2013 Volvo XC60 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 2013 Volvo XC60, 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
- Visibility2943.9%
- Electrical913.6%
- Airbags710.6%
- Body & structure57.6%
- Driver assistance46.1%
- Engine34.5%
- Brakes23.0%
- Steering23.0%
- Exterior lighting11.5%
- Other / unspecified11.5%
- Powertrain (other)11.5%
- Fuel system11.5%
- Interior & seats11.5%
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
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
Windshield leaks water into cabin. Volvo dealership charged $190 to diagnose problem. Told me I need a new windshield but they do not do glass replacement or repairs. They said sealant is bad at top of windshield. This is the original factory windshield. They referred me to a independent glass company who quoted $900 - $1285 for replacement. Cannot repair only install new windshield. This seems to be a known problem with Volvo cars and the sealant that was used at factory? Not covered by insurance. Car was parked outside during rain.
During a heavy rain storm, I noticed water running down the inside of the windshield. It impaired my vision.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The accelerator got stuck and and the engine went full power. It would not shut off and the overheated.
The component or system that failed is the driver side door controls for all four windows and both side mirrors. My safety is at risk as I am unable to adjust my mirrors manually or electronically in order to see. I am also unable to roll down any of the windows in the vehicle from the driver door in the event of an emergency. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by the Volvo service center. According to my local Volvo service center, this is a common problem in Volvos and they are very familiar with the repair needed to correct. The problem is that the driver door wiring is zip-tied together and over time, as the driver door opens and closes, the zip tie chafes the insulation off of the wiring causing the copper part of the wires to be exposed and twisted together. There are no warning lights reporting this issue, only that the window and mirror controls stop working. The following video link between 9:38-12:16 explains this issue in Volvos. I am writing to advocate for a vehicle recall. I believe this is a manufacturing flaw which could have been avoided by simply using electrical tape and not a zip tie. The repair has been quoted at $800. Driver side door entry is an essential function and should not be a cause for an electrical fire or drivers’ and passengers’ safety. Link: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
"During airbag deployment, the driver’s hand was burned with blistering. I believe hot gas or chemicals vented abnormally. This caused a painful injury requiring treatment."
Water leakage from top of windsheild due to common failure of sealant (known to Volvo) falls directly into steering wheel airbag and, from there, flows into the seam between airbag module and the steering wheel and collecting behind the airbag subjecting the electrical connections of the airbag to moisture trapped behind the airbag. See photos. No warning lights yet. Vehicle is available for inspection by nhtsa.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
Factory installed windshield is leaking profusely due to faulty adhesive/primer. This is a well known issue that causes havoc on vital electronic systems and should be a national recall. The loose windshield bond can cause the windshield to detach during a crash. The failed windshield bond compromises the structural integrity of the roof.
WHEN RAINING OUTSIDE WATER DROPS INSIDE ON THE DRIVER FROM THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL . THIS JUST STARTED ON A 7.5 YEAR OLD CAR BUT WITH ONLY 47,850 MILES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE DRIVER IS GETTING WET AND IS TOTALLY DISTRACTED AND, IF IGNORED, THE BODY WILL RUST, LOOSENING THE WINDSHIELD.. THE CAR CANNOT BE SAFELY DRIVEN IN THE RAIN WITH THIS LEAK AND IT CANNOT BE LEFT OUTSIDE AT ALL IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE OF RAIN, UNLESS THE WINDSHIELD IS COVERED WITH PLASTIC. IF I IGNORE THIS THE CAR WILL RUST AROUND THE WINDSHIELD SO AS TO WEAKEN IT'S ROLE AS A PART OF THE SAFETY CONSTRUCTION TO PROTECT THE OCCUPANTS IN A CRASH.
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
The accelerator got stuck and and the engine went full power. It would not shut off and the overheated.
The car came to a complete stop without a reason. This happened while exiting the freeway and no cars or objects were in front of me. I was very lucky that I did not have a car behind me or this would have caused a collision. After the car stopped the message "auto braking by City Safety" appeared on my dashboard
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
The contact owns a 2013 Volvo XC60. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled in the middle of the road. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and proceeded to his destination. The failure recurred several times. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,574.
THIS VOLVO EXPERIENCES "SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" PERIODICALLY (ESTIMATED AT 2 TIMES PER YEAR) SINCE IT WAS NEW. THIS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION MANIFESTS ITSELF GENERALLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP (RED LIGHT, DRIVE THRU RESTAURANT, PARKING LOT) BUT HAS HAPPENED ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE RACES TO FULL THROTTLE AND LUCKILY, FOR THE INSTANCES SO FAR, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR WITH THE BRAKES. THE ACCELERATION LASTS FOR ROUGHLY 1-2 MINUTES. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED (MAY 31, 2020), I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, AND THE ENGINE RACED TO 8,000 RPMS, HELD THERE FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL IDLE SPEED. I HAVE TAKEN THE TO THE DEALER (QUANTRELL VOLVO, LEXINGTON KY) TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS. AT ONE POINT, THE VOLVO ENGINEERING TEAM SUGGESTED A NEW TRANSMISSION TO FIX THE ISSUE, WHICH WAS DONE AT VOLVO'S EXPENSE BY THIS DEALER, AND STILL THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. IT WAS IN FOR SERVICE MOST RECENTLY IN SEPTEMBER (9/25-9/29) 2020. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A "CODE" TO EXPLAIN THE FAULT AND STATED THEY THEREFORE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FURTHER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I THEN ESCALATED THE ISSUE TO VOLVO CUSTOMER CARE AND WAS GIVEN THE SAME RESPONSE. I CAN UPLOAD DOCUMENTS FROM THE DEALER IF NEEDED, ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE IN GETTING THIS CAR FIXED WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND PUT MY FOOT DOWN TO APPLY THE BRAKES THE CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN, THE HARDER I PUSHED ONTHE BRAKE THE MORE THE CAR WOULD GO FORDWARD. HAVE YOU HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.
UNEVEN BRAKE WEAR . THE CAR HAS 60000 MILES AND THE BACK BRAKES HAVE NEEDED TO BE CHANGED TWICE AS WELL AS ROTORS. THE FRONT PAD HAVE YET TO BE REPLACED.
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
THE STEERING WHEEL TRIM IS SEPARATING AND LEAVING SHARP METAL EDGES. THE CUTS I HAVE SUSTAINED ARE MINOR IN NATURE BUT THE DISTRACTION OF HAVING BLOOD DRIPPING ON THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING IS SIGNIFICANT. THE PHOTO SHOWS A CUT FROM A DAY AGO, BUT THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES.
I HAVE A MINOR LEAK ON THE STEERING PUMP ON 2013 VOLVO XC60. WENT TO THE VOLVO-MISSISSAUGA DEALER TODAY (INVOICE# 197408) AND THEY SAID THAT THIS IS NOT QUALIFYING AS A LEAK BUT RATHER IT IS A "VISIBLE SWEAT" FROM THE STEERING PUMP. "VISIBLE SWEAT" MEANS LOOSING STEERING FLUID. STEERING PUMP IS A SAFETY PART OF THE VEHICLE AND I AM CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY. I HAVE PICTURES TO SHOW THE LEAK. I DISAGREE WITH VOLVO-MISSISSAUGA ASSESSMENT AND OPENED A DEFECT COMPLAIN WITH GOV OF CANADA - TRANSPORT CANADA OFFICE. COMPLAIN NUMBER # 2016-0077.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
HEADLIGHT MOUNTS LOCATED ON REAR OF ASSEMBLY FRACTURE/BREAK OVER TIME. THIS LEAVES THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY DISCONNECTED FROM THE VEHICLE CHASSIS AND CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES COULD LEAD THE HEADLIGHT TO FALL FROM THE VEHICLE.
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
12/24/13 APPROX 6:00 PM DRIVING APPROX. 65 MPH ON ROUTE 9 SOUTH IN CT WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. NO OTHER VEHICLES IN FRONT OR NEARBY AND SUDDENLY THE RED DASHBOARD LIGHT FLASHED AND WARNING SOUNDS AND THE CAR BEGAN TO AUTO BRAKE ABRUPTLY TO 45 MPH. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL THEN RESUMED MY TRIP UNEVENTFULLY. 12/27/13 APPROX 2:00 PM DRIVING APPROX. 60 MPH ON ROUTE 84 IN CT WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. NO OTHER VEHICLES IN FRONT OR NEARBY AND SUDDENLY THE RED DASHBOARD LIGHT FLASHED AND WARNING SOUNDS AND THE CAR BEGAN TO AUTO BRAKE HARD DOWN TO 45 MPH. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL THEN RESUMED MY TRIP UNEVENTFULLY. I CALLED SERVICE MANAGER [XXX]AT GENGRAS VOLVO 860 727 6200 AND ARRANGED TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR ANALYSIS ON 2/17/14. THE SAME BEHAVIOR WAS EXPERIENCED BY [XXX] ON 2/19/14 AS HE RELAYED THE EXPERIENCE TO ME. 5/21/14 [XXX] IS THE NEW GENGRAS VOLVO SERVICE MANAGER, REPLACING [XXX]. HE SAID THEY CHANGED OUT MY FORWARD LOOKING RADAR UNIT WHICH INCLUDES THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND HE ALSO UPDATED THE SOFTWARE (AGAIN). HE STATED THAT IF THE AUTO BRAKE MIS-FUNCTIONS AGAIN THERE IS NO OTHER SERVICE HE CAN PERFORM AND THE CAR SHOULD BE REPLACED. JULY 5, 2015 AFTER 2,000 MILES OF DRIVING WITHOUT NEW INCIDENTS IT APPEARS THAT THE FORWARD LOOKING RADAR UNIT HAD A DEFECT AND CAUSED THE PROBLEM! THIS UNIT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED ON ALL VEHICLES IN WHICH IT IS INSTALLED TO AVOID POTENTIALLY FATAL CRASHES CAUSED BY AUTOBRAKE ENGAGING AND RAPIDLY DECELERATING THE CAR FOR NO REASON. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLVO XC60. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT INITIALLY CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND SPOKE WITH THREE DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVES WHO REFUSED TO INFORM HIM IF THE VIN WAS UNDER RECALL. THE CONTACT THEN SPOKE TO AUTOBARN VOLVO CARS OAK PARK (1140 GARFIELD ST, OAK PARK, IL 60304) WHERE HE WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE FOR A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE CONTACT DECLINED THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.*DT*DT*JB*JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
The gas gauge no longer reports accurate level of fuel in tank. Thousands of people have reported this issue, yet no recall exists, though this endangers lives - especially in the deserts of the southwest. Volvo service quotes are aways ripoffs, quoting $3000 minimum.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
EVERY TIME IT RAINS WATER RUNS IN FROM SUNROOF AND OR FRONT WINDSHIELD GOT TO WHERE YOU CAN'T EVEN DRIVE IN THE RAIN ANYMORE IT IS SO BAD. STILL HAS THE FACTORY WINDSHIELD IN THE CAR.
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 .