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The Volvo XC60 was originally unveiled at the Motor Show in Geneva in 2008. It’s been available in the U.S. since 2009, as a 2010 model. And reportedly, it’s been Volvo’s best-selling car ever since.
But even the best-selling cars aren’t perfect, as Lemberg Law illustrates in a series of articles about the Volvo XC60 from 2018. We highlighted visibility, electrical system, and service brake problems from complaints we picked up about the 2020 model.
Click on other model years to view more problems: 2018 2019 2020 2022 2023
Contents
- 1| NHTSA Complaints for the 2021 Volvo XC60
- 2| Most Common Problems with the 2021 Volvo XC60
- 3| 2021 Volvo XC60 Forward Collision Avoidance Problems
- 4| 2021 Volvo XC60 Electrical System Problems
- 5| 2021 Volvo XC60 Steering Problems
- 6| What to do if your 2021 Volvo XC60 is a Lemon? Your Lemon Rights
- 7| Complaint Data
Don’t be stuck with a lemon. You have legal rights to cash, return or buyback.
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We've fixed thousands of lemon problems. Message or call 877-795-3666 today.
NHTSA Complaints for the 2021 Volvo XC60
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection | |
| Steering | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Engine | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Seats | |
| Visibility/wiper |
Issues that consumers are complaining about in 2021 aren’t exactly the same. But the electrical system is still a problem. Let’s take a closer look at issues that are identified in the records of the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Most Common Problems with the 2021 Volvo XC60
People complain about vehicles on many different platforms. But we are limiting this article to NHTSA complaints.
There are 8 complaints so far, covering a total of 12 problems. Forward-collision avoidance, the electrical system, and steering head the list of problems.
Interestingly, while the 51 manufacturer communications that alert dealers to problems and malfunctions, these are quite different to the consumer complaints. This is relevant because manufacturers are, by law, required to share the communications they have with dealers with NHTSA.
There are lots of electrical system notifications alerting dealers to failures and faults. None highlight the problem described in complaints. There are 3 that relate to steering, but a gain, they don’t relate to the steering complaints. Forward-collision avoidance, the most common complaint, doesn’t feature
There have been 3 recalls, but these relate to airbags, seat belts, and brakes. There are no complaints about brakes or seat belts, and only one about brakes. The latter involved a crash with injuries after the car accelerated and the brakes didn’t work.
2021 Volvo XC60 Forward Collision Avoidance Problems
There are 4 complaints that cite forward-collision avoidance as a problem. One complains that there have been several incidents while using Pilot Assist.
“The car has directed us to different lanes, steered us to guardrails and other cars, and has failed to brake when cars have stopped in front of us. We have taken the car into our local Volvo dealership multiple times and they have still not corrected the issues.”
Remarkably, the complaint states that they were told by a mechanic that this system isn’t a good one and “it will never operate correctly.”
Another describes two incidents in detail. In both cases, the dealership tested the car and, “No codes were shown during testing. I am afraid to drive this vehicle.” The owner of the Volvo XC60 goes on to say, “ I don’t want this vehicle. I want a vehicle that I have control over. This safety system has failed!! This system puts my life and others in danger!! The only explanation I received from (the) dealer was that this system works on a camera and radar. I was nonchalantly told a glare from a vehicle or road sign could cause this. This all is alarming to me. What is my recourse?!?! I am aware there were problems with the automatic braking in Volvos in 2019 & 2020. This was said to have been resolved through recalls.”
This is why we recommend working with a lawyer like Lemberg Law, which specializes in lemon law. If an issue keeps recurring, you probably have a lemon.
2021 Volvo XC60 Electrical System Problems
The 2 complaints on file about electrical system problems focus on the instrument panel shutting off and going black. As one complaint says: “This is unsafe and very dangerous. They just did a software update while it was in the dealership recently fixing an unrelated issue for a month. Now I have to try and get a video as they always try to claim they can’t duplicate issues… I always have to take videos and recordings now…”
2021 Volvo XC60 Steering Problems
There are also 2 complaints with NHTSA that relate to steering. Both found their experiences highly traumatic. They also both describe how the steering wheel went “stiff”. The other similarity is that they got the same notification on the dash.
“Power Steering Service Urgent, Drive to Workshop.”
When the steering doesn’t work, this is something many people are unable to deal with.
The most recent complaint states that their dealership replaced the sub-battery attached to the power-steering pump after they received an advisory notice. This seems to have solved the problem.
What to do if your 2021 Volvo XC60 is a Lemon? Your Lemon Rights
If your Volvo CX60 has any of these issues or any others that make you think you’ve bought a lemon, call our Helpline so that we can assess your problems.
If you’ve got a lemon, the law says Volvo must pay. So don’t delay. We helped lots of clients with settlements that range from money back to new or trade-in vehicles.
Complaint Data
| Category | Electrical System, Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 03, 2023 |
| State | SC |
| Description | 1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Blind spot sensor repeatedly malfunctioning. Vehicle generates "service required" message, and it appears that blind spot monitors fail to illuminate. Child safety locks also deactivate without driver input. Vehicle is currently available for inspection. 2. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Dealer has updated the software multiple times but has not attempted to assess the hardware. 3. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. 4. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Drivers side door buttons periodically do not illuminate and do not operate windows or locks. Vehicle cannot be locked at times, or only passenger side doors can be locked. Key fob and manufacturer app only work to lock the vehicle sometimes. Issues began approximately july 2022 and have repeated intermittently. Issues seem to be occurring more frequently and for longer. Issues have been particularly frequent and long lasting in the last week; vehicle last serviced at the dealer approximately 12/22/2022. |
| Category | Engine, Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 23, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | I've taken the vehicle back to dealership several times and they say nothing is wrong with it. The steering wheel vibrates at high speeds or when backing into parking spaces. Loud noise when backing into parking spaces, possibly brakes or steering. Engines unusually loud when starting up. Windshield just spilt all the way across when car was sitting for 5 days in august, not from rocks on road. Vehicle has unusually low mileage of 16-18 mpg city & hyw driving. Brakes are noisy- I thought they were crack when I purchased last year. These happened on multiple dates of which your system doesn't allow me to add. |
| Category | Electrical System, Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection, Seats |
| Date | Sep 27, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Without warning, car loses blis, electric windows and seats fail to work, ventilation system is inoperable. Supposedly fixed by dealer, but same issues have arisen within 60 days of repair. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Sep 19, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | I brought the car to the volvo dealer for my 20,000 miles service. They told me that the rear rotors and pads are worn and need to be replaced. The front brakes are fine. I think that this is a design flaw. No one expects the rear brakes to wear first, and certainly not after only 20,000 miles! |
| Category | Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection |
| Date | Sep 16, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The blis warning light has been malfunctioning and only displaying intermittently for several weeks. We were traveling from florida to massachusetts when we discovered the problem. We made arrangements for the car to be serviced twice, but they informed us they did not observe the issue during their test drive the first time. The second time they indicated that although the signal only activates intermittently, it is designed to function intermittently. We were informed that it will only activate if our car is going the same speed as the car we are passing or the car that is passing us. They subsequently advised the indicator will not activate if there is a 9 mph difference between the passing vehicle and the car being passed. We previously understood the indicator would be a signal or warning that it is not safe to return to the lane of the cars we are passing or move to the lane of the cars that are passing us. I have videos detailing what we perceive as the problem. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Sep 06, 2022 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Hi, I bought this xc60 in sep/2020 which is 2021type. In 2020 winter, after snowing the car's left(driver' window) doesn't work. I have searched the problem of wiper through on-line. I found the recall and then wrote on the manufacturer's online site & regular exam oil change volvo service. But, I didn't get the right answer. They just this is not a recall suv. When rainy days I can't see anything both of the wipers don't work and shows a warning of not working. It's too dangerous. I always bring a driver in order to open the window wiper cap. I have fixed it over 10 times. Today my wife drive this vehicle on a rainy day she was frustrated and fall into a dangerous situation. Both wipes don't work. Please review and fix it. |
| Category | Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection |
| Date | Aug 25, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The blis warning light has been malfunctioning and only displaying intermittently for several weeks. We were traveling from florida to massachusetts when we discovered the problem. We made arrangements for the car to be serviced, but the dealer informed us they did not observe the issue during their test drive and suggested we check the manual to read about blis limitations. We did that, but none of the situations applies in our case. The dealer did inform us that they downloaded and reinstalled the appropriate software, however the problem has not been resolved. The passenger side indicator works about 40% of the time and the driver side indicator works about 50% of the time. (I did two manual counts of this while traveling to come up with the stats.) we have another appointment scheduled and will request the mechanic or the service rep take a ride with us in the passenger seat so he or she can observe the problem. There were no messages or warnings that the function was not working properly. The first indication there was an issue came when we actually observed the problem when we were passing a trailer truck on the highway. Although we are able to drive without this feature, it is a problem and could cause and accident. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Jul 22, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Side impact curtain air bags only deployed on right side (side of impact), causing head concussion from hitting driverside window on left side. Vehicle has been towed for repair, but may still be available for inspection for a short time. Fire department stated airbags tried but failed deployment. Contacted dealer. Dealer said contact volvo north america. Volvo has yet to connect me to the right person or department. |
| Category | Steering, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 18, 2022 |
| State | MA |
| Description | In september 2021 on 3 occasions, my car's steering locked up while driving. I could not unwind my wheel from a turn. Each time nearly resulted in a collision with a garage ticket booth, a median, drifting into an oncoming lane. Ii slammed on brakes each time to avoid and accident or collision. It was frightening. This happened at low speed (approx. 10 mph), I had no warning indicators, and the wheel released after I stepped off the brake. I took the car to the dealer who could not replicate it; they suggested I keep all lane keeping aids off. They have since been off. This month of july 2022, this began to happen again: 4 times in one week. The last time I could not correct out of turn in the road and nearly resulted in a head-on collision at about 32 mph and I ended up in the approaching traffic lane. I was terrified and very shaken up. I returned to the dealer. This time, I googled the problem and found two instances of this same issue here: https://www. Carproblemzoo. Com/volvo/xc60/steering-problems. Php I shared this page with my dealer. Again, they could not replicate it. Also, the dealer could not find the volvo advisory about it. They did take me seriously however and replace the sub-battery to my power steering. Its been a week since this repair, and it hasn't happened in this time period, but I am still concerned. The dealers said they "can't report it to volvo" as "no warning code [issue] was indicated in the software/computer/system." (as no signals popped up on my dash). This is also disconcerting it can't be reported to the manufacturer. This may be related to power steering, electrical, or other. I felt in danger and at risk of injury or collision with my car. Yes, the car is available for inspection. I trust the dealer is trying to help and has been helpful, but I'm still wary of driving it without acknowledgement of issue from volvo or a fix from volvo. It feels risky. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Jul 16, 2022 |
| State | MA |
| Description | On three occasions in september 2021 the car's steering locked up while driving so that I was unable to unwind the wheel, nearly sending me into stationary objects or the opposing lane. After slamming on the brakes, the wheel released. These all happened at low speeds, around 10mph. No signals or warnings popped up on my display. This was very upsetting. The dealer could not reproduce, could find nothing wrong, and advised me to keep all lane keeping aids off. They have since been off. Four times last week of july 2022 this happened again, the last time sending me into oncoming traffic with multiple cars in both directions all nearly colliding at speeds in the 30-35mph I was crying and extremely upset, I've been in an accident before and this was triggering. My husband thinks the car is unsafe to drive. I returned to the dealer and cited two posts I found online of this same incident being reported with the same year and model car. The dealer could find nothing wrong again, but did believe me and did replace the sub battery to the power steering as one online public complaint cited a volvo advisory recommending this fix in this situation. My dealer could not find this advisory from volvo however. They also said there is nothing to report to volvo as there are no computer prompts, or something along those lines. At this point if it fails again we'll be pursuing the lemon law. I want to trust the car is fixed, but this is terrifying. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Jul 11, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | On june 30, 2022 our volvo xc60 was driven at high speed on I-80 in western ne at dusk in heavy truck traffic before a holiday weekend. With semi's on 3 sides, and no warning, the vehicle lost complete power. Driver fought the rapidly slowing car out of the left lane and limped onto right shoulder dodging semi's. Scary. Only a turtle 🢠icon appeared on the dash. Online owner's manual was not avail. There was no response to pressing on call or sos buttons. Using a phone, the volvo website said the turtle meant “reduced engine performance†told us nothing new. Stuck in nowhere land without any help, turned the engine off, waited 10 min. Restarted the engine which then appeared in normal op. Turtle had disappeared. Cautiously eased back onto I-80. 20 minutes later, now in wy, the power failed again. This time a yellow engine icon showed on the dash. Using hazard flashers, driver again moved to right shoulder and turned off the car. Again no response from call buttons. A call to dealership in il said it was closed and the dealer showroom in co said to drop off the vehicle that night. Restarted and tried again in the dark. Near cheyenne, volvo lost power 3rd time. An engine outline icon appeared. No help…made it to ft collins. We flew back home leaving a disabled volvo at ft collins dealer whose service rep said the “car was unsafe“ and not having a definitive cause after they ran diagnostics, asked if we wanted to “file a case with the companyâ€, and ordered a replacement fuel pump in hope it solves the problem. We immediately asked the case be filed and again 3 days later. By soliciting help from an il volvo dealership owner, we learn the case was not filed (never happened), and only maybe? The fuel pump is bad. We are now 11 days without a car which will need to be transported somehow back to us. Meanwhile we are 970 miles away, doubting this car's safe operation, and without confidence in the quality of technical service at fort collins dealer. |
| Category | Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Apr 22, 2022 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The car started to move and accelerate with brake pressed. Accident prevention system did not activate itself. It did not display any warnings as it typically do during parking and being close to other cars. The car caused an accident with mild injuries to the driver of the other car, but could have hit a pedestrian or go to the intersection and involved with an accident with a car moving perpendicularly at a higher speed. I am waiting for an investigator from volvo and travelers insurance. Prior to the accident the electronic display of the car started to malfunction. I have a video of the whole accident , but it is in mp4 format and thus I could not upload it. The dashboard camera's microphone picked some electromagnetic interference that increased as we got closer to the accident. Description of the accident: we pulled to a red light behind another car. After not moving for a few seconds, the car started to move on its own, accelerating and hitting the car in the front, continuing to move forward. I was able to put the shifter into the park, stopping it. The road conditions were good. Roads were dry. The sky were cloudy overhead. The vehicle is not drivable ( radiator leak ). The car behaved usually before the accident, except for some reason, for the first time, all the displays dimmed significantly ( it was hard to see anything, and I could not increase brightness ). The screens went back to normal brightness right before the accident. Also, the dashboard camera that recorded the incident, for some reason, picked up audio evidence of electromagnetic interference which was increasing as we were getting closer to the intersection. |
| Category | Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 23, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Today, my sensus in the center console, as well as my instrument panel that shows the map between the gauges, went black and switched my drive mode out of eco, shutting off my adaptive cruise control. Rebooted 2 times before becoming stable. I have a video, but your system doesn't allow me to upload the file type |
| Category | Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 17, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Today my sensus in the center console as well as instrument panel that shows the map between the gauges went black and switched my drive mode out of eco, shutting off my cruise cintrol and turned off my bluetooth phone call. Rebooted 3 times before becoming stable. This is unsafe and very dangerous. They just did a software update while it was in the dealership recently fixing an unrelated issue for a month. Now I have to try and get a video as they always try to claim they can't duplicate issues... I always have to take videos and recordings now... |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Nov 10, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | I purchased a brand new volvo xc60 t5 awd inscription 7/04/2021. On 9/22/2021 I was driving in the middle lane on interstate 20 located in dfw tx and entering a curve when suddenly and without warning the steering wheel went stiff (as if I had no power steering). I almost got into an accident, had I not been an experienced driver. A warning then displayed in the driver's information center "power steering service urgent, drive to workshop". The steering wheel continued to function as if I had no power steering until I arrived at work. I immediately called the dealership where I purchased the my suv and they got me scheduled with a loaner. It was a traumatic incident that caused me great deal of concern since my suv in brand new. Apparently volvo put out an advisory notice that the sub-battery attached to the power steering pump is having issues and the dealership replaced it. I have not had a similar experience since... |
| Category | Power Train:automatic Transmission, Service Brakes |
| Date | Sep 21, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The contact owned a 2021 volvo xc60. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle suddenly began to accelerate and the brakes failed to stop. The vehicle crashed into a nearby fence causing the vehicle to flip. The air bags did deploy. The contact received injuries to their right shoulder and left knee. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and had not been deemed totaled as of yet however, damage to the vehicle would be considered unrepairable. The dealer was informed of the incident however they were unable to assist. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 21, 2021 |
| State | IL |
| Description | I leased the vehicle in december, 2020. Periodically while the tailgate is open and I am underneath it, the tailgate has closed on me and hit me in the back. In february, 2021, the struts on the tailgate were replaced at patrick volvo, fort myers, florida, after I received a recall letter from volvo. On september 9, 2021 at approximately 11:00 a. M. (cst) I was under the opened tailgate and it closed three times in a row and hit me in the back. Each time that it hit me, it reversed direction and went back into the open position. I was not injured but my back was sore for the rest of the day. I brought the suv into patrick volvo, shaumburg, illinois. The service representative (sr) explained to me that there is a sensor under the rear bumper that will open and close the tailgate if you waive your foot under one specific location. Which is approximately two feet from the left edge of the bumper. The sr explained to me that I must have accidentally waived my foot under the bumper and the sensor caused the tailgate to close. He further advised that it could not be deactivated. On september 18, 2021, at approximately 10:00 a. M. I was sitting in the cargo area putting on my golf shoes. The tailgate started to close. I ran as fast I could and avoided getting hurt or injured. My feet were not capable of engaging the sensor as they were in front of the bumper. I have advised volvo customer service and patrick volvo of this new safety concern. Patrick volvo has stated to me that they have never had this problem on any of their suvs. They also do not know what is causing it. They are waiting for a loaner suv to come back to their dealership and then I will bring the vehicle in, so they can attempt to solve this safety issue. In the meantime, I have to be very cautious when the tailgate is open. My fear is not only that it will hit me, but more so that it will not reverse direction and close on me. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure: Assist, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 17, 2021 |
| State | NV |
| Description | This is in regards to pilot assist. My husband and I purchased this vehicle in may of 2021. We have encountered several incidents (while using pilot assist). The car has directed us to different lanes, steered us to guardrails and other cars and has failed to break when cars have been stopped in front of us. We have taken the car in to our local volvo dealership multiple times and they have still not corrected the issues. The first time we took the car in to the dealership, we were told (by the mechanic) it's not a good system and it will never operate correctly. They have checked the sensors and hooked the car up to the computer and said it's not sending off any codes, therefore there is nothing they can do. They have also test driven the car. The latest test drive, the mechanic left notes saying the car did start to drift in to the other lane but was corrected by the driver. However, he claims this is normal operation. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Aug 15, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I purchased a brand new volvo xc60 t6 on 7/18/2021. On 8/14/2021 I was driving on the far left lane on the 280s freeway and wanted to merge one lane to the right and as I was merging the steering wheel went stiff and caused me to lose control of the car. I almost get into a big accident with a tesla. Then I heard a sound and notice on the dash display "power steering service urgent drive to a workshop" sign. The steering wheel continue being stiff and I experienced pain in my left arm due to the steering wheel incident. I immediately called the dealership where I purchased the car from and unfortunately the service department is closed on weekends. I managed to drive slowly and drove back home with very limited control on the steering wheel. I used volvo on call and had the car towed to be brought back to the dealership. It was a quite traumatic incident that make me feel not confident to drive the car anymore. Is there any recall that I am not aware of for this car model? I emailed volvo customer care regarding this issue on 8/15/2021. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| Date | Jul 12, 2021 |
| State | MD |
| Description | On two occasions the automatic breaking/city safety engaged on my volvo xc60 2021 vehicle. In both incidences there was no need for this to happen. First incident (o/a june 25, 2021) occurred while changing lanes. There was traffic but said traffic was a safe distance in front of me. I was startled by the immediate hard stop breaking and safety belts tightening around me. No accident occurred. Only traffic behind me needing to break to avoid rear ending me. Even though shaken I continued on my way and put it behind me. Second incident (jul 7,2021) occurred in the i95 tunnel heading to baltimore. There was no vehicle directly in front of me. Only a vehicle vehicle at least 6 car lengths or more ahead. There was a tractor trailer beside me and vehicles behind me. Again the automatic breaking/city safety engaged. The vehicle came to a hard stop. I was shaken and even more frightened by what happened. No accident occurred. However, the vehicles behind me had to immediately break. I can't express enough how horrifying these incidents were, especially in the i95 tunnel. I called the volvo dealership where I bought the vehicle and took it in for service the next day. They ran diagnostics on the vehicle. No codes were shown during testing. I am afraid to drive this vehicle. I was told the automatic breaking/city safety cannot be turned off. I don't want to sound over dramatic but I fear for my life, my family and others. I don't want this vehicle. I want a vehicle that I have control over. This safety system has failed!! This system puts my life and others in danger!! The only explanation I received from dealer was that this system works on a camera and radar. I was nonchalantly told a glare from a vehicle or road sign could cause this. This all is alarming to me. What is my recourse?!?! I am aware there were problems with the automatic breaking in volvos in 2019 & 2020. This was said to have been resolved through recalls. Im worried and afraid of volvo xc60 2021! |
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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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