The Volvo S70 has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1998–2000. On average a defect was admitted 3.33 years after the car was built, the slowest took 7 years. The most recalled system is Exterior Lighting (3 campaigns). Owners also filed 470 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Volvo S70
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Exterior Lighting 3 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, the headlight switch may cease to function
Risk. The head lights may not operate properly which could result in intermittent or no headlight function. This could impair a driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. On vehicles with an original oem switch, dealers will replace the headlight switch. All other vehicles will be inspected to determine if the switch has een damaged and replace only if necessary. The recall began on january 24, 2005. Owners should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. There could be inadequate contact between the bulb and socket which could cause the front turn signal not to function as designed
Risk. This would fail to warn an approaching driver that the vehicle is turning and could lead to a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the left and right front turn signal bulb and socket
What's wrong. On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, the headlight switch may cease to function
Risk. The head lights may not operate properly which could result in intermittent or no headlight function. This could impair a driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. On vehicles with an original oem switch, dealers will replace the headlight switch. All other vehicles will be inspected to determine if the switch has een damaged and replace only if necessary. The recall began on january 24, 2005. Owners should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain cardone master cylinders with part numbers 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987mza, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, and 11-3156, and with date codes lower than dca7078 sold as replacement equipment for use on the vehicles listed above. The seal on master cylinder can fail and leak brake fluid
Risk. Loss of brake fluid can result in poor braking performance, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash
Fix. Cardone will notify owners and offer to repurchase any defective master cylinders. The recall began during april 2007. Owners can contact cardone at 1-800-777-4780
Vehicle Speed Control 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, a combination of throttle positioning sensor irregularities, a dirty throttle housing, and/or inefficient software calibration may cause a warning lamp to light and the subsequent onset of limp home modes
Risk. This resulted in a high number of vehicles going into the limp home mode without need
Fix. Dealers will install the current software upgrade onto the involved vehicles. The recall began on december 29, 2006. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, a combination of throttle positioning sensor irregularities, a dirty throttle housing, and/or inefficient software calibration may cause a warning lamp to light and the subsequent onset of limp home modes
Risk. This resulted in a high number of vehicles going into the limp home mode without need
Fix. Dealers will install the current software upgrade onto the involved vehicles. The recall began on december 29, 2006. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552
Fuel System, Gasoline 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: all-wheel-drive sedans. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 301, "fuel system integrity." the fuel filter bracket configuration margins are insufficient
Risk. In the event of a vehicle crash, fuel leakage could occur. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will install a fuel filter protection bracket
Air Bags 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The frontal passenger air bag may be overly sensitive to certain electrostatic discharge
Risk. This could possibly cause an inadvertent deployment
Fix. Dealers will install an additional ground wire in the passenger side to assure sufficient grounding
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 3.33 years |
| Slowest campaign | 7 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 41.7% |
| Campaigns on record | 7 |
Which S70 years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1999 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1998 | Exterior Lighting |
Check your own car
Each of these 7 campaigns covers a range of production, not every Volvo S70 ever built — two cars of the same year can differ by a single week at the plant. Whether yours is among them, and whether the free repair was already carried out, is answered only by the number on its windscreen: check this S70 by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
A campaign on one model says little about the brand as a whole — see how the Volvo S70 compares in the full recall check by make and model →
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Volvo S70 have?
7 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1998–2000. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my S70 still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 3.33 years, and the slowest campaign came 7 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.
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