Best Volvo Years to Buy by Model
The best Volvo years to buy: the 2011 XC90, 2014 XC60, 2006 S80, 2017 XC70 and 2013 V60 — the cleanest federal complaint records for each model. Years to skip include the 2016 XC90 and 2012 S60. Based on 1,643 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Volvo models, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · How we rate model years
Best Volvo years, model by model
| Model | Best years | Years to skip | Years on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo XC90 | 2011 | 20162017 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Volvo S60 | No standout year yet | 20122013 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Volvo XC60 | 2014 | 20222023 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Volvo S80 | 20052006 | 201320152016 | 12 (2005–2016) |
| Volvo XC70 | 20062017 | 201120152016 | 12 (2006–2017) |
| Volvo V60 | 20132014 | 201520162019 | 12 (2013–2024) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history; counts behind them are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The cleanest year for each Volvo model
2011 Volvo XC90: 19 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best XC90 years →
2014 Volvo XC60: 16 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best XC60 years →
2006 Volvo S80: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2005 and 2006 · Best S80 years →
2017 Volvo XC70: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2006 and 2017 · Best XC70 years →
2013 Volvo V60: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2013 and 2014 · Best V60 years →
Years to skip, in detail
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Volvo years to buy?
By model: XC90 2011; XC60 2014; S80 2005 and 2006; XC70 2006 and 2017; V60 2013 and 2014. Each matches that model's own best-years page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
Which Volvo years should I skip?
By model: XC90 2016 and 2017; S60 2012 and 2013; XC60 2022 and 2023; S80 2013, 2015 and 2016; XC70 2011, 2015 and 2016; V60 2015, 2016 and 2019. The full breakdown is on the Volvo years-to-avoid page.
How are the best Volvo years chosen?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road and compared with the rest of that model's own history; the lowest rates among years with enough road time earn "best". Models not yet scored that way are ranked by combined NHTSA complaint and manufacturer service-bulletin volume. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.