2003 Volvo S60: complaints, problems and recalls

I RECENTLY LEASED A VOLVO S60 WITH PIRELLI P6 235/45R17 TIRES. THE VEHICLE HAS 2900 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THREE (3) OF THE TIRES. I AM TOLD IT IS DUE TO ROAD CONDITIONS, SUCH AS POTHOLES, ETC. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO ANY OF MY RIMS; THEREFORE, I OBVIOUSLY DID NOT HIT ANYTHING THAT HARD. I HAVE BEEN GETTING THE RUN AROUND FROM BOTH VOLVO AND PIRELLI WITH REGARD TO THIS ISSUE. VOLVO TELLS ME THAT IT IS PIRELLI'S RESPONSIBILITY AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE I SPOKE TO AT PIRELLI TOLD ME THAT VOLVO IS TRYING TO AVOID THE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10014239 at NHTSA ↗

THE SIDE WALLS WERE VERY WEAK, THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH/BRUSH CAUSED THEM TO GO FLAT. TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT TIRE HAD A BUBBLE. MODEL TYPE 4 SEASONS. *AK *TS *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10021898 at NHTSA ↗

ON 2 OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED, THE DEALER REPLACED A SENSOR, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *TS *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 6,458 miles reported. Look up ODI 10027259 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, DEALER HAS INSPECTED 3 TIMES AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10029436 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN, AND WILL NOT RESTART. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10029869 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION FRONT RIGHT WHEEL UNSCREWED AND COME COMPLETELY OFF. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10038111 at NHTSA ↗

MANUFACTURER DEFECT FOR FUEL TANK VAPOR LEAK ON 2003 VOLVO S60 T5. DEALER STATED A SEPERATED PLASTIC WELD SEAM ON TANK WAS REALEASING STRONG FUEL VAPORS. POTENTIAL RISK FOR VAPORS TO IGNITE? *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10045171 at NHTSA ↗

FOR BOTH OUR 2001 VOLVO S60 2.4T AND OUR 2003 VOLVO XC90 2.5T AWD THERE HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR A TRANSMISSION DEFECT (ESSENTIALLY SAME TRANSMISSION IN BOTH VEHICLES PER VOLVO TECH SUPPORT). BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD THERE IS . INTERMITTENT/UNPREDICTABLE FAILURE TO ENGAGE 3RD IN TIMELY FASHION WITH RESULTANT LOSS OF ACCELERATION AS VEHICLE IS FUNCTIONALLY IN NEUTRAL WITH ENGINE RACING FOR 0.5 TO 2.5 SECONDS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING ON TO A HIGHWAY. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED 2 NEAR COLLISIONS (ALMOST BEING ST…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10049392 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2003-08-01 (August 1, 2003)

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.

Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

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. IF THE OWNER WANTS TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLE TO A VOLVO DEALER FOR INSTALLATION OF THE GUIDE, IT WILL BE PERFORMED AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 19, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

Reported: 2007-06-05 (June 5, 2007)

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. IF THE SIGNAL IS OUTSIDE OF THE PRE-PROGRAMMED ALLOWABLE LIMITS, A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE MAY BE SET AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON. THE SOLDERED JOINTS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD OF THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR MAY CRACK DUE TO TEMPERATURE CHANGES AND EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS.

Consequence: MISFIRE MAY OCCUR DURING DRIVING THAT, IN TURN, WILL REDUCE THE ENGINE TORQUE AND IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, THE ENGINE MAY STALL WITHOUT WARNING. IN CERTAIN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS THIS COULD CAUSE AN UNSAFE SITUATION AND POSSIBLY A CRASH.

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.

Reported: 2009-12-18 (December 18, 2009)

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, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VIRGINIA AND THE U.S. TERRITORIES. WHEN EXPOSED TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS (HOT CLIMATE AND TEMPERATURE CYCLING) OVER TIME AND IN COMBINATION WITH VARYING FUEL QUALITY, THE FUEL PUMP CAN DEVELOP CRACKS IN THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE.

Consequence: IF THE CONDITION OCCURS VEHICLE OWNERS MAY NOTICE FUEL SMELL AND/OR FUEL LEAK WHICH, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

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. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

Reported: 2010-11-08 (November 8, 2010)

VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.

Consequence: AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.

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. THE UNIT'S BATTERY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW BATTERY AND A SPACER WILL BE INSERTED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY NEXT TO THE PCB. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN AT 866-957-1981 OR VISIT GARMIN'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GARMIN.COM/NUVIBATTERYPCBRECALL.

Reported: 2020-11-04 (November 4, 2020)

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. Virgin Islands. The driver side frontal air bag inflator may rupture, sending metal fragments into the passage compartment, when the driver side air bag is deployed.

Consequence: Metal fragments can strike vehicle occupants increasing the risk of serious injury or death.

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. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10058.

Reported: 2021-09-30 (September 30, 2021)

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.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

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. Volvo's number for this recall is R10125.