Volvo V60 Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls — NHTSA Data
Comparing used Volvo V60 options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Model-year trends show patterns. Run a VIN check for the exact Volvo V60 you plan to buy.
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Volvo V60 has 45 owner complaints and 28 safety recalls across model years 2017–2026. The most reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 2020 drew the most complaints; 2025 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Volvo
- Model
- V60
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 45
- Safety recall campaigns
- 28
- Crash-related complaints
- 1
- Fire-related complaints
- 0
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2020 (18 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2025 (0 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Reliability signal
- Average
Volvo V60: Which Years to Avoid & Which to Buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the Complaint Data Suggests
AverageThe VOLVO V60 has 45 NHTSA complaints and 28 recalls on record. 1 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 45 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 28 federal recall campaigns
- 1 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
🔔 NHTSA Safety Recalls
28 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
Safety Recall
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
🔧 Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 45 NHTSA complaints.
📋 NHTSA Complaint Reports
45 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
REARVIEW MIRRORS DO NOT RETURN TO THEIR SAVED POSITIONS AFTER SHIFTING INTO REVERSE THEN SHIFTING BACK INTO DRIVE. THIS WILL COMPOUND OVER TIME AND SHIFT THE REARVIEW MIRROR POSITIONS LOWER AND LOWER. STORED POSITIONS ARE NOT AFFECTED, AS RECALLING A SAVED DRIVER SETTING WILL MOVE THE MIRRORS BACK TO THE CORRECT STORED POSITIONS.
The sunroof on this vehicle shattered while I was driving. A loud bang and a shower of glass ensued. There were no vehicles directly ahead of me or aircraft flying overhead when the incident occured. I wasn't insured and was able to pull off the road to inspect. No flying object hit the glass as some suspect. The glass shattered on its own. There have been no issues with the sunroof and opening/closing/tilt functions operated as normal. The vehicle will be inspected and repaired at a dealer.
I am afraid, someone may get KILLED. . . The car unexpectedly just starts to 'free wheel'. It all started approximately 6 weeks ago and progressively became worse. IT IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. I am a retired Software Engineer and worked in military defense for a government contractor. - - so, I know a software problem when I see it. My car just started to 'free wheel' (meaning, I have no control over the transmission or gas pedal). I was driving over by our local College and stopped for a light. When the light turned Green, I took my foot off the brake and pressed the accelerator. I went No where. . . (me - what is WRONG)? I pressed the accelerator again - nothing (the engine wouldn't even 'rev'). The car is still in gear, but nothing is happening! ! ! Now, what do I do? (the car is 'free-wheeling' - HELP - - no control or transmission). I am at a Green light and going NO WHERE. Then, in Panic (thinking this maybe a Software), I put the transmission in 'neutral' for a few seconds and then back in gear and put my foot on the accelerator. There is a hesitation, but the 'engine catches (can hear it slowly rev) and I start to move. Because it started while I was starting up from a STOP (at a STOP light), I thought it might have something to do with the 'Auto Stop / Start' function (actually, this exacerbates the problem). Then, Christmas day, coming back from visiting it happened again (I forgot to turn OFF the 'Auto Stop / Start') which is what I thought was causing the problem. BUT what made it much more DANGEROUS was: I was doing a 'left turn' on a busy street and almost got KILLED. So, all seemed to be OK, if I (remember) to turn OFF the 'Auto Stop / Start' function. UNTIL today, I was making a right turn on a busy street. As soon as I was over the railroad tracks, the car started to 'free-wheel'. ([XXX], NOW WHAT DO I DO)? I coasted to the right curb and 'glanced' over at the 'Auto Stop/start - it was ON (Oooh, NO). It just gets worse. . INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
THE FRONT SEATS ROCK/WOBBLE BEYOND AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL AND PRESENT A SAFETY ISSUE. IT'S VERY SUBTLE BUT ONCE YOU NOTICE YOU CAN'T NOT NOTICE. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AT VERY LOW SPEED WHEN BRAKING (I.E. PULLING OUT OF MY GARAGE AND SWITCHING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE) OR EVEN IN SUCH SIMPLE SITUATIONS AS GETTING INTO THE CAR. IT'S THE BACK OF THE SEAT THAT WOBBLES, BUT THE BOTTOM. I TOOK MY CAR INTO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT AS IT'S CAUSED BY A POORLY-DESIGNED PIVOT THAT IS PART OF THE SEAT ASSEMBLY. HE SAID HE THINKS THERE MIGHT BE A FIX OUT FOR THE 2018 MODEL YEAR BUT THAT THE 2017 HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE THE SAME DESIGN AND EVEN THOUGH HE HAS SEEN A NUMBER OF OTHER V60S WITH THIS ISSUE COMING UP. IT'S SIMPLY POOR DESIGN THAT IS PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE TO CORRECT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING A CAR WITH A LOOSE SEAT AS I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN SHOULD I EXPERIENCE A CRASH. WILL THE WHOLE BACK OF THE SEAT COLLAPSE IF IT'S ALREADY LOOSE? I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE OR REPLACED FOR FREE BY VOLVO.
I BOUGHT THIS 2017 V60 FROM CRIPPEN VOLVO IN 2019 WITH ONLY AROUND 1000MILES ON IT. I AM THE FIRST OWNER. THE TRANSMISSION ACT WEIRDLY ON THE SECOND DAY I BOUGHT IT. IT HAS A POWE CUT BETWEEN 1ST GEAR AND 2 ND GEAR, JUST LIKE DRVING A MANUAL. (ONLY WHEN IT IS COMPLETELY WARM) BRING IT TO CRIPPEN VOLVO, THEY UPDATE THE SOFTWARE OF TCM, THINGS GET BETTER A BIT. BUT STILL JERKY FROM 1ST GEAR TO 2ND GEAR. BRING IT TO SUBURBAN VOLVO, THEY RESET EVERYTHING OF THE SOFTWARE. THINGS GET BETTER A BIT, BUT THE PROBLEM CAME BACK SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THAT. IN MARCH 2020, BRING IT TO SUBURBAN VOLVO AGAIN, TECHNICIAN THERE OPENED A CASE WITH VOLVO USA, VOLVO USA TOLD THEM TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION. JOB GOT DOWN AFTER A MONTH. IN LATE APRIL, PROBLEM COM BACK AGAIN, THE NEW TRANSMISSION JERKY FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR WHEN IT IS COMPLETELY WARM, (JUST GET OFF THE HIGHWAY) I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WILL HANDLE IT NEXT. I WILL GO THERE AGAIN ON 4/30 I ALSO HEAR POPPING NOISE FROM THE FUEL TANK EVERY TIME I TOP UP THE FUEL TANK. IT SEEMS LIKE IS THE BAD FUEL PUMP CAUSES THE PROBLEM.
THE POWER GET CUT WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST GEAR TO 2ND GEAR. FEEL MORE JERKY WHEN UPHILL. THE FUEL TANK MAKE POPPING NOISE (LIKE BOILING WATER) WHEN IT IS FULL TO THE TOP (100%)
COLLISION PREVENTION AT SLOW SPEED DEFECTIVE
I have an ongoing but intermittent problem with door and hatch releases on my 2022 Volvo wagon. The car has been looked at several times and the dealer can't find the problem. My hatch popped open while driving on RT 395 at 55. My doors either won't open from the outside or alternatively from the inside using the remote. Both remote keys have been tested with the same results. Driver's door and front passenger door are the most frequent problems. As soon as I click on upload my documents the link disappears. I have video of attempts to open the doors both from the inside and the outside. I am most concerned about being stuck inside the car in an emergency but outside in the city at night is also a concern. I was working in a high crime area in Baltimore.
OTA update is never available on stated timelines. Requires going to the dealership to get updates.
When driving at about 10mph in my kids daycare driveway on a downward slope towards the main road, I depressed the brake pedal to stop and the car did not slow down. A few feet before intersecting the main road, I depressed the brake pedal fully to the floor and the car panic stopped. No braking action happened until the brake pedal was fully depressed to the floor.
Windshield appears to be defective. The glass has cracked in over 6 places, including inside and outside laminations. Cracks have appeared that are not related to rock impacts. The car has only 14K miles on it and the windshield already needs to be replaced.
After two days of ownership and 148 miles, the car threw a check engine light w/ the following message: "SLOW DOWN. The vehicle will reduce speed. Propulsion system failure." followed by, "Propulsion system service required.". This consequently causes the car to go into 'limp mode' unexpectedly while driving, drastically reducing speed. We are then instructed to take it to a shop. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When using the reverse or 360 views of the camera system on the vehicle at night, the cameras appear to rely on the front camera (or highest-brightness image) for exposure control. Since your headlights are up front and usually are the brightest spot, this results in your backup camera (and blind spot views) being completely black at night. This is a critical safety issue for visibility at nighttime with this vehicle and may result in injury or property damage.
The contact owns a 2024 Volvo V60CC. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the turn signals, the blind spot detection system, and the side cameras became inoperable. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the infotainment system software update was performed on several occasions; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 500.
There has not been a specific incident yet, but I am very concerned about the lack of lighting in the dark when our vehicle is in reverse. It is very difficult to see when backing up - either to the sides (making it difficult to tell where the edge of the road is), or directly behind (making it difficult to see if we are about to collide with an object or person). We contacted the dealer on 4/27/2026, and were told that this is a known concern with the Volvo V60 2026 models, but that no fix is available yet.
Vehicle was purchased from Leikin Motors in Willoughby Ohio on 15 SEP 2025. Since taking ownership, I have had 5 service visits for the same wiring harness issue and once for a throttle body replacement. Volvo has repeatedly denied the issue and has continued to perform more splices into the existing harness blaming the issue on rodents. The vehicle has went into limp mode multiple times and continues to show ABS errors. Neither Portland Volvo Cars (maine) nor my original dealer in Ohio has been able to sort these issues out after multiple months of back and forth with the vehicle each time the issue occurs.
While driving on the highway, Lane Keeping Assistance activated as my wife made room for a vehicle on the side of the highway. Ultimately, she ended up swerving into the middle lane and continued to feel as if she was fighting the car, swerving side to side, ultimately making contact with a car in the left lane. The vehicle is currently at a collision service center awaiting repair. Ultimately this feature seems to have contributed to, or frankly caused an accident with another driver. The system was ping-ponging the vehicle side to side attempting to find a lane. Two vehicles were involved in the accident. The actions of the lane keep assist were described to the police officer on scene, and also to our insurance company. The problem has not been reproduced, as the car is in a shop awaiting repair. The vehicle was inspected by an insurance representative for damage, however their assessment did not include the lane keeping assistance. We had noticed prior to the accident, a few times, that the lane keep assist seemed fairly aggressive. At times when it kicked in, it was a rather big surprise. The system is not exactly subtle. A system like this, that has the potential to surprise a driver to the point of losing control, or one that seems to wrestle for control, should not be on the road.
All of the sounds in the vehicle just stops. This has happened twice while driving the vehicle. No saftey warning sounds, no idiot light sounds, no turn signal sound and no radio. The vehicle still runs; however all the the safely ADAS systems remain silent. There are no warning sounds for any of Volvo's advanced safety systems. This is a series safety issue since there are no sounds; someone would have to constantly watch the dashboard instead of watching the road while one is driving.
WINDSHIELD OF VEHICLE CRACKED WHILE PARKED IN GARAGE OVERNIGHT. NO IMPACT DAMAGE. CRACK IS A STRESS FRACTURE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA / REAR VIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY.
WINDSHIELD OF VEHICLE CRACKED WHILE PARKED IN GARAGE OVERNIGHT. NO IMPACT DAMAGE. CRACK IS A STRESS FRACTURE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA / REAR VIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY.
Showing 20 of 45 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Before You Buy, Check the Exact Volvo V60
These pages show model-year patterns across 10years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
📖 Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Volvo V60 has 45 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Volvo V60 has 28 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 1 of the Volvo V60's 45 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Volvo V60 vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Volvo V60 vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Volvo V60 has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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