Volvo S60 Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
1,658 NHTSA complaints (2000–2024).Complaint rate: 81.1 per 1,000 vehicles.
Should I buy a Volvo S60?
Quick answer from 1,658 NHTSA complaints · 2000–2024
Volvo S60 reliability depends heavily on the model year. Several years show complaint spikes well above the model's own average, while others are meaningfully cleaner. The most commonly reported issue across all years is electrical faults. Pick the right year and this S60 can be a reasonable used buy; pick the wrong one and you're inheriting known problems.
- 2023 Volvo S60· 3 complaints
- 2011 Volvo S60· 5 complaints
- 2018 Volvo S60· 5 complaints
- 2001 Volvo S60· 262 complaints
- 2004 Volvo S60· 262 complaints
- 2002 Volvo S60· 248 complaints
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- electrical faults — 198 complaints (2.0% involved a crash)
- engine problems — 190 complaints (1.1% involved a crash)
- unintended acceleration — 116 complaints (11.2% involved a crash)
- fuel system — 92 complaints (4.3% involved a crash)
- engine & cooling — 87 complaints (3.4% involved a crash)
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2001–2005 Volvo S60. The 2023 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Electrical System.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
Too New
Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Volvo S60 Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Faults | 198 | 2.0% |
| Engine Problems | 190 | 1.1% |
| Unintended Acceleration | 116 | 11.2% |
| Fuel System | 92 | 4.3% |
| Engine & Cooling | 87 | 3.4% |
| Gasoline Fuel System | 86 | 0.0% |
| Airbags | 65 | 33.8% |
| Fuel Pump | 61 | 1.6% |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 42 | 9.5% |
| Tire Defects | 40 | 5.0% |
When Each Problem Spiked
Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001AVOID | — | 262 | 6 | 6 | View → |
| 2002AVOID | — | 248 | 4 | 4 | View → |
| 2003AVOID | — | 168 | 1 | 1 | View → |
| 2004AVOID | — | 262 | 22 | 15 | View → |
| 2005 | — | 57 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2006 | — | 42 | 1 | 1 | View → |
| 2007 | — | 34 | 4 | 3 | View → |
| 2008GOOD | — | 14 | 6 | — | View → |
| 2009NO DATA | — | 9 | 1 | — | View → |
| 2011NO DATA | — | 5 | 2 | — | View → |
| 2012AVOID | — | 161 | 14 | — | View → |
| 2013AVOID | — | 105 | 11 | 1 | View → |
| 2014 | — | 35 | 2 | — | View → |
| 2015AVOID | — | 79 | 5 | 1 | View → |
| 2016 | — | 34 | 3 | — | View → |
| 2017GOOD | — | 17 | 1 | — | View → |
| 2018NO DATA | — | 5 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2019 | — | 31 | 0 | 2 | View → |
| 2020GOOD | — | 20 | 2 | — | View → |
| 2021GOOD | — | 11 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2022 | — | 27 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2023NO DATA | — | 3 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2024TOO NEW | — | 28 | 8 | — | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (1,658 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
See also: Volvo S60accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
Buying a Volvo S60?
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