Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 9% | 4,000 miles |
| 2020 | 2 | 17% | 16,000 miles |
| 2019 | 2 | 8% | 21,000 miles |
| 2017 | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 4% | 36,000 miles |
| 2015 | 2 | 3% | 20,000 miles |
| 2014 | 3 | 12% | 6,000 miles |
| 2013 | 3 | 3% | 25,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 5% | 7,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 14% | 126,000 miles |
| 2008 | 4 | 40% | 43,000 miles |
| 2007 | 2 | 10% | 42,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 3% | 73,000 miles |
| 2005 | 2 | 5% | 12,000 miles |
| 2004 | 11 | 6% | 92,000 miles |
| 2003 | 18 | 15% | 40,000 miles |
| 2002 | 20 | 11% | 90,000 miles |
| 2001 | 42 | 19% | 75,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Volvo S60. While entering a commercial garage and slightly depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle accelerated without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into two parked vehicles. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and then taken to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the electronic ignition system and battery sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,000.
Front left wheel came off when pulling into garage only held on by 1 and 1/2 bolts. 4/13/2014 engine stopped running while pulling into traffic car stalled in middle of the road. 5/5/2014 dynamic traction control system failed and car became uncontrollably wobbly while driving. 5/5/2014 other numerous failures include: breakdown of the collision avoidance system. Cruise control does not work. Front camera malfunction-took it in to get fixed still not working correctly. Ac breaks down ? Took it in to get fixed still has problems. Speed limit camera does not work.
City Safety feature is triggering on intermittently with no reason to trigger. It occurs when initially accelerating. City Safety applies the brakes and stops the car violently. Occurs when light or dark. Has occurred several times within the past week. The feature can be manually turned off and now is with every ignition start. The default is for the feature be on, so turning off is required every time the car is turned on.
On feb. 3rd, I was pulling into a parking space in front of a store when my S60 r type Volvo began to accelerate on its own and reached very high RPM. My foot was not even on the accelerator as the car normally idles fast enough to perform parking maneuvers. I hit the brake but the car continued to move. It jumped the sidewalk; hit the building and proceeded to dig a hole in the flowerbed at the store's front. This all happened in the length of a parking space. I can't remember whether I shut the ignition off or of the engine stopped on its own shortly after the collision. Neither the airbags nor the pedestrian avoidance braking system deployed. I hit the building so hard that the brick cracked inside and out of the structure. The door is still inoperable.
Volvo arrived at the hiking trailhead parking lot at approximately 10 miles an hour, slowed down more to select parking space then turn right into space in front of a cement outhouse. Space had a cement parking block. As the car was about to come to a complete stop in the space, it suddenly accelerated on its own as if the accelerator was press all the way overcoming the cement block and crashing into the outhouse. Both driver and passenger airbags were deployed. The driver never took the foot off the brake when the car accelerated. The automated braking system never deployed. Prior to the accident, the low battery warning light was on but the battery was checked out by a professional to be fully charged. We walk away from the accident bruised with back and chest pains from the seat belt but considered ourselves lucky. …
Brakes , and vacuum booster, speed control I experienced a sudden acceleration phenomenon and reached speeds of 100+ mph I manipulated the brakes and the gas in order to safe my life I eventually got my speeds down but it was too late I was ejected from the vehicle and nearly died my brakes scrubbed and I pressed my brakes as hard as I could and my car continued to acceleration. The police has the vehicle and there were no warnings signs . I had just bought the vehicle and was on my way home from the dealership never made it home
On the above date I started my vehicle and put the vehicle in reverse to pull out of parking space. Immediately after releasing my foot from the brake and before touching the gas pedal, the car accelerated in reverse so fast that I bounced off a cement pole in the middle of the parking lot. The force was so great that the vehicle bounced three times before I was able to stop it which I did by applying the brake and being blocked by the pole. After I came to a stop I realized that it was in fact the pole that had stopped my car. I was also blocking the parking lot so I put my foot back on brake and put the car in drive to get out of way of other motorists and to assess damage to the rear of my vehicle. …
Tl contact owns a 2008 Volvo S60. When the vehicle stopped with the contacts foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle surged forward, resulting in a crash. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure occurred three times, resulting in a minor crash on one occasion, which a police report was filed. No injuries were reported. The failure and current mileages were 22,000.
Related recalls (1)
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.
NHTSA investigations
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Volvo S60 years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2001 (42), 2002 (20), 2003 (18), 2004 (11) and 2012 (6) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 19% of all complaints for the 2001.
Is there a recall for Volvo S60 acceleration problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 06V-441 (vehicle speed control, Nov 15, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Volvo S60 acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles; 38% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (2 mentions), followed by the cables (1).
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.