Owners have filed 162 complaints on the Volvo C70, covering 1998–2013. The system named most often is Structure (36 reports). Worst years by volume: 2012, 2008, 2000; cleanest: 2003, 2002, 2010. 3 reports describe a crash, 2 a fire, 1 a death. On average the car was 7.6 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Volvo C70
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 162 C70 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Structure 36 Read
While driving, periodically, both doors (not simultaneously but it has occurred in both doors multiple times) will come ajar. Most often, this occurs at highway speeds and when a bump occurs to slightly jolt the car. The door does not come all the way open but it is clearly ajar. A warning light comes on on the dash…
Within the last 6 months, (fall 2021 – spring 2022), one of the doors in my car has opened multiple times by itself, while I was driving the car. The door was closed properly when I started driving and I did not accidently pull on the door handle. This occurred so far only with the driver side door, while the top was…
The contact owns a 2013 Volvo C70. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side front doors inadvertently opened. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the driver's and passenger's side front doors needed to be replaced. The vehicle…
Electrical System 27 Read
While driving on a busy boulevard ,the above vehicle, suddenly lost all power and quit running. Upon inspection of the battery I saw that it had been severely overheated and the cables were welded to the battery post. The vehicle repair mechanic said this is a common problem with volvo vehicles. The battery near the…
When driving at highway speeds with the top down, the "door open" warning and interior lights come on and the door opens slightly ajar. Can be either driver or passenger side. Locked or unlocked. Doors are securely closed beforehand. Having researched this extensively, I know it is also an issue for other volvo…
When top is down, at highway speeds, the driver-side door becomes ajar, interior light comes on and window goes down 1/2 inch. This seems to happen about 20 minutes into the drive. Will happen multiple times on long drives. This only seems to happen when the convertible top is down. Driving at highway speeds and…
Vehicle Speed Control 12 Read
The contact owns a 2004 volvo c70. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine light would illuminate on the instrumental panel. As he drove, he felt a violent shutter and the vehicle would appear as if it would stall. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who informed the…
The contact owns a 2002 volvo c70 convertible. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The electronic throttle control light illuminated. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign…
Dt: volvo was stalling at idling at low speeds as it were about to die . Engine check light came on/off. Consume rtook vehicle to dealer, who replaced electrical throttle body
Power Train 9 Read
Make: volvo car model : c30, s40, v50 and c70 recall defect description: the rod connecting the clutch master cylinder and the clutch pedal may break. It may not be possible to disengage the clutch. In worst cases this may happen suddenly with no warning to the driver. If this happens bring the car to a safe stop…
The car developed an electronic communication issue that would cause random failure messages for the ABS, anti-skid system, transmission control and a "brake failure" message that would put the car into limp mode even at highway speeds. If you come to a complete stop, it would not allow you to pull away at any speed…
The contact owns a 2011 volvo c70. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning and the oil indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred numerous times between february of 2011 and september of 2018. During the first failure, the throttle body and intake manifold failed and…
Steering 8 Read
2008 volvo c70. Consumer states power steering failure *tgw the consumer stated when the power steering failed without warning, it caused him to swerve off the road. As a result, the consumer sustained various bodily injuries and auto body damage. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer and it was determined the power…
This vehicle was being operated at a speed in excess of 40 miles per hours on 9/12/2010 on the new jersey turnpike, on 9/13/2010 on the bruckner expressway and on 9/13/2010 on the triborough bridge. In three separate instances the power steering failed on the vehicle which veered erratically to the right to avoid on…
Driving down the highway, power steering went out all of a sudden making it very difficult to steer. Hard to make turns. Had it inspected next day- and the power steering line had ruptured. I now have to have the entire line replaced
Air Bags 7 Read
The contact owns a 2011 Volvo C70. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an unknown rate of speed on the highway, he veered off the road, hit a road sign, and crashed into a bridge wall. The contact's son was pronounced dead on the scene. A police report was filed which documented that only the…
Warning light is on for air bags SRS airbag service urgent
While driving at approximately 30 miles an hour over the rail road tracks at the crescent cutoff highway, my right front wheel entered a pot hole causing the right front air bag warning light to turn on, the check engine light to turn on and the message to appear "SRS service needed urgent." at the dealer in bend, or…
Service Brakes 7 Read
Unit has intermittent engine/exhaust brake malfunction. This is causing the vehicle engine/ exhaust brake to disengage when on a decline at highway speeds. As result the vehicle picks up a great deal of speed and could cause the over use and eventual failure of the vehicle's air brake system. As well as the inability…
Driving on a houston hwy 1960 west I experienced a complete brake failure and could only stop the car by repeated brake pumping as a steady pressure on the pedal had the pedal go to the floor. There was a just brake store very close so I took it there as I was still over 40 miles from a dealer or home. They checked…
The contact owns a 2007 volvo c70. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the brakes became hesitant to respond. Additionally, the parking brake would not engage. The failure recurred intermittently when the contact was traveling at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis.…
Tires 6 Read
Pirelli four seasons 235/40 r 18 tire failure (blowout) on 2011 volvo c70 purchased new from devoe volvo, 28470 tamiami trail south, bonita springs, fl 34134 on 03/13/2010. Incident occurred on us route 41 south in ft. Myers florida. Highway was dry and in good paved condition with no obstructions. Speed was 35 miles…
Dashboard indicator that tire pressure monitor system (TPMS) requires maintenance illuminates. Dealer check of control module and individual tire sensors does not identify a specific problem but light appears after the car has been driven for short amount of time. Dealer has replaced rxx control module after…
The contact owns a 2008 volvo c70. The contact discovered that he had a flat tire and would frequently inflate it with air. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that both front rims were cracked. They refused to make the repairs under warranty and stated that the failure would be considered "wear and…
C70 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Electrical System,structure | — | — | |
| 2012 | Latches/locks/linkages | — | — | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2010 | Electrical System | — | 1 | |
| 2009 | Electrical System,latches/locks/linkages | — | — | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 1 | 1 | |
| 2007 | Child Seat | — | — | |
| 2006 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2003 | Engine And Engine Cooling,power Train | — | — | |
| 2002 | Power Train | — | — | |
| 2001 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2000 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 1999 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 1998 | Latches/locks/linkages | — | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 111 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.5 |
| Worst single series | 4 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 7.6 years |
A model average of 1.5 hides a worst series at 4. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the C70?
By complaint volume, 2012, 2008, 2000 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which C70 years are the cleanest?
2003, 2002, 2010 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Volvo C70 have?
162 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1998–2013. Of those, 3 describe a crash and 2 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.