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Volvo S70 VIN Check

NHTSA holds 470 owner complaints on the Volvo S70 from 212 production runs; the worst run has 12, the typical one 2.2.

NHTSA complaint records · 470 complaints · 212 runs · 1998–2000 · Updated Nov 4, 2026
Quick answer

The most-reported S70 run is YV1LS56D7Y2 (2000 builds) with 12 complaints, 5.5× the typical run. Vehicle speed control problems make up 23% of reports; 2000 is the worst model year at 3.8 complaints per run; NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for S70 model years 1998–2000.

Which build runs owners report most

A production run is the first 11 characters of the VIN: plant, model year, body and engine. The Volvo S70 has 212 of them on record. The five runs at the top of this table hold 10% of every S70 complaint on file.

FIG.01·Volvo S70 — complaints by production run
Production run (VIN 1–11)YearComplaintsInvolved a crashFire
YV1LS56D7Y2••••••200012——
YV1LS56D9Y2••••••200011——
YV1LS55A1X1••••••19999——
YV1LS55AXX2••••••1999831
YV1LS61J7Y2••••••200081—
YV1LS55A9X2••••••19998——
YV1LS61J0Y2••••••20007——
YV1LS56D4Y2••••••20007——
YV1LS61J4Y2••••••200071—
YV1LS55A7X1••••••199971—
YV1LS61J9Y2••••••20007——
YV1LS61JXY2••••••200061—
ROWS 12·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records, grouped by VIN prefix

Each of the other 200 S70 runs has 6 complaints or fewer.

Which model years to check twice

Complaints per production run, so a year that simply sold more does not top the list. On the Volvo S70 the gap between build years is 2.5×: a 2000 car draws 3.8 complaints per run, a 1998 one 1.5.

FIG.02·Volvo S70 — complaint rate by model year
YearPer runComplaintsRunsCrashes
20003.8137366
19992.51706912
19981.51631078
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Heaviest year here is 2000 at 3.8 complaints per run; lightest is 1998 at 1.5.

What to inspect on this car

One system accounts for 23% of everything Volvo S70 owners report: Vehicle Speed Control, 121 of 470 complaints. Start the pre-purchase inspection there.

FIG.03·Volvo S70 — most-reported systems
SystemComplaintsInvolved a crashFire
Vehicle Speed Control12151
Electrical System97—1
Service Brakes711—
Engine And Engine Cooling64——
Hydraulic591—
Exterior Lighting42——
Fuel System38—1
Gasoline32—1
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Recalls to check against your VIN

NHTSA has 7 recall campaigns on the Volvo S70; the 6 below cover build years 1998 to 2000. These are for the model and year; whether one is still open on a given car, only that VIN can tell.

FIG.04·Volvo S70 — recall campaigns
CampaignComponentModel years
04V504000Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch1998–2000
00V405000Exterior Lighting:turn Signal1998–2000
06V441000Vehicle Speed Control1999–2000
07E023000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder2000
99V035000Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings1999
99V236000Air Bags:frontal1998
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

04V504000 was opened in 2004 on cars built from 1998: 6 years on the road before the recall.

The S70 against its rivals

The S70 draws 2.2 complaints per production run; the Dodge Stratus 3.3, the BMW 528i 3 and the Infiniti I30 2.7. That is the lowest rate of the 4.

FIG.05·Volvo S70 VIN check vs rivals
ModelComplaintsRunsPer runInvolved a crash
Volvo S704702122.25.5%
Dodge Stratus2,1116333.38.9%
BMW 528i51917333.1%
Infiniti I30191702.712%
ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

How serious were they

Of the 470 reports on the Volvo S70, 5.5% involved a crash against 5.8% across all vehicles, below the norm.

FIG.06·Volvo S70 — complaint severity
OutcomeVolvo S70All vehicles
Complaints filed4701,115,966
Involved a crash26 (5.5%)64,194 (5.8%)
Involved a fire4 (0.9%)26,974 (2.4%)
Injuries reported3358,013
Deaths reported02,728
ROWS 5·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

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How this check works

The file behind this page holds 1,115,966 complaints filed with NHTSA between 1981 and 2026, across 298,921 production runs. The Volvo S70 share of that is 470 complaints over 212 runs, 0.04% of everything on record.

Everything on the Volvo S70
Recalls12 campaignsFuel economy22 mpg bestReliability3.5/5Common problems655 complaintsDimensionsSize, weight, generationsCargo space15 cu ftWindow stickerOriginal Monroney labelDecode a VINWhat each character meansAbout this car1998–2000

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a Volvo S70 VIN for free?

Enter the 17 characters above. ForCar matches the first eleven, the production run, against 470 NHTSA complaints from 212 S70 runs and 7 recall campaigns. No account, no card.

Which S70 production run has the most complaints?

YV1LS56D7Y2, a 2000 build, with 12 complaints. The typical S70 run has 2.2.

Which S70 years have the most complaints?

Per production run, 2000 is heaviest at 3.8 complaints per run and 1998 lightest at 1.5.

Does the S70 get more complaints than the Dodge Stratus?

No: 2.2 complaints per production run for the S70 against 3.3 for the Dodge Stratus.

How many S70 complaints involve a crash?

5.5% of 470 reports, against 5.8% across all vehicles; 4 involved a fire.

Complaint and recall records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Per-run rates computed by ForCar. Federal data covers safety only — title, odometer and insurance history are not included. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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