Volvo Recalls Certain XC90 Vehicles Over Insufficiently Tightened Seat Belt Buckles

NHTSA safety recall 23V-827 comprises 2,911 examples of the XC90 mid-size luxury crossover, namely vehicles produced for the 2015 to 2024 model years between December 2014 and September 2023. Said vehicles were manufactured with second-row seats produced by a firm dubbed Adient Sweden.

The supplier pulled the recalled seats off the main production line to the rework repair line, but for some reason or another, the rework repair line was set up without torque angle monitoring. Otherwise put, an estimated 5% of the seats in question are believed to feature improperly tightened seat belt buckles. In the event of a crash, loose attachment bolts increase the risk of injury to the folks seated in the second row.

Volvo received the first notification over said condition on October 10, 2023. The subsequent investigation concluded in late November. According to documents filed with the federal watchdog, Volvo has instructed its authorized retailers to inspect the second-row seat belt buckle anchorage bolt torque to ensure that all bolts are torqued to the correct spec.

Known owners will be informed via first-class mail no later than January 29, 2024. Owners can get in touch with Volvo at 1-800-458-1552 or online, and owners who aren't sure whether their XC90s are included in this recall or not can simply run the vehicle identification number on the NHTSA's site.

Revealed in August 2014 for the 2015 model year, the second-generation XC90 received a well-deserved refresh in May 2019 for the 2022 model year. Originally believed to be discontinued in favor of the all-electric EX90, the internal combustion-engined XC90 will soldier on for the foreseeable future because the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles is wishful thinking at the present moment.

From the relatively high starting prices of battery-electric vehicles to the limited fast-charging infrastructure and other peculiarities such as non-functioning charging stations, there is no mistaking that internal combustion will continue to serve us well for a few more years. Volvo intends to become fully electric by 2030, with Volvo aiming for 50% of its global sales to consist of EVs by the year 2025.

Volvo's most affordable zero-emission vehicle as of December 2023 is the China-built EX30, which is available to order at $34,950 before taxes and options. The XC40 Recharge jumps to a somewhat unreasonable $52,450, the swoopier C40 Recharge is $53,600, and the top-of-the-line EX90 is listed with a starting price of $76,695 in the United States market.

As for the aging XC90 mid-size luxury crossover, the second gen is available as a gas-fueled mild hybrid or as a plug-in hybrid. Regardless of powertrain, a 2.0-liter turbo inline-four and a torque-converter automatic are standard. The 2024 model year Volvo XC90 carries a sticker price of $56,000 in mild-hybrid attire, whereas the PHEV starts at $71,900.