Most common 1998 Volvo S70 problems
Share of the 215 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volvo S70 complaints by model year
Best S70 years: 2000. Compare all years →
1998 Volvo S70 recalls (4)
Exterior lighting › Headlights › Switch
On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, the headlight switch May cease to function.
Remedy: On vehicles with an original OEM switch, dealers will replace the headlight switch. All other vehicles will be inspected to determine if the switch has een damaged and replace only if necessary.
Exterior lighting › Turn signal
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. There could be inadequate contact between the bulb and socket which could cause the front turn signal not to function as designed.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right front turn signal bulb and socket.
Exterior lighting › Headlights › Switch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the headlight switch.
Air bags › Frontal
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The frontal passenger air bag May be overly sensitive to certain electrostatic discharge.
Remedy: Dealers will install an additional ground wire in the passenger side to assure sufficient grounding.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 1998 Volvo S70:
Headlight failure
On August 23, 1999, Volvo notified NHTSA that it would conduct a safety recall (99V235) on certain 1997 model year (my) 850 vehicles and certain 1998 s/v/c 70 series vehicles for failure of the headlight switch.the defect report stated in part: operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.Volvo's remedy for this recall was to replace the…
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
TURN SIGNAL
There is no summary currently available
What 1998 Volvo S70 owners say
Brakes all 76 →
I took my car to the sears auto center at 1178 el camino real in san bruno, california (sears store #6909) on September 2, 2018 for front brakes. Sears returned the car to me on 9/2/18 (a copy of my "final invoice" is enclosed). I subsequently learned that the dust boot for the right front brake caliper is missing. I returned to sears on September 10 and told the manager in charge, mr. Holloway, that I had learned - from another mechanic who had been doing other front end work - that the dust boot was missing and that this is one of the component parts of the brake caliper system (designed to keep debris and moisture out of the brake caliper). Sears re-inspected my vehicle on September 10 and confirmed that the dust boot is missing. I was told that the department manager (mr. Julio estrada) would need to address the situation. …
At about 10,000 miles the brakes would slip and rumble when braking down a hill. I took the car in to complain and they told me that they couldn't find anything wrong with it. I started avoiding hills. Every time I brought the car in for service I complained about this problem and was assured that nothing was wrong. Now I am at 28300 and I took the car in for my 30,000 maintence, not at the dealer but another certified Volvo shop. I tell them about the problem. I am told that the rotor is bad. Well I had this same problem at under 10,000. Miles.
Lights all 37 →
I purchased the car jan.26 2001. Two days later I had it in for repeated oil leaks. Dealer stated they were unable to locate any leaks. Also the headlight was out, the foglight was out, the car had mismatched tires, the fuel cap was not attached properly and was tied on with a wire. A month later the o2 sensor went out in the car and was also making a winding noise. Dealer came out and told me that the hub was bad and needed to be replaced. The car continued to have oil leaks. Dealer stated they could not find anythihg. Approx. 1 month later the rear passenger window switch went out. The air guide was also replaced on the car. Oil continued to leak. I took it to an outside source an dthey were able to find three oil leaks in a matter of two hours. They reccomended the turbo unit be replaced that it was bad. …
Volvo customer relations re: VIN [redacted], 1998 S70 sir or madam my wife and I purchased a pre-owned 1998 Volvo S70 in 2000. Two nights ago as we were driving on a 30-mile rural-stretch home, our headlight switch began to malfunction. With the switch in the on position, the dashboard lights were off and the headlights and taillights would intermittently go out. We pulled off the road and discovered that by pushing the switch inward toward the dash, the dashboard lights, headlights and taillights would stay lit, so long as you were constantly pushing in the switch. Yesterday I searched the internet and discovered that this is a problem that has been addressed by NHTSA recall no. 99V235/Volvo recall no. 94. I immediately started making phone calls to get this part replaced. …
Electrical system all 31 →
I purchased this car used December 16 2016 knowing it needed a lot of work. I have since gotten all the repairs done on jan 4th 2017. I now need to get the car emission tested after driving 200 miles the readiness monitors are still not set and have since repaired the check engine light and still can not get an emissions test.
At time of fire, dash board indicator lights were on for light out and that car was in low gear, but car was not being driven in low gear. Additionally, air conditioner was on. No iindicator lights were on to indicate any other problems such as engine was overheated or low in any fluids. I attempted to shift through low gears to remove low gear indicator light, but that did not do anything. I put car in park and turned off the engine. When I turned engine back on, at first the low gear indicator light did not come back on, but within ashort distance the low gear indicator light came back on even though car was being driven in normal drive gear and no feeling that car was actually in a low gear.
1998 Volvo S70 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 17 / 27 / 21 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Volvo S70 a good car?
Based on 215 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 S70 rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the S70 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 1998 Volvo S70?
The brakes — 76 complaints, 35% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the lights (37) and electrical system (31).
How many recalls does the 1998 Volvo S70 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1998 Volvo S70, the most recent from October 21, 2004 (switch). 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 S70?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2000. See the full Volvo S70 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Volvo S70 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 19% 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.