Most common 2001 Volvo S60 problems
Share of the 223 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volvo S60 complaints by model year
Best S60 years: 2011, 2025, 2021. Years to avoid: 2012, 2024, 2013, 2015, 2001. Compare all years →
2001 Volvo S60 recalls (8)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Equipment › Electrical › Navigational system(global positioning system)
Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (GPS) units because the batteries on those units May overheat.
Remedy: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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,…
Remedy: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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.
Remedy: 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.
Vehicle speed control
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.
Remedy: 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.
Show 2 more recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Fan
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cooling fan. The recall began on November 29, 2004. Customers should contact Volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
Equipment › Other › Labels
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2001 Volvo S60:
Fuel pump leakage
Volvo is recalling approximately 1,681 model year (my) 2001-2002 s60 vehicles within the states of arizona and nevada to replace the fuel pump.Volvo reports that the fuel pump in these vehicles May experience a fuel leak as a result of fuel quality and hot climate conditions.the most common symptom reported is fuel smell.no fires, crashes or injuries are reported.my 2003 and later s60 vehicles contain a different…
Throttle control malfunction
Pe05-041 was opened on July, 26, 2005, based on 136 consumer complaints to odi alleging throttle control malfunctions in the subject vehicles.odi has now received 591 complaints of etm failures which allege symptoms with potential safety related consequences.these include allegations of engine stall, vehicle surging forward without accelerator input, vehicle hesitation upon acceleration and sudden and unexpected…
Throttle control malfunction
On November 14, 2006 Volvo submitted a defect information report to NHTSA concerning etm failures in model year (my) 1999 through 2001 Volvo models (not including the s40 and v40), my 2002 s60 and v70 with naturally aspirated engines and my 2002 v70s.according to Volvo, ?a combination of throttle positioning sensor irregularities, a dirty throttle housing and/or inefficient software calibration May cause a warning…
What 2001 Volvo S60 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 88 →
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 12/01/15,03/28/18
Tl contact owns a 2001 Volvo S60. After parking the vehicle in the garage, the contact smelled gasoline and noticed a leak. The vehicle was taken to the local Volvo dealer and they stated that the fuel pump failed and would cost approximately $1,000 to be repaired. The contact discovered a recall number and informed the dealer. The dealer later called the contact to inform him that they would repair the failure for free with the exception of the fuel filter, which would cost approximately $100. The recall number was unknown. The failure mileage was 69,361 and current mileage was 69,608.
Speed control & acceleration all 42 →
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle accelerated on its own after reaching 30 MPH and caused an accident. The contact tried braking, but the brakes failed, due to the throttle issue. The vehicle was not taken to a service dealer to address the issue. A police report was taken.
(1) at around 6:30 am, Saturday, January 7, 2006, I was driving in san francisco going downhill. Once I hit the bottom of the hill, I began taking a left turn. (2) in the process of conducting my left turn, my car completely stalled and all power steering was lost. Had there been parked cars on the road that morning, I would have directly hit them due to the lack of power steering as I slammed on my brakes to stop from hitting the sidewalk. Immediately, the "reduced performance" light came on and fortunately, after 10 minutes of leaving my car in the middle of the road because it would not start, I was able to start it again and drive it back to my home. (3) I took the car to royal motors, 1525 howard street, san francisco, ca and they informed me that there had been an extended warranty associated with the etm failure. …
Electrical system all 31 →
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.
My wife drove the 2001 Volvo S60 and noticed a noxious burning smell and immediately drove it home. She thought it was something extremely wrong with the heater. I drove the car 3 days later and after 3 minutes noticed the burning smell as well. I turned off the heater, and the smell continued. I saw some smoke to my left side and noticed the seat had a hole that was melting and burning. I turned off the heated seat and ensured the seat did not burn further.
2001 Volvo S60 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Volvo S60 a good car?
Based on 223 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 S60 rates avoid: 6.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the S60 at the same age. It is one of the S60 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Volvo S60?
The fuel & propulsion system — 88 complaints, 39% of all complaints for this model year, most often about delivery › fuel pump. Next are the speed control & acceleration (42) and electrical system (31).
How many recalls does the 2001 Volvo S60 have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2001 Volvo S60, the most recent from September 30, 2021 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Volvo S60?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2025 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012, 2024, 2013, 2015 and 2001. See the full Volvo S60 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Volvo S60 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 81,000 miles; 18% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.