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Volvo lemon law
If your Volvo keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem, your state's lemon law may make the maker buy it back or replace it, and pay your lawyer when you win. Here is what Volvo owners report to the federal government, and how to check your own car.
What Volvo owners report most
| Problem area | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Wiring, battery, lights and electronics | 288 |
| Backup camera and rear sensors | 131 |
| Automatic emergency braking and collision warning | 113 |
| Brakes | 97 |
| Fuel system, or the battery and motor of an EV or hybrid | 81 |
| Engine | 63 |
A complaint can name more than one area. 169 complaints name none.
Models with the most complaints
- XC60 238
- XC90 177
- XC40 175
- EX90 81
- S60 48
- C40BEV 42
Latest Volvo recalls
- Structure, October 15, 2026: 2025 VNL (4), 2026 VNL (4), about 5 vehicles.
“A cab with loose or missing structural bolts may not properly protect an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.”
NHTSA recall 26V677000 - Seats, October 9, 2026: 2026 EX30CC, 2026 EX30, 2025 EX30, about 9,930 vehicles.
“A detached head restraint cushion can increase the risk of injury during a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V671000 - Service Brakes, Electric, September 28, 2026: 2026 VNL (4), 2027 VNL (4), 2027 VNR (4), 2025 VNL (4), about 392 vehicles.
“Reduced braking performance can require a greater distance to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V619000 - Exterior Lighting, August 6, 2026: 2027 VNL (4), 2027 VNR (4), 2026 VNL (4), about 2,071 vehicles.
“Marker lights that fail to illuminate can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V513000 - Steering, July 9, 2026: 2026 VAH, 2026 VHD, 2026 VN, 2026 VNR (4), about 3,858 vehicles.
“A loose steering arm can result in a loss of vehicle steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V444000
Check your own car by its VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at any Volvo dealer.
Recalls, repairs and the lemon law
A recall alone does not make a car a lemon. What counts is a defect the dealer cannot fix: most states presume a lemon after 3 or 4 repair attempts for the same problem, fewer for a defect that could cause a crash, or about 30 days in the shop, inside the first one to two years. A recall repair for a defect that keeps coming back is a repair attempt like any other, so keep the repair order from every visit.
In California, Volvo was not on the state's list of makers in the new lemon law process on October 26, 2026, so the older rules apply. The list
How a Volvo lemon law claim and buyback work
Keep the repair order from every visit, then write to Volvo, not only the dealer, at the customer relations address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, and ask for a buyback or a replacement. In a buyback Volvo refunds the price, taxes and fees and costs like towing, minus a deduction for the miles you drove before the first repair, and pays off the loan.
The steps · Letter template · Buyback or cash and keep · Estimate a buyback
Volvo lemon law in your state
The rules depend on the state where you bought or leased the car:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions about Volvo lemons
How many complaints have Volvo owners filed with NHTSA?
858 for 2021 to 2027 model years, received through October 22, 2026. The most reported area is wiring, battery, lights and electronics.
How many Volvo recalls are there?
89 safety recalls cover 2021 to 2027 Volvo models, for about 1,202,686 vehicles in all.
Is a recall enough to make my Volvo a lemon?
No, not on its own. But if a defect keeps coming back after repairs, recall repairs included, each visit can count as a repair attempt under your state's lemon law. Keep every repair order.
How do I start a Volvo lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, then write to Volvo at the address for customer relations in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, asking for a buyback or replacement under your state's lemon law. Send it by a tracked method and keep a copy.
Does Volvo have to buy back a lemon?
Yes, when your state's lemon law rules are met. The maker must buy the car back or replace it, and most states let you choose. The rules differ by state: see your state guide.
Did Volvo opt in to California's new lemon law process?
Not on the state's list on October 26, 2026, so California's older lemon law rules apply to Volvo cars.
About the data
From NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation files (complaints received 2020 to now, and recalls), counted for 2021 to 2027 model years and filed under the make VOLVO. Read on October 26, 2026. Complaints are what owners report, not findings, and big sellers get more of them: a count is not a defect rate, and it says nothing about your car. We keep no complaint text or personal details.
Is your Volvo a lemon? Find out free
Free, about ten taps. You see what your state's law says first. If you want a lawyer, we find a lemon law firm in your state that takes cases like yours, and they contact you.
Your state: Ohio
What model year is it?
Who pays the lawyer? In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More