Most common 2002 Volvo S60 problems
Share of the 186 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 →
2002 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
Equipment › Other › Labels
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." the tire pressure label is incorrect. These vehicles did not have the "max load vehicle capacity weight" information on the label.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a corrected label. If the owner so desires, a dealer can install the label for them. Owner notification began on December 8, 2003. Owners should contact Volvo 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 2 possible defects involving the 2002 Volvo S60:
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 2002 Volvo S60 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 69 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Volvo S60. While driving at various speeds, there was an unusual odor of fuel. The contact discovered fuel leaking from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V483000 (fuel system,gasoline). The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Volvo S60. While driving at 45 MPH, a fuel odor emitted into the vehicle. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the fuel pump was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V483000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,539. The VIN was unavailable.
Electrical system all 36 →
Service lights scroll in sporadic motion flipping through constant alerts, check engine light, air bag light, constant electrical problems going on, fuel door wont open, both front seats have electrical problems, obvious burn thru on passenger side indicates its been overheated and dangerous. Everytime I've taken it in the shop they say there are no recalls - yet plenty of complaints over fires with seats. Can't used heated seats at all. Engine seems to remain inconsistent in speed, dashboard lights go completely out and the electrical issues affect back brake lights. The electrical issues bounce in cycles to where no one can detect the problems. Check engine line continues to have to be reset and service lights continually send scrolled warning to pull over. Already had vehicle towed and can't trust vehicle will start. Always a wiring issue involved. The car is in the shop now again. …
The driver's control door module (ddm) has failed (very common on the S60). This module controls the windows, door locks, rear-view mirrors, and child-safety locks on the rear doors. Now, both rear doors are permanently locked, and can only be opened with the outside door handles. I feel this is a safety issue. A new replacement unit from Volvo will solve this issue, but Volvo dealers charge about $800. A used ddm will not work, due to the software addressing scheme used by Volvo.
Wheels & tires all 22 →
I have a 2002 Volvo s 60 AWD with the optional 17" x 7.5" "thor" wheels and pirelli tires. I have been through 3 sets of pirelli tires in less than 20,000 miles. Pirelli is not interested in this issue as repeated attempts to contact them have proven unsuccessful. Due to the ongoing problems I am having with my vehicle's tires, I have been researching the pirelli tires combined with the Volvo s 60 AWD and have found many alarming stories regarding safety concerns with my vehicle combined with the pirelli tire. Many sources indicate problems with pirelli tires, especially on the s 60 AWD with 17" wheel option. I am on my 3rd set of pirelli tires, my current set of tires have been balanced by three different pirelli dealers and I am still experiencing problems with warping and cupping, to the extent that my front two tires need to be replaced again. …
I have a 2002 Volvo S60 equipped with pirelli p6 235/45 r17's as OEM option. I have less than 25,000 miles on my car and I have replaced 3 of these tires already. The first one blew out with less than 5,000 miles driven, the second one at 18,500 and the last one, which almost cost me to lose control of my vehicle on a major highway, with 22,500 driven miles. All three failures were on the sidewall of the tire and none could be repaired. The p6's supposedly come with 50,000 miles warranty on them. Volvo customer service claims failures are due to road conditions in ne USA and also due to the fact that these are "high performance tires": they seem to forget that tire safety is the basic performance criteria. I did some research on the internet and other "high performance tires" do not seem to fail as often as pirelli p6's. …
2002 Volvo S60 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 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 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Volvo S60 a good car?
Based on 186 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 S60 rates avoid: 3.9× 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 2002 Volvo S60?
The fuel & propulsion system — 69 complaints, 37% of all complaints for this model year, most often about delivery › fuel pump. Next are the electrical system (36) and wheels & tires (22).
How many recalls does the 2002 Volvo S60 have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2002 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 2002 Volvo S60 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 89,000 miles; 22% 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.