Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 4% | 28,000 miles |
| 2015 | 2 | 3% | 60,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2013 | 8 | 9% | 30,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 5% | 29,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 29% | — |
| 2008 | 2 | 20% | — |
| 2007 | 5 | 24% | 190,000 miles |
| 2006 | 6 | 19% | 110,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 2% | 215,000 miles |
| 2004 | 9 | 5% | 95,000 miles |
| 2003 | 8 | 7% | 126,000 miles |
| 2002 | 12 | 6% | 140,000 miles |
| 2001 | 6 | 3% | 125,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was driving through an intersection and my curtain airbags on each side deployed on their own without being in a accident or collision of any kind. There were no indicators or warning lights of malfunction at the time. I just heard a loud pop and saw smoke and the airbags were deployed.
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.
The driver's side seat airbag system failed. Specifically, diagnostic trouble code SRS-B002011 was retrieved, indicating a circuit short to ground in the left side airbag deployment control system. The technician found a broken clip on the airbag connector housing, causing an intermittent connection failure between the connector and the seat airbag itself. The airbag cannot be relied upon to deploy in a crash. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I purchased this vehicle on May 10, 2026, and drove it as my primary means of transportation. During that time, the driver's side seat airbag was non-functional due to a circuit short to ground and a broken connector housing. Had I been involved in a collision during that period, the driver's side airbag may not have deployed, significantly increasing the risk of serious injury or death. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 Volvo S60. While driving approximately 40 MPH, another vehicle cut in front of the contact. As a result, the contact crashed into a pole on the side of the road. The air bags did not deploy. The local police and the fire department were at the scene. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. Prior to the crash, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 12V075000 (electrical system) and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the air bag sensor May not have been impacted, hence no deployment. The VIN was not provided. The failure mileage was 29,000.
The contact owned a 2007 Volvo S60. The contact stated that while the son was driving at an undetermined speed, the vehicle crashed into the rear of a truck. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged however no air bags deployed. The driver sustained a head injury, concussion, and a right knee injury. The front passenger sustained a head injury. One rear-seat passenger sustained a chest injury and the second rear-seat passenger suffered a concussion. Seating arraignments were unknown for the rear seat passengers. All occupants were transported to the hospital. A police report was filed at the scene and the vehicle was towed. During the crash, the vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.
The contact owns a 2007 Volvo S60. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V766000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts Distribution Disconnect.
The contact owns a 2006 Volvo S60. The contact stated that the air bag was replaced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V766000 (Air Bags) and approximately 2 weeks later, while the vehicle was idling at a stop sign, the air bag compartment on the driver's side started smoking and the air bag warning light illuminated. The smoke then dissipated. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,190.
I was expected to pay over one thousand dollars to have the recall remedy performed. My home and location of car is Ketchikan, Alaska. There is no Volvo dealer in Ketchikan and no roads connecting town with the mainland road system. The car would have to be shipped by either aircraft or oceangoing vessel to the mainland for access to a Volvo dealer. This would cost a lot of money. I perform all maintenance and repairs myself so I contacted Volvo asking then to ship me the air bag for installation. Volvo responded that I must take the car to a dealer at my own expense. The practical reality is that transporting the car to a dealer for this (or any other recall) is completely unreasonable, making it virtually impossible to have the recall repair performed unless Volvo will simply supply the part so I can install it.
Related recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal
Volvo Car USA, LLC. (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2024 S60 vehicles. The passenger air bag may not be secured properly, which can cause the air bag to deploy improperly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the bolts securing the passenger air bag, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 5, 2024.
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.
Air bags
Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2017 S60, S60CC, V60, V60 Cross Country, and XC60 vehicles. The affected vehicles have driver and front passenger seat side mounted side air bags (SAB) with inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the front seat side air bags, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2017. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552.
Air bags
Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2017 S60 and S60 Cross Country, V60 and V60 Cross Country, and XC60 vehicles manufactured August 16, 2016, through October 21, 2016.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the front seat side air bags, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on February 13, 2017.
Show 1 more recall
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Volvo is recalling certain model year 2013 S60 and XC60 vehicles. A manufacturing defect within the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) control unit may lead to an inadvertent deployment of the seat belt pretensioner and/or inflatable curtain.
Remedy: These vehicles have not been sold and the SRS control unit will be replaced prior to the cars being sold. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volvo S60 years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (12), 2004 (9), 2003 (8), 2013 (8) and 2001 (6) model years. Airbag complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Volvo S60 airbag problems?
Yes — 6 recalls, including 23V-780 (frontal, Nov 21, 2023); 21V-766 (inflator module, Sep 30, 2021); 20V-681 (inflator module, Nov 4, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Volvo S60 airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 99,000 miles; 36% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (4 mentions), followed by the side/window (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.