2001 Volvo S60 problems & reliability
223 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Volvo S60, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Volvo S60 vehicles were involved in 9 fatal crashes with 9 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 68 | 30% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 42 | 19% |
| Electrical System | 31 | 14% |
| Power Train | 22 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 16 | 7% |
| Tires | 7 | 3% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 2% |
| Fuel System, Other | 5 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 81,436 miles (middle 50% between 55,149 and 115,250 miles), based on 176 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 15, 2023
“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.”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed May 7, 2021
“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…”
Air Bags · filed Feb 18, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL PUMP LEAKAGE
Preliminary Evaluation PE06053 · opened Nov 15, 2006 · closed Apr 5, 2007 · led to recall 07V152000
- THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTION
Engineering Analysis EA05021 · opened Dec 6, 2005 · closed Dec 12, 2006 · led to recall 06V441000
- THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTION
Preliminary Evaluation PE05041 · opened Jul 26, 2005 · closed Dec 7, 2005
Technical service bulletins
249 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Volvo S60. The 10 most recent:
This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 2 PDFs and 1 .PNG Oil Consumption test. Perform the test. Follow service procedure Description and Service sections updated to clarify that vehicle reports are not…
35526.1.8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 2026
This is a TJ text only - The purpose of this TJ is to be a master reference list to easily identify any components that are on prior approval. This TJ will be regularily updated as items are added or removed from prior…
37809.1.1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2026
This is a Technical Journal. Vehicle type and platform identification.
19245 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2025
This is a Technical Journal: Remote connection, BOMGAR application. Before joining a remote session: •Connect a suitable battery maintainer/charger and verify that the battery voltage indicated in VIDA is between…
8501 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 10, 2025
Volvo Cars USA LLC and Volvo Car Canada LTD on behalf of the Volvo Car Corporation has decided to launch Service Action S10303 on certain model year 2025 EX90 vehicles. Volvo Car Investigations have identified that…
S10303 · Service Campaign · issued Feb 21, 2025
Volvo Cars USA LLC and Volvo Car Canada LTD on behalf of the Volvo Car Corporation has decided to launch Service Action S10303 on certain model year 2025 EX90 vehicles. Volvo Car Investigations have identified that…
S10303 · Service Campaign · issued Feb 13, 2025
This is a Technical Journal: Vehicle/Connectivity report checklist. To provide timely and high-quality feedback to the appropriate department or factory
37175 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2025
This is a Technical Journal: Remote connection, BOMGAR application. Before joining a remote session: •Connect a suitable battery maintainer/charger and verify that the battery voltage indicated in VIDA is between…
8501 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2025
Information about valid Software partnumbers to order and download Software for "PDS" Pre-Delivery Service
TJ27536.21.1-2024-08-07 · Other · issued Aug 14, 2024
This is a Technical Journal: 12V Battery Testing Method
26745.13.14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 Volvo S60 has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Volvo S60?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 81,436 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.