I just purchased the 2023 XC60 recharge 3 days prior. I have been charging it at home on a 110v outlet. Last night, I went to unplug the car and the LED light at the charging port was completely out; no green, red or anything. The charger was also stuck in the charge port. I flipped the breaker so I could unplug the charger from the wall side. I was able to use a screwdriver to pop the charger out however the pin/charger locking mechanism is stuck out. Additionally, when I try to start the car, it won’t, saying that the charging cable needs to be unplugged. I called roadside assistance and went through various locking/unlocking method and the resets using the infotainment screen home button and defrost, and nothing has worked. I’m told my only option is to tow to the dealer. I’m very frustrated, obviously, given I have only had the car a couple of days! Has anyone experienced something similar?

 

According to the 2023 XC60 Recharge User's Guide:

"Important: Before the charging cable is removed from the vehicle's charging socket, the vehicle must be unlocked using the unlock button on the key. This must be done even if the vehicle's doors are already unlocked. If the vehicle is not unlocked using the unlock button, the charging cable or system may be damaged."

 

I had the car unlocked before trying to unplug it. I am concerned that the LED light at the charging port was out when all of this started.

 

It's normal that the light will be out. Even if the doors are unlocked, you need to press the unlock button (either key fob or unlock button on the inside of the door) before the pin wlil retract. If you pried it out with a screwdriver it's possible the pin may be physically damaged.

I actually almost did the same thing when mine was new, so you're not alone.

 

Please re-read what I quoted from the owner's manual. You must unlock the charge cable by using the unlock button on the key fob regardless of whether or not the dors are unlocked. This is to prevent someone else from removing the charging cable from your car even if the car isn't locked.

 

I pressed the unlock button in the key fob multiple times with no success. I read the manual extensively and referred to it while charging the vehicle. Additionally I had a representative on the Volvo road side assistance line trying to troubleshoot with me to no avail.

The car was towed to the dealer and they determined the charge port needed replacing ( mind you I have had the car in my possession for less than 72 hours).

They replaced the port and told me my vehicle was ready for pickup today. I came home and attempted to charge it and all I got were charge errors because the pin locking mechanism wouldn’t engage. Clearly they didn’t tests the vehicles charging before returning it to me. I took it back to the dealer and they were unable to get it to charge with a new cable, for the same reasons.

I’m at a loss. They’re telling me to just drive around on hybrid mode until they can get me in for a scheduled visit in order to have a loaner vehicle available. Am I insane or is it not crazy that the dealer is not more concerned about rectifying this situation on a brand new vehicle!

 

This seems to be a common theme for Volvo Recharge models. Models right out of the factory have components of the electric drive system that fail or don't work properly (like the heaters). It takes a long time to get service appointments and even longer to get parts, so the answer is to drive on the combustion engine instead while they figure it out. At least dealers provide loaners, which I appreciate. I just did an Autotrader search and there is only one new 2023 PHEV Volvo listed in the entire US, so I think the parts issues are real and they're holding completion of new units while they work through the issues.

Good luck getting this resolved. When they work, the new T8 drive trains are quite good. I wouldn't recommend a new one to anybody, but I do think you'll appreciate the driving experience if yours can be repaired.

 

We just had a similar issue with our 2022 XC60 Recharge. I was charging at a public mid-level charger (220 v) and when the charge was complete I unlocked (with the key fob) and the charging cable stayed locked. I tried a couple of things, to no avail, but finally I think this is what solved the problem: I again unlocked the car, got in, and tried to start it. I got an error message, as expected, reminding me to unplug the charging cable. I then got out of the car and tried to release the cable - and voila! It was unlocked and I was able to release it from the car.

One odd thing related: It seems like at least one of the 2 profiles we had set up for the car got messed up or even erased. None of the customizations for that profile were retained. Very weird.

 

The dealer ended up replacing the whole onboard charging mechanism as well as the locking pin and its motor. I’ve had the car back for a little over a week now and things seem to be working fine. Hopefully this was just a one time fluke and the parts were faulty from the factory!