Most common 2002 Volvo XC70 problems
Share of the 35 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volvo XC70 complaints by model year
Best XC70 years: 2014, 2015, 2013. Years to avoid: 2004, 2001, 2002, 2008. Compare all years →
2002 Volvo XC70 recalls (4)
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2002 Volvo XC70:
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…
What 2002 Volvo XC70 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
My wife drove our car a 2002 Volvo XC70 station wagon from our second home approximately ten miles to san luis obispo calif. For shopping. She parked the car in the parking lot and went into a store. She came back out, started the car and backed out of the parking space. When she put the transmission lever in drive the engine went to full RPM and lurched forward, she applied the brakes which could not hold the high engine speed pulling the car forward. She quickly shut the engine off with the key avoiding a potential accident. The cruise control was not on and there were no objects I.e., floor mats or other items, near the accelerator pedal. Thank god my wife or no one else was injured or killed. I am a retired fire captain and private fire investigator with 30+ experience. This scared the hell out of us and we do not trust the car. …
Our 2002 Volvo XC70 has a tendency to jerk ?violently? Forward ?shift flare? And harsh shifting problems at low and high speeds without warning and has done so on several occasions while riding with our family; frightening everyone in the vehicle and potentially causing a serious accident. The frequency has increased over the past year to the point we are unable to operate the vehicle without serious risk of injury or accident. We were denied warranty service by a south atlanta Volvo dealer (that has since gone out of business) and by Volvo north America during the warranty period. There are literally thousands of internet postings with the same complaints. Namely, there are several primary issues including but not limited to the ECU brain of the car malfunctioning, software malfunctions and TCM malfunctioning. …
Speed control & acceleration
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Volvo XC70. The contact stated that an unknown warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact called an independent mechanic and was informed that the failure could be related to NHTSA campaign number: 06V441000 (vehicle speed control). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer also advised the contact to have the vehicle inspected at a Volvo dealer. The failure mileage was 179,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Volvo XC70. While driving 15 MPH, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle would not accelerate past 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed that the throttle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.
Fuel & propulsion system
Volvo xc v70 2002 ocean race edition has developed a strong gasoline smell after driving. There is no 1) leakage under vehicle, 2) check engine light, or 3) apparent reduction in mileage or performance. I also replaced the gas cap, but nothing changed. We keep our Volvo in the garage under our house and the gasoline smell has become so bad that we are nervous about leaving it there at night since the upstairs begins to smell like gasoline. We do not know if we are creating a real safety hazard because of this car? In researching 2002 Volvo v70 xc wagons I found there was a significant Volvo fuel pump recall in 2009 for this model and year...but apparently only if the vehicle was driven in warmer climates?? We were never included in the recall and do not know why since we drove this car back and forth to fl for years after this. Not sure why we did not qualify? …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Volvo XC70. While driving at various speeds, there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. In addition, there was fuel leaking from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V483000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Volvo XC70 a good car?
Based on 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 XC70 rates use caution: 1.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the XC70 at the same age. It is one of the XC70 years we suggest avoiding. 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 2002 Volvo XC70?
The transmission & drivetrain — 14 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the speed control & acceleration (7) and fuel & propulsion system (7).
How many recalls does the 2002 Volvo XC70 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2002 Volvo XC70, 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 XC70?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2015 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004, 2001, 2002 and 2008. See the full Volvo XC70 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Volvo XC70 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 83,000 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.