2004 Volvo S60: problems, recalls and reliability
6 recalls and 198 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (26% of complaints); the 2003 and 2005 and 2006 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 2021
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 198 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“2004 VOLVO S60 PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN SEPT 04. On 7/8/24 STRANDED AT 7-11 CAR WOULDN'T START. ACTING AS IF THERE WAS POWER LOSS, AC WENT OFF, BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT ON PANEL, POWER WINDOWS AND LOCKS DID NOT WORK, TEMP 105 OUTSIDE , THEN DRIVER PANEL WENT BLACK., I WAS SCARED. ENGINE WOULDN'T START. FINALLY, AFTER WAITING 10 MINUTES...IT STARTED RUNNING BUT WAS SLUGGISH. RADIO WAS ON, POWER DOOR, LOCKS, AND WINDOWS, DID NOT WORK. CUT THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, ALL POWER RETURNED, NOW CHECK ENGINE AND AIR BAG TROUBLE ON PANEL. CALLED VOLVO DEALER NEXT DAY NEAR MY HOME, THEY CAN NOT SEE MY CAR TIL NEXT WEEK TUESDAY. CAN NOT ACCESS ENGINE BOX, MUST GO TO DEALER.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2024
“The contact owns a 2004 Volvo S60. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the instrument panel would not illuminate or operate. During the failure, the fuel gauge, speedometer, odometer, and other information was unavailable to the driver. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 157,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2021
“Driving home from church,, smoke started coming from the drivers seat,from the heated seat. Burned a hole thru the leather . Was able to turn off the switch and put some snow into the golf size hole and pulled the fuse to the elect heat switch. No further damage was noticed .city street. The hole is about 11/2 in below left side beading and closer to front of seat. Leather seat in very good codition and non smoker. Garage keep.”Owner report · Seats · Mar 2021
Show 7 more owner reports
“Yes my passenger side seat belt just randomly locked up. My car has never been in any crashes I didn't stop short for it to lock up. I went to put it on and it would only pull half way out and then when it went back it it stuck. It won't come out at all at all now. I can't pass inspection without it working.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Nov 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo s60. The contact stated while attempting to make a left turn, another vehicle intersected her line causing impact to the front driver's side. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated prior to the accident. The contact stated no one sustained injuries or sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle failure had not been diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or independent mechanic. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 162,000. *ln*jb”Owner report · Air Bags · Mar 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo s60. The contact stated that while stationary, the engine caught fire. The contact stated that smoke entered into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and opened the hood, and the engine was surrounded by flames. A police or fire department report was not filed. An independent mechanic extinguished the fire. There were no injuries sustained. A dealer was not made aware of the fire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the fire. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.”Owner report · Engine · Nov 2018
“I just recently went to a dealer for a gas fuel leak. They noticed a crack in the holder. The mechanic also asked me to check for a recall before fixing due to this being a common problem with some volvos. I am also noticing there is a powersteering leakage somewhere because im constantly putting in powersteering. Please take my complaint in consideration due to it being life threating and I have children who I have to carry around in that vehicle. If its a defective equitment on volvo im asking for immediate replacement. For safety”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jul 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo s60. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled and was pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted and there were no warning indicators illuminated. The failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2017
“Fuel pump leaked. Smell gas. Scared it may catch fire. Expensive repair. Volvo is refusing to honor recall because (1) vehicle purchased in nj (though has spent life in va) and (2) work done at non-volvo mechanic. Due to the severity of the issue, I took it to the nearest mechanic rather than risk driving it to dealer and having it catch fire.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jan 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo s60. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled and the check engine light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and resumed driving. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2015
When filing, owners marked a crash in 12 of these complaints and injuries in 8 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 6 campaigns
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2006 S80 and 2001-2009 S60 vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10125.
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.
Remedy: VOLVO ADVISES OWNERS TO PLEASE STOP USING THE GARMIN PORTABLE GPS DEVICE IMMEDIATELY, AND VISIT THE GARMIN WEBSITE TO DETERMINE IF THEIR UNIT IS AFFECTED. THE UNIT'S BATTERY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW BATTERY AND A SPACER WILL BE INSERTED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY NEXT TO THE PCB. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN AT 866-957-1981 OR VISIT GARMIN'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GARMIN.COM/NUVIBATTERYPCBRECALL.
CERTAIN CARDONE MASTER CYLINDERS WITH PART NUMBERS 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987MZA, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, AND 11-3156, AND WITH DATE CODES LOWER THAN DCA7078 SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE SEAL ON MASTER CYLINDER CAN FAIL AND LEAK BRAKE FLUID.
Remedy: CARDONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE ANY DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDERS. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING APRIL 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CARDONE AT 1-800-777-4780.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR LOCATED ON THE LEFT END OF THE FUEL RAIL MAY, AT TIMES, TRANSMIT INCORRECT SIGNAL REGARDING THE FUEL PRESSURE TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. IF THE SIGNAL IS OUTSIDE OF THE PRE-PROGRAMMED ALLOWABLE LIMITS, A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE MAY BE SET AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON. THE SOLDERED JOINTS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD OF THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR MAY CRACK DUE TO TEMPERATURE CHANGES AND EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 29, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED CORRECTLY AND, AS A RESULT, THE STUD AND NUT THAT SECURE THE ARM TO THE SPINDLE MAY LOSE THEIR INITIAL AXIAL TENSION. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE STEERING MAY BECOME LESS RESPONSIVE AND THE DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE STEERING WHEEL PLAY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW TYPE OF NUT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 16, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001-2005 S80, MODEL YEAR 2001-2004 V70, S60, XC70 AND MODEL YEAR 2003-2005 XC90 VEHICLES SOLD IN OR REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, NORTH CAROLINA, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VIRGINIA AND THE U.S. TERRITORIES. WHEN EXPOSED TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS (HOT CLIMATE AND TEMPERATURE CYCLING) OVER TIME AND IN COMBINATION WITH VARYING FUEL QUALITY, THE FUEL PUMP CAN DEVELOP CRACKS IN THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL PUMP INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE, AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP WITH A PART OF A MODIFIED DESIGN. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Check your exact S60 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Volvo S60 reliable?
NHTSA has 198 owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns on record for the 2004 Volvo S60. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (26% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2004 Volvo S60 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 80,125 miles or less.
Does the 2004 Volvo S60 have open recalls?
6 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.