A used Volvo S90 is worth buying if you find a 2022 to 2025 B6 or T8 with its camera and engine-software recalls closed, or an earlier car with clean service records and the 2019-2020 fuel pump fuse campaign done. Skip any 2020-2021 T8 plug-in until a Volvo dealer shows you that high-voltage battery recall 25V179 is complete, because NHTSA's record tells owners not to charge the car until then. The S90 also left the U.S. market after the 2025 model year, so every one you shop now is a used or leftover car.
I pulled every S90 recall from the NHTSA recalls API on Saturday morning, October 17, 2026, for model years 2017 through 2026. Nothing came back for 2026, which lines up with what happened to the car. In April 2025 Car and Driver relayed an Automotive News report that Volvo would cancel U.S. orders of the China-built sedan because of tariffs, noting it sold just 1,364 units here in 2024, and quoted a Volvo spokesperson saying there were no plans to bring the 2026 S90 to the U.S. Volvo's own U.S. S90 page now says the car is no longer available new and points shoppers to Certified by Volvo pre-owned stock. That page blocks our link checker, so I am citing it without a link.
Which S90 years and powertrains you are choosing between
The S90 arrived for 2017 as Volvo's flagship sedan, replacing the S80. Car and Driver's 2017 review gave it a 9 out of 10 and listed a front-drive T5 with a 250-hp turbo 2.0-liter four and a T6 that adds a supercharger for 316 hp. Their lows were the same ones owners still mention: engines that lack luxury-car smoothness, a firmer ride than rivals, and an infotainment system that takes a while to learn. Original MSRPs started around $47,945, and C/D's used-value widget showed a 2017 between $7,698 and $21,517 when I checked.
Later cars switched to Volvo's B-series naming. On C/D's current S90 page, which covers the 2025 car, the B6 uses a turbocharged and supercharged four with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, rated 295 hp, and ran to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds in their testing. The T8 is the plug-in hybrid. C/D says it got a more powerful setup for 2022, and its 2024 review lists an EPA-rated 38 miles of electric range. For 2024 the plug-in became available in the cheaper Plus trim, and for 2025 the "Recharge" name was dropped (it is just T8 AWD now) and the top trim was renamed Ultra.
Warranty is four years or 50,000 miles with three years or 36,000 miles of scheduled maintenance, per C/D. A late 2024 or a 2025 can still carry factory coverage, so check the in-service date rather than the model year. Note too that NHTSA lists some 2019-2021 cars as "S90L," so search both names when you research one.
S90 recalls I would make the seller prove are closed
Most of these are routine dealer fixes. The point is to see them closed on the VIN, not just listed:
- 25V179, 2020-2021 S90 plug-in hybrids: the high-voltage battery can short internally when fully charged and parked. The NHTSA record says owners should not charge the car until the remedy is done; dealers inspect and replace battery modules as needed and update monitoring software. Letters went out May 28, 2025.
- 25V282 and 25V908, 2022-2025: two separate campaigns for a rearview camera image that may not appear in reverse, fixed by dealer or over-the-air software. Letters for the second one were mailed February 24, 2026, so a car fixed under the first may still owe the second.
- 25V104, 2025: windows that may be improperly secured and detach. Dealers remove and reinstall them.
- 22V793, 2022-2023: an engine control module software error that can stop the engine from starting.
- 21V414, 2019-2020: the low-pressure fuel pump can blow a fuse and fail. 21V716 covered a badly welded part in the integrated brake unit on some 2021 S90L cars.
- Early cars: 20V144 (automatic emergency braking software, 2019-2020), 19V220 (missing seat rail nuts, 2018-2019), 18V800 (connectivity module software, 2017-2019), plus three 2017 items for the A/C drain hose, passenger seat belt buckle stud and curtain air bag bolts.
Our Volvo recall check by VIN post shows how to see which of these are still open on a specific car, and the free NHTSA vPIC decoder plus our Volvo VIN decoder guide will confirm whether a car really is a T8 before you pay T8 money.
How it compares with the S60, XC90 and G80
If the S90 feels like too much car, our used Volvo S60 buying guide covers the smaller sedan, which shares that same 25V179 battery recall on its plug-in versions. Families who need a third row should read the used Volvo XC90 buying guide instead. C/D itself points out that Genesis offers longer warranty coverage on the G80, and our used Genesis G80 buying guide is the honest alternative if factory coverage matters more to you than the Volvo's big back seat. The S90's 120.5-inch wheelbase is the reason that rear seat feels like a full-size car.
Check the history before you get attached
A discontinued luxury sedan depreciates fast, and cheap ones attract flippers. Run the VIN through NMVTIS for title brands, then pull a full history and look hard at accident records, odometer readings and whether the plug-in was serviced at a Volvo dealer. Do not accept a PDF the seller emails over. We have caught edited ones, and a forged report costs a scammer nothing. CarVins is a licensed reseller of CARFAX and AutoCheck reports and is not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, Experian or Volvo. In mid October 2026 one report from us was running about $5.50 as a guest and roughly $4.50 for members, with both brands together near $6.75, while buying direct tends to cost $39.99 to $44.99. Prices move, so go by what checkout shows that day.
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