2001-2025 Volvo S60 Problems: 19 Known Issues

S60 sedans from 2011 through 2018 are covered by Volvo recall 20V378000. The problem is the flexible steel cable that connects the seat belt to each front outboard seating position: Volvo reported that this cable may fatigue over time. If the cable has fatigued, the seat belt may not secure the driver or front passenger in a crash, and NHTSA notes the resulting increased risk of injury to an unsecured occupant. There is no mileage or driving condition attached to the defect — it is age- and use-related, and the remedy applies to both front seats. Volvo refers to the campaign internally as R10029, and the 308,260 vehicles reported to NHTSA is the total for the campaign across all affected Volvo models.

Volvo Cars USA recalled 2019-2020 S60 sedans as part of NHTSA campaign 20V144000. The cause given is a software/hardware incompatibility that can leave the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system unable to detect obstacles and engage as intended. For an S60 owner, the practical meaning is that a safety system expected to brake the car automatically in an emergency may not do so, which NHTSA says increases the risk of a crash. This is a well-defined, dealer-fixable condition rather than a wear item, and it is worth resolving even on a car that has never shown an active-safety warning. NHTSA's 121,605-unit total is the whole campaign across all included Volvo models.

Recall 21V682000 covers 2021 and 2022 Volvo S60 sedans whose front seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early. This is a compliance recall: Volvo reported the vehicles fail to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." The practical effect for an S60 owner is narrow but serious — the belt's child-seat locking function may release before it should, which can prevent a child restraint system from being secured properly. NHTSA's stated consequence is that an unsecured child restraint increases the risk of injury during a crash. Nothing in the recall record points to any effect on normal adult belt use; the defect is described specifically in terms of the automatic locking retractor. 19,149 vehicles are covered campaign-wide, spanning all of the Volvo models included, not the S60 by itself.

Volvo Car USA is recalling certain 2023-2025 S60 sedans because the rearview camera image may not appear on the center display when the car is shifted into reverse. Because the image can be missing at the moment it is needed, these S60s do not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111, "Rear Visibility." NHTSA classifies the defect under back-over prevention software, and Volvo's fix is a software update rather than a camera or wiring replacement. The campaign as a whole covers 413,151 vehicles across many Volvo models and model years — that figure is campaign-wide and is not a count of affected S60s. Recall 25V908000 replaces the earlier campaign 25V282; an S60 already repaired under 25V282 still falls under this newer remedy.

Volvo Car USA recalled 2023-2025 S60 sedans because the rearview camera image may not display when the car is placed in reverse. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111 mandates that rear view, so affected S60s do not comply with it. The safety concern NHTSA describes is direct: a driver who does not get the camera image sees less of what is behind the car and is more likely to be involved in a crash while backing. Because Volvo's remedy is a software update — deliverable over the air — the underlying defect is in software, not in a failed camera or harness. This is a single campaign across several Volvo lines; the 413,151-unit figure is the campaign total, not an S60 count.

The 2001-2002 S60 (and other P2 platform Volvos) is notorious for ETM failure due to a design flaw in the throttle body electronics. The module develops internal solder joint cracks and corroded contacts, causing the car to enter limp mode, stall at idle, or refuse to accelerate. Volvo issued an extended warranty covering ETMs up to 10 years/200,000 miles on the 2001 S60 and the non-turbo 2002 S60, but many are now beyond that coverage.

P3-generation S60 owners report a sudden 'No Oil Pressure - Stop Safely' message on the driver information display, often with no prior noise or warning, and frequently while the engine still has oil on the dipstick. CarComplaints lists this as the number-one engine complaint on the 2013 model year. Three root causes account for most cases: a failed or contaminated oil pressure sensor/switch giving a false low reading, sludge and carbon partially blocking the oil pump pickup screen (aggravated by the same oil-consumption and PCV problems these engines suffer), and in the worst cases genuine low pressure from a worn oil pump or bearings. Because the message tells the driver to stop, many owners have the car towed only to be told 'no fault found', which is the classic sensor-failure presentation.

The positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system oil trap on the S60 T5 and T6 engines fails prematurely, causing excessive crankcase pressure, oil leaks, and increased oil consumption. The oil trap membrane hardens and cracks, allowing oil mist to enter the intake manifold and be burned in combustion. Failed PCV systems also cause boost leaks and rough idle.

The early S60 sedan, model years 2001 and 2002 (for 2002, only cars with the naturally aspirated engine), was included in NHTSA recall 06V441000, a Vehicle Speed Control campaign Volvo opened on December 29, 2006. Per the recall summary, throttle position sensor irregularities, a dirty throttle housing, and/or inefficient software calibration may cause a warning lamp to light, followed by the onset of limp home mode. The important part for an S60 owner is the consequence NHTSA recorded: this resulted in a high number of vehicles going into limp home mode without need. In other words, the car's own protective strategy was being triggered too readily. Volvo's fix was a recalibration rather than hardware. The campaign covered 170,099 vehicles in total, counting all models included in it.

The upper engine torque mount on P2-platform S60 models is a common wear item that fails between 60,000-100,000 miles. The rubber bushing in the mount dries out, cracks, and separates with engine heat, causing excessive engine movement during acceleration and deceleration. This leads to harsh shifting feel, drivetrain vibrations, and clunking noises that can be mistaken for transmission problems.

Volvo Car USA recalled 2019-2020 S60 sedans among several other models because the car's low-pressure fuel pump can blow a fuse and fail. When that happens the engine can stall. NHTSA's consequence statement is direct: a stall increases the risk of a crash, which is why this was handled as a safety recall rather than a service campaign. Volvo tracks it as R10100; NHTSA assigned campaign number 21V414000. The published 85,550-unit count applies to the whole campaign across every Volvo model included, so it says nothing about how many S60s are involved.

Volvo recalled 2001-2004 S60 sedans sold or registered in hot-climate states as part of NHTSA campaign 09V483000. On affected cars, long-term exposure to hot climate and repeated temperature cycling, combined with varying fuel quality, can cause the fuel pump flange to develop cracks. A cracked flange lets fuel escape, so the first thing an S60 owner typically notices is a smell of gasoline or a visible fuel leak. In the presence of an ignition source, leaking fuel could result in a fire. The recall applied to S60s in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia, plus the U.S. territories. The campaign as a whole covered 158,733 vehicles across all the Volvo models included, not the S60 alone.

Fuel system complaints are the single largest NHTSA category on the early P2 S60 (roughly 69 complaints on the 2002 and 91 on the 2001), although most of those describe fuel leaks and fuel odor at the top of the tank rather than gauge or pump-pressure faults. Two distinct parts fail. The fuel level sender's resistive card wears where the wiper arm sweeps, so the gauge reads erratically, sticks full, or drops to empty with a full tank and triggers the low-fuel warning. Separately, the in-tank fuel pump module loses pressure with age and heat, producing long cranking, hot-restart no-starts, stumbling under load, and eventual stalling. Because the pump and sender share one tank-top module, a failure of either usually means dropping or accessing the same assembly.

If you own a 2020-2022 S60 Recharge plug-in hybrid, this recall applies to your car's high-voltage battery. Volvo reported that a short circuit can occur inside a battery module when the pack is at full charge and the S60 is parked. NHTSA classified the defect under Electrical System: Software, and the consequence stated is an increased risk of fire. The most important part of this campaign for an S60 owner is the interim instruction: Volvo told owners to stop charging the vehicle entirely until the repair is complete, which effectively means running the car on its gasoline engine in the meantime. The campaign covers 7,483 vehicles in total across all the Volvo plug-in hybrid models included — that total is for the whole campaign, not for the S60 alone.

The P2 S60's instrument cluster is a self-contained module (DIM) that sits on the CAN bus. Thermal cycling in the dash cracks the solder joints where the cluster's connector pins and internal components attach to the circuit board. The result is intermittent, then permanent, cluster dropout: gauges swing to zero, the odometer/trip display goes dark, and a cascade of warning lights appears because other modules lose their bus partner. Owners describe the dash 'stopping while driving' and warning lights flickering on and off. Because the DIM also gates the immobilizer handshake on some cars, a fully failed cluster can leave the vehicle a no-start.

If you own a 2023 Volvo S60, this recall applies to the sedan's brake electronics rather than to any mechanical brake part. A diagnostic error in the Brake Control Module 2 (BCM2) can result in the loss of the Antilock Brake System, Electronic Stability Control and traction control. In an S60 that means the systems that modulate individual wheels — the ones that stop a front wheel locking under panic braking or catch the rear stepping out mid-corner — may not be there when they are needed. NHTSA states the consequence plainly: a reduction in brake support functions increases crash risk. The 27,457-vehicle figure NHTSA publishes is the total for the whole campaign across the several 2023 Volvo models involved; it is not an S60-specific count. Volvo tracks the recall internally as R10217.

P2-generation S60s use the Aisin-Warner AW55-50SN 5-speed automatic. Two related failures dominate owner reports: the transmission control module (TCM), housed in the engine-bay control module box alongside the engine control module, develops cracked solder joints and internal failures, and the transmission's clutch packs and valve body wear prematurely because Volvo originally specified the fluid as 'lifetime fill'. Symptoms usually begin as harsh or delayed 1-2 and 2-3 shifts, then progress to flare-ups, limp-home mode (locked in 3rd gear), and eventually loss of forward or reverse. Owners on CarComplaints report 'Transmission/TCU Failure' and 'Lost Forward And Reverse' on early cars, and NHTSA has 16+ automatic-transmission complaints on the 2001 alone.

Volvo recalled the 2001 S60 under NHTSA campaign 04V451000 because, under certain operating conditions, some electric engine cooling fans can overheat. The overheating fan can cause heat damage in the engine compartment and, in rare instances, start a fire there. The recall record does not identify any mileage, engine, or usage pattern that predicts which cars are affected, so a 2001 S60 should be checked by VIN rather than judged by how it currently behaves. The campaign covers 149,799 vehicles in total across all of the models included in it - that figure is campaign-wide, not a count of S60s. The recall began November 29, 2004.

Volvo recalled certain 2004 S60 sedans because the front control arms may not have been manufactured correctly. As a result, the stud and nut that secure the control arm to the spindle can lose their initial axial tension. Under certain driving conditions an S60 owner may notice that the steering feels less responsive, along with play in the steering wheel. NHTSA classifies the defect under steering linkages. If the fastener continues to lose tension, the front control arm can eventually separate from the spindle, which could result in a crash. The campaign covers 29,986 vehicles in total across every model included in the recall, not the S60 alone.