Used 2016 Volvo XC90 Consumer Reviews
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90K Long Term Review
Matt H., 10/09/2017
updated 10/17/2022
2016 Volvo XC90 T6 Inscription 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Twincharger 8A)
90 of 91 people found this review helpful
I've decided to completely rewrite my original review and update the rating from 5 stars to 2. The only reason I'm not giving it a 1 is for the excellent customer service from Volvo/Dealerships, and the design is still top-notch. We currently sit just over 110K miles on our 2016 Volvo XC90. It's fully loaded with everything available when purchased except the air suspension. We drove off the lot with 3 miles on the odometer in 2015. Here's the good: - We still love the design. It's beautiful, inside and out. - The safety tech has saved us from multiple accidents. - Drives spectacularly in snow and rain. All-wheel-drive, skid control, and everything are some of the best. - Volvo's dealership and customer service are among the best in the industry. They always gave us loaner cars (sometimes for weeks), and Volvo went out of their way to cover us even when our warranty expired for minor and major issues. Up until the last problem we had with the turbocharger. They're unwilling to give us any discounts as we've run up a large tab at this point (more on that below). Customer service is one of the reasons we would buy another Volvo, but only after 2-3 years after a new model has been released. - Volvo on-call and emergency services are excellent. Here are the problems we've been dealing with since we purchased the vehicle. - The instrument cluster failed when driving down the road. Meaning we had no visual indication of what was happening in the vehicle. We immediately took it to the dealership. Dealership fixed under warranty. (2018) - The blinker assembly (sticks) stopped working while driving. Again, immediately took it to the dealership. Fixed under warranty. (2018) - The brakes constantly squeal with no way of fixing them. Just a bad design in general. You can't hear them inside the vehicle, but the dealership has done many pads and even rotor adjustments under warranty to try and fix it. I still have had the same issue since I bought it. (2015-2022) - The instrument cluster failed (yes...again) only this time it didn't render it inoperable, just malfunctioned. Fixed under warranty (2019) - We had a major coolant leak which rendered the vehicle inoperable. Towed to the dealership, covered under warranty. (2020) - Oxygen sensor went out (twice) Covered under warranty (2018, and 2020) - A major oil leak caused them to pull the entire engine out to fix it. It wasn't supposed to be covered under warranty (Our warranty has long expired) Volvo made a deal for us to only pay for the labor involved ($1500). The normal cost of the fix was in the thousands. (2020) - A control box at the top of the engine made the vehicle squeal like a bad engine belt. Out of Warranty. $120 to fix. (2021) - A supercharger seal went out and caused a check engine light. Out of Warranty. $1500 to fix. (2021) - The touch screen has just gotten slower over time, like a dying windows computer. It's now just super slow to boot up and sometimes lags when doing any commands. - Tires for this vehicle are EXPENSIVE. Only two manufacturers make the tires that fit the 21" wheels. Scorpion and Goodyear. Volvo techs admit that the tires suck and that due to a design issue, the back tires with Scorpions run down faster than the fronts. We've had two flats due to nails and replaced all 4 three times due to wear and tear. We'll be switching from Scorpion to Goodyear to try them out. - The keyless entry and other features are locked behind a $250 a year app. For the cost of the vehicle and maintenance, while the service has been worth it to us, it's too expensive. We only use it for the keyless entry in hot and extreme cold weather to warm or cool the vehicle. If you use the vehicle for business, it does include a built-in mileage tracker, which is nice. We have one of the earliest VIN numbers for the US models, and honestly, the thing has been nothing but trouble mechanically. Of course, the later vehicles have all been fixed. We felt like an early adopter of the new model and we definitely paid the price for that. Even Volvo and their techs admit that the first 2016 models with low VINs have constant problems and have told us to always wait two years before buying a new model (lesson learned). The cost of ownership for the 2016 model has not been worth it. We paid almost $80K for this vehicle, costing thousands more to service it and maintain it and went sometimes weeks and even. months without our car and a loaner vehicle while we waited on parts to fix it. A typical service costs $200-$300 for this vehicle after the initial warranty and free services run out. On top of that, it takes premium gas only, which means the cost to operate, and the cost to maintain it is super high all around. Do I love my Volvo? Yes. Is it a big piece of crap? Mechanically, yes. Unfortunately, I think I'd be writing a different review if I had bought one today. We just bought way too early on a vehicle that was built from scratch from the previous gens. My tip is to never buy a new model until two years after the vehicle has been out when the kinks have been worked out.
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Great, after trouble with start was finally fixed
Hugo F, 05/20/2016
updated 12/02/2021
2016 Volvo XC90 T8 R-Design Twin Engine Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Twincharger gas/electric hybrid 8A)
42 of 42 people found this review helpful
Bit spoilt also having a tesla (hence the infotainment system seems slow and buggy compared to the tesla, even though it's miles ahead of typical cars) but the interior is really nice as is the lane follow and adaptive cruise. Very relaxing on long journeys. Update May 2017: we got the software update to "pilot assist 2" and this is a huge improvement over the v1 system. Long journeys are now even more bearable! Had problems with the electric parking brake locking on, stranding my wife in the school parking lot. Volvo said the car needed to be towed to the dealer; I found a discussion thread and someone mentioned pulling the parking brake fuse to reset the system (open hood, look inside fusebox cover to identify the fuse, pull, leave a minute, replace, done) - this fixed the issue totally for us. Going to get the dealer to check for a firmware update for that component at the next service. Update May 2017: Have had several firmware updates, and tried switching the head unit SIM from the supplied AT&T to T-Mobile (easy job) but still we can't get pandora streaming reliably within 5 minutes of starting to drive. The touchscreen is infuriatingly slow and buggy, and the connectivity (not sure if it's 3G or LTE) is ridiculously slow even when showing full signal. Update May 2018: The touchscreen is still awful compared to a Tesla. Apps are essentially useless, and the 3G connection is still awful. The hybrid system failed last week too, thought the car remains fully drivable on gas. Waiting for a service slot for this to be diagnosed. Update November 2017: Have had 3+ occasions where the car won't start (well, turn on). Foot on brake, turn the on/off control and ... nothing. We worked out that getting out of the car, locking it, waiting a couple of minutes and trying again usually gets it to start but wtf, this is just ridiculous. The dealer managed to replicate it, but not fix the problem.... Update May 2018: Eventually, after many more service trips, the "car won't start" issue was found and addressed earlier this year. The car powers up both on hydraulic pressure (from pushing pedal) and also from a switch on the brake pedal... it turns out that, as the dealership traced the wires through, that the switch input to the ECU was not clicked into place. After this was fixed, we have not seen the issue again. Finally! Update May 2020: No issues since may 2018. Still very happy with comfort & performance. The touchscreen is still awful though... hopefully the next generation XC90 will address that. Update November 2020: Key fob batteries are mysteriously running out. Have to change them once a month, pretty much. Car still good though. Update December 2021: key fob better now (keeping the spare in a metal tin help preserve its battery). Sunroof no longer slides back (it only pops up to vent mode) and sun shade doesn't totally close but that's fairly minor as troubles go.
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New Standard for SUV's
Swedishsmitten, 06/22/2016
2016 Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Twincharger 8A)
154 of 159 people found this review helpful
Very simply this is a great automobile. We had been a Jeep Grand Cherokee family for 20 years but needed a 3rd row. Base suspension is great. Very smooth and firm, which means it does not feel like a boat. Check your tire pressure when you first get the car. Ours had 45 psi which we found out it quite common as they overfill in Sweden so the tires do not flat spot in shipping. They should check it before delivery but ours was missed. I think some of the rough ride comments are caused by this. After correcting this the ride is amazing. Seats are the best I have ever sat in with great lumbar adjustment. The power is fine. 316 horsepower from a 4 cylinder engine is amazing.
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Amazing Vehicle
Sageman, 05/28/2016
2016 Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription Twin Engine Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Twincharger gas/electric hybrid 8A)
21 of 21 people found this review helpful
This is a phenomenal vehicle. I have 3000 miles on my T8 Inscription and could not be happier. I drove BMW, new Audi Q7, new MB and Porche; the T8 is the true winner. If you are considering a T6 or T8, the first option I would recommend is the air suspension. It is a gamer changer offering a smoother, quieter ride and improved handling. Going for the Inscription package raises the interior seating and finishes to an extremely high level. Then of course Intellisafe safety features are wonderful. And finally, if you are into music, the BW sound system is uncompromising. Wow. The T8 plug in hybrid's battery cost 50 cents to charge and it provides enough electric only miles for most of my city driving needs. We charge between 1 and 5am using a timer to get the lowest electrical rate of 4 cents per kw (here in Arizona). In the electric mode, the car it incredibly quiet. Really magical.
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Who needs options
Dale, 11/19/2015
updated 05/24/2017
2016 Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Twincharger 8A)
33 of 34 people found this review helpful
The base Momentum is a steal compared to the competition. The only option I ordered was a trailer hitch. The ride is smooth and quiet. The sound system is great. The seats are the most comfortable I have every experienced. So many optional items on other vehicles are standard such as heated, leather, power seats, huge moonroof, navigation and lots of safety features. We are getting 27 to 28 MPG on the highway at 70 to 75 miles per hour in calm winds. I am not a fan of the auto start/stop function and I prefer the Dynamic driving mode which is very peppy in city driving and disables the start/stop function. I wish the car remembered the previous driving mode setting so you don't have to select it each time you start the car. I also would like to see a Home Link option for opening the garage door.
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