Volvo S60 Reliability
Quick answer
Across model years 2008–2025, owners filed 446 complaints about the Volvo S60 with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 30 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the S60 to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2012 and 2013 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2025 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
446
NHTSA owner complaints (2008–2025)
33
Complaints citing a crash
30
Recall campaigns
2
Years to avoid
Most-reported Volvo S60 problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2025, by the component owners named, filed 2010–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 152 | 34% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 66 | 15% | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 31 | 7% | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Visibility / wipers | 28 | 6% | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Air bags | 27 | 6% | 14 | 0 | 9 |
| Speed control / throttle | 26 | 6% | 10 | 0 | 2 |
| Steering | 24 | 5% | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 23 | 5% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Of all 446 complaints, 33 (7%) report a crash, 5 (1%) a fire and 24 (5%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (57 complaints), the most-reported areas are the electrical system (17), the brakes (11), automatic emergency braking (9), steering (8).
Volvo S60 complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's years-to-avoid analysis, which compares each S60 model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 10 | 2 | Speed control / throttle | — |
| 2009 | 7 | 3 | Air bags | — |
| 2011 | 5 | 6 | Tires | — |
| 2012 | 121 | 8 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2013 | 86 | 4 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2014 | 25 | 3 | Engine | — |
| 2015 | 61 | 2 | Engine | — |
| 2016 | 29 | 4 | Engine | — |
| 2017 | 18 | 5 | Latches, locks & linkages | — |
| 2018 | 4 | 1 | Electrical system | — |
| 2019 | 23 | 4 | Electrical system | — |
| 2020 | 8 | 4 | Service brakes | — |
| 2021 | 8 | 3 | Electrical system | — |
| 2022 | 16 | 4 | Electrical system | — |
| 2023 | 3 | 6 | Backup camera / back-over prevention | — |
| 2024(new) | 22 | 3 | Electrical system | — |
| 2025(new) | 0 | 2 | — | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Volvo S60 recalls
NHTSA lists 30 recall campaigns across Volvo S60 model years 2008–2025. The ones below cover the most model years. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20V378000Jun 30, 2020 | 2011–2018 | Seat belts — front | Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2008-2016 V70 and XC70, 2007-2016 S80, 2011-2018 S60 and V60, 2016-2018 S60 Cross Country, 2014-2020 S60L, 2009-2015 S80L, 2009-2016 XC60 and 2015-2018 V60 Cross Country vehicles. The… |
| 19V849000Nov 26, 2019 | 2011–2017 | Latches, locks & linkages — doors / latch | Volvo Car of USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2011-2017 S60, S60I, V60, S60CC and V60CC vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a… |
| 23V780000Nov 21, 2023 | 2019–2024 | Air bags — frontal | Volvo Car USA, LLC. (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2024 S60 vehicles. The passenger air bag may not be secured properly, which can cause the air bag to deploy improperly. |
| 25V908000Dec 23, 2025 | 2023–2025 | Backup camera / back-over prevention — software | Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2024 C40BEV, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, XC60, 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, XC90, and 2025 EC40, and EX40 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when… |
| 25V282000May 8, 2025 | 2023–2025 | Backup camera / back-over prevention — software | Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, C40, XC60, 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, XC90, and 2025 EC40 and EX40 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is… |
Best and worst S60 years
- Years to avoid: 2012 and 2013.
- No model year stands out as clearly better than the rest.
- 2024–2025: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Volvo S60 years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Volvo S60
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Visibility: test the wipers at every speed, washers, defrosters and the climate system (fogging is a common complaint).
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Volvo S60 can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Volvo S60 reliability FAQ
Is the Volvo S60 reliable?
Across model years 2008–2025, owners filed 446 complaints about the Volvo S60 with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 30 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the S60 to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2012 and 2013 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2025 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Volvo S60 problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2025, the most-reported areas are the engine (152), the electrical system (66), the brakes (31) and windshield visibility (28). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are the electrical system, the brakes and automatic emergency braking. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Volvo S60 should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2012 and 2013 as years to avoid. Each model year is compared only with other S60 years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Volvo S60 last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 1.2% of 2,432 used S60 listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 7.5% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 2.9% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Volvo S60 have?
NHTSA lists 30 recall campaigns covering Volvo S60 model years 2008–2025. The one covering the most model years is 20V378000 (seat belts, 2011–2018). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Volvo S60?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure S60 reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Volvo S60, model years 2008–2025, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Year flags compare each S60 model year only with other S60 years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the S60 compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.