2020 Volvo S60 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Volvo S60, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes522.7%
- Driver assistance418.2%
- Steering313.6%
- Electrical313.6%
- Suspension29.1%
- Visibility14.5%
- Engine14.5%
- Other / unspecified14.5%
- Powertrain (other)14.5%
- Tires & wheels14.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
See attached document for complaint.
The car has “detected” a crash many times and automatically stopped even on the highway. It jerks and to slam on the brakes and then keeps going. It’s very dangerous and I have a strong theory it’s the model in general and not an isolated situation with my car.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
On two separate occasions in the past two months June 6 and Aug. 15, this vehicle experienced a severe unintended engine surge / unintended acceleration event while at a complete stop with my foot firmly on the brake. On both occasions, the engine RPMs spiked above 1,000 RPM, forcing the vehicle to pull heavily against the brakes as if trying to race forward into the intersection. On the most recent event (Aug. 15) when stopping at a red light it appeared that the supercharger kicked in, pulling against the brakes. Six or eight pedestrians were crossing directly in front of the vehicle. If I had taken my foot of the brake I would have hit them. 1.June 12, 2026 Service Visit (RO #192480, attached): Following the June 6 incident, the vehicle was brought to Beyer Volvo Cars Falls Church, Va. The repair order explicitly notes:"Tech found the front sunroof drains to have clogged with dirt/debris and the floorboard to be full of water.""Interior was removed to dry out carpets and the sunroof drains were cleared." Clogged sunroof drains cause water ingress down the A pillar. 2.Diagnostic Code & Part Replacement: During this visit, fault code 161615 was retrieved. The technician noted "unable to duplicate the problem at this time" regarding the engine flare, and no physical inspection or remediation of the flooded wiring harnesses or module connectors beneath the carpet was performed. This same A6 electrical code 161615 was noted on a previous service on 25 Sep. 2025, (RO#184284, attached). There is clear precedent with NHTSA Recall 22V-288 (of a different Volvo model, the XC40), where water intrusion into Volvo wiring harnesses caused corrosion and unintended acceleration. Given that my passenger footwell flooded prior to the engine surge, the CAN bus harness and floor connectors beneath that carpet must undergo a full electrical continuity and corrosion inspection, not just a surface drying. I am requesting further service by the dealer.
The car has “detected” a crash many times and automatically stopped even on the highway. It jerks and to slam on the brakes and then keeps going. It’s very dangerous and I have a strong theory it’s the model in general and not an isolated situation with my car.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
See attached document for complaint.
It is unknown what caused this issue but ever since I bought my vehicle on April 5, 2021, I have been experiencing vibration issues when driving between 65-75 MPH. I have had my vehicle inspected at multiple Volvo Service Centers across Texas and no one can seem to figure out what is causing the vibration issues. My front rotors have been replaced 3 TIMES, my rear rotors have been replaced once, I have had multiple tire rotations, alignments and balancing from Volvo Service Centers and even from Discount Tire. With all of these items serviced/repaired/replaced, the vibration is still present in the steering wheel traveling at highway speeds. I went on a test drive today, 6/22/22, with a Volvo Service Technician and he confirmed that the vibration is valid. He also stated that the only thing left to do is to replace all 4 tires, at my cost, to see if the vibration goes away. He advised that when new cars are on the lot parked waiting to be sold, dealerships typically inflate the tires to about 50 PSI so as to avoid any "flat spots" on the tires. He also stated that many dealers also typically do not inflate tires on their new fleet due to the rough ride it causes. I have contacted Volvo regarding this issue without any remedy or advice. Additionally, my Volvo dealer cannot say for sure that they will reimburse me for tires, if I do choose to replace my current ones, even though this issue has been present since day 1.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
On two separate occasions in the past two months June 6 and Aug. 15, this vehicle experienced a severe unintended engine surge / unintended acceleration event while at a complete stop with my foot firmly on the brake. On both occasions, the engine RPMs spiked above 1,000 RPM, forcing the vehicle to pull heavily against the brakes as if trying to race forward into the intersection. On the most recent event (Aug. 15) when stopping at a red light it appeared that the supercharger kicked in, pulling against the brakes. Six or eight pedestrians were crossing directly in front of the vehicle. If I had taken my foot of the brake I would have hit them. 1.June 12, 2026 Service Visit (RO #192480, attached): Following the June 6 incident, the vehicle was brought to Beyer Volvo Cars Falls Church, Va. The repair order explicitly notes:"Tech found the front sunroof drains to have clogged with dirt/debris and the floorboard to be full of water.""Interior was removed to dry out carpets and the sunroof drains were cleared." Clogged sunroof drains cause water ingress down the A pillar. 2.Diagnostic Code & Part Replacement: During this visit, fault code 161615 was retrieved. The technician noted "unable to duplicate the problem at this time" regarding the engine flare, and no physical inspection or remediation of the flooded wiring harnesses or module connectors beneath the carpet was performed. This same A6 electrical code 161615 was noted on a previous service on 25 Sep. 2025, (RO#184284, attached). There is clear precedent with NHTSA Recall 22V-288 (of a different Volvo model, the XC40), where water intrusion into Volvo wiring harnesses caused corrosion and unintended acceleration. Given that my passenger footwell flooded prior to the engine surge, the CAN bus harness and floor connectors beneath that carpet must undergo a full electrical continuity and corrosion inspection, not just a surface drying. I am requesting further service by the dealer.
I turned the car on and got an error message that said the turn indicator system failed. After trying to clear the message from the dash using the button on the steering wheel, I discovered that nothing on the steering wheel was working, including the windshield wipers or any buttons on the steering wheel. I called the manufacturer and they told me not to drive it and they towed it to the dealer. The dealer said they had see this before as either a software issue or electrical issue and would need to replace the stalks and buttons.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
It is unknown what caused this issue but ever since I bought my vehicle on April 5, 2021, I have been experiencing vibration issues when driving between 65-75 MPH. I have had my vehicle inspected at multiple Volvo Service Centers across Texas and no one can seem to figure out what is causing the vibration issues. My front rotors have been replaced 3 TIMES, my rear rotors have been replaced once, I have had multiple tire rotations, alignments and balancing from Volvo Service Centers and even from Discount Tire. With all of these items serviced/repaired/replaced, the vibration is still present in the steering wheel traveling at highway speeds. I went on a test drive today, 6/22/22, with a Volvo Service Technician and he confirmed that the vibration is valid. He also stated that the only thing left to do is to replace all 4 tires, at my cost, to see if the vibration goes away. He advised that when new cars are on the lot parked waiting to be sold, dealerships typically inflate the tires to about 50 PSI so as to avoid any "flat spots" on the tires. He also stated that many dealers also typically do not inflate tires on their new fleet due to the rough ride it causes. I have contacted Volvo regarding this issue without any remedy or advice. Additionally, my Volvo dealer cannot say for sure that they will reimburse me for tires, if I do choose to replace my current ones, even though this issue has been present since day 1.
Ongoing Problem as mentioned in Volvo's Technical Journal "Speed Dependent Vibrations at Highway Speeds" Ref No: TJ 20803.20.0 . At any speed of 75 mph and above the front continuously vibrates. The tires have been replaced two times in less than 2 weeks and road forced balanced by the dealership twice. The vibration does not go away. The dealership does not want to address the issue. The car is NEW.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
I turned the car on and got an error message that said the turn indicator system failed. After trying to clear the message from the dash using the button on the steering wheel, I discovered that nothing on the steering wheel was working, including the windshield wipers or any buttons on the steering wheel. I called the manufacturer and they told me not to drive it and they towed it to the dealer. The dealer said they had see this before as either a software issue or electrical issue and would need to replace the stalks and buttons.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
On two separate occasions in the past two months June 6 and Aug. 15, this vehicle experienced a severe unintended engine surge / unintended acceleration event while at a complete stop with my foot firmly on the brake. On both occasions, the engine RPMs spiked above 1,000 RPM, forcing the vehicle to pull heavily against the brakes as if trying to race forward into the intersection. On the most recent event (Aug. 15) when stopping at a red light it appeared that the supercharger kicked in, pulling against the brakes. Six or eight pedestrians were crossing directly in front of the vehicle. If I had taken my foot of the brake I would have hit them. 1.June 12, 2026 Service Visit (RO #192480, attached): Following the June 6 incident, the vehicle was brought to Beyer Volvo Cars Falls Church, Va. The repair order explicitly notes:"Tech found the front sunroof drains to have clogged with dirt/debris and the floorboard to be full of water.""Interior was removed to dry out carpets and the sunroof drains were cleared." Clogged sunroof drains cause water ingress down the A pillar. 2.Diagnostic Code & Part Replacement: During this visit, fault code 161615 was retrieved. The technician noted "unable to duplicate the problem at this time" regarding the engine flare, and no physical inspection or remediation of the flooded wiring harnesses or module connectors beneath the carpet was performed. This same A6 electrical code 161615 was noted on a previous service on 25 Sep. 2025, (RO#184284, attached). There is clear precedent with NHTSA Recall 22V-288 (of a different Volvo model, the XC40), where water intrusion into Volvo wiring harnesses caused corrosion and unintended acceleration. Given that my passenger footwell flooded prior to the engine surge, the CAN bus harness and floor connectors beneath that carpet must undergo a full electrical continuity and corrosion inspection, not just a surface drying. I am requesting further service by the dealer.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
Ongoing Problem as mentioned in Volvo's Technical Journal "Speed Dependent Vibrations at Highway Speeds" Ref No: TJ 20803.20.0 . At any speed of 75 mph and above the front continuously vibrates. The tires have been replaced two times in less than 2 weeks and road forced balanced by the dealership twice. The vibration does not go away. The dealership does not want to address the issue. The car is NEW.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
It is unknown what caused this issue but ever since I bought my vehicle on April 5, 2021, I have been experiencing vibration issues when driving between 65-75 MPH. I have had my vehicle inspected at multiple Volvo Service Centers across Texas and no one can seem to figure out what is causing the vibration issues. My front rotors have been replaced 3 TIMES, my rear rotors have been replaced once, I have had multiple tire rotations, alignments and balancing from Volvo Service Centers and even from Discount Tire. With all of these items serviced/repaired/replaced, the vibration is still present in the steering wheel traveling at highway speeds. I went on a test drive today, 6/22/22, with a Volvo Service Technician and he confirmed that the vibration is valid. He also stated that the only thing left to do is to replace all 4 tires, at my cost, to see if the vibration goes away. He advised that when new cars are on the lot parked waiting to be sold, dealerships typically inflate the tires to about 50 PSI so as to avoid any "flat spots" on the tires. He also stated that many dealers also typically do not inflate tires on their new fleet due to the rough ride it causes. I have contacted Volvo regarding this issue without any remedy or advice. Additionally, my Volvo dealer cannot say for sure that they will reimburse me for tires, if I do choose to replace my current ones, even though this issue has been present since day 1.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
2020 VOLVO S60. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DISSATISFACTION WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM. *LD *JS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .