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U.S. public vehicle records

Volvo XC70 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

417 owner complaints analyzed

19 distinct recall campaigns

80,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2001 to 2016 model years. Data snapshot: . 327 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 47 of 417 complaints (11.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Transmission and shifting6816.3%
Fuel system concerns4210.1%
Engine operation348.2%
Braking behavior348.2%
Electrical and battery issues245.8%
Steering behavior184.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train:Automatic Transmission
47
Fuel/Propulsion System
44
Electrical System
40
Vehicle Speed Control
32
Fuel System, Gasoline
24
Air Bags
23
Engine
21
Unknown Or Other
19
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Power Train:Automatic Transmission47
Fuel/Propulsion System44
Electrical System40
Vehicle Speed Control32
Fuel System, Gasoline24
Air Bags23
Engine21
Unknown Or Other19

Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 47; Fuel/Propulsion System: 44; Electrical System: 40; Vehicle Speed Control: 32; Fuel System, Gasoline: 24; Air Bags: 23; Engine: 21; Unknown Or Other: 19

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
42
25,000 to 49,999
34
50,000 to 74,999
69
75,000 to 99,999
66
100,000 to 149,999
84
150,000 and above
32
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00042
25,000 to 49,99934
50,000 to 74,99969
75,000 to 99,99966
100,000 to 149,99984
150,000 and above32

Under 25,000: 42; 25,000 to 49,999: 34; 50,000 to 74,999: 69; 75,000 to 99,999: 66; 100,000 to 149,999: 84; 150,000 and above: 32

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (84). 90 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2003
4
2004
8
2005
35
2006
17
2007
12
2008
12
2009
26
2010
40
2011
42
2012
17
2013
21
2014
23
2015
19
2016
26
2017
17
2018
18
2019
14
2020
15
2021
11
2022
22
2023
6
2024
5
2025
5
2026
2
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20034
20048
200535
200617
200712
200812
200926
201040
201142
201217
201321
201423
201519
201626
201717
201818
201914
202015
202111
202222
20236
20245
20255
20262

2003: 4; 2004: 8; 2005: 35; 2006: 17; 2007: 12; 2008: 12; 2009: 26; 2010: 40; 2011: 42; 2012: 17; 2013: 21; 2014: 23; 2015: 19; 2016: 26; 2017: 17; 2018: 18; 2019: 14; 2020: 15; 2021: 11; 2022: 22; 2023: 6; 2024: 5; 2025: 5; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 68 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 42 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 34 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10151744 · 2006-03-03 (March 3, 2006)

WHILE BACKING UP AND STOPPING, I HEARD A "THUNK" FROM UNDER THE CAR. PROCEEDING, THERE WAS A NEW NOISE, WHICH I CHECKED OUT. THE RIGHT ANGLE DRIVE NO LONGER POWERED THE REAR WHEELS, AND I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE IT, AT A COST OF ABOUT $1,300. WHEN THE GARAGE TOOK THE OLD DRIVE OFF, THEY FOUND THAT THE SPLINED SHAFT BETWEEN THE RIGHT ANGLE DRIVE AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS STRIPPED OF ITS SPLINES, AND THE MATING PART ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS LIKEWISE STRIPPED. VERDICT: NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION, TOO. I GOT A VOLVO REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND RIGHT ANGLE DR…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10151744 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10157379 · 2006-05-11 (May 11, 2006)

2001 VOLVO XC70 TRANSMISSION FAIL AT 97K MILES. TRANSMISSION HAS NEVER BEHAVED APPROPRIATELY, UP/DOWN SHIFT ERRATIC, ETC. VEHICLE HAS BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF NUMEROUS SOFTWARE UPGRADES, TRANSMISSION FLUSH/FILTER, AND A NEW VALVE BODY. TRANSMISSION STILL FAILED AND VOLVO SAYS I'M OUT OF LUCK. BOUGHT NEW IN 2001 FOR $42,000. VEHICLE ALSO FAILED TO OPERATE MARCH OF 2006 WHERE A "PERFORMANCE REDUCED" MESSAGE WAS EXHIBITED. AFTER TURNING CAR OFF FOR SEVERAL MOMENTS, THE CAR RAN FINE. I SUSPECTED A POSSIBLE ISSUE WITH THE ETM. PORTLAND VOLVO IN…

Owner-reported narrative. 97,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10157379 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10129833 · 2005-07-24 (July 24, 2005)

SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2001 VOLVO XC70 WITH 16,535 MILES IN AUGUST 2004, I HAVE HAD IT INTO THE DEALER (BORTON VOLVO) FOUR TIMES TO FIX THE SAME ISSUE: GASOLINE SHOOTING OUT OF THE TANK UPON COMPLETION OF FILLING. THIS OCCURS AT ANY AND ALL GAS STATIONS, EVEN AFTER THE FOLLOWING REMEDIES HAVE BEEN TAKEN: VENT CLEANING, FUEL CONTROL REPLACEMENT, FUEL TANK REPLACEMENT, SENDING UNIT REPLACEMENT, EVAPORATION CANNISTER REPLACEMENT, AND FILLER NECK REPLACEMENT. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. EVEN F…

Owner-reported narrative. 26,598 miles reported. Look up ODI 10129833 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10339267 · 2010-06-21 (June 21, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLVO XC70. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REFUEL THE VEHICLE WITH GASOLINE, THE CONTACT STATED GASOLINE CONTINUED TO SPEW OUT FROM THE FILLER NOSE AND THE EMISSIONS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WAS A SPIDER WEB IN THE VENT WELL OF THE FUEL TANK AND TRIGGERING THE EMISSIONS WARNING LIGHT. THE DEALER MADE UNKNOWN REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. ON A LATER DATE, WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE FROM T…

Owner-reported narrative. 79,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10339267 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10130923 · 2005-08-01 (August 1, 2005)

ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2004, MY VOLVO XC-70 (2001) STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING 55 MPH ON 695 WEST IN BALTIMORE JUST BEFORE THE EXIT FOR I-83N (EXIT 24). I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A SEMI AND SEVERAL OTHER CARS. MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AND THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, ON DECEMBER 1, 2004, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN MY CAR STALLED AT AN INTERSECTION BUT WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART IT. THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 69,103 miles reported. Look up ODI 10130923 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10131110 · 2005-08-02 (August 2, 2005)

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT ROUGHLY 70 MPH IN MODERATE TRAFFIC WITH MY WIFE AND 2 YOUNG BOYS WHEN THE ACCELERATOR NO LONGER RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS THEN "STALL". THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED WITH A MESSAGE "PERFORMANCE REDUCED". FORTUNATELY WE ROLLED OFF THE HIGHWAY OVER THE MEDIAN AND ONTO THE FRONTAGE ROAD AND INTO A PARKING LOT WHERE WE STOPPED THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT. WE CALLED THE DEALER WHO INSTRUCTED US TO BRING IT IN RIGHT AWAY TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE SECOND OCCUR…

Owner-reported narrative. 92,628 miles reported. Look up ODI 10131110 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10118739 · 2005-04-30 (April 30, 2005)

CAR RIGHT FRONT BRAKE WAS MISSING CALIIPER TENSION SPRING-FELL OFF. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 49,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10118739 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10148035 · 2006-01-18 (January 18, 2006)

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR STALLING FOR OVER TWO YEARS. I HAVE HAD THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED TWICE. IN THE MONTH THE CAR HAS BEEN STALLING AT ALL SPEEDS AND SURGING WHEN BRAKING. THIS LAST STALLING EPISODE OCCURRED WHILE PULLING OUT INTO A THOROUGHFARE WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING TO GO SLIGHTLY UPHILL. SINCE I HAD NO POWER, I COULD NOT EVEN STEER THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD QUICKLY. IT WAS AT NIGHT, THEREFORE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, DESPITE ALL OF THE SERVICE T…

Owner-reported narrative. 91,910 miles reported. Look up ODI 10148035 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10399312 · 2011-05-06 (May 6, 2011)

THE FAILURE JUST BEGAN AT AROUND 100K MILES, NO SPECIFIC EVENT. THE CAR LURCHES WHEN I AM PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AFTER I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO A COMPLETE STOP. CAR JERKS WHILE DOWN SHIFTING INTO RIGHT HAND TURNS. CAR JERKS AT INTERSECTIONS WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND/OR ACCELERATING. I AM AFRAID IT IS GOING TO JERK FORWARD AND HIT SOMETHING THAT I, AS A DRIVER, SHOULD NOT BE AT RISK OF HITTING. THIS JERKING BEGAN INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CAR WOULD RUN MORE SMOOTHLY ON THE STREETS AFTER A HIGHWAY TRIP OF SOME DISTANCE, BUT NOW IT HAPPENS ALMOST CONS…

Owner-reported narrative. 124,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10399312 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10896566 · 2016-08-17 (August 17, 2016)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLVO XC70. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HATCHBACK DID NOT OPEN WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. WHEN THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY FAILED, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE HATCH. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO HANDLE OR ANY MEANS TO UNLOCK THE HATCH FROM OUTSIDE OR INSIDE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER, MAKING IT A DEATH TRAP IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION FOR THOSE SEATED IN THE BACK ROWS. THE CONTACT MADE THE MANUFACTURER AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS CONCERN WOULD BE NOTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 174,810. UPDATED…

Owner-reported narrative. 174,810 miles reported. Look up ODI 10896566 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10108834 · 2004-12-13 (December 13, 2004)

THERE WERE TRANSMISSION, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION AND DRASTIC LURCHING PROBLEMS THAT HAD BEEN OCCURRING FOR THE PAST 14 MONTHS. *BF THE LURCHING PROBLEM WAS NOT DUPLICATED. THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR IN PARKING LOTS WHEN THE CONSUMER FOOT WAS REMOVED FROM THE BRAKE AND PRIOR TO TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THE STICK SHIFT WOULD LOCK AS WELL. *SC THERE WAS A RE-OCCURRING SQUEAK IN THE STEERING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10108834 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

2001
5
2002
4
2003
4
2004
3
2005
2
2006
2
2007
2
2008
8
2009
5
2010
5
2011
3
2012
2
2013
2
2014
2
2015
1
2016
2
Recall campaigns data
CategoryCount
20015
20024
20034
20043
20052
20062
20072
20088
20095
20105
20113
20122
20132
20142
20151
20162

2001: 5; 2002: 4; 2003: 4; 2004: 3; 2005: 2; 2006: 2; 2007: 2; 2008: 8; 2009: 5; 2010: 5; 2011: 3; 2012: 2; 2013: 2; 2014: 2; 2015: 1; 2016: 2

Year-by-year records

Volvo XC70 model-year comparison
Model yearComplaintsRecallsChange in recalls
2001665Not available
2002354-1
20032440
20041013-1
2005272-1
20061820
20072520
2008398+6
2009155-3
20101550
2011153-2
2012142-1
2013820
2014220
201561-1
201672+1