Most common 2005 Volvo S60 problems
Share of the 44 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 →
2005 Volvo S60 recalls (3)
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.
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.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Certain vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." the label denoting the tire and loading pressure information is incorrect.
Remedy: Dealers will mail the correct labels free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2006. Owners May contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
What 2005 Volvo S60 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system
Twice now over a ten day period first when reducing speed to a stop or then again at a speed of less than 5 MPH, the car died...first the engine died then all else died. The car went dead. I still had my steering and slowly rolled to the curbed then as I gently put on the brakes the car jerked to a halt. During the second incident the car still jerked after I had stopped. A loud sound of a fan from the engine could be heard. The fan stopped after 10 to 15 seconds. After a minute I restarted the car and made it home both times.
The car had difficulty in starting all of a sudden. It appeared to be an electronic ignition problem. After a few starts, warning signals started coming on. First was "engine under performance" and then it was "break failure". The car was stopped and towed to Volvo dealer. The dealer indicated that the car's fuel pump / lines were designed and installed outside the weather shielded housing. The salt used for snow melting corrodes these lines and several cars show up with this issue.so they replaced them and moved them to within the weather protected area. Searching the internet, I found several Volvo cars of this era have this problem and several occurred while driving - both loss of speed and break failure. My car was well maintained, regular oil changes with the synthetic oil and maintained by Volvo dealer or specialist. …
Engine & cooling
Twice now over a ten day period first when reducing speed to a stop or then again at a speed of less than 5 MPH, the car died...first the engine died then all else died. The car went dead. I still had my steering and slowly rolled to the curbed then as I gently put on the brakes the car jerked to a halt. During the second incident the car still jerked after I had stopped. A loud sound of a fan from the engine could be heard. The fan stopped after 10 to 15 seconds. After a minute I restarted the car and made it home both times.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Volvo S60. While driving at approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the engine stalled. The vehicle restarted, but the engine stalled again. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the mass air flow sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Wheels & tires
While driving on I-81 in virginia my left rear tire disintegrated. I was able to move right to safety and when doing so the upper half of the tire rolled past me and came to rest 50 feet ahead of the car against the railing. All tires are new, with less than 200 miles on them. I called 911, the state police came and called a wrecker. I was towed and received a replacement tire at a car shop and returned home. On inspection it appeared that the sidewall complete gave a way. Fortunately a piece of the rubber stayed on the rim thus protecting the rim from damage. This should not have happened and I would like you to investigate. Fortunately nobody was hurt but this could have been a very serious accident. The car a 2005 Volvo S60 in fine condition had been bought from carmax a week earlier and had been fully inspected prior to sale.
We have a 2005 Volvo s60r. After hitting a pothole and destroying the right front tire and rim we replaced all four tires and wheels with o.e.m. 17" wheels and pirelli p6 tires. Less than 1000 miles later two of the tires developed bulges in the sidewall at the exact same location on each tire. Kline Volvo would do nothing about it saying it was road hazard damage, but these tires didn't hit anything that doesn't occur in the normal course of driving, small road irregularities at low speed, etc. Pirelli and Volvo corporate were of no help either, both just referring me back to the dealer where I bought the tire. There are many, many pages of complaints on various internet sites about this tire developing sidewall bulges and having blowouts. Somebody should make pirelli recall these tires before someone is killed.
2005 Volvo S60 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 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 | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Volvo S60 a good car?
Based on 44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 S60 rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the S60 at the same age. 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 2005 Volvo S60?
The fuel & propulsion system — 10 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about fuel injection system › injectors. Next are the engine & cooling (10) and wheels & tires (7).
How many recalls does the 2005 Volvo S60 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2005 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 2005 Volvo S60 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 63,000 miles; 50% 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.