2021 Volvo S60

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

Air conditioning evaporator core is leaking refrigerant into cabin

NHTSA ID

11738038

Incident

Mar 1, 2026

The high voltage coolant heater failed. It will not heat when running solely on battery. Defrost therefore will not get warm to clear windshield

NHTSA ID

11721000

Incident

Oct 30, 2025

2021 Volvo S60 T8 AWD, VIN [XXX] , ~71k miles Component: SUNROOF / DRAINAGE SYSTEM / ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Summary: Water entered the passenger compartment through clogged sunroof drain hoses and accumulated under the front passenger seat, causing catastrophic failure of wide angle module (WAM) and related electronic components (incl. front camera and wipers). Description: After moderate rain, a large amount of water was discovered under the front passenger seat. The vehicle began displaying multiple warning messages (camera faults, wiper faults). The authorized Volvo retailer diagnosed failure of the WAM and other modules due to water intrusion originating from the sunroof drainage system. This is a known, recurring defect acknowledged by Volvo in multiple Technical Service Bulletins: - TJ 31372-2 (Water leakage via sunroof drain hoses) - TJ 35382 (Updated drain hoses - new part number) - TJ 29322-3 (Water ingress passenger footwell / CEM area) The original drain hoses are too narrow and prone to clogging, causing water to overflow into the passenger compartment instead of exiting the vehicle. This creates a serious safety risk: - Potential failure of SRS airbag system - Loss of electronic stability control and ABS - Loss of 360 camera and blind-spot monitoring - Risk of electrical fire or short-circuit - Failure of wipers (mine stopped working when I was driving under the rain) Repair estimate: $17,825 Repair is going to be delayed over 2 months awaiting parts from Sweden. Vehicle was properly maintained; 70,000-mile service performed at authorized Volvo retailer on 9/24/25 - no drainage issues were noted or addresses at that time. This identical failure has been reported by hundreds of owners of 2019-2024 SPA-platform Volvos (S60, V60, XC60, XC90) on NHTSA complaints, Volvo forums, and in ongoing litigation. Despite multiple TSBs and redesigned parts, Volvo has not issued a recall or notified owners of the need for preventive maintenance. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA

NHTSA ID

11701998

Incident

Nov 14, 2025

Tire has a defect

NHTSA ID

11676297

Incident

Jul 25, 2025

I believe that there is a material or design defect in the front brakes of this car that is leading to the premature failure of the front brake rotors. Two sets of front brake rotors have been replaced on the car due to excessive warping in the first 15K miles of operation. I purchased the car in June 2022 as a certified used car with roughly 9K miles on it. As soon as I drove it I could tell the brakes had a problem due to a high vibration level in steering wheel and throughout the car upon brake application above 30 mph. The dealer agreed and replaced the front rotors. The replaced parts were retained by the dealers under Volvo's warranty terms In November 2023, after roughly 4500 miles on the new rotors, the car again developed a noticable, although less severe, steering wheel vibration upon braking. In December 2023, with 6K miles on the front rotors, a dealer (different from the original one) again replaced them under warranty due to warping. I can't speak to the care given in operating the car prior to my acquiring it, but my wife and I are very gentle drivers. For comparison, we owned a 2001 Volvo S80, purchased new, for 16 years and about 120K miles and in that time replaced the front pads once, and never had to replace the rotors.

NHTSA ID

11560138

Incident

Dec 13, 2023

My car developed a severe shake in the steering wheel and pulsing in the brake pedal while under braking. The problem has worsened to the point that braking at high speed creates a serious shaking. I took the car to the dealership and they diagnosed the problem as warped rotors. The car started this with less than 15000 miles on the car. The dealer contacted Volvo to fix under warranty due to the defective parts. Volvo declined to fix the rotors because they are a "wear item". This is not normal wear. In fact, during the inspection (10/8) it was noted that the pads still have plenty of life and would not need to be replaced. If the situation were that I had worn out the pads and rotors, I would understand Volvo's position but the warpage is abnormal. When I called in to schedule the initial inspection the technician I spoke with agreed that this is unusual for an S60. When I asked if the rotors would warp again after replacement, I was told by the dealership they have never seen someone come back with warped rotors after replacing them. If it were environmental or driving habits, you would expect this problem to return after replacing the rotors. The warped rotors are a known issue with Volvo. If you search the swedespeed.com website, you will see numerous reports of S60 owners having the same problem. The dealership claims the reason my rotors are warped is because of rust build up causing hot spots and that the car must have sat outside in the rain a long time. This car has been garaged its entire life and is driven daily so rust buildup is not an issue. This rotor and pad combination is defective and fails prematurely.

NHTSA ID

11494338

Incident

Oct 8, 2022

While I was going down a small side street that is a hill, the air conditioning system suddenly went off and immediately the entire car's mechanisms ceased. The engine stopped and the car was unstearable and the brakes were not working. I had my foot on the brake and that was not responsive, the car slid with all electrical systems not working and the brake not holding the car or stopping the movement of the car. I could not start the car to get the engine going.I could not stop nor start the car that slid into a major street that is a thoroughfare for a hospital. I had no control of the car at all. I attempted at least 7 times to start the Volvo that requires keeping your foot on the brake and turning a small switch that is located right next to the cup holder. Nothing would work. I called Volvo On Call who instead of immediately helping told me to call 911 since the car slid into the middle of the major street and it was an emergency regarding my safetly . A police officer came after a few minutes and blocked the traffic. Meanwhile, I was suddenly able by the 9 or 10th time to start the car and move it to the side of the road. The police officer drove in back of me literally a block away from where the Volvo dealer just happened to be located. There were no warning messages prior to the car ceasing. The car is now in the Volvo dealership who upon receiving it said that I must have gotten the ignition switch wet. This is totally false. I did not have any liquids nor should that be a reason why a car suddenly stops and becomes a piece of metal in the middle of the road. What's worse was that there is no emergency brake on this model. My life was in danger and I am lucky that I was not hit. A passenger got out of her car and stood next to mine in the middle of the road with oncoming traffic coming at my driver's side. Volvo dealership is claiming it's the starter switch and it must have shorted. There is a defect and safety problem requiring investigating.

NHTSA ID

11418969

Incident

May 20, 2021

This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 1 .jpg attachment - If remote control key is not detected by the car and shows message in DIM "Car key not found" or if functions such as lock/unlock are not working, please follow advice for detecting key

This is a TJ - Text plus two .mov attachments - If the customer is experiencing a frozen Sirius Radio banner, meaning in the app view the title of the song and station name will stay on the previous selected station; the audio will be for the station that is selected and not what is shown on the screen, follow the advice on this TJ under “Service”

This is a TJ - Text plus two .mov attachments - If the customer is experiencing a frozen Sirius Radio banner, meaning in the app view the title of the song and station name will stay on the previous selected station; the audio will be for the station that is selected and not what is shown on the screen, follow the advice on this TJ under “Service”

This is a Technical Journal: Headlamp condensation inside lens - information/leak test. If the result is not ok (air leak), it is ok to replace the headlamp

This is a Technical Journal: Intermittent knocking noise during acceleration. If the sound corresponds to attached sound file, change front drive shafts to the below part numbers.

This is a TJ - Text Plus 1 .mp4 file - When using the CSD for seat adjustments mode for example lumbar support and seat Cushing, the visualization does not match the selected part for adjustment. Do not fault trace for this symptom. Advice the customer to use the physical seat mode switch knob. A new improved software is planned to be released during quarter 3 2026.