695 converted to Aussie bucks is $115,000 at current exchange rates, but in truth, the new EX90 for Australia will be closer to $150,000.

The XC90 starts at $100,990 for the Ultimate B5 MHEV, whereas the Recharge Ultimate T8 carries a price of 129,990 dollars in Australia. Regardless of spec, a 2.0-liter turbo four-pot engine and transverse leaf springs for the rear axle will have to suffice.

Volvo Cars reported a record-breaking 2023 in terms of global sales, with the Swedish automaker clocking 708,716 deliveries worldwide. The XC60 and XC40 sold better than the XC90, with Volvo reporting 228,646, 200,670, and 107,549 global deliveries.