The Error

 
org.openqa.selenium.SessionNotCreatedException:
  session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 120
  Current browser version is 131.0.6778.86
 

The error is unusually honest: your driver speaks version 120; your browser speaks 131.

Why This Happens

ChromeDriver is a translator between Selenium and Chrome. Each ChromeDriver build understands one specific Chrome version's protocol.

The problem: Chrome auto-updates silently, roughly every 4 weeks. Your pinned ChromeDriver doesn't. So a suite that passed on Friday fails on Monday, with no code change — which is why this error feels so unfair.

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The Permanent Fix: Stop Managing Drivers ⭐

Most guides tell you to download the matching driver. That's the treadmill, not the fix — you'll be back in 4 weeks.

Selenium 4.6+ — do nothing (best)

Selenium Manager is built in. It detects your Chrome version and fetches the right driver automatically.

 
// That's it. No driver path, no WebDriverManager, no download.
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
 

If you're on Selenium 4.6 or later and still setting webdriver.chrome.driver, delete that line. Leftover manual paths override Selenium Manager and cause exactly this error.

 
// ❌ Delete this — it's why Selenium Manager isn't helping you
System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "C:/drivers/chromedriver.exe");
 

Upgrade to a current Selenium:

 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
    <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>
    <version>4.27.0</version>
</dependency>
 

Selenium < 4.6 — use WebDriverManager

 
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.github.bonigarcia</groupId>
    <artifactId>webdrivermanager</artifactId>
    <version>5.9.2</version>
    <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
 
 
WebDriverManager.chromedriver().setup();
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
 

Fixing It in CI ⭐

CI is where this bites hardest, because the agent's Chrome updates without telling you.

The real fix: pin both, in a container.

 
# docker-compose — Chrome and driver ship together, versioned
services:
  chrome:
    image: selenium/standalone-chrome:4.27.0
 

Now the version pair is locked and reproducible. Your build doesn't break because a machine somewhere updated.

In a Jenkinsfile:

 
stage('Test') {
    agent { docker { image 'selenium/standalone-chrome:4.27.0' } }
    steps { sh 'mvn clean test' }
}
 

If you can't use Docker: disable Chrome auto-update on the agent, or run Selenium Manager (4.6+) so the driver follows the browser automatically.

The Manual Fix (When You Must)

Check your Chrome version: chrome://version (or Help → About)

Download the matching driver: Chrome for Testing dashboard — the modern source; the old chromedriver.chromium.org downloads stop at v114.

Match the major version — driver 131.x works with Chrome 131.x.

⚠️ This is a patch, not a fix. You'll repeat it every ~4 weeks. Use Selenium Manager or Docker instead.

Other Causes of SessionNotCreated

It isn't always a version mismatch:

Message Cause Fix
only supports Chrome version X Version mismatch ⭐ Selenium Manager / WebDriverManager
Chrome failed to start: crashed No sandbox in Docker --no-sandbox --disable-dev-shm-usage
cannot find Chrome binary Chrome not installed / non-standard path Install it, or set options.setBinary()
DevToolsActivePort file doesn't exist Container resource limits --no-sandbox --disable-dev-shm-usage
probably user data directory is already in use Stale Chrome processes Kill leftovers; unique --user-data-dir per run

The Docker essentials — these three prevent most container failures:

 
options.addArguments("--no-sandbox");
options.addArguments("--disable-dev-shm-usage");
options.addArguments("--headless=new");
 

The Interview Answer

"SessionNotCreatedException with a version message means ChromeDriver and Chrome are incompatible — usually because Chrome auto-updated and the pinned driver didn't. The fix isn't downloading a new driver each time; that's a treadmill. From Selenium 4.6, Selenium Manager resolves the driver automatically, so I remove any hardcoded driver path. In CI I pin browser and driver together in a Docker image, so builds are reproducible and don't break when an agent updates."

FAQs

What causes SessionNotCreatedException?

Usually a ChromeDriver/Chrome version mismatch — Chrome auto-updated, the driver didn't. It can also mean Chrome crashed on startup or isn't installed.

What's the permanent fix?

Selenium 4.6+ has Selenium Manager built in — it resolves the correct driver automatically. Remove any System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", ...) lines, which override it.

Why does it break every few weeks?

Chrome auto-updates roughly monthly. A pinned driver goes stale silently — your code didn't change, the browser did.

How do I stop it in CI?

Pin Chrome and driver together in a Docker image (e.g., selenium/standalone-chrome:4.27.0) so the pair is locked and reproducible.

I get "Chrome failed to start: crashed" in Docker.

Not a version issue — add --no-sandbox and --disable-dev-shm-usage.