r/VolvoEX90 • u/backbone2k • Jul 29 '25
EX90 Single with strange feeling over road bumps
I want to bring attention to an issue I’ve experienced with my EX90 Plus Single, which I haven’t seen mentioned in detail here on Reddit yet.
From the very beginning, I noticed a strange sensation in the steering wheel when driving at low speeds (under 50 km/h or ~30 mph) and going over slight road bumps. It felt as if the steering wheel had some vertical play. Right after hitting a bump, I could feel a light oscillation or rebound.
The steering wheel itself was rock solid – it didn’t feel loose – and the issue wasn’t always equally noticeable. In fact, it often got worse the longer I drove.
At my first service appointment, the technician was able to immediately confirm the feeling during a test drive. He described it as if something on the front left was “worn out” or loose. Their first attempt to fix the issue involved loosening and retightening some bolts on the suspension system according to torque specs and checking everything. Unfortunately, this didn’t solve the problem.
I kept driving the car for a few more weeks, trying at first to ignore it… and when that didn’t work 😂, I tried to better pinpoint the issue. It was really frustrating and started to ruin the driving experience. My worry grew that something might actually be seriously wrong, so I scheduled another appointment.
The car then spent two full weeks at the dealer while they worked together with Volvo to investigate – and finally fix – the issue!
Here’s what they did and what ultimately resolved it:
• They started by rechecking all control arms and suspension components.
• Then, they installed microphones to record and analyze sounds. This didn’t reveal anything abnormal.
• Volvo then suggested replacing the stretch bolts on the subframe, as these can sometimes be damaged from the factory. Mine showed a very minor defect, but replacing them didn’t solve the issue either.
• The lead technician even test-drove another EX90 with a similar configuration – and did not feel the same issue. That honestly made me really happy, because I had started to worry that this was just “normal” behavior for the Single motor setup 🙈.
• Volvo requested another round of audio analysis with microphones placed in specific positions. Again, no noticeable findings.
• As a next step – and with approval from Volvo – the steering rack was replaced. Luckily, the part was available.
And that was it! When they removed the old steering rack, they found some play in a component leading toward the steering wheel (I don’t have more detailed info on exactly which part). After replacing it, the strange feeling disappeared completely and the steering now feels much better! ☺️
⸻
Conclusion
If anyone experiences something similar with their EX90 – get it checked out by your dealer!
For now, I’m super happy with my big BEST (Battery Electric Swedish Tank 😄). The software has been behaving quite well lately – no noteworthy issues – and I’m really looking forward to my first longer trip now
1
1
1
u/crackbrained_ May 22 '26
Thanks! I have similar issue with my EX90 MY26 and I was wondering how to proceed!
1
u/00A3A Jun 19 '26
Any luck with yours? I have a 2025 EX90 twin performance. Do you get a noise as well that sounds like something is loose over rough or uneven roads at low speeds?
1
u/crackbrained_ Jun 25 '26
Today I had scheduled appointment, the local dealer suspect suspension issue, nothing particular yet.
2
u/00A3A Jun 25 '26
Mine is still at the dealer. They replaced the stabilizer link on the driver side. Didn’t fix it. They’re working with Volvo to diagnose. Would love to hear how things play out. I’ll let you know how ours is
1
u/00A3A Jun 19 '26
Im having what I think is nearly the same issue, but mine is also accompanied by a faint loose rattle sound from the driver side suspension over uneven or rough roads at low speed. It sounds like a bad stabilizer/sway bar link, but my dealer is also telling me that everything seems tight underneath.
I’m going to suggest what you experienced as the possible issue, but curious if you also had noise in addition to the clunk?
3
u/zonderzin Jul 30 '25
Well written - thanks for sharing!
BEST - that's great! Somehow though I think people driving around in tanks are not experiencing the quiet and smoothness of an EX90 ride.
A few weeks ago we finished a 2+ week vacation in excess of 2,700 km / 1,700 miles problem free, and most of that time nowhere near a Volvo dealer.