What breaks most · 1999 to 2016 model years
Volvo S80 problems by year
Owners have filed 876 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Volvo S80 across model years 1999 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2000 for speed control and throttle complaints, 1999 for speed control and throttle complaints and 2001 for speed control and throttle complaints. The quietest years are 2014, 2011 and 2012.
- Years to check closely: 2000, 1999, 2001
- Fewest complaints: 2014, 2011, 2012
- Complaints on file
- 8761999 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 2000316 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 4322 fires · 38 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 73kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 81Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 196 | 6 | 5 | Speed control and throttle (52) | |
| 316 | 16 | 5 | Speed control and throttle (92) | |
| 162 | 7 | 8 | Speed control and throttle (64) | |
| 39 | 1 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (10) | |
| 20 | 1 | 6 | Fuel system (5) | |
| 47 | 4 | 5 | Fuel system (12) | |
| 12 | 1 | 6 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 8 | 1 | 4 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 17 | 0 | 5 | Steering (4) | |
| 19 | 4 | 7 | Fuel system (5) | |
| 9 | 0 | 5 | Wheels (4) | |
| 12 | 1 | 5 | Air bags (3) | |
| 3 | 1 | 4 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 5 | 0 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 6 | 0 | 3 | Engine (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | Engine (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Unknown or other (1) |
What fails on the 2000 Volvo S80
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 29% |
92 | 3 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2000 Volvo S80 |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 22% |
68 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2000 Volvo S80 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 17% |
53 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2000 Volvo S80 |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 11% |
34 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2000 Volvo S80 |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 9% |
29 | 2 | Shop suspension parts for the 2000 Volvo S80 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 7% |
23 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 6% |
19 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2000 Volvo S80 |
| Air bags | 6% |
18 | 7 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I have a 2000 volvo s 80 and it was sold to me by a dealer this car has so many problems and i feel that when i took the car to volvo they tried to charge me 6400 just to fix the problem like ABS sensors,stc sensor , throttle etc i feel its un fair i only had the car for 3days what can i do.
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Took my 1999 volvo s80 to a volvo dealership in texas and they want me to pay out of pocket to replace the etm ( electronic throttle module) because my vehicle went into service in march 1999 so the 10years/200,000 extended warranty for the etm, volvo recall no.155, has expired.
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My 2001 volvo s80 etm (electronic throttle control) failed, this caused a sudden loss of engine, steering, breaking and headlight systems. *nm
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Volvo S80 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2000, 1999, 2001 carry the most filings on the Volvo S80. The 2000 alone has 316 complaints, led by speed control and throttle.
What is the most common Volvo S80 problem?
On the 2000 model year, the most-reported component is speed control and throttle with 92 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Volvo S80 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Volvo S80 complaints that include mileage is about 73,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.