224 of the
1,678 complaints filed about the Volvo S60
are about the electrical system —
13% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2003.
On two separate occasions in the past two months June 6 and Aug. 15, this vehicle experienced a severe unintended engine surge / unintended acceleration event while at a complete stop with my foot firmly on the brake. On both occasions, the engine RPMs spiked above 1,000 RPM, forcing the vehicle to pull heavily against the brakes as if trying to race forward into the intersection. On the most recent event (Aug. 15) when stopping at a red light it appeared that the supercharger kicked in, pulling against the brakes. Six or eight pedestrians were crossing directly in front of the vehicle. If I had taken my foot of the brake I would have hit them. 1.June 12, 2026 Service Visit (RO #192480, attached): Following the June 6 incident, the vehicle was brought to Beyer Volvo Cars Falls Church, Va. The repair order explicitly notes:"Tech found the front sunroof drains to have clogged with dirt/debris and the floorboard to be full of water.""Interior was removed to dry out carpets and the sunroof drains were cleared." Clogged sunroof drains cause water ingress down the A pillar. 2.Diagnostic Code & Part Replacement: During this visit, fault code 161615 was retrieved. The technician noted "unable to duplicate the problem at this time" regarding the engine flare, and no physical inspection or remediation of the flooded wiring harnesses or module connectors beneath the carpet was performed. This same A6 electrical code 161615 was noted on a previous service on 25 Sep. 2025, (RO#184284, attached). There is clear precedent with NHTSA Recall 22V-288 (of a different Volvo model, the XC40), where water intrusion into Volvo wiring harnesses caused corrosion and unintended acceleration. Given that my passenger footwell flooded prior to the engine surge, the CAN bus harness and floor connectors beneath that carpet must undergo a full electrical continuity and corrosion inspection, not just a surface drying. I am requesting further service by the dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11758721 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The "Maintenance Mode" required to change the wiper blades malfunctioned, and the wipers- without the rubber blades attached- suddenly smashed onto the windshield, creating a large star crack/shatter, which spread across the entire windshield in two long cracks by the next day. If someone's hand had been in the path of the wipers, it would have been cut or broken by the force/sharp edge. The "Maintenance Mode" should not disengage unless the car is seriously jostled or put into gear (did not occur). This malfunction of the system is a safety concern in itself and has created a secondary safety concern with the severely damaged windshield. A case was opened with Volvo Corporate on XXX (case #XXX). Volvo has NEVER contacted me regarding this. I have called [XXX] and [XXX]) each week to check in and have been told that my case manager is not available, I can not change case managers to someone available or speak to anyone other than the phone operator. I have waited up to 1.5 hours on hold or received an automated return call 2+ hours later, often missing it. I emailed ([XXX]) as recommended by an operator with pictures and video of the incident and damage. I visited our local dealer ([XXX] in [XXX]) and spoke with the service manager. He did not have an open case for our vehicle. He said he would email the local headquarters. When I followed up with him the next week- after he did not respond to my email a week after he supposedly emailed them- he told me there was no local headquarters and that he emailed the same address I had previously. We contacted the dealer where the vehicle was purchased ([XXX]). They looked up our account and said there was no open case connected to our account,/name even though I have a case number I have used in every call to Volvo Corporate, which they have told me was under investigation. They also indicated that they have heard this same experience from other customers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11758056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Volvo S60. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. No warning lights illuminated. The contact was a certified mechanic. The contact stated that the failure occurred when the outside temperature was too hot or too cold. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that an unknown fuse on the battery cable that was extremely hot. The contact replaced the unknown fuse. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
NHTSA complaint #11740292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am submitting a formal vehicle safety complaint regarding a sudden and complete system failure in my Volvo S60 2023, which occurred in March 2026 in [XXX] . While traveling on [XXX] at highway speed, the vehicle abruptly and without warning lost all electrical power. The dashboard went completely blank, and all electronic systems ceased functioning. Critically, the steering became unresponsive/locked at the same time, creating an immediate and severe safety hazard. I was fortunate to avoid a collision, but the incident had clear potential for catastrophic consequences. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Volvo dealership; however, I was informed that the issue could not be duplicated and no repairs were performed. As a result, the root cause of this failure remains unknown, and the safety risk persists. Key details: Mileage at time of incident: Approximately 40,000 miles Location: [XXX] Date: March 2026 Conditions: Normal highway driving, no prior warning indicators I am reporting this incident because: It involves a complete loss of vehicle control systems; It presents a significant risk of serious injury or death; It may indicate a broader defect affecting similar vehicles. I respectfully request that this matter be reviewed for potential investigation and that any similar complaints be evaluated for patterns. Please let me know if additional information is needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11733466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Volvo S60. The contact stated that the radio screen was blank while driving at various speeds. The system rebooted independently soon after the failure; however, the failure reoccurred. Due to the failure, there was no access to the safety features in the vehicle. In addition, several other safety features failed to operate as needed; however, the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The dealer performed several software updates on the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the failure became more frequent and more dangerous because the failure mostly occurred while driving on the highway. The manufacturer was notified of the failure on several occasions; however, the contact was not provided assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
NHTSA complaint #11719046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The problem is when the weather turns cold my car a Volvo 2003 S 60 turn signals do not operate, or if they do turn on sometimes the turn signals won't stop flashing until you turn the ignition off. The head lights also will not turn on at any setting during this time. When the weather turns warm again everything works until the weather turns cold again. It appears to be related to the CENTRAL ELECTRONIC MODULE. It happens every time the weather is cold. It happen very unexpectedly my wife was driving down the road and was almost in an accident. The turn signals switch has already been replaced with a new Volvo turn signal switch.The turn signal still does not work. According to XEMODEX.INC this is a common problem for Volvo's S 60 2001-2010.
NHTSA complaint #11711744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2021 Volvo S60 T8 AWD, VIN [XXX] , ~71k miles Component: SUNROOF / DRAINAGE SYSTEM / ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Summary: Water entered the passenger compartment through clogged sunroof drain hoses and accumulated under the front passenger seat, causing catastrophic failure of wide angle module (WAM) and related electronic components (incl. front camera and wipers). Description: After moderate rain, a large amount of water was discovered under the front passenger seat. The vehicle began displaying multiple warning messages (camera faults, wiper faults). The authorized Volvo retailer diagnosed failure of the WAM and other modules due to water intrusion originating from the sunroof drainage system. This is a known, recurring defect acknowledged by Volvo in multiple Technical Service Bulletins: - TJ 31372-2 (Water leakage via sunroof drain hoses) - TJ 35382 (Updated drain hoses - new part number) - TJ 29322-3 (Water ingress passenger footwell / CEM area) The original drain hoses are too narrow and prone to clogging, causing water to overflow into the passenger compartment instead of exiting the vehicle. This creates a serious safety risk: - Potential failure of SRS airbag system - Loss of electronic stability control and ABS - Loss of 360 camera and blind-spot monitoring - Risk of electrical fire or short-circuit - Failure of wipers (mine stopped working when I was driving under the rain) Repair estimate: $17,825 Repair is going to be delayed over 2 months awaiting parts from Sweden. Vehicle was properly maintained; 70,000-mile service performed at authorized Volvo retailer on 9/24/25 - no drainage issues were noted or addresses at that time. This identical failure has been reported by hundreds of owners of 2019-2024 SPA-platform Volvos (S60, V60, XC60, XC90) on NHTSA complaints, Volvo forums, and in ongoing litigation. Despite multiple TSBs and redesigned parts, Volvo has not issued a recall or notified owners of the need for preventive maintenance. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA
NHTSA complaint #11701998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When slowing to a stop the vehicle is unsmooth and unpredictable, there is also a sudden release when braking downhill (not sure if they are related). There’s been occasions where the car lurched when coming to a stop almost resulting in me rear ending the vehicle in front of me. The unsmooth/unpredictable stopping only happens at speeds under 10mph when approaching a stop like with city driving. I’ve had it to the dealership two times for this. They’ve had trouble reproducing it, but acknowledged it is unsmooth and said that’s just the way the regenerative braking was designed. The holding back and release when braking downhill is completely random.
NHTSA complaint #11693464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The “Tire Pressure System” warning appeared and has not turned off. New TPMS sensors were installed but the dealership could not get the car to calibrate despite multiple attempts. It has come to my attention that other models of Volvo have this same trouble, and a software update is required.
NHTSA complaint #11682826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The check engine light appeared on my 2018 Volvo s60. After taking the car to 2 Independent mechanics and the dealer, it was diagnosed as an Engine Control Module (ECM) failure. My 2018 Volvo s60 has ONLY 44,200 miles. The dealer stated that they "haven't seen this failure in cars with such low mileage. Usually, cars have 125,000+ miles if/when the ECM fails". The dealer and an Independent mechanic both stated that the brakes, steering, starter, thermostat, etc., could fail at any time. This could put my family, and other families on the road, at risk. Volvo refused to pay for the repairs.
NHTSA complaint #11671445 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
URGENT SAFETY CONCERN: Intermittent Total Loss of All Vehicle Audio Alerts This issue has occurred multiple times and poses a serious safety concern. While driving, the vehicle intermittently experiences a complete loss of all audio output. This includes: •Turn signal indicators •Hazard warning sounds •Blind spot monitoring alerts •Park distance control tones •Navigation guidance •Audio system playback (music, radio, etc.) •All other safety-related audio warnings and notifications The vehicle becomes completely silent, eliminating essential auditory cues that are critical for safe operation. Temporary Workaround (While Driving): The only way to restore functionality is by performing a forced reboot of the infotainment system. This requires the driver to press and hold the home button until the system power cycles—a distracting and unsafe action that must be done while the vehicle is in motion. Please note that while rebooting does not disable the vehicle’s ability to drive, it temporarily resets multiple core systems, including the climate control and infotainment interface. This creates a significant distraction and impairs the driver’s ability to safely monitor vehicle status and surroundings. This malfunction poses a significant safety risk and must be investigated immediately.
NHTSA complaint #11671010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The DIM (Driver Instrument Module) flickers intermittently and I have no idea when it's going to go out completely. It actually does go out and there's a solid white panel or colored lines, but it comes back in. This displays the speedometer & fuel. This is a safety issue. I would hate for this to go completely out while I am driving. I do not know the cause for the malfunction. However, per the Volvo tech; they're aware this is a reoccurring issue.
NHTSA complaint #11645460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The indirect measurement TPMS system of this car has misdetected low tire pressure on three occasions. Most recently, on October 3 while driving on the freeway at about 70 MPH the TPMS alert illuminated. I checked the information screen and the display showed low pressure in all four tires. Because I have had misdetection of the right front tire twice before, and that it seemed very unlikely that all four tires would deflate at the same time, I disregarded the alert as a false detection. Later I checked the air pressure in all four tires and found it to be exactly correct. In an earlier episode, as I mentioned the TPMS alerted that the right front tire was low. In this instance, I did not have a history of false detections, so I believed the information to be accurate and immediately exited the freeway and returned home where I had a (very accurate) tire pressure gauge. Of course, the pressure was correct in all tires. I then followed the Volvo recalibration procedure and this completed successfully until later that day when the same tire alerted to low pressure again. I rechecked, again pressure was correct, and re-ran the calibration procedure. I did not have any other false detection again until about a year later when the October 3 incident occurred. The car has had at least one “total system update” to the software to address other issues since the first false detection incident, possibly two (not sure). The problem I am having with this is that Volvo apparently decided to change from direct sensor measurement to indirect wheel speed measurement around 2019 or 2020 as a cost saving measure. That is fine, but the indirect measurement system they are using is causing so many false alarms that now the first thing I think when I see an alert is that it is not a real problem. This is not a good situation. Volvo forums are full of complaints by other owners of similar false alarms. Volvo should fix this problem through software or restore direct measurement.
NHTSA complaint #11618880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2004 VOLVO S60 PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN SEPT 04. On 7/8/24 STRANDED AT 7-11 CAR WOULDN'T START. ACTING AS IF THERE WAS POWER LOSS, AC WENT OFF, BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT ON PANEL, POWER WINDOWS AND LOCKS DID NOT WORK, TEMP 105 OUTSIDE , THEN DRIVER PANEL WENT BLACK., I WAS SCARED. ENGINE WOULDN'T START. FINALLY, AFTER WAITING 10 MINUTES...IT STARTED RUNNING BUT WAS SLUGGISH. RADIO WAS ON, POWER DOOR, LOCKS, AND WINDOWS, DID NOT WORK. CUT THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, ALL POWER RETURNED, NOW CHECK ENGINE AND AIR BAG TROUBLE ON PANEL. CALLED VOLVO DEALER NEXT DAY NEAR MY HOME, THEY CAN NOT SEE MY CAR TIL NEXT WEEK TUESDAY. CAN NOT ACCESS ENGINE BOX, MUST GO TO DEALER.
NHTSA complaint #11600289 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Main center display becomes blank at random times. Sometimes this is accompanied by a loud squealing sound from car audio. When display blanks, all HVAC functions stop including defog, also all audio including turn signal indication sound. Sometimes display and functions self recover after approximately 15-20 seconds, sometimes it does not self recover and in these cases the ignition needs to be turned off and the drivers door opened to "turn off" the vehicle systems so that they can restart. The condition is completely random. The condition has been noted by other 2022+ Volvo owners in various forums. The software in my car has been updated following a complaint for this concern, however it has occurred again since the update. Date provided in report details is most recent event.
NHTSA complaint #11587636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On June 2, 2023 I went to start my car and the engine would not turn over. The dashboard displayed a number of warning lights and messages (DSTC Service Required, SRS Airbag Service Urgent, Transmission Service Required, Coolant System Service Required). When the tow truck driver arrived later that day, they tried to jumpstart my car but reported the battery was completely dead. I had the car taken to a local shop that specialized in Volvo cars. A few days later the shop called to tell me that not only was the battery dead, but my car key was no longer responding, and that the Engine Control Module "exploded." None of the mechanics at the shop had seen such a thing before. The shop also told me that they could not figure out what had been draining the battery. I was advised to reach out to the dealership. I did and happened to meet with the general manager and a lead technician who happened to be on site. I was told that while rare, the Engine Control Module can "explode." I was willing to drop the matter until I started seeing "Low Battery" warnings in early Sept. of 2023. I was finally able to get the car into the dealership on 1/2/24. After talking with the mechanic, he suggested that the satellite radio in my car was continuously draining my battery and to resolve the problem all they would need to do is download new software. A few hours later the mechanic confirmed that my car needed an RDAR upgrade to stop the battery drainage. I do not understand how the dealership could sell me the car without checking to make sure the software had been upgraded in the first place. RDAR failure is not something that pops up as a recall or major safety concern. If the car had lost power while in motion, there could have been serious consequences.
NHTSA complaint #11564522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Volvo S60. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the steering became extremely difficult to turn and several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the "City Safety" light was illuminated and drove over a manhole cover on the road and the vehicle stopped. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the two EV batteries needed to be replaced because the battery could not be charged and tested out at 9 percent. The contact was advised that the battery failure caused the failure of several vehicle systems. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
NHTSA complaint #11564623 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on the interstate 5 in Seattle, WA this Volvo rental car from National had the Multi-media screen went blank. No tell-tales nor instrument readings. The 360 camera and reverse camera systems worked as not part of the Android system. The infotainment system encountered a problem with an Android System with data corrupt. Had to reset factory data reset. Given this is a non-compliance to FMVSS Controls and Displays per Standard 101, I feel obligated to report this concern for driver safety around compatability of the Android system used by Volvo.
NHTSA complaint #11544210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.