Most common 2003 Volvo V70 problems
Share of the 32 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volvo V70 complaints by model year
Best V70 years: 2008, 2009, 2010. Years to avoid: 1998, 2001, 1999, 2000, 2004. Compare all years →
2003 Volvo V70 recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Volvo Cars USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2007 V70 and XC70 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 December 14, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552.
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 V70 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Volvo V70. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds below 30 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V483000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 134,066.
My 2003 Volvo V70 with ~127,000 miles started leaking fuel from the fuel pump housing. The plastic housing failed on its own. Strong gasoline fumes entered the car even though the access panel and seal were intact. The vehicle was never involved in an accident and never had any service repair work on or near the fuel tank. I've had several cars over this mileage with never a fuel pump assembly failure of any type. This is definitely a premature failure that is either a design, quality or assembly problem.
Transmission & drivetrain
At approximately 7,000 miles, automatic transmission began to slip in shifts between second and third gear. Dealer "readapted" transmission using manufacturer's procedure in an attempt to correct slippage. Manufacturer's term for this problem is "shift flair" in which engine RPM increases during a shift making the car feel like it has temporarily lost drive or the transmission is slipping. In my experience with the problem, the engine RPM would significantly increase for a few seconds and during that period the car would lose power. Only the inertia of the rolling wheels could keep the car moving. If I let off on the accelerator and then immediately depressed it, the car would behave like nothing had happened. As more mileage was placed on the transmission, the shift flares or slippage became more frequent. …
When coming to a stop and the transaxle downshifts from 3rd to 2nd gear, it will lurch and a loud 'clunk' shakes the vehicle. This also occurs when accelerating, shifting from 1st gear to 2nd gear; the transaxle will hesitate, engine will rev and makes a loud 'clunk' that shakes the vehicle when the gear change finally occurs. Also, if I need to step on the brakes suddenly and then re-accelerate, it really makes a loud 'clunk' as the engine will rev and go nowhere, eventually slamming itself into 2nd gear and frightening the occupants of the vehicle due to the loud noises and lurching.
Electrical system
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle stalled while driving 10-40 MPH on seven occasions. There was no warning prior to the stalling and the vehicle restarted immediately after each incident. The vehicle has been inspected by a service dealer twice. The first time the dealership flushed out the air conditioner in an attempt to remedy the problem, but the remedy offered was ineffective. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the problem or offer any other remedies when the vehicle was returned a second time for inspection.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Volvo V70 .the lighting and the gauges of the instrument control panel have failed. As a consequence she can not read any of the display. The current mileage was 92,000 . The failure mileage was 91,000.
2003 Volvo V70 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.3L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.4L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Wagon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Volvo V70 a good car?
Based on 32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 V70 rates average: 23% fewer complaints than a typical year of the V70 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 2003 Volvo V70?
The fuel & propulsion system — 9 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year, most often about delivery › fuel pump. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (5) and electrical system (5).
How many recalls does the 2003 Volvo V70 have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2003 Volvo V70, the most recent from October 14, 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 V70?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2008, 2009 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1998, 2001, 1999, 2000 and 2004. See the full Volvo V70 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Volvo V70 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 63,000 miles; 29% 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.