Reliability & cost of ownership
Volvo S80 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Volvo S80? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Volvo S80 problems by model year
81 recall entries and 953 owner complaints on file across 18 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 S80 | 2 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 S80 | 2 | 7 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 S80 | 1 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2013 S80 | 3 | 8 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 S80 | 3 | 8 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2011 S80 | 4 | 5 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2010 S80 | 5 | 27 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2009 S80 | 5 | 16 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2008 S80 | 7 | 25 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2007 S80 | 5 | 24 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 S80 | 4 | 12 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 S80 | 6 | 15 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 S80 | 5 | 50 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 S80 | 6 | 26 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2002 S80 | 5 | 42 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 S80 | 8 | 164 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 S80 | 5 | 318 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1999 S80 | 5 | 199 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Volvo S80, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- vehicle speed control227 complaints
- electrical system163 complaints
- engine and engine cooling142 complaints
- fuel system97 complaints
- gasoline92 complaints
- power train83 complaints
- suspension79 complaints
- service brakes64 complaints