Volvo · S60 · 2012
8
Recalls
118
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2012 Volvo S60 has 8 recalls and 118 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: engine (42 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
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Rollover Resistance
10.0% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 S60 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 18, 2011, THROUGH JANUARY 28, 2011. THE MALE PART OF THE FUEL LINE QUICK CONNECTOR END SHAPE WAS PRODUCED WITH DIMENSIONS OUT OF SPECIFICATION, LEADING TO EXCESSIVE ASSEMBLY FORCE ON THE FEMALE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE LOCKING FUNCTION MAY NOT BE ENGAGED.
Remedy Status
VOLVO DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LINES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 24, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-201-768-7300.
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 S60 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 18, 2010, THROUGH MAY 5, 2011. THE SOFTWARE FOR THE FUEL PUMP UNITS MAY NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH ALL FUEL PUMPS AND COMPONENTS RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT FUEL TRANSFER IN THE PUMP UNIT.
Remedy Status
VOLVO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL UPGRADE THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE SOFTWARE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-201-768-7300.
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 S60 AND XC60 PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN INCORRECT MIXTURE OF UNDERBODY COATING AND OVER-APPLICATION CAN RESULT IN RIGID, ICICLE-LIKE AREAS HANGING FROM VEHICLES UNDERCARRIAGE.
Remedy Status
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE UNDERCARRIAGE, AND IF EXCESSIVE UNDERBODY COATING IS FOUND IN THE FUEL LINE AREA, IT WILL BE REMOVED. IF THE INSPECTION REVEALS THAT THE FUEL LINES ARE DAMAGED, THEY WILL BE REPLACED. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 25, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO CUSTOMER CARE CENTER AT 1-800-458-1552.
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 S60 vehicles manufactured June 22, 2010, through May 14, 2012, and equipped with 5-cylinder B5254T5 (VIN code 62) engines. In the affected vehicles, the vehicle may not alert the driver of a low oil pressure situation.
Remedy Status
Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software so that the driver is alerted should there be a low oil pressure situation, free of charge. The recall began on January 10, 2014. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this campaign is R29436.
Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2008-2016 V70 and XC70, 2007-2016 S80, 2011-2018 S60 and V60, 2016-2018 S60 Cross Country, 2014-2020 S60L, 2009-2015 S80L, 2009-2016 XC60 and 2015-2018 V60 Cross Country vehicles. The flexible steel cable that connects the seat belt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue over time, causing the seat belt to not secure the occupant in the event of a crash.
Remedy Status
Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt anchor cable for both front seats. The recall began December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10029.
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2012 C70 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 15, 2005, THROUGH JULY 31, 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 S60 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 14, 2010, THROUGH APRIL 16, 2011, THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL ACCESSORY SPARE TIRE KIT. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES DO NOT CONTAIN THE CORRECT INFORMATION FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL ACCESSORY SPARE TIRE AND WHEEL KIT.
Remedy Status
VOLVO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND INSTALL THE LABEL AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-201-768-7300.
Volvo Car of USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2011-2017 S60, S60I, V60, S60CC and V60CC vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Remedy Status
Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89978.
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 S60, XC60, S80 AND XC70 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 16, 2011, THROUGH OCTOBER 6, 2011. IN THESE VEHICLES, THE WIRE HARNESS UNDER THE FRONT SEATS MAY HAVE NOT BEEN ATTACHED PROPERLY TO THE SEAT FRAME. AS A RESULT, WHEN THE SEATS ARE MOVED TO ADJUST THE SEATING POSITION, THE WIRE HARNESS MAY GET PULLED, CAUSING IT TO DISCONNECT.
Remedy Status
VOLVO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, SECURE THE SEAT WIRE HARNESS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 12, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.
Engine has failed and is unrepairable. The car has been maintained well according to the manufacturer’s guidelines with regular oil changes. It has only 94,875 miles. The mechanic said that there is probably a piston gasket failure leading to oil leak into the engine. This appears to have been reported with this year/model vehicles. I would like Volvo to take ownership of poor manufacturing and fix the problem to my satisfaction.
At temperatures around 90* and higher the rear camera flickers and is unusable. This happens without any warning and when vehicle attempting to reverse.
While driving or parked water is dripping down my window shield. This obstructs my view and distracts me from driving. It further distracts my driving if I have to wipe away the water which usually leads to smearing which causes further obstruction to my field of vision.
The contact owns a 2012 Volvo S60. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she smelled a burning odor in the interior of the vehicle, after which the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact became aware that the engine was without oil; however, the low oil warning light was not illuminated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer nor an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V592000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
original windshield never replaced unglueing to the point where you can push the glass and have it move and minor seepage of water
The contact owns a 2012 Volvo S60. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the drive belt had failed, causing damage to the timing cover and other drive belts. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 62,000.
Surpintine belt shredded due to faulty belt tensioner. Shreds of belt wedged between crankshaft timing sprocket on engine causing engine to jump timing while driving down highway and vehicle lost all power and very hard to steer due to all valves in motor bent because of poor design. Definitely a safety concern. Volvo is aware but does nothing. 11,000 dollars to replace engine.
Discovered that my engine is burning oil. There was no warning from my vehicle or from Volvo (during regular maintenance) that this was happening. It was just sudden that the check engine light went on and I checked the oil and found that it was basically empty. Volvo confirmed that the engine is burning oil and that this model and make was discovered to have this engine issue. Volvo did not offer a solution other than to buy a new vehicle to replace this one. In my research online, this problem is common for this model and make 2012 S60 T5, may other have reported the same issue and it seems that there is a recall for this problem but my vehicle (VIN) does not report this to be a problem for my car. I’m not sure what to do.
The contact owns a 2012 Volvo S60. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the driver’s side rear door opened unintendedly without the driver touching the door handle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions when the seat belt tongue was inserted inside the buckle, the seat belt failed to latch properly. The contact stated that the latch plate latched securely after several attempts. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
These headlight assemblies commonly develop significant water ingress problems as they age. Owners report issues in wet climates even when these cars were relatively new, resulting in bulb ignition problems as water finds it way into the ballasts, resulting in high-voltage shorting. The water in the headlight housings also "fogs" up the forward lens, resulting in a poor distribution of light out the front, both poor for the driver and dazzling for oncoming traffic. The headlights can work fine for weeks or months, and then a wet week comes along and 1 or both headlights fail to operate or work but poorly and blind oncoming traffic. If caught after dark in the rain the headlights often fail to function. If this could be solved with new headlight assemblies for a reasonable price, I would not consider this a major safety issue, unfortunately, they are difficult to source, astronomically priced (~$1100 per assembly), and replacing them doesn't seem to fix this problem for many owners of these cars. The way these assemblies are vented from the factory seems to be problematic for water ingress and the position of the ballasts ensures that any significant water ingress causes the ballast to short internally. I believe that the atmospheric vent on these must be positioned in such a way that they suck water in as they cool if its raining. The all-halogen assemblies for these cars work better, likely because there's no ballast for the water to leak into and more heat from the bulb to quickly evaporate the water out of the same assembly design. The poorly designed housing is "saved" by the simpler electronics and thermal output of the bulbs. Unfortunately, different factory programming is required to run the all-halogen assemblies. A recall should be issued to replace all of these gimmicky (and distracting) "steerable" xenon headlights with the halogen versions, with the reprogramming effort included in the recall.
I have experienced the steering in my car to become looser over time. I have found the culprit to be a plastic tension cap on the steering rack itself. The cap appears to have stripped and backed out completely and is now resting against the subframe. There is no warning of this happening and very hard to pinpoint the cause. The effect is that there is about 10 degrees of play in the steering wheel. It appears that it only affects the left wheel as that one is loose and the right wheel is tight. I will be taking it to the dealer to see if there is a replacement or an upgraded version of this cap but feel this should be addressed further as this could happen without warning.
On June 2, 2023 I went to start my car and the engine would not turn over. The dashboard displayed a number of warning lights and messages (DSTC Service Required, SRS Airbag Service Urgent, Transmission Service Required, Coolant System Service Required). When the tow truck driver arrived later that day, they tried to jumpstart my car but reported the battery was completely dead. I had the car taken to a local shop that specialized in Volvo cars. A few days later the shop called to tell me that not only was the battery dead, but my car key was no longer responding, and that the Engine Control Module "exploded." None of the mechanics at the shop had seen such a thing before. The shop also told me that they could not figure out what had been draining the battery. I was advised to reach out to the dealership. I did and happened to meet with the general manager and a lead technician who happened to be on site. I was told that while rare, the Engine Control Module can "explode." I was willing to drop the matter until I started seeing "Low Battery" warnings in early Sept. of 2023. I was finally able to get the car into the dealership on 1/2/24. After talking with the mechanic, he suggested that the satellite radio in my car was continuously draining my battery and to resolve the problem all they would need to do is download new software. A few hours later the mechanic confirmed that my car needed an RDAR upgrade to stop the battery drainage. I do not understand how the dealership could sell me the car without checking to make sure the software had been upgraded in the first place. RDAR failure is not something that pops up as a recall or major safety concern. If the car had lost power while in motion, there could have been serious consequences.
I bought used s60 and sent car to auto shop due to engine seize . I was told The engine needed to be replaced. I has replacement done. Car ran good and I was pleased. Months later, the vehicle made a clicking noise when I arrived home. When I checked the oil the following morning, there was no oil in car. I was never given a low oil level indication or warning. Now car is making crazy tapping sounds. i
The contact owns a 2012 Volvo S60. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, an unknown belt fractured, and the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who informed the contact about diagnostic testing, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The steering wheel trim peeled and created a razor sharp surface at the bottom which sliced through my finger and caused pain and bleeding. It is difficult to avoid touching the sharp part of the steering wheel especially at highway speeds. This startled me while driving and distracted me while I attempted to stop the bleeding. Volvo has agreed to replace the trim but will charge for labor if I choose to go into a dealer.
The drivers seat belt to lock in place or unlock gets stuck ! Makes it very difficult to ge try out of my vehicle daily. This is a major concern if i am ever in an emergency and cannot get out of my seat
My wife and I were driving to BWI airport for a 10:30am flight from Virginia Beach in the Express Lane on I-95N going 75mph when all of a sudden at 8:30am the engine seized and I got a message telling me I would experience "Reduced Engine Performance" as my car puttered to a stop with white smoke pouring out of the exhaust. Prior to this message I had no warnings or messages on my dashboard. I got out of my car to check my oil and it was completely evaporated, so I called AAA. While we are 1 hour into waiting (it is now 9:30am) on the narrow shoulder of two Express Lanes for a tow truck to take our car to a shop at 11:40am and for a Lyft driver to figure out how to get to us, two VDOT employees told us we had to move our car by 11am otherwise the state police will tow us. I managed to call a local tow company who finally arrived by 10:55am, so we had been stranded in an Express Lane watching cars fly by at 85mph for almost 2 and a half hours before we were able to move. After the first shop took a look and told me the engine was damaged and that they couldn't replace it, I had it towed to a Volvo dealership. 5 days and a $375 diagnostic later, they find that the turbocharger has an internal oil leak and that this and the catalytic converter would have to be replaced for $6k. Aside from now being carless 4 hours from the dealership and missing my wife's birthday celebration without refund, I now have a $6,375 bill that I had no way of preventing due to a manufacturing design flaw in 2012 Volvo S60 T5. I SHOULD have been warned of a low oil situation so I could have at least pulled over and properly tended to it. I SHOULD NOT have to be liable for a Volvo design flaw that may involve faulty piston rings that has apparently affected countless others. This incident put both my wife and I in danger on an Express Lane on a very busy highway. Volvo needs to be accountable for this design flaw.
It looks as if my car should have been included in the 62Vin recall for engine sensor not stating low oil. Car started to knock and shutoff with no warning for low oil pressure. Diagnostic show oil was issue but even when completely drained car still does not display low oil which caused motor to blow. Contacted volvo and they would not add vehicle to recalls even though car year manufactured period and engine vin matched recall.
This in regards to a vehicle I purchased on March 30, 2021. It is a 2012 Volvo S60 T5 VIN #[XXX]. When I purchased the car it had 99,489 miles on the odometer and when the vehicle became an issue it was at 104,409 miles on the odometer. I purchased it on Craigslist from a physician in Maine. On December 1, 2021 my husband was driving the vehicle on the highway and it stalled without warning after almost crashing. He was able to pull over, start the car back up and drive it home. There were no warning alerts or check engine light that came on the dashboard. After browsing the internet, we realized that the car had a recall due to an oil consumption level issue in 2014 (Recall #R29436; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign #13V592000). I contacted Volvo of North America who opened up a case (case #[XXX]) and then had the car towed to Portland Volvo in Scarborough, Maine for an appointment on December 14, 2021. On December 15, 2021 Portland Volvo informed us that the vehicle’s engine was beyond repair. Later that evening I received an email from [XXX] at Volvo of NA stating that they would cover $750 of the repairs. I emailed her back asking her to wait for a quote from Portland Volvo on how much it was going to be to repair the vehicle. On December 16, 2021 I was informed by [XXX] at Portland Volvo that she spoke with the district manager and that a used engine costs between $10-14,000 and that Volvo of North America has decided not to help because the car is now out of warranty but [XXX] from Portland Volvo admitted it was a manufacturer's defect. Not only has the car been seen periodically throughout its lifetime at Volvo dealerships and was seen in July 2021 due to two recalls that needed to be fixed at Volvo in Exeter, NH. They did a multi-point inspection on the car and everything passed and only 3,500 miles had been put on the car since. I have all the paperwork proving all of this. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
On December 1, 2021 I was driving my 2012 Volvo S60 T5, that I purchased 3/2021 with 99,489 miles on it, on the highway and it stalled without warning after almost crashing. There were no warning alerts or check engine light that came on the dashboard and the car had 1,000 miles until the next oil change. After browsing the internet, we realized that the car had a recall because their vehicles were not warning the driver that there was low oil pressure allowing the driver to continue driving until the engine seized (Recall #R29436; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign #13V592000). The recall was repaired by Prestige Auto on 1/2014. I contacted Volvo of North America who opened up a case and then had the car towed to Portland Volvo in Scarborough, Maine for an appointment on December 14, 2021. On December 15, 2021 Portland Volvo informed us that the vehicle’s engine was beyond repair because of an unfortunate mechanical failure due to lack of lubrication. Later that evening I received an email from Volvo of NA stating that they would cover $750 of the repairs. I emailed back asking to wait for a quote from Portland Volvo on how much it was going to be to repair the vehicle. On December 16, 2021 I was informed by Portland Volvo that she spoke with the district manager and that a used engine costs between $10-14,000. Volvo of North America has now decided to retract their $750 offer to help because the car is now out of warranty but it was due to a manufacturer's defect. I spoke with Prestige Auto (the dealership who fixed the repair) and was told that if the repair was actually fixed then it would have done its due diligence and alerted the driver that there wasn't any oil pressure. I have also read articles on these kinds of issues and it states that a recall is to be repaired until it fixes the issue, and obviously the issue wasn't fixed the first time. I asked for an appeal, was denied and now Volvo wont respond back to emails or calls.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2012 Volvo S60 has 8 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 118 owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Volvo S60.
The 2012 Volvo S60 received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2012 Volvo S60 are engine (42 reports), electrical system (6 reports), steering (6 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 8 recalls on record for the 2012 Volvo S60. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.