- 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
2002 Volvo S80 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 45 complaints about the 2002 Volvo S80 with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system (12) and the transmission & drivetrain (11). Those complaints describe 1 crash and 2 fires. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in September 2021 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2001 has 179 and the 2003 has 29.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical S80 year, for its age
#154 most complained-about 2002 vehicle
- Complaints
- 45
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2002 Volvo S80 problems
Share of all 45 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2002 Volvo S80 recalls 5
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
- 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.
What owners say
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45 complaints about the 2002 Volvo S80
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 2.
The contact owns a 2002 Volvo S80. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V681000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was notified and informed the contact that the part was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2002 Volvo S80. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the odometer would go black. The contact stated that the electrical system of the vehicle would fail causing all of the functions to start flashing, the brakes to stutter, and the transmission to fail. The contact stated no warning lights would be illuminated as the control panel would go black. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to have it diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.
The contact owns a 2002 Volvo S80. The contact stated that the instrument panel malfunctioned and failed to illuminate while driving. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 MPH while the accelerator pedal was depressed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed of an electrical failure that affected the brakes and the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure...
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but provided no assistance. The contact also mentioned that she had received NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V681000 (Air Bags) however, the part was not yet available. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
When the vehicle warms up from start it will not move forward or reverse it started at like 30 miles and I parked the car till I could get it fixed now when the car just warms up (not gets hot) it will not engage trans I have on more senser to check but the car will move when you first start it both forward and back but when it warms up it stops
We have a 2002 volvo s 80 that had a fuel pump leak that looks like our model had an issue with. We had a strong gas smell inside the car. There's a campaign number to it... 09V483000. We're still having an issue with it.
Fuel pump flange is leaking fuel, causing fuel smell throughout cabin of vehicle. Fuel pump flange recalled for defects due to temperature extremes, thermocycling and fuel quality,
I had a gas leak at 141,000 miles.. Have to pay $889.00 Bucks to repair or the said I could catch fire.. Please give me a call [[redacted]] thanks.. It's happens when I was driving was this a recalled part? Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo s80. While driving 30 mph, the accelerator pedal traveled to the floorboard and smoke appeared under the hood. The vehicle was taken to several unknown independent mechanics who determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.
My volvo s80 spontaneously combusted in my driveway, when I was away from home. The car had not been driven for approximately two hours, when it caught fire (under the hood) and burned.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo s80. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and failed to start when the key was turned in the ignition. The contact also stated the vehicle hesitated to start even with a full tank of fuel. The contact noticed a fuel leak and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 09v483000 (fuel system, gasoline), but the vin was not included. The failure mileage was 248,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo s80. The contact stated that there was a fuel smell in the rear of the vehicle behind the rear seats. The contact stated that the fuel could be heard splashing around in the tank when the vehicle was in use. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the flange was cracked and needed to be repaired. The failure caused fuel to leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v483000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo s80. The contact stated that there was a strong fuel odor inside and outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v483000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo s80. The contact stated that there were strong fuel fumes emitting into the interior of the vehicle and that the failure was progressively getting worse. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v483000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vin was not available. The vehicle was to be taken to an authorized dealer for inspection and diagnosis to determine the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. Updated 7/1/15*cn
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volvo s80. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, there was a sudden increase in engines rpms without warning. The contact powered the vehicle off and back on but the failure recurred. After several attempts, the vehicle was able to be driven without incident. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 147,000.
While driving at speed tachometer dropped to 900 rpm from about 3500 with an 18 wheeler not more than 6 car lengths behind me, needless to say if it weren't for diving onto the shoulder as is decelerated rapidly to 20 mph in a matter of seconds I would have been rear-ended with my family in the car. This is a known issue. Volvo has extended the warranty on some of the etms to 10 years/200,000 miles. When I called volvo to ask if this model was part of that extended warranty they told me that it only covered...
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'99-01' and that they would not repair it as " things break when they get old", and that I should drive it to the shop for diagnosis, at my own peril. They also informed me it would take a class action lawsuit to change this. Why should it take a lawsuit or death of a whole car full of people to get someone to take accountability for use of substandard parts? I drove the car home in "limp mode " and parked it. Today I went out to see if it would run and drive, to my amazement it did, so I took it for a little test <5 miles, and it did the same thing again, this time I was prepared. I checked the codes and it had none in the system. Call me for a first hand account. [[redacted]] parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
The driver's seat was adjusting itself randomly while driving. However, the controls would not respond when I attempted to re-adjust the seat. Several times while driving, the backrest of the seat would move into a completely horizontal position. Other times, the entire seat (including the backrest) would move as far forward as possible, creating a major driving hazard. I would have to pull over and wait, repeatedly attempting to re-adjust the seat until it randomly started to respond. When I took the car to...
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a volvo dealership, they could not determine any reason or cause for the problem. I could not afford to replace the power seat module at a cost of $850 (parts & labor). The dealership unplugged the module after adjusting the seat to fit me, but that is not a proper solution. A consumer should not be responsible for replacing a vehicle part due to faulty wiring, especially one that creates a driving hazard on the road! *Tr
Car surges and hesitates when changing gears, it slows down and accelerates randomly when I push down on the gas. It sticks and won't let me change gears in manual mode and it struggles to change gears in automatic mode. This problem is dangerous, it will decelerate randomly when driving on the highway both with the cruise on and off. *Tr
My son was driving a 2002 volvo s80 with no passengers when he was hit in the left front by another car. He was forced to the right and struck a light pole at approximately 30 mph. The light pole impact was maybe 2" right of dead center. The car was a total loss. Only the passenger airbag deployed from the dash. None of the other seven airbags deployed. The fact that none of the drivers airbags deployed appears to be a fault. The fact that there was no passenger and the passenger airbag did deploy also appears to be a fault. *Tr
2002 Volvo s80 transmission failed at 63,000 miles, replaced with new volvo transmission, lasted 2 years 1 month, volvo states 2 years is the warranty, so far we have 8900.00 In repairs to this car in the last 3 years,this car is a real lemon. *Tr
Pulling into traffic car was hesitating, starting and stopping uncontrollably. Slippage in the transmission from first gear to second, hard to get up to speed. Have almost been in serious accidents because of the hesitations. No indicator warning lights at the beginning of transmission issues, dangerous. Now transmission light is on, vehicle only has 104k miles. Going in to have the transmission rebuilt. *Tr
Volvo s80 2002 -pa .While reversing rear wheel locked and car could not be driven.Parking brake not engaged. Car towed to volvo dealer. On assessment dealer indicated that parking shoes froze up and delaminated causing collateral damage. Another possibility was that parking cable froze up and parking shoes delaminated. Car had approx 85000 miles. Either way this is a defect if occurred on the highway would have had disastrous consequence. Irrespective of age of car cable cannot freeze. Car has always been serviced...
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by dealer. All maintenance done by dealer as recommended by manufacturer. Car underwent spring inspection around month ago. So quality of parking shoes needs to be investigated or parking brake cable inspection should be added. Agreed with dealer to replace and repair defect as I need the car. Requested them to keep the parts available for inspection by nhtsa if necessary. Cost approx $2000.00 Which is significant. Safety issue if this had occurred on the highway leading to loss of control of vehicle. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volvo s80. Whenever the contact would drive the vehicle at any speed over a bump or pothole, the contact noticed a rattling sound in the front end. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the front struts needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 150,000.
In the past month when I drive there is surging and hesitation. When I stop then accelerate there is no power, symptoms occurring more frequently and daily. I took it to dealer where I purchased the vehicle thinking it was a recall for the ems. Dealer says no codes came up it was ems problem that I need a new transmission. Metal in trans. Fluid. I purchased in oct. 2008 With 30 day warranty and it only has 79,000 miles. *Tr
I purchased a 2002 volvo s80 in march of 2009 and stated hearing a loud knocking sound coming from the front of the car & when I went & got it checked the mechanic said that I needed new struts so I got the struts fixed for a warping $600 but the problem has recurred 3 times since the repair,i have had it repair 2 times by the same shop but since they tried to charge me labor on the last visit I'm done,the mechanic also said that I needed front control arms which are also expensive.I checked online to see if maybe...
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volvo had any recalls on this matter & they did on 1999,2000,2001 volvo s80 but not 2002 which is my vehicle. This has already been reported as a safety issue in volvo s80 99-2001 so im just wondering why haven't it reached the 2002 because I went to the complaints online & more people are complaining than myself. My steering wheel is off centered,my car shifts when I hit bumps in the road & my traction is not as good as it was when I 1st bought it. All I have to say is my front end is really screwed up & it's not my fault so can anyone do anything to help me out. Thanks a million!!!! *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volvo s80 t6. While driving various lower speeds to include approximately 10 mph, there was hesitation and the vehicle surged forward. The dealer stated that there were no recalls or warranties. The computer diagnosis did not list any failure codes. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 105000 and the current mileage was 106000.
Volvo S80: every year compared
All S80 years2002 Volvo S80 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Volvo S80 | 45 | 5 | D | |
| 2002 Volvo S60 | 189 | 9 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Volvo V70 | 106 | 6 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Volvo S40 | 30 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2002 Volvo V70XC | 30 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2002 Volvo C70 | 9 | 1 | B | Compare |
| 2002 Volvo V40 | 7 | 1 | B | Compare |
| 2002 Volvo S70 | 3 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2002 Volvo Heavy Truck | 2 | 0 | 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 2002 Volvo S80
Does the 2002 Volvo S80 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2002 Volvo S80: 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 2002 Volvo S80?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the fuel system (12), transmission & drivetrain (11), engine & cooling (7).
How many complaints has the 2002 Volvo S80 had?
45 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on March 26, 2002 and the latest on October 5, 2021. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 2 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2002 Volvo S80 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 31 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Volvo S80 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 S80 years have the most complaints?
2000 (342), 1999 (210), 2001 (179). See every Volvo S80 year compared.
What should I do if my 2002 Volvo S80 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