What breaks most · 2010 to 2018 model years
Volvo XC60 problems by year
Owners have filed 135 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Volvo XC60 across model years 2010 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2010 for electrical system complaints, 2011 for electrical system complaints and 2015 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2016, 2014 and 2013.
- Years to check closely: 2010, 2011, 2015
- Fewest complaints: 2016, 2014, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 1352010 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 201039 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 121 fires · 15 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 34kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 32Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 2 | 7 | Unknown or other (8) | |
| 23 | 2 | 4 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 15 | 2 | 3 | Wipers and visibility (4) | |
| 13 | 0 | 3 | Wipers and visibility (4) | |
| 7 | 1 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 23 | 2 | 1 | Unknown or other (9) | |
| 5 | 1 | 3 | Brakes (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 4 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 8 | 2 | 5 | Electrical system (3) |
What fails on the 2010 Volvo XC60
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or other | 21% |
8 | 1 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 15% |
6 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2010 Volvo XC60 |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 13% |
5 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2010 Volvo XC60 |
| Wheels | 8% |
3 | 0 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 8% |
3 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 8% |
3 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 8% |
3 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2010 Volvo XC60 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 5% |
2 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2010 Volvo XC60 |
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.
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The headlight assembly is held in place only by 3 plastic tabs. With time those tabs become brittle and break, and the headlights come off completely loose from the car, held only by the wiring.
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Windshield seal failed, resulting in water leak. I also understand that the windshield bonding failure may result in the airbags failing to function as they should.
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Vehicle lost all electrical power on the road. Then started again. Then stalled again. Car towed to volvo dealer. Explanation from dealer : fault trace found cem with start odf electrical failure.also has old totalcan network software. They have replaced cem software. Upgrade cam network.
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 XC60 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2010, 2011, 2015 carry the most filings on the Volvo XC60. The 2010 alone has 39 complaints, led by unknown or other.
What is the most common Volvo XC60 problem?
On the 2010 model year, the most-reported component is unknown or other with 8 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Volvo XC60 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Volvo XC60 complaints that include mileage is about 34,000 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.