FaultScore

FaultScore report

2016 Volvo V60 problems

Owners have filed 17 complaints about the 2016 Volvo V60 with NHTSA between 2016 and 2024. The largest single group is the engine & cooling. Across this model's run it ranks 2 of 3 worst.

C

FaultScore 43/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Volvo V60.

How this is worked out

The numbers

17

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

4,610 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

60%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 46 vs 50 Severity 0 vs 50 Early failure 100 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 46
Against the median year of the Volvo V60. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 100
60% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2016 compares with every other Volvo V60

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2016 Volvo V60

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Engine & Cooling 5 29.4%

Median failure at 1,551 miles

Electrical System 3 17.6%

Median failure at 1,600 miles

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 2 11.8%

Median failure at 32,930 miles

Body & Structure 2 11.8%

Median failure at 20,555 miles

Other & Unspecified 1 5.9%
Seat Belts 1 5.9%

Median failure at 120 miles

Wheels 1 5.9%

Median failure at 5,000 miles

Brakes 1 5.9%

Median failure at 38,000 miles

Transmission & Drivetrain 1 5.9%

Median failure at 38,000 miles

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 2 13.3%
1,000 – 9,999 miles 7 46.7%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 3 20.0%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 2 13.3%
150,000+ miles 1 6.7%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Apr 2016 peak 4 Nov 2024

Recalls on the 2016 Volvo V60

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2020298 24,089 units in Canada

Seats And Restraints

Issue: On certain vehicles, the flexible steel cable that attaches the seat belt to the outside of the front seats may weaken over time. As a result, the seat belt could detach. Safety Risk: A seat belt that detaches in a crash could create an increased risk of injury. Corrective Action: Volvo will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the front-outboard seat belt anchors.

Recall 2016534 5,084 units in Canada

Seats And Restraints

On certain vehicles, the front passenger seatbelt buckle stud may not have been punched correctly during manufacturing. This may cause a separation between the buckle and the seat belt bracket, which could result in the belt not adequately restraining the seat occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the front passenger seat belt buckle stud, and replace the seatbelt buckle as necessary.

Recall 2015388 23 units in Canada

Electrical

On certain vehicles with an automatic stop-start function, in certain stop and go driving situations, the starter motor fuse may become overloaded (blown fuse). This could lead to the inability to restart the engine following an engine shutdown by the start-stop system, increasing the risk of crash causing injury in a traffic situation. Correction: Dealers will replace the starter motor fuse with a higher amperage rated fuse.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

at 185,000 miles Troy, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2016 Volvo V60. The contact stated that after changing the engine oil, one week later the message "Engine Oil Low" was displayed. The contact later discovered the engine oil was low and the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 185,000.

NHTSA complaint #11624697 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Del Mar, CA

ENGINE

Volvo dealer confirmed Excessive oil burn due to bad piston rings. Volvo USA recalled other cars with the same problem but refused to recall mine. They offered instead partial payment for the fix. Should be full payment to repair.

NHTSA complaint #11589497 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Des Moines, IA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Interior (center) rear view mirror glass migrates over time to point downward, so you see the backseat rather than out the back window. Have to manually adjust it to point back up approximately every 500 miles. Suspect it happens as you drive over bumps. Have had two dealerships look at it (Gorges in Omaha, NE and Willis in Clive, IA) and both reported no issue found. Obviously, neither of them had a tech drive the car 500 miles. Issue has persisted since purchasing the car in 2017 with 12,800 miles on it.

NHTSA complaint #11562906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 50,500 miles East Meadow, NY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

INFOTAINMENT SCREEN REBOOTS CONTINUOUSLY AND NEVER COMPLETES LOADING, MAKING MANY CONTROL FUNCTIONS OF THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY INACCESSIBLE. THIS OCCURS DURING ANY TIME WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT IS STATIONARY OR MOVING.

NHTSA complaint #11192008 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 38,000 miles Lubbock, TX

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLVO V60. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE LOW BATTERY INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE VOLVO OF SAN ANTONIO DEALER (1326 NE INTERSTATE 410 LOOP, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209, 210-591-0863) WHERE THE BATTERY AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING BACK HOME AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES WERE METAL-TO-METAL AND THAT A CALIPER BOLT WAS MISSING. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ROTOR, BRAKE PADS, AND THE MISSING BOLT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SERVICE BRAKE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,000.

NHTSA complaint #11120667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 38,000 miles Lubbock, TX

SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLVO V60. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE LOW BATTERY INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE VOLVO OF SAN ANTONIO DEALER (1326 NE INTERSTATE 410 LOOP, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209, 210-591-0863) WHERE THE BATTERY AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING BACK HOME AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES WERE METAL-TO-METAL AND THAT A CALIPER BOLT WAS MISSING. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ROTOR, BRAKE PADS, AND THE MISSING BOLT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SERVICE BRAKE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,000.

NHTSA complaint #11120667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 61,250 miles Millbrook, AL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

EXPLODING SUNROOF. ON FRIDAY 26 JAN 2018, AT 4:10PM, I WAS DRIVING IN ALABAMA ON INTERSTATE 65 NORTHBOUND MILE AT MARKER 180 IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT 70 MPH. THE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55F AND OVERCAST WITH NO RAIN. THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME FOR AT LEAST A HALF A MILE NOR TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OR REAR FOR AT LEAST A QUARTER OF A MILE. I HAD NOT PASSED UNDER A BRIDGE FOR AT LEAST A MILE. I SAW NO OBJECTS COMING FROM THE FRONT OR ABOVE. AT THIS TIME, I HEARD A LOUD REPORT LIKE A GUNSHOT FOLLOWED BY WIND NOISE. GLASS STARTING FALLING THROUGH THE SUNROOF SHADE VENTS. I PULLED OVER AND OBSERVED THAT THE SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ROOF (DENTS OR SCRATCHES) OR VEHICLE. I THEN DROVE ANOTHER 4 MILES HOME AND TOOK A PHOTO OF THE DAMAGE. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO SAID HE HAD HEARD OF THIS KIND OF INCIDENT BEFORE BUT TOLD ME TO CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I CONTACTED THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY WILL PAY FOR THE REPAIR MINUS MY $250 DEDUCTIBLE.

NHTSA complaint #11065606 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 36,500 miles Emeryville, CA

STRUCTURE:BODY

AS WE WERE DRIVING ON I-95 NEAR SUMMERVILLE SC ON JAN 5TH IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON (APPROX. SPEED 70 MPH) THE SUNROOF SUDDENLY IMPLODED SOUNDING LIKE A GUNSHOT GOING OFF. THERE WAS NO PROJECTILE HEARD OR SEEN PRIOR TO THE SUDDEN SHATTERING. THANKFULLY, THE INTERNAL COVER PREVENTED THE MAJORITY OF GLASS FROM ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HEAR OR SEE A PROJECTILE, THE ONLY CONCLUSION WE CAME TO WAS THAT THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL MAY HAVE LED TO THE SUDDEN CRACK (THIS TRIP TOOK PLACE DURING THE BOMB CYCLONE IN THE SOUTH). ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN EQUALLY COLD TEMPERATURE IN TAHOE AND IN BEND AND BESIDES, THIS IS AUTOMOTIVE GLASS SO IT SHOULDN'T HAVE SHATTERED AS COMPLETELY AS IT DID! WHEN DRIVING TO WORK I FREQUENTLY HEAR DEBRIS FROM TRUCKS HITTING MY WINDSHIELD AND IT TO DATE HAS NOT SHATTERED LIKE THIS EVENT WITH THE SUNROOF!

NHTSA complaint #11062696 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 4,610 miles Mebane, NC

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROX. 65 MPH, THE SUNROOF EXPLODED WITH GLASS BLOWING UP TOWARDS THE SKY. AT FIRST, I HEARD A LOUD "BANG" THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN FIRING AND THEN SHARDS OF GLASS STARTED RAINING DOWN UPON ME FROM ABOVE. SHARDS OF GLASS ALSO FILLED THE REAR SEAT AREA. IF MY WIFE WERE DRIVING THE CAR, SHE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PANICKED, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING OTHER VEHICLES. ALSO, IF THERE WAS A CAR IMMEDIATELY BEHIND MINE, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOWERED WITH GLASS SHARDS FROM THE GLASS SHOOTING UP FROM MY VEHICLE. IF A MOTORCYCLIST, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOOD. THE ENTIRE SUNROOF GLASS THAT REMAINS IS TOTALLY SHATTERED.

NHTSA complaint #10920057 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 4,610 miles Mebane, NC

STRUCTURE:BODY

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROX. 65 MPH, THE SUNROOF EXPLODED WITH GLASS BLOWING UP TOWARDS THE SKY. AT FIRST, I HEARD A LOUD "BANG" THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN FIRING AND THEN SHARDS OF GLASS STARTED RAINING DOWN UPON ME FROM ABOVE. SHARDS OF GLASS ALSO FILLED THE REAR SEAT AREA. IF MY WIFE WERE DRIVING THE CAR, SHE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PANICKED, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING OTHER VEHICLES. ALSO, IF THERE WAS A CAR IMMEDIATELY BEHIND MINE, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOWERED WITH GLASS SHARDS FROM THE GLASS SHOOTING UP FROM MY VEHICLE. IF A MOTORCYCLIST, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOOD. THE ENTIRE SUNROOF GLASS THAT REMAINS IS TOTALLY SHATTERED.

NHTSA complaint #10920057 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 120 miles Santa Monica, CA

SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLVO V60. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THERE WAS NO VISUAL SEAT BELT REMINDER ACTIVATOR SYSTEM DISPLAY REGARDING THE SEAT BELT LATCH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE INDICATOR, BUT NOT A VISUAL INDICATOR. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120.

NHTSA complaint #10905925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 120 miles Santa Monica, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLVO V60. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THERE WAS NO VISUAL SEAT BELT REMINDER ACTIVATOR SYSTEM DISPLAY REGARDING THE SEAT BELT LATCH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE INDICATOR, BUT NOT A VISUAL INDICATOR. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120.

NHTSA complaint #10905925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,502 miles LA Jolla, CA

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLVO V60. WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RPM'S WERE BETWEEN 4,000 TO 5,000. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT AND OCCURRED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING; HOWEVER, THE DETAILS OF THE DIAGNOSIS COULD NOT BE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,502.

NHTSA complaint #10905755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,201 miles LA Jolla, CA

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLVO V60. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,201.

NHTSA complaint #10903305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,600 miles Chatsworth, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN 150 MILES ROUNDTRIP. ON WAY BACK, ONE MILE FROM FINAL DESTINATION WHILE IN LEFT TURN LANE WAITING FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC SO LEFT TURN COULD BE COMPLETED, THE AUTO START/STOPPED CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF AS THE CAR CAME TO A STOP. WHEN BRAKE WAS RELEASED CAR FAILED TO TURN BACK ON LEAVING CAR STRANDED IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. ATTEMPTED TO RESTART CAR UNSUCCESSFULLY. ALSO, CAR INSTRUCTED DRIVER TO PRESS "START BUTTON" UNTIL IT STARTED. HOWEVER, WHILE START BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS/HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF AND HAVE TO BE MANUALLY REENGAGED, MAKING IT DOUBLY UNSAFE.

NHTSA complaint #10871703 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,600 miles Chatsworth, CA

ENGINE

VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN 150 MILES ROUNDTRIP. ON WAY BACK, ONE MILE FROM FINAL DESTINATION WHILE IN LEFT TURN LANE WAITING FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC SO LEFT TURN COULD BE COMPLETED, THE AUTO START/STOPPED CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF AS THE CAR CAME TO A STOP. WHEN BRAKE WAS RELEASED CAR FAILED TO TURN BACK ON LEAVING CAR STRANDED IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. ATTEMPTED TO RESTART CAR UNSUCCESSFULLY. ALSO, CAR INSTRUCTED DRIVER TO PRESS "START BUTTON" UNTIL IT STARTED. HOWEVER, WHILE START BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS/HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF AND HAVE TO BE MANUALLY REENGAGED, MAKING IT DOUBLY UNSAFE.

NHTSA complaint #10871703 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,000 miles Valley Cottage, NY

WHEELS

I GOT A FLAT TIRE AND PUT THE SPARE DONUT TIRE ON THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. I COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR. I KEPT GETTING PULLED TOWARD THE RIGHT, IT WAS ESPECIALLY WORSE WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE. I DID NOT DARE DRIVE MORE THAT 10-15 MILES AN HOUR. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE AND WAS SURPRISED, HE HAD NEVER FELT ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE. AS A TEST HE PLACED THE TIRE ON THE BACK WHEEL AND IT DID EXACTLY THE SAME THING. HE PUT IN A COMPLAINT TO SEE IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER ISSUES AND HEARD NOTHING BACK. I CALLED CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TO COMPLAIN. THE GENTLEMAN READ FROM THE OWNERS MANUAL THAT SPARE TIRES WILL NOT PERFORM LIKE OTHER TIRES. THEY ORDERED ANOTHER DONUT, THINKING MINE MIGHT BE DEFECTIVE, IT TOO PERFORMED BADLY. ANOTHER CAR THE SAME MODEL AS MINE WAS TESTED AND THE TIRE PERFORMED BADLY AS WELL. I EXPLAINED THE DANGER THESE TIRES POSE AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING WITH AN INFERIOR SPARE. AS COMPENSATION THEY GAVE ME A FULL SPARE MOUNTED ON A WHEEL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT DOES NOT FIT IN THE SPACE ALLOTTED FOR THE SPARE AND TAKES UP MOST OF MY CARGO SPACE. MY MAIN ISSUE IS THAT THEY ARE ALLOWING PEOPLE TO DRIVE THINKING THEY HAVE THE SECURITY OF A SPARE, EXCEPT THE ONE PROVIDED CAN CAUSE THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR.

NHTSA complaint #10861802 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.