SEAT BELTS:FRONT
2012 Volvo S60
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 121 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Volvo S60, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and driver assistance categories. 8 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 268 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2016 | 2 | 31 |
| Nov 2016 | 1 | 32 |
| Dec 2016 | 1 | 33 |
| Jan 2017 | 1 | 34 |
| Feb 2017 | 3 | 37 |
| Mar 2017 | 1 | 38 |
| May 2017 | 1 | 39 |
| Jun 2017 | 1 | 40 |
| Dec 2017 | 1 | 41 |
| Jan 2018 | 1 | 42 |
| Mar 2018 | 1 | 43 |
| Apr 2018 | 2 | 45 |
| May 2018 | 1 | 46 |
| Jun 2018 | 1 | 47 |
| Jul 2018 | 1 | 48 |
| Aug 2018 | 1 | 49 |
| Oct 2018 | 1 | 50 |
| Nov 2018 | 2 | 52 |
| Dec 2018 | 1 | 53 |
| Jan 2019 | 2 | 55 |
| May 2019 | 1 | 56 |
| Jun 2019 | 2 | 58 |
| Aug 2019 | 2 | 60 |
| Sep 2019 | 3 | 63 |
| Oct 2019 | 1 | 64 |
| Nov 2019 | 1 | 65 |
| Jan 2020 | 1 | 66 |
| Feb 2020 | 2 | 68 |
| Apr 2020 | 1 | 69 |
| May 2020 | 1 | 70 |
| Jul 2020 | 2 | 72 |
| Oct 2020 | 2 | 74 |
| Nov 2020 | 4 | 78 |
| Dec 2020 | 1 | 79 |
| Jan 2021 | 4 | 83 |
| Mar 2021 | 1 | 84 |
| Apr 2021 | 4 | 88 |
| Jun 2021 | 2 | 90 |
| Jul 2021 | 3 | 93 |
| Dec 2021 | 2 | 95 |
| Jan 2022 | 1 | 96 |
| Feb 2022 | 3 | 99 |
| Mar 2022 | 1 | 100 |
| Jun 2022 | 1 | 101 |
| Jul 2022 | 1 | 102 |
| Sep 2022 | 1 | 103 |
| Feb 2023 | 1 | 104 |
| Jun 2023 | 1 | 105 |
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 106 |
| Sep 2023 | 1 | 107 |
| Oct 2023 | 1 | 108 |
| Dec 2023 | 2 | 110 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 111 |
| Feb 2024 | 3 | 114 |
| May 2024 | 1 | 115 |
| Jul 2024 | 1 | 116 |
| Aug 2024 | 1 | 117 |
| Feb 2025 | 1 | 118 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 | 119 |
| Jun 2026 | 2 | 121 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine6241.6%
- Electrical1711.4%
- Driver assistance96.0%
- Seat belts96.0%
- Steering85.4%
- Fuel system85.4%
- Body & structure74.7%
- Airbags64.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
8 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govLATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Brakes , and vacuum booster, speed control I experienced a sudden acceleration phenomenon and reached speeds of 100+ mph I manipulated the brakes and the gas in order to safe my life I eventually got my speeds down but it was too late I was ejected from the vehicle and nearly died my brakes scrubbed and I pressed my brakes as hard as I could and my car continued to acceleration. The police has the vehicle and there were no warnings signs . I had just bought the vehicle and was on my way home from the dealership never made it home
- NHTSA ID
- 11746049
- Incident
- Feb 16, 2026
The driver's side seat airbag system failed. Specifically, diagnostic trouble code SRS-B002011 was retrieved, indicating a circuit short to ground in the left side airbag deployment control system. The technician found a broken clip on the airbag connector housing, causing an intermittent connection failure between the connector and the seat airbag itself. The airbag cannot be relied upon to deploy in a crash. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I purchased this vehicle on May 10, 2026, and drove it as my primary means of transportation. During that time, the driver's side seat airbag was non-functional due to a circuit short to ground and a broken connector housing. Had I been involved in a collision during that period, the driver's side airbag may not have deployed, significantly increasing the risk of serious injury or death. I was not informed of this defect at the time of purchase and had no knowledge that the airbag system was compromised. I drove the vehicle believing it to be equipped with functioning safety systems. The defect was confirmed by Volvo Cars Tacoma (O'Brien Auto Group), a franchised manufacturer-certified Volvo dealership in Tacoma. Technician #2101608 performed a comprehensive inspection using Volvo's proprietary VIDA diagnostic system dated May 16–30, 2026. The inspection retrieved diagnostic trouble code SRS-B002011 confirming a circuit short to ground in the left side airbag deployment control system, and physically identified a broken clip on the airbag connector housing. The technician documented: "There is likely an intermittent failure at the connection between the airbag connector and the seat airbag itself. Need to start with replacement of airbag and repin connector." The check engine light illuminated within days of my purchase. This prompted me to bring the vehicle to Volvo Cars Tacoma on May 16, 2026 — six days after purchase. I personally did not observe an SRS warning light.
- NHTSA ID
- 11742523
- Incident
- May 16, 2026
I experienced an engine issue that I believe is related to excessive oil consumption and the lack of an oil pressure light warning. The car was driven out of town when a noise was heard coming from the engine. A visual inspection of the engine revealed smoke coming from the engine department when the oil cap was removed. The dipstick was checked and showed no visible oil on the stick. Later in that evening, 3 additional quarts of oil were added to the engine but the addition of oil did not remedy the noise from the engine. The final result was that the car was towed to a Volvo dealership in Florida for repair. I checked the status of the recalls (oil comsumption and no oil pressure light) and the status is closed. From what I can tell, this issue appears to be directly related to previous recalls for the vehicle.
- NHTSA ID
- 11732954
- Incident
- Apr 18, 2026
Engine has failed and is unrepairable. The car has been maintained well according to the manufacturer’s guidelines with regular oil changes. It has only 94,875 miles. The mechanic said that there is probably a piston gasket failure leading to oil leak into the engine. This appears to have been reported with this year/model vehicles. I would like Volvo to take ownership of poor manufacturing and fix the problem to my satisfaction.
- NHTSA ID
- 11644323
- Incident
- Jan 15, 2025
At temperatures around 90* and higher the rear camera flickers and is unusable. This happens without any warning and when vehicle attempting to reverse.
- NHTSA ID
- 11608588
- Incident
- Jun 10, 2024
Discovered that my engine is burning oil. There was no warning from my vehicle or from Volvo (during regular maintenance) that this was happening. It was just sudden that the check engine light went on and I checked the oil and found that it was basically empty. Volvo confirmed that the engine is burning oil and that this model and make was discovered to have this engine issue. Volvo did not offer a solution other than to buy a new vehicle to replace this one. In my research online, this problem is common for this model and make 2012 S60 T5, may other have reported the same issue and it seems that there is a recall for this problem but my vehicle (VIN) does not report this to be a problem for my car. I’m not sure what to do.
- NHTSA ID
- 11599825
- Incident
- Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Volvo S60. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, an unknown belt fractured, and the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who informed the contact about diagnostic testing, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11589833
- Incident
- Feb 1, 2023
- Mileage
- 80,000 mi
While driving or parked water is dripping down my window shield. This obstructs my view and distracts me from driving. It further distracts my driving if I have to wipe away the water which usually leads to smearing which causes further obstruction to my field of vision.
- NHTSA ID
- 11574442
- Incident
- Feb 28, 2024
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ENGINE
This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 2 PDFs and 1 .PNG Oil Consumption test. Perform the test. Follow service procedure Description and Service sections updated to clarify that vehicle reports are not required.
This is a TJ text only - The purpose of this TJ is to be a master reference list to easily identify any components that are on prior approval. This TJ will be regularily updated as items are added or removed from prior approval. Current items under prior approval are listed in the "Service" section
This is a Technical Journal. Vehicle type and platform identification.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
This is a Technical Journal: Remote connection, BOMGAR application. Before joining a remote session: •Connect a suitable battery maintainer/charger and verify that the battery voltage indicated in VIDA is between 12.5V and 14.9V. •Connect to the vehicle over a wired connection using a VOE (Volvo OBD to Ethernet) adapter and perform a NEW vehicle readout.
Volvo Cars USA LLC and Volvo Car Canada LTD on behalf of the Volvo Car Corporation has decided to launch Service Action S10303 on certain model year 2025 EX90 vehicles. Volvo Car Investigations have identified that there is a pairing issue with the key fob. As a result, there is a possibility that the customer’s key fob is not paired to the vehicle. The corrective action is to download SP Software. S10303 affects 151 vehicles in the U.S and 5 in Canada.
Volvo Cars USA LLC and Volvo Car Canada LTD on behalf of the Volvo Car Corporation has decided to launch Service Action S10303 on certain model year 2025 EX90 vehicles. Volvo Car Investigations have identified that there is a pairing issue with the key fob. As a result, there is a possibility that the customer’s key fob is not paired to the vehicle. The corrective action is to download SP Software. S10303 affects 151 vehicles in the U.S and 5 in Canada.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 60.5 |
| 2023 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 46.9 |
| 2021 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 2020 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 58.0 |
| 2019 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 57.6 |
| 2018 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 60.5 |
| 2016 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 44.5 |
| 2015 | 57 | 2 | 0 | 51.0 |
| 2014 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 51.1 |
| 2013 | 86 | 4 | 0 | 52.0 |
| 2012Viewing | 121 | 8 | 0 | 57.7 |
| 2011 | 5 | 6 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 56.5 |
| 2007 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 47.9 |
| 2006 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 43.2 |
| 2005 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 41.1 |
| 2004 | 198 | 6 | 0 | 54.0 |
| 2003 | 120 | 7 | 0 | 46.8 |
| 2002 | 186 | 9 | 2 | 55.3 |
| 2001 | 223 | 9 | 3 | 57.4 |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.