I would've liked it for the leveling aspect (I load a lot in it).

But seeing it's not covered under warranty I am kind of glad I don't have it...

You could check the XC90 forums and see if they have good or bad repair stores.

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I never test drove a car with it, so I didn't know what I was missing and that didn't bother me. Saved me like $1500 up front and probably some repairs down the line. Load leveling and ride comfort would have been appreciated for when I do load the car up but I didn't want more stuff to break

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This is the XC90 thread. 225 replies

Air Suspension Failure

I have a 2017 T6 Inscription. Air suspension quit working yesterday. At start-up and while backing, heard loud tapping rattle at a consistent interval from rear then received "suspension requires serving"'aleart and notification that issue was logged. Air suspension does not activate at driving...

forums.swedespeed.com

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We ordered our '22 V90CC with the air suspension. Reviewer I respect suggested the purchase of the option and we have rear air suspension in our '08 Jeep GC and have had no issues with it, although it is a simple system.

We haul a good amount with our vehicles and the V90 will haul and possible tow. If we are buying a vehicle in the price range of the V90, we can take the risk of the cost of repairing it.

 

I personally prize ride quality

Get it. There is a clearly noticeable difference in the ride quality.

I have it on mine and get frequent praise from passengers how smooth the ride is... (although I have 20" on my S90).

 

Remarkable ride quality despite 20 inch wheels, love the leveling of the rear suspension, and I enjoy the firmed up suspension on power/sport mode. consider smaller wheels for even better ride and less noise, unless you just love the 20s.

 

Air suspension here with 18" wheels. The car is literally flying on the road. And it's great for auto levelling when you have to load the car.
What about the maintenance price? Well, considering the price of a new V90 CC, you can expect some slightly higher maintenance costs due to the technology in the car.

 

Volvo Dealer in my area notes that many customers have issues with the air suspension in cold temperatures and agreed that it was smart to not include it on my order.

I have it on my Mercedes and have had to basically replace major parts on two separate occasions. Several thousand dollars each time. The second time Mercedes no longer had the needed parts (air bags) in stock and we had to wait 6 months for new ones to be manufactured in Germany and shipped to the U.S. After a nationwide search found out that no dealer in the U.S. would let loose of their inventory if they had the part because they anticipated they were going to need them for their own customers.

Let's face it, repair and replacement parts availability is going to be a continuing concern even more so than it was in the past.

I suspect there isn't that much difference between air suspensions between brands as they are not typically manufactured by the automaker itself.

I am glad that Volvo at least allows the option of not having air suspension. With some other manufacturers including Mercedes you have no choice.

Interesting comment above that the Volvo warranty does not cover air suspension. If that is correct just one more reason to consider not getting the option.

 

Volvo Dealer in my area notes that many customers have issues with the air suspension in cold temperatures and agreed that it was smart to not include it on my order.

I have it on my Mercedes and have had to basically replace major parts on two separate occasions. Several thousand dollars each time. The second time Mercedes no longer had the needed parts (air bags) in stock and we had to wait 6 months for new ones to be manufactured in Germany and shipped to the U.S. After a nationwide search found out that no dealer in the U.S. would let loose of their inventory if they had the part because they anticipated they were going to need them for their own customers.

Let's face it, repair and replacement parts availability is going to be a continuing concern even more so than it was in the past.

I suspect there isn't that much difference between air suspensions between brands as they are not typically manufactured by the automaker itself.

I am glad that Volvo at least allows the option of not having air suspension. With some other manufacturers including Mercedes you have no choice.

Interesting comment above that the Volvo warranty does not cover air suspension. If that is correct just one more reason to consider not getting the option.

Extended warranty does not cover it. Sorry I didn't clarify.

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Looking at revisions of TJ (last is v.18.1) for air compressor, its still under fixing by Vovlo.
The issues started from the very first SPA release, and still ongoing.

 

As an owner of a 2017 XC90 T6 Inscription with Air Suspension, I would strongly recommend it. The ride quality is very much different than without. I never had any issues with it.

I follow mostly the XC90 threads and there are usually two discussions regarding Air Suspension there.

One is people with issues, and these, when happen, seem to be almost always related with cars that live in very cold climates/winters.

The other are exactly discussions on whether one should buy one, as this here. On these discussions, some people report that they had the opportunity to a more controlled comparison of the same type of car with and without Air Suspension. On these, the unanimity is that it is night and day in terms of comfort and ride quality.

If I was going for an S90, which would be for comfort and luxury, I would never get one without Air Suspension.

In the worst case scenario, of some issues and not being covered by waranty, there are a few 3rd party providers that supply a replacement for the Volvo system. Of these, Arnott seems to be quite good based on some reviews I have seen.

 

I had a 2018 S90 T6 Inscription with 18" and it did not have air suspension.
Now I have a 2019 S90 T8 Inscription with 20" and air suspension (rear only on S90)
It definitely "feels " like nicer ride and even with the stiff 20s, I wouldn't necessarily choose a used car based on that feature alone for sure, but overall I am glad I have it. Also it was nice loading the car up for a PA-FL-PA trip and seeing it still sit level.
But I would only get it with it fully covered under some level of CPO (then again, that is just about anything on these cars to me)
I have had 4 wheel air suspension on other vehicles
First was a 1987 Lincoln Mark VII LSC, back in 1992, and I LOVED that car's ride, and had to repair a couple things, but never expensive.
Then my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland, and loved the 4" of total travel, and the ride. (but was concerned about a looming failure with 100K miles and no warranty, even though I had no problems at all)
And now I have a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit with it as well, but fully warrantied and would not buy one without it, for the ride, and for the versatility both.
But on the S90 with it being rear only, it isn't as clear cut of a "must buy" to me, but overall I am glad I have it.

 

Lots of good comment here.

I didn’t realize there was a possible cold component…and I live in New Orleans so…that’s good!

Also seems like the ride improvement is substantial for those who enjoy the system, which would make it worth an added cost in my mind. Especially if a lot of the risk is tied to cold weather.

 

I didn’t realize there was a possible cold component…and I live in New Orleans so…that’s good!

Well, with the simple fact that you are in New Orleans, I would DEFINITELY go for the air ride. Louisiana roads are some of the worst. My only experience with an air suspension was my old Cadillac DeVille and it was simply divine. Potholes, cracks, rough roads, whatever. That thing was like floating on a cloud. And yes, it broke (after around 160K tho), but it was a simple system. Air suspensions have been around for a pretty long time, so I wouldn't stress it too much even if far more complex now. Been around since the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, which remarkably had sensors to compensate for road conditions and keep it all level. Rolls and Mercedes have had 'em since the 60s. But yeah, save up for the inevitable repairs. Worth it IMO.

 

I had it on my previous car but could not on my V90CC. I tend to load my car up and also tow. When fully loaded the V90CC does sit down a little bit in the rear. Barely noticeable but a self levelling suspension would correct this. I miss it. If you have the option of getting it, I would definitely recommend it - especially if you are going to be loading up or towing with your car.

On my previous car - I never had any issues in cold weather operation. The only related issue was salt and corrosion which eventually required a replacement of the level sensors (covered under warranty). I had to replace the airbags once - after about 6 years.

 

I have the air suspension and if you are driving on less than perfect road, which is probably most of the US, you are going to appreciate the comfort that the rear air suspension provides.

I don't want to jinx myself in saying I don't have any issues on my air suspension then a few weeks bang, lol (Almost 50k miles). But the issues that the SPA XC90 have seen with the air suspension doesn't seem to be as prevalent on the V90 Cross Country. At least the ones here in swedespeed.

Get the Platinum warranty to cover some of your worries. I would look towards getting the extended warranty near the holidays like Black Friday.

 

Extended warranty does not cover it
At least in Canada

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We have it on our V90CC, and the ride quality is noticeably better than various dealer loaners I've driven that didn't have it.

We also live in Minnesota, I drive regularly to Northern MN in the winter (temps -20 and below), and have had no issues. Only at 41k miles right now, of course, but no issues due to cold.

 

My 2020 V90 has the air suspension, and so far I've been happy with it. I've never driven a V90 without air suspension, so I can't speak to any ride / handling differences but it seems to offer an improvement from the posts above. I am usually hauling bikes on trailer hitch mounted rack and frequently load up the rear load space in conjunction with the bikes. I can see the air suspension is always doing it's job and keeping things level and my rack from dragging (too badly) as I load and unload the vehicle. I think the modern systems are pretty reliable, and wouldn't own a V90 without it if you plan on a hitch or carrying anything.

Knock on wood, but I haven't had issues with any air suspension since my 1995 Range Rover Classic that I foolishly tried to keep on air for too long (vs. the coil spring conversions that most sensible people were doing.) The magic carpet ride was so good in that car with air springs; but damn, the whole system was problematic even after rebuilding every component with upgraded parts. I just got rid of a 2008 VW Touareg with air suspension, and I never had a single issue with the suspension. All of my air suspension cars have spent a significant amount of time in the the cold and snow up in Tahoe.

 

I have to admit, we never considered it for our 2020 V90. We have a long term Audi A6 Avant with the air suspension and it has been one of the many expensive maintenance headaches. The V90 ride is less "tight" but no less comfortable than the Audi. I am more comfortable on a 51 mile stretch of very rural mountain 2 lane road in the Audi, surprisingly the Volvo is no less quick in terms of time. Yes, we time this stretch - 51 miles in 51 minutes.

 

Agree. When one thinks about it air suspension is like putting a pile of pillows between the driver and the road. Yes it bounces more softly over the bumps but there is less connect with the driving surface and that feel of being one with the road. I guess that explains why my "drivers car" BMW is not equipped with the feature while my more plush Mercedes has it.

Several weeks ago when I first drove my 2022.5 XC90 (without air suspension) on the roads in Sweden one of the things that I noticed was how closely connected with he road I felt as I attempted to navigate through narrow passages and sharp turns due to ongoing road construction. Admittedly when I failed to slow sufficiently and went over a speed bump on a side road it was a bit jarring.

 

This is only true when set to "Comfort". If you set your 4c air suspension to "Dynamic" (or "Polestar"), it stiffens the ride to a point, where you feel very well connected. In fact, you have less roll with the adaptive suspension, than with the standard setup. You get air suspension only on the rear axle for S/V 90, but adaptive (!) suspension on all four wheels. Despite its "meh" reputation, the whole system is pretty advanced and surely superior to the classic setup, no matter if you want to go "sporty" or mellow...

 

People are soooooo concern about the air suspension being covered or not under extended warranty! Please, those people are probably speaking from 70s or 80s experiences, or things they read somewhere about how bad air bags can be. I've had several cars with air suspension (rear and in all four corners) and only once they failed on a 1996 Lincoln Mark VIII around 140k miles, the cost of replacing them back in the early 2000s was about $450 for the two rears (fronts were in great shape). The Volvo saw 61k miles without any issues, prior to that a 2010 BMW 5 series wagon 124k miles without issues. Today's air suspensions are much better than 30 years ago. As brakes, shocks and joints, they're going to fail at some point...deal with it when it happens and enjoy the quality ride until then. If you buy a car like the S/V90 series, expect some maintenance costs along with it, don't just rely on extended warranty (even if it was covered).

 

I saw a V90CC yesterday with the air suspension. The rear end was sagging so bad that the rear wheels appeared to be touching the wheel wells. It looked horrible... and I'm sure the ride was just as bad. First SPA Volvo I've seen with the air suspension failing.

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yes

 

I must add that the "load leveling" sales pitch makes no sense to me. I have a 2018 v90cc with OUT air suspension and I have had it seriously loaded up and there is no need for load leveling. Unless you are towing something with a crazy heavy tongue weight or you deliver pallets of tiles for a living I do not think "load leveling" is worth anything at all.

Not debating the ride quality though... I haven't driven one with air, but the ride quality of mine I would say is good not great and I'm definitely curious how much better the air is. But the money savings, peace of mind, and overall good enough ride quality leave me with no regrets.

 

I was also extremely impressed and thought the car would squat under load... Nothing

This was packed to the front seats with extremely dense wood furniture (Ikea) and metal racking.

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My personal opinion on air suspension.
First, I have had several vehicles with it
1987 Lincoln Mark VII LSC with 130,000 miles (back in 1992-1996) and loved it, it did have issues, with control valves, and compressor. But had built in diagnostics, and I repaired the compressor for free, and replaced 2 valves for cheap (under $30 each I believe)
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland with optional QuadraLift with 100,000 miles for a year, no issues at all, would not buy another without it, loved the ride and versatility. Lowered for park/entry/exit, all the way up to aero, normal, OR1 and OR2 over 4" of total travel.
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit (Bought new last summer) with QuadraLift, same as the 2012

I had a 2018 S90 Inscription T6 without it, and 18" wheels then shortly after trading that on the 2021 Jeep I got this 2019 S90 Inscription T8 with 20" wheels and with rear air suspension.

I would say that 2019 with 1" less sidewall rides smoother/nicer than the 2018 for sure, if I had the choice between 2 otherwise identical vehicles, I would always choose air suspension when possible.

But, (everything before "but" is B.S.) I would not actively search for a S90 with air suspension as a mandatory criteria, it is nice to me, very nice, but I could live without it easily, and if that meant saving money also, all the better.
Also I would definitely put it in the negative column on a very high mile older car without a warranty, even though I knowingly bought the 2012 Jeep with it, mainly because if/when it fails on a Jeep, there are probably 100x more of them both in junkyards for cheaper parts, plus much much more online support if needed.
Now on the XCs with it being also off roady type of feature, like the Jeep, I would want it. Basically 4 wheel, yes I would desire it, rear only, it would be nice, but not required.


P.S.
Also, I had rear air shocks on my 1967 El Camino (also factory) that I was automating before I sold it 2 years ago, with factory 1970 parts!

 

FWIW, we have a 2017 XC90 without air, and a 2021 with air. The 2017 with almost 89k miles is getting saggy, especially with any form of cargo. Our bike rack with two bikes on it? The hitch bottoms out pulling out of our driveway.

The 2021 on the other hand rides even smoother with lots of cargo. Road trips with the bikes and lots of stuff is super smooth and comfortable. Ride height isn't affected whatsoever. I expect problems for sure. But 28k miles and it's been flawless.

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Somehow connected to this dicsussion, I had THIS in my FB timeline today: