- The problem
- Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2006 S80 and 2001-2009 S60 vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the driver's air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10125.
Vehicle safety record
2001 Volvo S60 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 238 complaints about the 2001 Volvo S60 with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system (91) and the acceleration & cruise control (47). Those complaints describe 8 crashes, 6 fires and 4 injuries. It is covered by 9 recalls, the latest in September 2021 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2000 has 1 and the 2002 has 189.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical S60 year, for its age
#39 most complained-about 2001 vehicle
- Complaints
- 238
- Recalls
- 9
- Crashes
- 8
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
- 4
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2001 Volvo S60 problems
Share of all 238 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2001 Volvo S60 recalls 9
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2003 S80 and S60 vehicles sold or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The driver side frontal air bag inflator may rupture, sending metal fragments into the passage compartment, when the driver side air bag is deployed.
- The risk
- Metal fragments can strike vehicle occupants increasing the risk of serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side air bag module, free of charge. The recall began April 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10058.
- The problem
- Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
- The risk
- AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.
- The fix
- Volvo advises owners to please stop using the garmin portable gps device immediately, and visit the garmin website to determine if their unit is affected. The unit's battery will be replaced with a new battery and a spacer will be inserted on top of the battery next to the pcb. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 18, 2010. Owners may contact garmin at 866-957-1981 or visit garmin's website at www.Garmin.Com/nuvibatterypcbrecall.
- The problem
- Volvo is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 s80, model year 2001-2004 v70, s60, xc70 and model year 2003-2005 xc90 vehicles sold in or registered in the states of alabama, arizona, arkansas, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, kentucky, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, north carolina, oklahoma, south carolina, tennessee, texas, utah, virginia and the u.S. Territories. When exposed to certain environmental conditions (hot climate and temperature cycling) over time and in combination with varying fuel quality, the fuel pump can develop cracks in the fuel pump flange.
- The risk
- If the condition occurs vehicle owners may notice fuel smell and/or fuel leak which, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the fuel pump installed in the vehicle, and if necessary replace the fuel pump with a part of a modified design. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on january 15, 2010. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
- The problem
- On certain vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of arizona and nevada, due to the combination of fuel quality and climate conditions, the fuel pump may, in certain cases, experience a reduced functionality. The most common symptoms would be fuel odor.
- The risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the fuel pump free of charge. The recall began on july 10, 2007. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
- The problem
- Certain cardone master cylinders with part numbers 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987mza, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, and 11-3156, and with date codes lower than dca7078 sold as replacement equipment for use on the vehicles listed above. The seal on master cylinder can fail and leak brake fluid.
- The risk
- Loss of brake fluid can result in poor braking performance, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Cardone will notify owners and offer to repurchase any defective master cylinders. The recall began during april 2007. Owners can contact cardone at 1-800-777-4780.
- The problem
- On certain passenger vehicles, a combination of throttle positioning sensor irregularities, a dirty throttle housing, and/or inefficient software calibration may cause a warning lamp to light and the subsequent onset of limp home modes.
- The risk
- This resulted in a high number of vehicles going into the limp home mode without need.
- The fix
- Dealers will install the current software upgrade onto the involved vehicles. The recall began on december 29, 2006. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
- The problem
- On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, under certain operating conditions, some electric cooling fans may overheat potentially causing heat damage and, in rare instances, a fire in the engine compartment.
- The risk
- A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD OCCUR.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the cooling fan. The recall began on november 29, 2004. Customers should contact volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
- The problem
- Certain passenger cars fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "Child restraint anchorage systems." The second isofix guide was not installed in these vehicles and, in certain cases, the owner's manual isofix information is incorrect.
- The risk
- This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
- The fix
- Owners will receive a letter/package consisting of the second isofix guide with installation instructions, and in certain cases, the corrected owner's manual may be provided. If the owner wants to take their vehicle to a volvo dealer for installation of the guide, it will be performed at no charge to the owner. Owner notification began on december 19, 2003. Owners should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
What owners say
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238 complaints about the 2001 Volvo S60
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 10.
1. The vehicle caught fire while driving. The radiator cooling fan stayed on after parking, The vehicle the night before. The vehicle had to be jump started the next morning. yes the vehicle is available for inspection. 2. bodily injury and property damage could have been caused by the fire. 3. Yes. independent service center. Automotive Body and Tire Center. (Skokie IL) 4. Yes. Fire was put out by prospect heights fire department. Police report #PHP23-004049 5. No warning lamps prior to the fire. Symptom of problem was the radiator cooling fan staying on after vehicle was turned off, which caused the battery to discharge.
Terrible gas smell every time I drive it. I got someone to check it out, there is gas leaking from the fuel pump. This person put some putty over the leak which stopped the smell but this is not safe. I see a recall for the fuel pump but it says my car doesn't have a current recall.
I have an srs airbag warning light stays on and will not go away. The electrical wiring for the headlights are faulty, I tried everything to fix them nothing works. I used an inline fuse with the headlight wiring because the bulbs the continue to blowout. The volvo forum suggested the inline fuse to fix the issue, but it did not. One headlight remains on the driver side and the passenger side comes on and off when it wants to and it also displays dipped bulb failure or beam failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking fuel from the top of the fuel tank and fuel pump. The contact called the manufacturer after researching the failure and was informed that there was no recall. The manufacturer further stated that the failure occurred in states in warmer zones than the contact's state, and disconnected the call. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The failure mileage was 220,000.
Extreme gas smell inside car. Noticed gas leaking from top of tank by the screws that hold it. Vehicle was parked in my drive way and as soon as my kids got in they noticed the strong smell. Not driving it defenetly can cause a fire.
Car stalled while driving then would not go any faster than 15mph.
I have noticed a strong fuel odor inside and outside of car. It is also leaking fuel. The fuel leaking is underneath the car. I do not know exactly where fuel is leaking. It is not coming from fuel filter.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. The contact stated that there was a failure in which the throttle body failed to function properly. The contact experienced the failure when making a turn or while driving various speeds. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and indicated that the time frame had expired for the vehicle to be repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 06v441000 (vehicle speed control). The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The failure mileage was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. Without warning, the vehicle failed to accelerate over 20 mph. The vehicle drastically reduced speed and stalled several times without warning. The vehicle was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 06v441000 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. While driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle stalled and the brakes and power steering malfunctioned without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 173,000.
Our volvo s60 has been experiencing a well known issue with what's commonly called transmission flare. When shifting into lower gears from a stop or at lower speeds and in slow traffic the automatic transmission jerks the car forward severely. There are hundreds of posts in online car forums with consumers complaining about this same problem. While it started out as a nuisance the problem has gotten progressively worse and is aggravated by hot weather, so much for taking the volvo on a drive for summer vacation....
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We trusted volvo's quality and integrity when purchasing our car and are very disappointed that there has been no recall issued to fix this problem. When we asked the dealership where we purchased the car what we could do to fix the problem they suggested we purchase a new car from them. Shame on you volvo. Before this problem we were proud volvo owners now we feel ripped off and abused.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. While the vehicle was parked, a strong odor of fuel was noticed. The contact observed fuel leaking from an unknown part of the fuel tank. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage and vin were unknown.
Car jerks and clunks when switching gears. Its starting to grind and clack in 1-2 gear and I hops around the rpms line crazy.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. While operating the vehicle, an odor of fuel was present and the contact discovered fuel present on the fuel tank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v483000 (fuel system). The contact indicated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 145,000. Updated 02/10/16*lj; updated 05/10/18*jb *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the contact noticed a fuel odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a fuel leak with the fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of th failure. The failure mileage was 155,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. While parked, a strong odor of fuel emitted outside of the vehicle on the front passenger side. There was no fuel visible on the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who noticed that fuel was leaking from the top part of the fuel tank. The vehicle was also taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump would need to be replaced. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v483000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,999. Updated 12/01/15*lj,03/28/18*jb *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. While driving at 20 mph, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle could be restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v483000 (fuel system, gasoline). The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was a odor of fuel inside the vehicle without warning. The failure recurred each time the vehicle was started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed that the fuel pump had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v483000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
In 2008, at about 93k miles, the transmission on my 2001 volvo s60 failed while I was driving on a main thoroughfare. Fortunately, I was able to avoid being in an accident. I had a volvo dealer install a new volvo transmission. In 2014, at about 123k miles (or about 30k miles on the new transmission), the second transmission failed while I was driving on a local street. Again, I was able to avoid an accident. A search of the nhtsa database and other online sources showed that there have been numerous early...
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transmission failures with volvos like mine. Volvo of north america refused to do anything to help fix the faulty transmission despite information that there is a problem with the transmission they have been using. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. The contact stated that fuel was seeping from the tank near the pump and onto the ground. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. The contact stated that there was a fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000.
The entire instrument panel went dead and the turn signals would not function. Only the headlights were working. Messages came up saying that there was an srs airbag issue and that there was a brake failure. All of the messages were false and the instrument cluster went dead. This is a concern since the messages are incorrect according to what the dealer told me and have seen several people with the same issue. I think that volvo should replace all of the dims and cems for every car that exhibits this problem...
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the first time for vehicles under 125,000 miles. This should not happen and is a very big safety issue. This is not the first time that the cluster has gone dead. Also each time it has been raining and the dealer has said that there are no shorts in the system. Something is wrong and they are replacing every part without fixing the issue. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo s60. The contact stated that a gasoline odor was prominent around the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 94,489.
Drivers power seat mechanism randomly and frequently moves forward pinning the driver against the steering wheel. Pushing the control button to the rear will stop forward movement. Pushing it to the rear again will begin seat movement to the rear. But rearward movement often is stopped and interrupted by forward movement again. This is a safety issue. A partial search on the internet indicates that the volvo seat mechanism is failure prone. *Tr
Despite several service bulletins and recall, the volvo dealership refused to honor the recall #155 campaign charging me $1,120.92 For a new electronic throttle. We would like to know where we can send this invoice for reimbursement. We also would like the administration to triple fine volvo cars for its blatant disregard of the laws governing recalls. *Tr
Volvo S60: every year compared
All S60 years2001 Volvo S60 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Volvo S60 | 238 | 9 | F | |
| 2001 Audi A4 | 130 | 3 | D | Compare |
| 2001 Audi A6 | 113 | 7 | F | Compare |
| 2001 BMW 3 Series | 36 | 1 | B | Compare |
| 2001 BMW 5 Series | 0 | 2 | B | Compare |
| 2001 BMW 530I | 0 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2001 BMW 330I | 0 | 8 | D | Compare |
| 2001 Lexus IS | 0 | 1 | B | Compare |
| 2001 Volvo V70 | 221 | 9 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2001 Volvo S60
Does the 2001 Volvo S60 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 9 recalls for the 2001 Volvo S60: inflator module (September 2021); inflator module (November 2020); navigational system(global positioning system) (November 2010); fuel pump (December 2009) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Volvo S60?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the fuel system (91), acceleration & cruise control (47), electrical system (35).
How many complaints has the 2001 Volvo S60 had?
238 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on February 27, 2001 and the latest on June 15, 2023. Of these, 8 describe a crash and 6 a fire, and together they report 4 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2001 Volvo S60 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 4 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Volvo S60 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Volvo S60 years have the most complaints?
2001 (238), 2004 (198), 2002 (189). See every Volvo S60 year compared.
What should I do if my 2001 Volvo S60 has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data