Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Volvo S60 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
I have a 2002 Volvo S60 AWD with pirelli p6 tires. Back in January I had a blowout after hitting a bump in the road. Now the 3 remaining tires have developed large bubbles in the sidewalls. All 4 of my rims are bent. I have complained to Volvo and pirelli tire. They blame the road conditions in the northeast. They offered no assistance. I have found other people with the same complaint. Over the weekend another tire went flat as one of the bubbles ruptured. As the car is not drivable, it sits in my driveway as I can't get anywhere with Volvo.
"Takata recall" I just got my 2002 Volvo S60 as a gift and was told the head gasket needed to be replaced. I am unable to do anything with the vehicle due to the problems that it consists of because of all the recalls on it please help me I need a reliable vehicle to take care of my kids and to get back and forth to work. I haven't had the name switched over to my name yet my name is [redacted] phone number [redacted] thank you so much
Dt*: the contact stated aftermarket rims and tires were installed on the vehicle. While making left turns the tires rubbed against the fender wall. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership where an aftermarket spacer bar was installed which temporarily remedied the problem. Afterwards, the dealership put the original tires and rims back on the vehicle. The contact believes the aftermarket spacer bar has interfered with the integrity of the vehicle.
Volvo S60 driven on freeway at 65 MPH for 30 minutes, large bang, then complete blowout - all the tread separated from the Michelin tire in the back right side. Tires had been inspected visually aug. 17 by owner, May 6 by Volvo dealer and were in good shape. In May, 2008, the front right tire, same Michelin brand, had been destroyed by perforations of the tire even though no impact occurred. The May event also happened driving on a freeway at 65 MPH.
Upon merging onto the highway at 35 MPH, the front passenger side tire blow out. This almost resulted in lost of control of the vehicle. This was caused because the tire leaked air. The consumer attempted to replace the blown out tire with the spare, but the spare was leaking air also. The cause of the tire leaking air had not been determined, however road hazard had been eliminated.
Dt: the contact has replaced 5 pirelli tires in first 20,000 miles of ownership based on phone conversation on 12-22-2005. Re evoq 10131977) smch. Last tire replaced last week, , leaked air at both inner and outer wheel weights.
I am smelling gas all the time my radio change channel on it,s own, air bag light is on the front right & left control arm tie rod end shaft cv shaft all is bad all @ the same time how could it be ????
I purchased a 2002 s-60 AWD in the fall of 2002, less than 90 days later I developed a vibration. The dealer could find nothing wrong. I took it to a reputable tire dealer and had an alignment as well as the pirelli tires balanced. I have had the vehicle aligned twice since purchase. I have had the tires balanced approx. 10 times. I have had two blow-outs, destroying one wheel. Both blow-outs required a new tire. During all of this the vibration could not be corrected by either the local tire company nor the dealer. I was instructed to purchase new tires as one of the pirellis had sidewall separation and one had a bubble, the other two tires were relatively new as I had to purchase them after the blow-outs, my vehicle had less than 20,000 miles. I replaced the pirelli tires with top of the line nokians, the vibration was still there. I was then told my problem was the new tires!! …
Wheel & Tire complaints in other S60 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2002 Volvo S60?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2002 Volvo S60, 12% of the model year's 186 complaints. The component named most often is sidewall (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Volvo S60 wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2002 Volvo S60, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Volvo S60 wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 10,000 miles, and 77% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.