Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Volvo V70XC owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 2001 Volvo V70XC. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, smoke emerged from the passenger's side compartment and the engine caught on fire. The fire department contained the fire and the vehicle was destroyed. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A fire report was filed and the manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not inspected. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
I was recently told my 2001 v79xc needed ball joints, then sway bars and someone else said struts! Also: I have had the car diagnosed, the system reported throttle module errors and electircal or circuit problems; throttle module cleaned, then replaced; headlights replaced 3 times (wiring causes shorts); gas filter replaced two junes in a row gas propelled out of the tank back at me upon pumping (something about air intake line was clogged), the brackets underneath the car are totally rusted not stainless steel! I had the cooling fan replaced, car overheated into the red! I too have had little time to enjoy my car. The e brake sticks in the winter, because the coating on the lines/cables is cracked, broken/burned due to improper suspension. My sun roof, interior lights and rear hatch door works intermittently in cold weather. …
I have a 2001 Volvo v70 xc wagon. The car was revving high for a while when shifting gears, I took it to the dealership, and they told me there wasn't a problem. About a month or so later the etm failed. I was being left stranded at freeway off ramps, and green lights when the car would suddenly die. It's a miracle I wasn't rear-ended! After a terrible experience trying to get the dealership to honor the etm warranty, (they only cleaned the etm they did not replace it-saying it wasn't bad enough!), a month has passed and now my transmission has failed! The dealership gave me a $5300 estimate for replacement as it is unrepairable! …
I began having trouble at about 22,500 miles in my new 2001 V70XC Volvo. I noticed the car ran rough and shifted erratically and stalled. Then I next had a significant experience with a sudden loss of power driving on the highway. I was out of town and was forced to have the car towed and obtain a rental car and accommodations. I had the car in and out of the shop with stalling problems as well as "intake" valve problems resulting in erratic shifting and rough running of this vehicle. It took several years and numerous trips to the dealership for repair. I recently had a very expensive repair done on the vehicle to resolve the problem. I submitted all my documentation to Volvo customer service as well as the bills and expenses incurred with this problem. …
I am an owner of a 2001 Volvo xc70. It recently broke down in nyc with a "decreased performance" message shown on the computer as well as jerking and lag in all forward movement. The car was seen at martin's manhattan after being towed. They found nothing wrong when plugged into the computer. Drove the car home from nyc to richmond va. During this time the car displayed a moderate lag during highway speeds when acceleration was needed(I.e. Hills, passing). Took the car into moors Volvo to have them do what I thought would be a more detailed investigation. They also found nothing and said they "upgraded" the software. Then, this morning dec. 24 2005 the car once again gave a "reduced performance" message, lagged, only moved forward with marked inhibition and would vibrate terribly when in neutral. If I can be of any assistance please feel free to contact me.
While driving my 2001 Volvo v70 xc, the car stopped running and displayed the message - reduced performance mode. I got the car to the side of the road and turn off the engine. When I restarted it ran OK again. I took it to my Volvo certified repair shop and they found in the recorded fault codes a bad electronic throttle body control unit (etc). They test drove the car and it stopped twice on the technician. Once at highway speeds! I had it the unit replaced. This is a serious situation that needs investigated. Two other cars at this shop had the same problem. Volvo should be required to issue a recall and fix this serious defect. This is a safety issue as the car loses all power and the power assisted brakes and power steering become inoperable. This is under NHTSA action number pe05041.
I have a 2001 Volvo v70 cross country. 2 weeks ago it overheated. Problem being - a defective cooling fan. According to the dealer, this part is on an indefinite national back order. Thus, even now, I still have no idea when the part will arrive and when I will be able to use my car again. The dealer has also told me there are a number of cars in the lot with the same problem. I am not alone. Given that this part is defective it seems to me that Volvo should be running a national recall on this part. I suspect the reason that they are not, is because they do not have the part and are not sure what is wrong with it. This is no excuse. From an irate Volvo owner (one of many right now) who bought this car to drive as opposed to sit in the dealers lot.
While driving with my 6 year old daughter at 70 MPH on highway 58 in golden, co my 2001 Volvo xc wagon suddenly lost power and I could only go 10 MPH on July 20, 2005. I was able to exit and parked the car for an hour. It restarted and ran normally for about 5 minutes when I had a second sudden loss of power while driving 65 on 6th avenue in golden. The message center on my dash said service was urgent, so I stopped the car on the exit ramp for 1.5 hrs. Until a tow truck arrived which towed the car to rickenbaugh Volvo in denver for a cost of $142.50. The next day, I paid rickenbaugh Volvo in denver $982.53 to replace the throttle unit and gasket, and remove, clean and replace the crank case ventilation nipple and $272.68 for emissions service.
This happened while driving our 2001 Volvo vxc70 station wagon. On a busy road, driving approximately 40 miles per hour, the car lost engine power and nearly caused a major accident. The power steering and brake systems failed and there was a great deal of difficulty to get the car out of traffic and to the side of the road. This was extremely dangerous! The reason this complaint is being filed is the knowledge that other complaints for this same problem have been filed with your agency. This problem should be the basis for a recall to address whatever fixes or changes are necessary to preclude any recurrence.
Cooling fan failed while driving on a very busy freeway. The car overheated suddenly, stopped running and had to be towed to dealer. The cooling fan was replaced by a Volvo dealership. On a previous occasion in November 2001 while driving on a desolate mountain road at night the car stopped as though it was out of fuel. There was at least an 1/8 of a tank of fuel. There was a fuel line defect. The car had to be towed to a dealer two hours away and the defect was repaired. Both incidents created a lot of inconvenience and could have caused a serious accident.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Fan
On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, under certain operating conditions, some electric cooling fans May overheat potentially causing heat damage and, in rare instances, a fire in the engine compartment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cooling fan. The recall began on November 29, 2004. Customers should contact Volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
Engine complaints in other V70XC years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Volvo V70XC?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Volvo V70XC, 15% of the model year's 144 complaints. The component named most often is engine (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Volvo V70XC engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-451 (fan, Sep 13, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Volvo V70XC engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.