Volvo S80 Reliability
1,320 NHTSA complaints (1999–2016). Complaint rate: 1029.6 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1999–2002 Volvo S80. The 2015–2016 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
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 S80 Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 215 | 6.0% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 131 | 0.8% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 55 | 1.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 43 | 4.7% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 43 | 2.3% |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 42 | 2.4% |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 42 | 0.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 39 | 2.6% |
| ENGINE | 37 | 0.0% |
| AIR BAGS | 34 | 29.4% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999AVOID | — | 288 | 7 | 8 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000AVOID | — | 442 | 21 | 11 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001AVOID | — | 218 | 10 | 2 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002AVOID | — | 59 | 1 | 3 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003 | — | 30 | 1 | 1 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004AVOID | — | 63 | 6 | — | View 2004View→ |
| 2005 | — | 26 | 2 | 4 | View 2005View→ |
| 2006 | — | 22 | 1 | — | View 2006View→ |
| 2007 | — | 32 | 0 | — | View 2007View→ |
| 2008 | — | 37 | 9 | — | View 2008View→ |
| 2009 | — | 20 | 0 | — | View 2009View→ |
| 2010 | — | 36 | 1 | — | View 2010View→ |
| 2011GOOD | — | 8 | 2 | 1 | View 2011View→ |
| 2012GOOD | — | 11 | 3 | — | View 2012View→ |
| 2013GOOD | — | 8 | 0 | — | View 2013View→ |
| 2015GOOD | — | 12 | 1 | — | View 2015View→ |
| 2016GOOD | — | 7 | 0 | — | View 2016View→ |
See also: Volvo S80accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
Buying a Volvo S80?
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