Most common 2003 Volvo S60 problems
Share of the 120 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 →
2003 Volvo S60 recalls (6)
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.
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pressure sensor located on the left end of the fuel rail May, at times, transmit incorrect signal regarding the fuel pressure to the engine control module.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pressure sensor free of charge. The recall began on June 29, 2007. Owners May 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.
What 2003 Volvo S60 owners say
Electrical system all 54 →
The problem is when the weather turns cold my car a Volvo 2003 S 60 turn signals do not operate, or if they do turn on sometimes the turn signals won't stop flashing until you turn the ignition off. The head lights also will not turn on at any setting during this time. When the weather turns warm again everything works until the weather turns cold again. It appears to be related to the CENTRAL ELECTRONIC MODULE. It happens every time the weather is cold. It happen very unexpectedly my wife was driving down the road and was almost in an accident. The turn signals switch has already been replaced with a new Volvo turn signal switch.The turn signal still does not work. According to XEMODEX.INC this is a common problem for Volvo's S 60 2001-2010.
While driving my 2003 Volvo S60, the dash instrument panel suddenly lost all power w/the gauges/display all stopping. Then it would return and keep working. Then it would do it a different time, continuing in this cycle - randomly shutting off completely so I had no gauges, warning lights, turn signal lights, etc. Just a large black area where the instrument panel is. This was especially concerning at night when I would just randomly loose the display while driving on the highway. I contacted Volvo and they said this is a known problem w/their vehicles (and is also confirmed when looking online for others who have had the same problem). The repair is not covered under any sort of safety recall, and is very expensive. …
Engine & cooling all 21 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Volvo S60. While driving at low speeds, the engine stalled and the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 07V226000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 162,000. Updated 09/01/2015 updated 10/27/2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Volvo S60. The contact stated that when the ignition was turned to the on position, the check engine warning indicator illuminated continuously. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the air flow, the pressure, and oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Speed control & acceleration
Between 12/2004-6/2005 my 2003 Volvo S60 lost power/ power decreases at varying speeds. The most significant was on the hwy going 65 MPH. I had just accelerated to get onto the hwy in front of a semi truck. My car reached 65-70 MPH and began to drop speeds - 65 to 55 to 50 to 40 with in seconds. The semi almost ran over me because the speeds dropped so fast. I caused 2 other cars on the hwy to go onto the side ramp otherwise it would have been a horrible crash with the semi. I have taken the vehicle to the dealer 3 times complaining of the same problem. The final time stating not to give the car back until it was fixed. The dealer said they downloaded new software to the car? If it happens again they can install a black box to record what is going on. What if the next time the semi does crash into me? The first time they had the car the labeled as pedal position sensor install/replace? …
On 12/22 I was driving my 2003 Volvo s 60 AWD. I was very slowly and carefully pulling into a front in parking spot. I was particularly careful because there was a driver sitting in the car parked to my right, and I did not want to get too close to his car. With my foot on the brake I was slowly moving into the spot. My front fender tapped the short concrete barrier at the front of the parking spot. The next thing I new, the car was rapidly accelerating forward. I was worried that I would go over the barrier and strike a brick wall in front of me. I believe that the engine block must have hit the short concrete barrier and that is what ultimately stopped the car. Despite the fact that I was inching into the spot at the slowest possible speed. …
2003 Volvo S60 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 28 / 23 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Volvo S60 a good car?
Based on 120 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 S60 rates avoid: 2.7× 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 2003 Volvo S60?
The electrical system — 54 complaints, 45% of all complaints for this model year, most often about instrument cluster/panel. Next are the engine & cooling (21) and speed control & acceleration (18).
How many recalls does the 2003 Volvo S60 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2003 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 2003 Volvo S60 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 31% 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.