Volvo’s Infotainment System Is Being Sued Over Safety Defects 11 Models Affected

A class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey alleges that Volvo’s infotainment system is plagued with persistent software defects that disable backup cameras, freeze touchscreens, cut off audio, and disrupt turn signals — problems Volvo allegedly knew about before selling the vehicles and failed to fix despite repeated repairs, software updates, and a federal recall. There is no open settlement or claim form yet. This is active, early-stage litigation filed in late March 2026 — but if you own one of the affected models, here is exactly what is alleged, which vehicles are named, and what to do right now.

Field	Detail
Lead Plaintiff	Lydia Leonberg (Pennsylvania)
Defendant	Volvo Cars USA LLC
Court	U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
Filed	March 2026
Models Affected	11 Volvo models, 2021–2025 (see below)
Defect Alleged	Android Automotive OS infotainment software failures
NHTSA Recall	April 2025 — 413,000+ vehicles
Settlement Status	None — active litigation, no claim form open
Related Backup Camera Lawsuit	Filed January 22, 2026 (separate case)

Where things stand right now:

• The March 2026 lawsuit is brand new — filed just days ago and currently in its earliest stage, with no response yet from Volvo.
• A separate class action targeting the backup camera recall specifically was filed January 22, 2026 — that case is also in early litigation with no settlement reached.
• Volvo issued two separate rearview camera recalls — the first in May 2025 covering more than 413,000 vehicles, and a second in December 2025 after drivers in recalled vehicles continued reporting the same failures.
• No claim form, settlement fund, or administrator has been announced for either case.

What Is Actually Going Wrong in These Vehicles

Leonberg purchased a new 2023 Volvo XC60 for $54,715 — and within the first month, the central infotainment system started to freeze, the rearview camera would not turn on, the headlights would flash, and the blinkers malfunctioned. She brought the car to dealerships repeatedly. Nothing permanently fixed it.

According to the lawsuit, the display screen froze, failed to respond, or appeared black or blank — leaving the plaintiff without a backup camera image. When these failures occurred, the infotainment system also caused Bluetooth and cellular problems, audio issues, turn signal problems, and a loss of warning alerts.

Even after Volvo issued a recall notice in June 2025 and the plaintiff downloaded the over-the-air software update, the infotainment system continued to malfunction. After the update, the rear-view camera still failed to consistently activate when reversing, turn signal indicator sound and audible alerts intermittently stopped working, and on some occasions, the key fob failed to unlock the vehicle.

The lawsuit does not treat this as one woman’s bad luck with one car. The plaintiff alleges Volvo was aware of the issues with the infotainment system before the affected vehicles were sold and chose to hide the defects, thereby exposing passengers to various dangers.

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The Software at the Root of It All

The case describes that the infotainment system defect stems from a software defect and oversights in the design, development, testing, and validation of the Android Automotive Operating System — known as AAOS — in the Volvo vehicles. This is the operating system Volvo switched to as it repositioned itself as a software-defined vehicle brand.

Experts suspect that the recurring problems stem from deeper issues involving faulty integration of the Google Built-In platform and weak voltage regulation within the 12V battery and inverter module. Many owners reported that software update patches did not fix the issues — and in some cases introduced additional bugs, including inconsistent Google apps, failed voice commands, and disappearing owner profile settings.

The federal government has taken the underlying safety concern seriously. The NHTSA determined that, due to software defects in Volvo’s infotainment system, the rearview camera display had a propensity to freeze, crash, or become unresponsive — and classified the issue as “potentially critical” before issuing a recall in cooperation with Volvo. The lawsuits argue that the recall did not actually solve the problem.

The 11 Models Named in the Lawsuit

According to the lawsuit, the infotainment system defect affects the following vehicles:

Model	Years Covered
Volvo XC40	2021–2025
Volvo C40	2022–2025
Volvo XC60	2022–2025
Volvo XC90	2022–2025
Volvo S60	2022–2025
Volvo S90	2022–2025
Volvo V60	2022–2025
Volvo V90	2022–2025
Volvo EX30	2025
Volvo EX40	2025
Volvo EX90	2025

The class action currently encompasses all persons or entities in Pennsylvania that purchased or leased one of these Volvo models. The geographic scope may expand as the litigation develops — the backup camera lawsuit filed in January 2026 is a nationwide case.

Why This Goes Beyond an Annoying Screen Freeze

This is not a lawsuit about inconvenience. The complaint argues these failures cross into federal safety territory.

Leonberg argues that the infotainment system defect is so severe that it renders the vehicles non-compliant with federal safety standards, as it affects critical functions like the rearview camera — which federal law requires all new passenger vehicles to have functioning. A car sold as compliant with federal safety rules that cannot reliably show a backup camera image is not, the lawsuit argues, a car that delivers what buyers paid for.

The case contends that Volvo has continued selling the affected vehicles throughout and after the recall process with no disclosure to prospective vehicle buyers of the potential for rearview camera malfunction — marketing and selling the class vehicles “as is” without either repairing the defective condition or providing notice to owners or potential purchasers.

Drivers report sudden shutdowns of safety systems like lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and collision avoidance alongside the infotainment failures — raising legal accountability questions over software safety and corporate negligence that go well beyond a faulty radio.

There Is No Claim Form Yet — Here Is What Owners Should Do Right Now

Both the March 2026 infotainment lawsuit and the January 2026 backup camera lawsuit are in early litigation. No settlement has been negotiated, no claim form exists, and no administrator has been appointed. That process typically takes one to three years in automotive defect cases of this scale.

What you can and should do today if you own one of the affected vehicles:

• Document every problem. Keep a written log with dates, descriptions of each malfunction, and mileage at the time. Courts and settlement administrators ask for this.
• Save all repair orders and dealer invoices. Every visit — even if the dealer found nothing — creates a paper trail that supports your claim.
• Keep any communications from Volvo about recall notices, software update instructions, or service bulletins.
• File a complaint with NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem. Your complaint goes into the federal database and becomes part of the public record — it also strengthens the case for other owners.
• Contact an automotive defect attorney if your vehicle has been in for the same repair three or more times without a fix — you may have a separate lemon law claim under your state’s laws, independent of any class action.

Important Dates

Milestone	Date
First NHTSA Backup Camera Recall (413,000+ vehicles)	May 2025
Second Backup Camera Recall Announced	December 23, 2025
Backup Camera Class Action Filed	January 22, 2026
NHTSA Recall Letters Mailed to Owners	February 16, 2026
Broad Infotainment Class Action Filed	March 2026
Volvo Response to New Lawsuit	TBD
Class Certification Hearing	TBD
Settlement / Claim Form	TBD — not open yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a Volvo infotainment settlement I can file a claim for right now?

 No. As of March 2026, neither the March 2026 infotainment lawsuit nor the January 2026 backup camera lawsuit has reached a settlement. No claim form is open. When a settlement is reached, Volvo owners in the class will typically receive notice by mail or email and can file a claim through an official administrator website.

My Volvo is one of the recalled models, but the recall did not fix the problem. Does that matter? 

Yes — and it is a central part of the lawsuit. The complaints specifically allege that the recall software updates failed to resolve the defect for many owners, and that Volvo continued selling affected vehicles without disclosing the unresolved problem. Documenting that your vehicle was recalled and still malfunctioned afterward strengthens a potential claim.

Do I need a lawyer to join this class action?

 Not to participate as a class member once a settlement is reached — a claim form is all you would need at that stage. However, if your car qualifies as a lemon under your state’s lemon law — typically three or more repair attempts for the same defect — you may have a stronger individual claim worth discussing with an automotive attorney before any class settlement is reached.

Which Volvo models are covered?

 The March 2026 lawsuit names 11 models: XC40 (2021–2025), C40 (2022–2025), XC60 (2022–2025), XC90 (2022–2025), S60 (2022–2025), S90 (2022–2025), V60 (2022–2025), V90 (2022–2025), EX30 (2025), EX40 (2025), and EX90 (2025). The current complaint covers Pennsylvania owners, though the backup camera case is nationwide.

When will I receive money if there is a settlement? 

No payment timeline exists yet. Automotive defect class actions of this complexity typically take two to four years from filing to final approval and distribution — though cases settle faster when manufacturers choose not to fight. Any payment date is TBD.

Does this affect my Volvo warranty? 

The recall and these lawsuits do not affect your existing warranty coverage. If your vehicle is still under warranty, you can continue to bring it to a dealership for repair at no charge. Repair records from warranty visits are also useful documentation if a settlement claim form eventually opens.

Will Volvo have to respond publicly to these lawsuits?

 Yes. Once served, Volvo will file a formal response in court — either a motion to dismiss or an answer to the complaint. That filing will be public and will contain Volvo’s legal position on whether the defect exists and whether a class action is the appropriate vehicle for these claims.

Sources & References

• CarComplaints.com reporting on the March 2026 infotainment lawsuit: carcomplaints.com
• CarComplaints.com reporting on the January 2026 backup camera lawsuit: carcomplaints.com
• NHTSA recall information — search NHTSA.gov for Volvo recall campaign numbers
• Autoblog original report, March 28, 2026: autoblog.com

Last Updated: March 29, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.