2003 Volvo S60 Owner Complaints

The problem is when the weather turns cold my car a Volvo 2003 S 60 turn signals do not operate, or if they do turn on sometimes the turn signals won't stop flashing until you turn the ignition off. The head lights also will not turn on at any setting during this time. When the weather turns warm again everything works until the weather turns cold again. It appears to be related to the CENTRAL ELECTRONIC MODULE. It happens every time the weather is cold. It happen very unexpectedly my wife was driving down the road and was almost in an accident. The turn signals switch has already been replaced with a new Volvo turn signal switch.The turn signal still does not work. According to XEMODEX.INC this is a common problem for Volvo's S 60 2001-2010.

NHTSA ID

11711744

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2003 VOLVO S60. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT STRUTS WERE COMING THROUGH THE STRUT MOUNTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND ANOTHER UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CHERRY HILL VOLVO CARS (1810 W RTE 70, CHERRY HILL, NJ 08002), WHERE THE STRUT MOUNTS WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN BACK TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WAS HE AFRAID THAT WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP THE STRUTS MIGHT DETACH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 126,000.

NHTSA ID

11349171

Incident

Jan 8, 2020

Mileage

126,000 mi

THE STEERING HAS BECOME LESS RESPONSIVE AND I EXPERIENCE STEERING WHEEL PLAY, REPLACING FLUID HAS NOT RESOLVED THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

11329423

Incident

May 1, 2020

INSTRUMENT PANEL/CLUSTER GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING WHICH MEANS YOU CAN'T READ ANY OF THE GUAGES OR WARNINGS LIGHTS OTHER THAN IF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. THIS IMPOSES A SAFETY RISKS TO ME AND OTHER TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD. IT DOES THIS ERRATICALLY, GOING OUT COMPLETELY AND COMING BACK ON IN TIME. NO FUSE PROBLEMS, THEY ARE CHECKED WHEN THIS ISSUE HAPPENS. I HAVE A PICTURE OF EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT BEFORE THE WHOLE PANEL GOES OUT.

NHTSA ID

11207081

Incident

Mar 20, 2019

Mileage

158,000 mi

VECHILE LEAKING GAS AND HAD STRONG GAS SMELL.

NHTSA ID

11130971

Incident

Sep 6, 2017

THE DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT PANEL AND LIGHTS GO OFF AND COME BACK ON WHENEVER. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR OVER A YEAR. IT WAS A GIFT. I JUST FOUND OUT TONITE FROM AN OFFICER THAT WHEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND LIGHTS ARE OFF I HAVE NO TAIL LIGHTS. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE HAS EVER BEEN A RECALL. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS THE DATE BELOW IS IT AN APPROXIMATE. I REALLY DO NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE.

NHTSA ID

11130034

Incident

May 25, 2017

Mileage

145,085 mi

FUEL LEAKING FROM TANK (MOST LIKELY TOP OF TANK), WHEN FUEL PUMP IS OPERATING. UPON SOME SEARCH, I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR THE S60 FROM 2001 TO 2009. BUT FOR SOME REASON MY VIN IS NOT COVERED. SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME LOOPHOLE THAT THEY MANAGED TO USE, WHY NOT ALL VINS SHOULD BE COVERED. ITS CLEARLY A VERY DANGEROUS FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

11124016

Incident

Jan 1, 2018

Mileage

120,000 mi

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NOT ILLUMINATING. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH 2003 S60 VOLVOS. MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO RECALL/REPAIR AS THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE WHEN ALL THE INSTRUMENTS GO DARK AND YOU CANNOT GAUGE YOUR SPEED AND GAS LEFT IN TANK

NHTSA ID

11011251

Incident

Jul 21, 2017

Mileage

66,100 mi

I HAVE A 2003 S60 VOLVO. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS FINE YESTERDAY, BUT WHEN I GOT IN THE CAR TODAY THE PANEL INSTRUMENT PANEL IS COMPLETELY BLACK. THIS INCLUDES ALL GAUGES, SPEEDOMETER, RPM, FUEL, TEMP AND BLINKERS, ALL GAUGES ARE OFF.. (SEE ATTACHED PIC). THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE CAR STILL RUN GREAT.

NHTSA ID

11002977

Incident

Jun 3, 2017

Mileage

101,200 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATOR INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A CABLE BEHIND THE MILEAGE GAUGE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 179,000.

NHTSA ID

10958314

Incident

Feb 15, 2017

Mileage

179,000 mi

DASH CLUSTER LIGHTS AND GAUGES AND TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR SHUT DOWN AND BACK ON INTERMITTENTLY, MOTOR SEEMS TO LOSE POWER WHEN DRIVING, AND ROUGH IDLE. THE DASH CLUSTER PROBLEM HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING AND IN THE PARK POSITION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10928324

Incident

Jun 2, 2016

Mileage

100,000 mi

ENTIRE DASHBORAD HAS WENT BLACK GAS GAUGE,SPEEDODMETOR,TURNING SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

10887584

Incident

Jul 21, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL ODOR OF FUEL IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR SEAT WAS LIFTED AND THE SEAL WAS MISSING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V483000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000.

NHTSA ID

10853785

Incident

Feb 5, 2016

Mileage

220,000 mi

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT DEAD LAST WINTER; NO LIGHTS, NO INDICATORS, NO INSTRUMENTS, NOTHING. I RECENTLY BECAME AWARE THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. JUST AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE ONE. A VOLVO TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THAT THE JAPANESE FIRM THAT VOLVO HIRED DID A POOR JOB AND MANY OF THE INSTRUMENT PANELS HAVE DEFECTIVE SOLDERING AND REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OR HAVE THE PANEL "RE-POINTED". APPARENTLY, IT IS LESS OF AN ISSUE IN MOIST CLIMATES. VOLVO WILL NOT REPAIR THE PANEL. THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE IT. I WAS QUOTED $1,605.00 PLUS $157.00 TO PROGRAM IT TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER. THE TECHNICIAN KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. SO, AS I SAID BEFORE, THIS IS NOT A UNCOMMON PROBLEM. WITH A DEAD INSTRUMENT PANEL, YOU CANNOT DETERMINE HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING, HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE IN YOUR CAR, NO OIL INDICATOR, NO TURN SIGNALS, NO HIGH BEAM, OR ANY OF THE ALERTS OR REMINDERS THAT THE COMPUTER PUTS UP.

NHTSA ID

10851444

Incident

Jan 6, 2015

Mileage

125,000 mi

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE

NHTSA ID

10845559

Incident

Mar 2, 2016

Mileage

154,000 mi

AIR BAGS SAY URGENT SERVICE NEEDED ,CLOCK GOING BACKWARDS , ON BOARD COMPUTER GOING CRAZY , WORRIED ABOUT IT CATCHING FIRE ,TAIL LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 2 TIMES AND STILL THEY GO OUT RIGHT AFTER BEING REPLACED

NHTSA ID

10838582

Incident

Feb 3, 2016

Mileage

160,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 VOLVO S60, THE DASH INSTRUMENT PANEL SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER W/THE GAUGES/DISPLAY ALL STOPPING. THEN IT WOULD RETURN AND KEEP WORKING. THEN IT WOULD DO IT A DIFFERENT TIME, CONTINUING IN THIS CYCLE - RANDOMLY SHUTTING OFF COMPLETELY SO I HAD NO GAUGES, WARNING LIGHTS, TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS, ETC. JUST A LARGE BLACK AREA WHERE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY CONCERNING AT NIGHT WHEN I WOULD JUST RANDOMLY LOOSE THE DISPLAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I CONTACTED VOLVO AND THEY SAID THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM W/THEIR VEHICLES (AND IS ALSO CONFIRMED WHEN LOOKING ONLINE FOR OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM). THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY SORT OF SAFETY RECALL, AND IS VERY EXPENSIVE. FOR A MFG WHOSE CARS ARE TOUTED AS BEING VERY SAFE, HAVING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SUDDENLY STOP WORKING SO NO IDEA OF SPEED NOR ANY GAUGES/WARNING LIGHTS ARE AVAILABLE WHILE DRIVING IS CLEARLY NOT IN-LINE W/SAFE DRIVING. NO OTHER CAR I'VE OWNED HAS EVER HAD THIS KNOWN PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY W/A PART NOT PRONE TO WEAR & TEAR LIKE OTHER PARTS TYPICALLY ARE IN A CAR.

NHTSA ID

10836420

Incident

Feb 12, 2016

Mileage

165,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, A FUEL ODOR EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V483000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

NHTSA ID

10789915

Incident

Oct 28, 2015

Mileage

180,000 mi

TRANSMISSION SHIFTING PROBLEMS OIL LEAKS.

NHTSA ID

10785481

Incident

Sep 1, 2014

Mileage

56,000 mi

FUEL LEAK COMING FROM UNDERCARRIAGE PASSANGER RIGHT REAR SEATS, NEAR FUEL FILTER, OFF THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK. NOTICABLE SMELL AND HUGE HAZARD FOR SAFETY. WHAT MAKES IT PRESENCE DETECTED IS SMELL INSIDE CABIN AFTER FILLING GAS TANK AT FUELING STATIONS.

NHTSA ID

10761808

Incident

Aug 3, 2015

Mileage

65,000 mi

I AM SURPRISED THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ISSUED FOR CERTAIN MODEL YEAR VOLVOS RELATIVE TO THE CENTER DASH MODULE LOSING ALL COMMUNICATION APPARENTLY DUE TO FAILED SOLDER CONNECTIONS (BASED ON CHAT-ROOMS, VOLVO SPECIFIC). I UNDERSTAND COMPONENTS CAN FAIL, BUT THE SHEER NUMBER OF FAILURES AND THE FAILURE MODE IS BEYOND TYPICAL OR EXPECTED FAILURES. THE FAILURE MODE CAUSES MOST OR ALL DASH GAUGES, INDICATORS AND LIGHTS TO FAIL, INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER. THESE FAILURES APPARENTLY OCCUR RANDOMLY, AND AT ANY AGE/MILEAGE.

NHTSA ID

10760492

Incident

Aug 3, 2015

Mileage

170,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR FLOW, THE PRESSURE, AND OXYGEN SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

NHTSA ID

10735068

Incident

Jul 17, 2015

Mileage

110,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V226000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000. UPDATED 09/01/2015*LJ UPDATED 10/27/2015*JS

NHTSA ID

10731408

Incident

Apr 1, 2015

Mileage

162,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING HOME AFTER HAVING STEERING RACK REPLACED THE DASH LIGHTS (SPEEDOMETER, TURN SIGNALS, MESSAGE CENTER, ETC.) WENT COMPLETELY OUT. AFTER MULTIPLE DRIVES THE DASH LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

10725661

Incident

Jun 15, 2015

Mileage

129,091 mi

CAR INTERIOR SMELLED OF GASOLINE AND GASOLINE LEAKING INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND UNDERNEATH CAR. TOOK CAR TO AAA REPAIR FACILITY WHERE MULTIPLE LEAKS AND MALFUNCTIONS DISCOVERED AND REPAIRED. LOW MILEAGE FOR YEAR OF CAR AND NO ACCIDENTS. FUEL LEVEL SENSOR ASSEMBLY CRACKED AND LEAKING - NOT THE GASKET - THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR PLASTIC HOUSING FAILED. FUEL PUMP MODULE ASSEMBLY LEAKING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10679656

Incident

Jan 23, 2015

Mileage

67,478 mi