Volvo Lawsuit Investigation: Heat Not Working in Your Hybrid?

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are investigating whether a defect is to blame for a growing number of complaints about the heat not working properly in certain Volvo hybrid models.

Specifically, they’re looking into whether an issue with the high voltage coolant heater is causing the heat to quit working when the vehicle is in electric mode.

They have reason to suspect that the automaker knows about the problem and isn’t taking the appropriate steps to fix it. Now, it’s possible that consumers may be able to file a class action lawsuit– but first, the attorneys need to speak with Volvo drivers who’ve experienced problems with the heat in their cars.

Which Vehicles Are Under Investigation?

It has been indicated that the heater issue may be noticed in a handful of Volvo vehicles with model years ranging from 2016 to 2023.

Technical Journal, Bulletin Warn of Problems with Volvo Climate System

In late May 2022, Volvo issued a technical journal about “poor heating performance” from the climate system in certain vehicles. The document suggests that cars exhibiting symptoms of the outlined issue should have the high voltage coolant heater replaced. Months later, the company also issued a service manager bulletin about the problem.    

It’s believed that these documents indicate that Volvo is aware of problems with the high voltage coolant heater, which heats the car in electric mode when the gas engine isn't running. Indeed, the problem has been described online as “very common” and a “major issue,” and some drivers say they’ve waited weeks for replacement parts.

In a forum post dated November 18, 2022, one individual who claims to work for Volvo wrote that high voltage coolant heaters are on a “massive” back order.

Volvo Driver Complaints: Heat Blowing Cold Air, Cars Not Getting Hot

A handful of Volvo drivers have taken to online forums to voice complaints about the heat not working in their hybrid vehicles, particularly when in electric mode. A sampling of these complaints can be seen below [sic throughout, emphasis ours]:

Have a 2021 XC60 Recharge that has less than 9000 miles on it, and suddenly has no heat. Can't get the dealer to look at it till next week. Any known issues, or easy fixes I can try in the meantime? Blower works, but only blows cold. Also getting an error when running Parking Climate from the App I assume is related.”
— volvo143, 2021 XC60 Recharge driver, VolvoForums.com

I've got a '21 XC90 Recharge and the hybrid heater…doesn't work and waiting on replacement part for warranty replacement. Been almost 3 months and no ETA on replacement. Even contacted Volvo corporate and they couldn't give an ETA either. After seeing a couple threads here and on Swepespeed, has anyone successfully had theirs replaced? This is my 2nd XC90 and I'm a big Volvo fan, but this has certainly soured my opinion.”
— Snoopy_is_a_cheater, 2021 XC90 Recharge driver, Reddit.com

I have a 2020 XC60 T8. I almost always drive in EV mode. Winter has started and I find I have no heat at all when in EV Mode (Pure or Hybrid). Heat works fine in any ICE mode. I took it the dealer today and was told that the system is designed to NOT have heat in EV mode! Is that possible? Last winter, as I recall, it worked fine. They suggested that a software update installed last May might have changed the ability to have heat EV mode. This sounds very fishy to me.”
— BirderBob, 2020 XC60 driver, SwedeSpeed.com

I have a brand new T8 Recharge and when I went to turn on the heat for the first time, I was only getting cool air. No heat. The vehicle has 9K mileage and it's the first time I've used the heater since new. Took to dealer and turns out that they needed to replace the HVCH (High Voltage Coolant Heater). Unbelievable considering it's brand new. Very disappointing…”
— CanadaOwnerJH, 2022 XC90 Recharge driver, SwedeSpeed.com

How Could a Lawsuit Help?

A class action lawsuit, if filed, has the potential to provide drivers with money back for repairs. It could also force the automaker to come up with a permanent fix for the issue.   

Before commenting, please review our comment policy.