Exclusive: My Volvo Lost Braking Function and Crashed Following Software Update | Carscoops

      Terrifying moments captured on video as an XC90 lost its brakes while navigating a mountain road.

      July 5, 2025, at 13:39

      By Stephen Rivers

      An owner of an XC90, who is part of the recall, experienced a brake failure and filmed it.

      This issue is related to losing braking power when using one-pedal driving or B-mode.

      Volvo has handled warranty repairs and addressed all damage resulting from this incident.

      Brake failure is typically not something most drivers anticipate, especially in a brand-new car. However, a recent occurrence involving a Volvo plug-in hybrid exposed a software flaw serious enough to prompt a recall affecting nearly 12,000 vehicles. Identified by Volvo, this issue became alarmingly apparent following a distressing event on a mountain road in California, prompting the involved driver to contact Carscoops to share their experience.

      The owner, a Californian we’ll refer to as Max for privacy, provided his full name and documentation to Carscoops. He reported a total loss of braking, leading to a crash while descending a steep mountain in his new two-month-old Volvo XC90 PHEV. Compounding the distress was the fact that he had just received a software update at his dealership.

      It turns out that Max’s vehicle is among the many affected by a recent recall advising drivers to refrain from using B-mode or one-pedal driving. This recall applies to the S60, V60, S90, XC60, XC90, XC40, EX40, EC40, and C40 models from the 2020 to 2026 model years. The driver provided a firsthand account of just how alarming the failure can be.

      A Known Flaw With a Very Specific Trigger

      The incident occurred on May 13 involving a Volvo XC90 Recharge operating on software version 3.5.14. We will return to that shortly, but it's crucial to note that version 3.5.14 is the one that Volvo warned drivers about a few weeks back. The issue included a loss of braking power after engaging B-mode or one-pedal driving.

      At that time, it was specified that the problem arises only after “coasting downhill for at least 1 minute and 40 seconds.” This seemed oddly precise, and we previously noted it would be uncommon for most drivers to encounter that situation. Clearly, it was not uncommon enough to prevent a recall, as we now know at least one driver experienced it firsthand and provided us with documentation.

      The Distressing Experience

      While descending a mountain on Corona Road in Carmel Highlands, California, the driver utilized B-mode. The road is narrow, with a steep drop-off on the passenger side all the way down. A dashcam and onboard data recorder documented the entire ordeal.

      The driver recounted the event to Carscoops: “The brakes on my 2-month-old XC90 completely failed. This happened just a few hours after receiving the software update version 3.5.14 at an authorized Volvo dealer. I was navigating a steep, narrow mountain road and had to steer off the road into a hill to avoid going over the edge."

      Approximately 1:40 into the descent, the vehicle began to accelerate without any throttle input. Data from the onboard recorder indicated that the service brake was applied, yet the car continued to pick up speed. At that point, the driver merely aimed to prevent further acceleration, maneuvering onto the hill to the left.

      Dirt was kicked up, the car swayed, and then it returned to the roadway. Fortunately, the brakes re-engaged, and the vehicle came to a stop, but damage had already occurred. Some airbags deployed, and the front driver's side wheel, tire, and suspension were damaged, leaving the occupants shaken. The impact was severe enough that the wheel fractured into pieces, and additional harm was done to the undercarriage.

      Max later enlisted a forensic accident reconstruction engineer to assess the onboard data and footage. Their conclusion? "The Pre-Crash data supports [the driver’s] claim that the vehicle’s brakes were unresponsive while descending the hill. The speed increased in the five seconds prior to the collision; there was no throttle input, yet service brakes were applied throughout without any deceleration."

      Volvo Responds, But Concerns Persist

      After reviewing the findings, we reached out to Volvo for a comment. The company provided the following statement:

      “Safety is our highest priority at Volvo Cars, and we are taking this incident very seriously.

      A recall was recently issued for certain plug-in hybrid and pure electric Volvo cars to address braking functionality that may be impacted after at least 1 minute and 30 seconds of coasting downhill in ‘B’ mode or One Pedal Drive without brake application. An evaluation of the onboard data from this customer's vehicle shows that this situation applied during the incident, and we are working closely with them to resolve the matter.

      We issued a software fix for this issue earlier in