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Premium SUVs are in a tough competition with one another, but many owners flocked to the 2018 Volvo XC60. The newest lineup claims to offer “comfort for all,” but the defects just cause disappointment. This model suffers from issues with the electrical system, seats, structure and service brakes.
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2018 Volvo XC60
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Electrical System | |
| Structure:body | |
| Engine | |
| Electronic Stability Control | |
| Steering | |
| Tires | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Lane Departure: Assist | |
| Power Train |
Problems with the Electrical System
The electrical system is responsible for everything with the vehicle, from the way it drives to the entertainment features in the cabin. When the system becomes faulty, it’s beyond annoying for occupants.
Here’s one example from an Edmunds customer review. “My XC60 voice navigation does not work for iPad. My dealer agreed and started a case with Volvo. Volvo now said that’s how it works. So when I say [play] and the car asks what song I would like. When I say I am hungry it brings up sites in another state. To go to FM radio you need to know the call letters of a station or frequency. A few times I said go to an address. It did not work. When I had a chance to stop and go into the settings it was set for New Mexico.But Volvo says that’s how it works.”
It turns out that there’s a larger issue with the GPS system. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V800000 states that 17,000 vehicles have a GPS system that can’t give emergency personnel the correct location in the event of an accident. The problem stems from software within the Vehicle Connectivity Module. Hopefully, emergency personnel aren’t being sent to the wrong state as the owner in the comments above was. It’s a good thing that this model offers comfort because injured people might be left waiting for some time.
Problems with the Seats
While discussing the comfort of this SUV, it’s time to discuss the seats in greater detail. This is another part of the Volvo that seems to fail.
Read another Edmunds customer review. “The passenger seat makes the worst noise. Will definitely be my last Volvo.”
This isn’t the biggest concern. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V220000 states that the front seats can move in an accident. The nuts for the seats could be missing, which affects the front seat structure and leaves occupants in danger. This occurs with both the driver and passenger seat. As one of the taglines being about safety, one would think there would have been a stronger focus on the seat design. Apparently, safety and comfort are two different things.
Problems with the Tailgate
It turns out that the seats aren’t the only part of the structure that’s lacking. Customers complain about numerous other troubles.
Here’s an example from an Edmunds user. “This was my 3rd XC60 and will be my last. First – windshield shattered – not only did it spider where the rock hit it – it had a crack that was independent of the initial spider – glass shop said they had never seen anything like it. They were on backorder and could not get one for a while. Had to put up a fuss to get a loaner until they were able to get a new one. Next – the trunk even after the recall needs to be slammed shut about half the time.”
It shouldn’t surprise anyone to find out that there’s yet another recall worth mentioning. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V046000 affects 45,000 vehicles and states that the tailgate lifting arms can freeze and separate. Furthermore, the arms could be projected rearward with excessive force, leading to an injury. Of course, this isn’t something to worry about for owners that live in warm environments. Apparently, the Volvo SUV wants to live near the beach full-time.
Problems with the Brakes
Along with the issues related to the structure and construction, there are major concerns with the service brakes, which is a vital component that should be working as intended.
One more Edmunds customer review says, “Needed to replace the brakes with under 20,000 miles – rotors warped.”
Volvo isn’t trying to hide any braking problems either. Service Bulletin #TJ34246-1-0-2018 states that there can be various brake noises caused by a multitude of problems. Technicians are given the tools needed to figure out where the noise is coming from and repair it. Owners might have purchased this Volvo to receive comfort, but instead, they find themselves fighting back against the inability of the automaker to create a well-built SUV. They should have saved money and bought a cheap Chevy SUV instead.
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Complaint Data
| Category | Tires |
| Date | Jan 23, 2023 |
| State | ID |
| Description | Tires are continental cross contact 255/45r20 105h. Miles - 39,000. Severe vibration started coming from rear of car at speeds starting at 45 mph. Alignment was done which did not resolve the issue. Tires removed from rim and two found to be failing inside. The noise reducing foam glued to the inside wall of the tire tread had become almost entirely detached and bunched up in a unsymmetrical configuration. In addition the rubber on the inside where the foam had been was ablating off the surface. This causes a 10oz imbalance in each tire. Additional photos available if requested. |
| Category | Power Train, Seats |
| Date | Nov 15, 2022 |
| State | ME |
| Description | Have brought car twice for vibration and shutter when vehicle is driven on highway. The shutter is extreme and only stops when car comes to a dead stop at an intersection or toll. Increasing speed or lowering speed does not stop the extreme shutter felt in wheel and passenger compartment. Car has only 37,000 miles on odometer! This extreme vibration and shutter is intermittent and not all the time. This problem has been previously reported to nhtsa as propeller shaft front head on awd system. Portland volvo has done alignment on 10/10/22, but could not find reason for shutter/shimmy. Brought car back to dealer on 10/27/22 and they found nothing. Bringing car back to dealer on 11/16/22 for same problem. |
| Category | Air Bags, Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 05, 2022 |
| State | MD |
| Description | Rainwater leaked into front of vehicle and settled in undercarriage causing a short in the passenger side airbag and error message for gear selector. The warning light for the airbag lit up. The vehicle has been inspected by a dealership and the cause of the problem was a clog in the drainage system under the windshied. The clog was redirecting water down into the vehicle and destroyed the main wiring harness. My passenger's safety was at risk because the airbag malfunctioned during driving. Other components could have also shorted out. The ability of the rainwater to drain into the vehicle's electrical components is the result of poor water drainage design and could be remedied easily. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 07, 2022 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Distracting dash warnings “power steering assistance temporarily reducedâ€, auto parking warning come on while driving and engine pause during stops working intermittently. Start/stop doesn't work like its supposed to, only works intermittently, only works beginning of drive & then doesn't work rest of travel |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Jun 11, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | June 4, 2022, 2018 volvo xc60 - right rear door lock engaged and would not release from either inside or outside door handle with all doors electronically unlocked. No other doors were affected. The door remained locked until volvo technician removed inside door panel and made temporary repair on june 6. Replacement lock assembly was not available until friday, june 10 when it was replaced by the dealer. Lock failure put safety of rear passengers at risk and I did not allow passengers in the back seat until lock was replaced. There was no warning lamp or message indicating lock failure. Dealer service representative said the failure mode was mechanical. Repair made under warranty. |
| Category | Lane Departure: Assist |
| Date | Feb 17, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | When pilot assist's steering assistance is unable to keep the car in the lane, it will disengage without any audible warning nor visual warning (screen flash, popup message,...). The only indication is the 3/4" steering wheel icon at the bottom left of the instrument cluster, changes color from green to grey. It has been behaving this way since the day I purchased the car in early 2018 and continues to behave this way today. The owner's manual makes no mention of any audible or visual warning. The owner's manual can be downoaded at volvo's website https://volvo. Custhelp. Com/app/manuals/ownersmanualinfo/year/2018/model/xc60 |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Sep 01, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Distracting dash warnings “power steering assistance temporarily reducedâ€, auto parking warning come on while driving and engine pause during stops working intermittently. Wife refuses to drive vehicle due to warnings that involve steering issues. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Aug 10, 2021 |
| State | LA |
| Description | Brakes continue to malfunction & I am having to replace brakes & rotors each time at approximately 25k mile intervals. Local dealership in baton rouge louisiana & lafayette louisiana continue diminish my concerns and state this in normal wear for this vehicle. I am certain this not the case. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Sep 02, 2020 |
| State | IN |
| Description | The brake rotor has severe warping with less than 27k miles on the vehicle. The brake pads per the dealer are in good condition. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jul 12, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | After driving 19,000 miles in 22 months, I have been told all brake pads need to be replaced at a cost of over 0. I leased the vehicle with 6,000 miles, thus the car now have 25,000 miles. It seems these xc60 have a brake pad problem, thus they should be recalled! |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Feb 11, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | Rear brakes and rotors are wearing out prematurely. Current vehicle status is 20k miles, rear pads are |
| Category | Service Brakes, Structure:body:door |
| Date | Feb 05, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 volvo xc60. The contact stated that the driver side door handle on the inside of the vehicle fractured for the second time. The vehicle was taken to (gunther volvo cars delray beach 2201 n federal hwy, delray beach, fl 33483) to be inspected. The contact was informed that the brake pads and routers were defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired at the owners expense. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 21,300. *ln*jb |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jan 14, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The consumer purchased the vehicle december 21,2019 and it was totaled december 22,2019. The consumer had the feature on their e on my vehicle that caused the engine to shut off while stopped and start up again as they put their foot on the gas. The vehicle failed to restart when they hit the gas while stopped at a light on 27 south. The ending result was an accident for which their insurance company is being personally sued by the liable couple that hit their vehicle. They were unable to turn the car off and the steering column and brake pedal were locked when they attempted this. The vehicle turns on when the key is in the car and the brake is pushed while the ignitions button is turned. They attempted this move because it is also how the vehicle is turned off. This was unsuccessful. When the vehicle's repair record was pulled it was noted that a sensor for that device had been repaired previously. The consumer stated that their concern is that the mileage for this vehicle was 26000 miles and it was a 2018. It could have potentially resulted in more serious injuries or death if the situation had been different. Thank you *ln *as |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Dec 20, 2019 |
| State | PA |
| Description | On thursday - december 19, 2019 I stopped at an intersection for a traffic light. My vehicle has an auto stop/start feature, so it went into standby mode. When the light turned green - I pushed down on the accelerator and nothing happened. I looked down at the dashboard and the car had shut itself completely off. In order to get moving - I had to put the gearshift into park, restart the car and then put the gearshift back into drive again. At that point I proceeded through the intersection and continued on my way. I live in a community with common mailboxes, so each day on the way home from work I stop at the mailbox, put the vehicle into park, unbuckle my seatbelt and then open the door. Sometimes the vehicle remains "on" and other times it shuts completely off. It occurs randomly. My point is - that perhaps these two circumstances are related. The latter is just an annoyance, but the former is a huge safety problem. |
| Category | Tires, Wheels |
| Date | Dec 03, 2019 |
| State | PA |
| Description | I had been experiencing louder than what should be normal noise while driving my vehicle. Several days later the vehicle started to vibrate while in motion driving through city streets. Then on november 24th while driving along the nj turnpike the vehicle began to vibrate and bounce so severely that I had to pull over because I thought a tire was going to blow out. The vibration was so intense while going the speed limited. I had to reduce the speed and drive with hazards on to get to my location. I immediately made a service appointment to have the vehicle looked at. The volvo service department conducted a road test as well as a balance test. What I was told was that the foam belt inside 3 of the 4 tires had started to break free which caused my vehicle to vibrate all over the freeway. The dealership said that they would remove the foam and that they tires "should be ok" or they could replace the tires but I would have to pay for them. I have a brand new car that is leased with brand new continental crosscontact lx sport tires and I believe that the manufacturer should be responsible for fixing the defect that occurred in the tires. Honestly, I am lucky that my car didn't flip over! |
| Category | Lane Departure: Lane Keep: Automatic Steering |
| Date | Oct 08, 2019 |
| State | RI |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 volvo xc60. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with an autopilot and lane keep system. The system required the driver to occasionally touch the steering wheel or it would provide two warnings. Upon the second warning, the system would shut off, causing the driver to veer off the road or into oncoming traffic. The contact tested the system and confirmed that the vehicle would swerve off the road. The contact was concerned that if the driver were unable to respond for any reason, a crash could occur. The manufacturer stated that when the system shuts down, the driver should be alert to resume control of the vehicle. The manufacturer provided no answer for the scenario regarding if the driver were unable to respond. The dealer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure. |
| Category | Air Bags:frontal, Electrical System, Electronic Stability Control, Structure:body |
| Date | May 14, 2019 |
| State | MD |
| Description | On the evening of november 20, 2018 my family and I were in a car accident. My daughter was driving my husband's new xc60 that he had recently purchased. As the five of us sat stopped at a traffic light, 2 cars collided and one hit us hard enough from the front corner that the impact forced my daughter back into the seat and then propelled her forward slamming her chest into the steering wheel despite her wearing her seatbelt. No air bags deployed. The damage to the car was so extensive it took over 2 months to repair. Yet no air bags deployed. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Apr 08, 2019 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 volvo xc60. The contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 19v046000 (structure) and stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to repair the vehicle. Rusnak volvo (2025 e colorado blvd, pasadena, ca 91107) confirmed that parts were not available to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection |
| Date | Feb 26, 2019 |
| State | CA |
| Description | 2018 volvo xc-60. Consumer writes in regard to blind spot monitor turning itself off without warning. * as *tr |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Service Brakes |
| Date | Feb 23, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | This happened on two separate occasions - while driving normally on a regular city street the engine suddenly shut off. With no power available, the power steering and brakes were also affected. This caused an extremely dangerous situation as the car suddenly stopped in the middle of a busy street. After a minute or so the engine was able to be restarted. The engine shutoff option was disabled and all other functions had been working normally at the time. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 29, 2018 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Key fob can activate the lift gate when key is in pocket because the buttons are too sensitive on the fob leading to a person getting injured by automatically closing trunk. Vehicle was stationary loading groceries into trunk. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Jun 28, 2018 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I bough the car in april 2018 and in june 2018 with the car having 1200 miles on board, while I was on a trip 85 miles away from home, I've experienced an engine failure. After a stop on the trip, I proceeded to start the car and after a few seconds of running it, a ticking noise coming from the engine could be heard. ( it sounded as if the engine wasn't receiving gas). Within a minute the car completed stopped. The engine turned off on its own. I proceeded to try to turn the engine on a couple of times but the car wouldn't come on. At the third attempt the car started. As soon as I started to drive, the check engine light came on and stayed on. After calling the volvo dealer service department to schedule an appointment for service, I was advised that it would be unsafe to drive the car 60 miles to the nearest available dealer. I contacted volvo on call but because the closest dealer was already closed and a loaner car was not available, the car was towned the next day. The mechanic determined that the sensor to the fuel pump needed to be replaced. I was blessed that the car didn't stop while driving on the freeway or any other road with other cars or people around since the consequences could have been deadly. |
| Category | Electronic Stability Control, Steering, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Mar 06, 2018 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My wife and I picked up our new volvo xc60 t8 a week ago and we tried the park assist pilot function for the first time last night in our apartment's garage. We turned on the park assist pilot for perpendicular park as we looked for a parking spot. After the central monitor indicated a spot has been found, I put the gear in reverse as advised and placed my foot on the brakes as the car begins to do its job. The car backed up and attempted to turn into the parking spot; however, it accelerated and turned so quickly that before I could react, the back bumper and left brake lights have hit the column beside the parking spot. There has been no indication of any obstruction when it was backing and turning into the spot. In reminiscent, I think the only thing I could've done was press on the brake sooner; however, the backing and turning occurred so abnormally abrupt that there was no time to react. My wife and I both agree that the movement was so sudden and fast that it felt like the car was out of control. The fortunate thing was that we did not hit any other car or people or damage our building's structure. After the incident, I do not feel confident about the park assist pilot feature and will not recommend others to use it. We hope this report will lead to an investigation of the vehicle's park assist pilot system and prevent more serious accidents from happening to others. Even though drivers are advised to put their foot on the break during its use, it would be very helpful if the reverse speed could be automatically restricted to the advised 4mph. Additionally, the car has already been equipped with many sensors that prevent collisions during driving and manual parking. These sensors can readily be used to sense obstruction during park assist pilot and stop the vehicle when they are triggered. However, they have failed in our case to prevent the collision. |
| Category | Seat Belts |
| Date | Feb 28, 2018 |
| State | MI |
| Description | The seatbelt warning only sounds for a few seconds then goes silent and never sounds again. This occurs at engine start, and also if I unbuckle the belt while moving. This happens to the driver and passenger belts. I took the car to the dealership where I purchased it, they had it overnight and the next day told me that this is the way is was designed. I called volvo usa customer support and was told to take it to a dealer, and then began telling me that his volvo ( unknown model or year) did not do this. The car has 1,300 miles. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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