RoadVitals

2011 Volvo V50

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Jun 30, 2016
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Nov 22, 2010
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2011 Volvo V50, most frequently naming the other / unspecified category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 191 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Other / unspecified1100.0%

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

1 campaign 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.gov
10V591000

SEATS

Nov 22, 2010
7,420 units potentially affected
The defect: VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER FRONT PASSENGER SEATS. THE FRONT SEAT RAIL'S DETECTION SYSTEM WAS MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY AND MAY PERMIT THE PASSENGER TO FORWARD THE SEAT BEYOND THE INTENDED MAXIMUM.
The risk: POSITIONING OF THE SEAT BEYOND THE INTENDED MAXIMUM CAN CAUSE INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE PASSENGER IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FRONT POWER SEAT STOPS FOR BOTH FRONT SEATS FOR THE PRESENCE OF AN "END STOP" AND REPAIR THE VEHICLES AS NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 23, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552 OR AT [email protected].
VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.Manufacturer number R235View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Filed Jun 30, 2016

IGNITION KEY/ENGINE IMMOBILIZER EXPERIENCED A INTERMITTENT FAILURES ("KEY ERROR" ON DASHBOARD DISPLAY), AND INABILITY TO START ENGINE. A REPLACEMENT OF IGNITION KEY DETECTOR IN STEERING COLUMN WAS REQUIRED - PARTS COST: $750, LABOR EXTRA, AT VOLVO DEALER (VOLVO MANHATTAN, NY, NY). CAR PURCHASED IN JULY 2010, FAILURE IN JUNE 2016 (BEYOND WARRANTIES). THE IGNITION KEY SYSTEM SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPAIRED FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR, ESPECIALLY FOR A VOLVO LUXURY LEVEL CAR.

NHTSA ID
10881863
Incident
Jun 3, 2016
Mileage
45,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Nov 22, 2013

BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER LOW MILEAGE AND JUST PAST WARRANTY. FAILURE OF BEARINGS LEAD TO ABS BRAKE SYSTEM BEING INOPERATIVE UNTIL REPAIR CONCLUDED. AS PART OF REPAIR, VOLVO ENGINEERED RETAINING RINGS WERE FITTED. THIS INDICATES AN ADMISSION BY VOLVO OF THE INADEQUACY OF THE ORIGINAL PART DESIGN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10553490
Incident
Oct 30, 2013
Mileage
73,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

35526.1.8

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.

37809.1.1

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

19245

This is a Technical Journal. Vehicle type and platform identification.

8501

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.

S10303

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.

S10303

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

Volvo V50 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2013000—
2012000—
2011Viewing210—
2010230—
2009230—
2008030—
2007620—
2006123038.5
2005183043.7
2004020—

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.