2013 Volvo S60 Problems

I am submitting this report to formally document a severe safety-related failure involving my 2013 Volvo S60, VIN # [XXX] . This vehicle is part of the Volvo brand, widely recognized and marketed as among the safest in the world. Incident Summary: On [XXX], at approximately [XXX] in Norwalk, Connecticut, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure while in operation. The auxiliary (serpentine) belt suddenly failed, shredded itself, and wrapped around the timing pulley. Debris from the failed belt entered the timing belt housing — a supposedly sealed and protected compartment — causing the timing belt to jump. This resulted in an immediate loss of engine power while driving, placing me in a highly vulnerable position. Fortunately, I was not on a multi-lane highway or in fast-moving traffic. Had I been traveling on a busier route, the sudden loss of power could have led to a serious crash and potential injury. This failure represented a genuine threat to my safety. Further inspection revealed that: The lower crankshaft sprocket had skipped three teeth due to the intrusion of the auxiliary belt. The timing belt, although not broken, was off track. A new timing belt was installed in an attempt to restart the engine. The engine would crank but failed to start. A compression test revealed zero compression in all cylinders. The valve train was severely damaged (bent valves), and the engine sustained internal mechanical failure beyond repair. Conclusion and Context: This is not an isolated incident. Upon further research, I discovered that this failure — specifically the auxiliary belt disintegrating and compromising the timing belt system — is a known and well-documented problem in vehicles equipped with the B5254T12 Turbo engine. Volvo has been previously alerted to similar cases before. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving approximately 65 MPH on the highway and suddenly my car started shuttering, stuttering, and my check engine light started blinking. My car started slowing down as if it was having trouble accelerating. I also received a warning message that said, “Reduce speed or shift up.” I only have 123,263 miles on the vehicle. My mechanic informed me I was having a cylinder 2 misfire and that my exhaust valve burnt up. I also need a new timing belt. This is not the first time I’ve had a cylinder misfire on this car, so I believe there is something faulty in this vehicle. As a result of this incident, I pulled over on the highway and waited for a tow truck.

The “Tire Pressure System” warning appeared and has not turned off. New TPMS sensors were installed but the dealership could not get the car to calibrate despite multiple attempts. It has come to my attention that other models of Volvo have this same trouble, and a software update is required.

Car has had regular oil changes and was well below the recommended time for the next change when the engine began knocking in September. I took the car for inspection at a Volvo mechanic repair shop and was told all of the oil was gone and engine is damaged beyond repair. No engine or oil indicator light came on to warn me that the oil was low. I understand the 2011-2012 models were recalled for this issue and apparently the problem continued to the 2013 model. The car has low mileage and I am shocked that it is now effectively totaled. I am now without a vehicle and feel that Volvo should have to correct the situation and that a recall should be issued.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH AND APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO INJURY. THE POLICE WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MCLARTY VOLVO CARS OF LITTLE ROCK (1500 N SHACKLEFORD RD, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72211, (501) 588-7300). THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE SAME DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE CONCERNING THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATING. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 270,000.

TAKATA RECALL THE AIR BAG IN MY CAR IS DAMAGED. IT HAS NOT BLEW UP ON ME YET BUT IT IS DANGEROUS.

Since we purchased the car in December, water was observed on occasion streaking down the inside of the windshield. The headliner is damp after rain, and is stained from water as a result. Additionally defrost/defog wasn’t working, and my son reported having to pull over and wait for the rain to stop so he could drive with the windows down in order to be able to see the road. INCREDIBLY unsafe/unable to drive in the rain. I recently applied pressure to the inside of the windshield with my fingertips by the A-pillars on both driver and passenger side to test the seal and visually confirmed the windshield was lifting off of the frame, revealing a broken seal along the top and sides of the windshield.

I was driving down the freeway and the driverside door swung open while it was locked. This is after the door handle recall repair was performed. Prior to the recall repair, my door never came open like that while drving. This is dangerous because I could have fallen out, or a car could have hit my door! Also, the windshield leaks on the inside and has been doing that for a long while. Volvo service said it does not leak. It does leak when raining or ice/snow melt. This is dangerous because windshield wipers do not work on the interior part of the window to wipe away water so the driver can see.

City Safety feature is triggering on intermittently with no reason to trigger. It occurs when initially accelerating. City Safety applies the brakes and stops the car violently. Occurs when light or dark. Has occurred several times within the past week. The feature can be manually turned off and now is with every ignition start. The default is for the feature be on, so turning off is required every time the car is turned on.

I started losing brake pressure rapidly about a month ago. Took it to a shop and they recommended replacing the master cylinder. The repair was completed and the braking improved for about 2 weeks and then I lost all brake pressure. The vehicle was not safe to operate and I had it towed back to the shop once again. Again they suggested replacing the master cylinder. We completed that repair and I had brake pressure for about three days. Then my low brake fluid light came on. As of right now my pedal is squishy and I have to put brake fluid in every 24 hours. There are no external leaks but we can’t figure out what the issue is. It’s become a serious safety hazard. Possibly an internal leak into the brake booster. It’s also a common issue among other Volvo owners of this year and model.

I am submitting this report to formally document a severe safety-related failure involving my 2013 Volvo S60, VIN # [XXX] . This vehicle is part of the Volvo brand, widely recognized and marketed as among the safest in the world. Incident Summary: On [XXX], at approximately [XXX] in Norwalk, Connecticut, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure while in operation. The auxiliary (serpentine) belt suddenly failed, shredded itself, and wrapped around the timing pulley. Debris from the failed belt entered the timing belt housing — a supposedly sealed and protected compartment — causing the timing belt to jump. This resulted in an immediate loss of engine power while driving, placing me in a highly vulnerable position. Fortunately, I was not on a multi-lane highway or in fast-moving traffic. Had I been traveling on a busier route, the sudden loss of power could have led to a serious crash and potential injury. This failure represented a genuine threat to my safety. Further inspection revealed that: The lower crankshaft sprocket had skipped three teeth due to the intrusion of the auxiliary belt. The timing belt, although not broken, was off track. A new timing belt was installed in an attempt to restart the engine. The engine would crank but failed to start. A compression test revealed zero compression in all cylinders. The valve train was severely damaged (bent valves), and the engine sustained internal mechanical failure beyond repair. Conclusion and Context: This is not an isolated incident. Upon further research, I discovered that this failure — specifically the auxiliary belt disintegrating and compromising the timing belt system — is a known and well-documented problem in vehicles equipped with the B5254T12 Turbo engine. Volvo has been previously alerted to similar cases before. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THE VEHICLE SHIFTS ERRATICALLY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WITH FREQUENT SURGES AND JOLTS AT LOW GEARS. THIS ALSO OCCURS AT HIGHER TEMPERATURES (AFTER DRIVING FOR A WHILE ON HOT DAYS) AND DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON HOT DAYS. TRANSMISSION ENGAGES SLOWLY AFTER A FULL STOP AND OFTEN WITH A JERK, ESPECIALLY FELT WHEN STOPPED AT AN INCLINE. ALL OF THESE JERKS AND JOLTS OCCUR AROUND GEARS 1 OR 2 AND DURING STOPPING OR STARTING FROM STOP.

A ROCK SLIDE LEFT SEVERAL ROCKS ON THE HIGHWAY. I HIT ONE OF THEM AND CRACKED A RIM. SINCE THE VOLVO S60 DOES NOT COME WITH A SPARE TIRE, I WAS LEFT STRANDED IN A CANYON ROAD IN THE RAIN WITH A DISABLED VEHICLE. MINIMAL CELL PHONE RECEPTION MADE CALLING FOR HELP VERY DIFFICULT. VOLVO ASSUMES THAT CALLING THEIR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE (IF YOU CAN) AND WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK IS EQUIVALENT TO CARRYING A SPARE TIRE. IT CLEARLY IS NOT AND CAN LEAVE DRIVER'S HELPLESS WHEN A SIMPLE SPARE TIRE WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH PURCHASING A SPARE TIRE IS AN OPTION, IT WOULD CONSUME TRUCK SPACE THAT IS NECESSARY FOR MY SON'S STROLLER. I CAN ONLY CARRY THE STROLLER OR THE SPARE BUT NOT BOTH.. THE CAR SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO CARRY A SPARE TIRE IF NECESSARY. UPDATED 10/9/15 *LN UPDATED 12/21/2015*JS

NOTE AHORA SE HAN MUDADO AL 755 NW 20 ST MIAMI FL 33127 UNDER NAME GOLDEN GLADE COLLISION CENTER, INSURANCE KNOWS ABOUT AIR BAG IT DOES NOT WORKING PROPERLY,, THEY KNOW ABOUT FRAUD,, INVESTIGATOR KNOWS ABOUT SAFETY PARTS,, INSURANCE PAY THEM WITH FAKE PAPERS,, INSURANCE KNOWS ABOUT STOLEN MONEY THROUGH THE MY ACCIDENT,, INSURANCE, AGRICULTURE GOVERNMENT KNOWS ABOUT UNSAFETY CAR,, THE AUTO SHOP, AAA OF DADE COUNTY IN MIAMI DID ONLY VERY SUPERFICIAL REPAIR WORK ON MY CAR, ALTHOUGH THEY COLLECTED COMPENSATION FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THEY MENTION HAVING REPAIRED MY SEAT BELT SYSTEM, AIR BAGS, AND OTHER MECHANICAL ITEMS, AS WELL AS OUTER BODY PARTS, BUT IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THESE ITEMS HAVE NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY VOLVO, MIAMI & MELBOURNE (SEE ATTACHMENT 2 & 3), AND BY J&J IN PALM COAST (SEE ATTACHMENT 4). MORE IMPORTANTLY, NOT ONLY DID THEY DO IMPROPER AND INCOMPLETE REPAIR WORK, BUT THERE IS INDICATION THAT THEY THEMSELVES CAUSED ADDITIONAL DAMAGES TO MY CAR, E. G. THERE APPEAR SCRATCHES, THE REAR BUMPER IS LOOSE, THE ORIGINAL FRONT TIRES WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH TIRES SO WORN THAT IT PUT MY SONS LIFE AND MINE IN GRAVE DANGER! I HAVE SINCE REPLACED THEM BY NEW ONES. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD AT VOLVO, MY CAR HAS SUFFERED A LOSS IN VALUE OWING TO CREATED DAMAGES EQUAL TO AT LEAST $18,000! ON 9/24/14, AAA OF DADE COUNTY PREPARED AN AUTHORIZATION FORM FOR THE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING MONEY FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THIS REPORT STATES THAT ALL DAMAGES HAVE BEEN SATISFACTORILY REPAIRED ON THAT SAME DATE. PLEASE NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT THE PHOTOS, CLEARLY SHOWING THE DAMAGES TO THE CAR, WERE TAKEN BY THE APPRAISER ON 9/26/2014!). IT THUS APPEARS THAT THIS FORM WAS USED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING MONEY, AND NOT, AS STATED, CONFIRMING REPAIR OF THE DAMAGES. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME SHOULD YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

City Safety feature is triggering on intermittently with no reason to trigger. It occurs when initially accelerating. City Safety applies the brakes and stops the car violently. Occurs when light or dark. Has occurred several times within the past week. The feature can be manually turned off and now is with every ignition start. The default is for the feature be on, so turning off is required every time the car is turned on.

ON FEB. 3RD, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF A STORE WHEN MY S60 R TYPE VOLVO BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND REACHED VERY HIGH RPM. MY FOOT WAS NOT EVEN ON THE ACCELERATOR AS THE CAR NORMALLY IDLES FAST ENOUGH TO PERFORM PARKING MANEUVERS. I HIT THE BRAKE BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE. IT JUMPED THE SIDEWALK; HIT THE BUILDING AND PROCEEDED TO DIG A HOLE IN THE FLOWERBED AT THE STORE'S FRONT. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN THE LENGTH OF A PARKING SPACE. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHETHER I SHUT THE IGNITION OFF OR OF THE ENGINE STOPPED ON ITS OWN SHORTLY AFTER THE COLLISION. NEITHER THE AIRBAGS NOR THE PEDESTRIAN AVOIDANCE BRAKING SYSTEM DEPLOYED. I HIT THE BUILDING SO HARD THAT THE BRICK CRACKED INSIDE AND OUT OF THE STRUCTURE. THE DOOR IS STILL INOPERABLE.

RECALL NOTICE SENT AND RECEIVED BY MYSELF. AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION BY THE DEALER. WHEN CAR BROUGHT FOR SERVICE ON SCHEDULED DATE, WAS TOLD THAT THE CORRECTIVE PART WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE, AND THERE WAS NO TIME FRAME FOR STOCK REPLACEMENT TO CORRECT THE THE RECALL ISSUE BY VOLVO. UNKNOWN WHEN THIS WOULD TAKE PLACE. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION RECEIVED BY THE DEALER OR VOLVO.

THIS RELATES TO RECALL R10029 WHICH I WAS NOTIFIED OF LAST SUMMER. I RECEIVED A FOLLOW UP LETTER IN DECEMBER AND CALLED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE RECALL ADDRESSED ON JANUARY 18. WAS TOLD PARTS WILL NOT BEEN IN UNTIL MARCH AND THAT I SHOULD CALL BACK. SEEMS LIKE POOR CONCERN FO RTHIS SAFETY DEFECT.

I RECEIVED TWO SAFETY RECALL NOTICES (MARCH AND APRIL) FOR RECALL R89978. "THE DOOR LATCHES CAN WEAKEN MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO LATCH THE DOOR OR WORSE DRIVE THE CAR BELIEVING THAT THE DOOR IS SECURELY CLOSED WHEN IT'S NOT." IN THE VOLVO RECALL LETTER, IT STATES TO CALL THE DEALER TO SCHEDULE THE REPAIR AT NO COST. IT'S ALMOST JUNE AND MY DEALER HAS NOT RECEIVED THE PARTS FROM VOLVO. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THEY'LL RECEIVE PARTS FROM VOLVO. THIS IS THE ONLY CAR I HAVE ACCESS TO AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE. *TR

THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR OPENNED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION DUE TO DEFECTIVE SENSOR IN THE DOOR LOCKING SYSTEM

I had a 2008 volvo s60 and now i have a 2013 volvo s60. And the same exact thing happened with both of them. Both cars had more than half a tank of gas and while driving on the freeway they started to stutter and then the car just shut off while i was driving. I was lucky to be close to an exit and i had to let the car role on nuetral till i was safe away from any traffic. If i want close to an exit you can just imagine what would of happened. When i tried to turn the car on it wouldn't start anymore. I have done knowledge on working on cars and new it was a fuel problem. Upon checking i noticed that the fuel rail didn't have any fuel pressure. On my 2008 the problem was the fuel pump module. On my 2013 its a newer car so i don't really know much about it. Only had it for 2 weeks. And now it got towed and is at the dealer where i bought it from to get checked by their mechanic. There must be a problem with s60's to have happened to both s60's I've owend.

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION - BURNING OR CONSUMING AT LEAST 5 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 2K-3K MILES, BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. OUR ONLY NOTICE IS WHEN OIL IS BELOW 5-QUART RANGE, WHEN WE RECEIVE A DASH WARNING NOTING TO STOP ENGINE. CAR HOLDS 7.25 QUARTS OF SYNTHETIC OIL. WELL KNOW DOCUMENTED THROUGHOUT THE WEB AND KNOWN TO VOLVO MECHANICS, ALTHOUGH MORE RECOGNIZED WITH 2011-2012 S60. STOP ENGINE NOTICE RECEIVED WHEN STARTING CAR. FORTUNATELY ABLE TO UBER TO AUTO SUPPLY AND ADD 5QUARTS TO DRIVE HOME. OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS, WHEREIN THE SECOND INSTANCE WE RESEARCHED, REACHED OUT TO VOLVO MECHANICS AND IN THE PROCESS OF CONTACTING DEALER AND VOLVO FOR FOLLOW-UP. IT APPEARS THAT SEVERAL INSTANCES HAVE RESULTED IN ENGINE FAILURE AND/OR $5K OR MORE IN PERSONAL COST TO FIX PISTON/VALUE ISSUE OR REPLACE ENGINE.

WHILE DRIVING ON A LOW SPEED STREET ROAD, HIT A POT HOLE AND RIGHT FRONT TIRE GOT FLAT. PER VOLVO TECHN FOUND 3 NAILS AND EXCESSIVE SIDEWALL DAMAGE. THIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLVO S60 EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL TIRES, TIRE LINE: CONTI PRO CONTACT, TIRE SIZE: 235/55R/1799H, AND DOT NUMBER: DOTAF8PN1H62212. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,400.

I was driving down the freeway and the driverside door swung open while it was locked. This is after the door handle recall repair was performed. Prior to the recall repair, my door never came open like that while drving. This is dangerous because I could have fallen out, or a car could have hit my door! Also, the windshield leaks on the inside and has been doing that for a long while. Volvo service said it does not leak. It does leak when raining or ice/snow melt. This is dangerous because windshield wipers do not work on the interior part of the window to wipe away water so the driver can see.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLVO S60. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR UNLATCHED INDEPENDENTLY AND OPENED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. A PASSENGER WAS OCCUPYING THE SEAT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE SAFELY OUT OF TRAFFIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OTHER THREE DOOR LATCHES ALSO FAILED. THE DOOR AJAR INDICATOR ILLUMINATED FOR ALL THE DOORS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

I am submitting this report to formally document a severe safety-related failure involving my 2013 Volvo S60, VIN # [XXX] . This vehicle is part of the Volvo brand, widely recognized and marketed as among the safest in the world. Incident Summary: On [XXX], at approximately [XXX] in Norwalk, Connecticut, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure while in operation. The auxiliary (serpentine) belt suddenly failed, shredded itself, and wrapped around the timing pulley. Debris from the failed belt entered the timing belt housing — a supposedly sealed and protected compartment — causing the timing belt to jump. This resulted in an immediate loss of engine power while driving, placing me in a highly vulnerable position. Fortunately, I was not on a multi-lane highway or in fast-moving traffic. Had I been traveling on a busier route, the sudden loss of power could have led to a serious crash and potential injury. This failure represented a genuine threat to my safety. Further inspection revealed that: The lower crankshaft sprocket had skipped three teeth due to the intrusion of the auxiliary belt. The timing belt, although not broken, was off track. A new timing belt was installed in an attempt to restart the engine. The engine would crank but failed to start. A compression test revealed zero compression in all cylinders. The valve train was severely damaged (bent valves), and the engine sustained internal mechanical failure beyond repair. Conclusion and Context: This is not an isolated incident. Upon further research, I discovered that this failure — specifically the auxiliary belt disintegrating and compromising the timing belt system — is a known and well-documented problem in vehicles equipped with the B5254T12 Turbo engine. Volvo has been previously alerted to similar cases before. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle was off in driveway and fire started from right rear taillight. Fire extinguished via fire extinguisher after 5 minutes but car totaled. Inspection by fire department indicated source of fire was right rear tail light.