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Volvo Recalls by VIN

Paste the VIN of any Volvo below to see every recall for its model and year. Every one of the 265 NHTSA campaigns across 33 Volvo models is listed underneath — including how long Volvo takes to admit a defect: 2.74 years on average.

NHTSA campaigns · 265 campaigns · 33 models · Updated Nov 4, 2026
Quick answer

Volvo has 265 recall campaigns across 33 models. A defect is admitted 2.74 years after the car was built on average, and 20.9% of campaigns come five years or later.

What gets recalled on a Volvo

By number of separate campaigns, not by cars affected — one campaign can cover a million vehicles or a thousand.

FIG.01·Volvo — what gets recalled
SystemCampaignsShare
Steering3312.5%
Electrical System269.8%
Equipment186.8%
Service Brakes, Air176.4%
Air Bags176.4%
Engine And Engine Cooling176.4%
Suspension155.7%
Seat Belts145.3%
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

How long a defect stays unadmitted

Campaign numbers encode the year they were announced, so we can measure how quickly Volvo acts once a defect exists.

FIG.02·Volvo — how fast defects are admitted
MeasureValueWhat it means
Average gap2.74 yearsBetween the car being built and the defect being admitted
Admitted 5+ years later20.9%Share of campaigns on cars already well used
Campaigns on record265Across 33 models, 1984–2026
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar, computed from NHTSA campaign numbers

Across all brands the average is 3.79 years. Faster is better, but a low figure can also mean a young line-up — read it next to the number of campaigns.

Volvo recalls by model

33 Volvo models have campaigns on record. The gap between them is wider than the brand average suggests: on the VNX a defect is admitted in 0.3 years, on the S80 it takes 5.6 — the same company, the same paperwork, 5.3 years of difference.

FIG.03·Volvo recalls by model
ModelCampaignsYears coveredMost recalled systemAvg gap before admission
Volvo VNL871997–2026Service brakes, air1.7 yrs
Volvo VHD602001–2026Electrical system2.5 yrs
Volvo VNM451997–2026Service brakes, air2.1 yrs
Volvo S60412001–2026Air bags4.8 yrs
Volvo XC60362010–2026Electrical system2 yrs
Volvo XC90352003–2026Electrical system1.9 yrs
Volvo S80281999–2016Equipment5.6 yrs
Volvo V70231998–2010Equipment5.1 yrs
Volvo XC70182004–2016Equipment5 yrs
Volvo VNR172013–2026Electrical system0.9 yrs
Volvo V60162015–2026Electrical system1.6 yrs
Volvo VT162005–2026Power train2 yrs
Volvo S90131998–2026Back over prevention1.2 yrs
Volvo V60CC132015–2026Electrical system1.6 yrs
Volvo XC40132019–2026Back over prevention1.2 yrs
Volvo S40121999–2011Equipment1.6 yrs
Volvo WIA121985–2026Exterior lighting4.1 yrs
Volvo C70111998–2013Equipment2.9 yrs
Volvo FE111985–2026Suspension3.7 yrs
Volvo V90CC92017–2026Back over prevention0.9 yrs
Volvo V5082005–2011Equipment1.4 yrs
Volvo S7071998–2000Exterior lighting3.3 yrs
Volvo V4052000–2004Equipment0.9 yrs
Volvo V9051998–2021Electrical system0.6 yrs
Volvo VNX52013–2024Structure0.3 yrs
Volvo C3042007–2013Equipment1 yrs
Volvo EX3042025–2026Electrical system0.7 yrs
Volvo C4032022–2024Air bags0.3 yrs
Volvo EC4032025–2026Back over prevention0 yrs
Volvo EX4032025–2026Back over prevention0 yrs
Volvo EX9032025–2026Seats0 yrs
Volvo B10M11984–2026Service brakes, air6 yrs
Volvo NE11985–1996Service brakes, air0.5 yrs
ROWS 33·SOURCE NHTSA + ForCar

Check your own car

Volvo has 265 campaigns on record across 33 models, but none of them covers a whole model — only a production range inside it, sometimes a few weeks of assembly. So the 265 figure says nothing about any particular Volvo: decoding the VIN narrows those 265 down to the recalls for one model and year. Whether the free fix was already carried out on that exact car, NHTSA's own VIN lookup or any Volvo dealer can tell you.

FIG.05·How to check a recall by VIN
StepWhat you get
Enter the VIN aboveEvery recall for that model and year, straight from NHTSA
Check the repair statusNHTSA's own VIN lookup or a dealer shows if this car was fixed
Book at any franchised dealerRecall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar

Every manufacturer files recalls; what differs is how many and how fast — see where Volvo stands among all makes on record →

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Everything on Volvo
Fuel economy116 mpg bestReliabilityEvery model rankedCommon problems6,812 complaintsCheck a VINBy production runCargo space20 models measuredDimensionsSize and weightWhat yours is worthValuation by modelInsurance costPer model, per stateWindow stickersOriginal Monroney labelsDecode a VINWhat each character meansAbout the brand39 models tracked

Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does Volvo have?

265 campaigns across 33 models. On its own the number reflects how many models a brand sells — the response time says more.

Is Volvo slow to admit defects?

On average a Volvo defect is admitted 2.74 years after the car was built, against about 3.79 years across all brands. 20.9% of campaigns come five years or later.

Does a recall mean the car is unsafe?

It means a specific fault was found in a specific production range and must be fixed free of charge. A brand with many campaigns is not automatically worse — sometimes it simply reports faster.

How do I check my own Volvo?

By VIN. Campaigns cover production ranges, so the model alone does not tell you whether your car is affected.

Recall campaigns from NHTSA, published as filed. Years elapsed before admission computed by ForCar from the campaign number, which encodes the year it was announced. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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