CSR
Check a VIN

Look up

About

Volvo · NHTSA safety record

2021 Volvo S60

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 8 safety complaints about the 2021 Volvo S60 with the US government. Of those, no death is recorded. 3 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 4 complaints, 50% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers May 2021 to August 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

8 complaints on file

8

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 · 50%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 38%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 · 38%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 25%
ENGINE 1 · 13%
STEERING 1 · 13%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 8.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 3.

4 3 2 1
21 22 23 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026 , the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2021 Volvo S60. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

3 on file

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

25V179000 · March 24, 2025

The defect
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2020-2021 S90, 2020-2022 S60, V60, XC60, XC90, and 2022 V90 plug-in hybrid vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery module when the battery is fully charged and the vehicle is parked.
The risk
A short circuit in a high-voltage battery increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles until the remedy has been completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the high-voltage battery module as necessary. In addition, dealers will update the software to monitor the battery. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 28, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10312.

Volvo Car USA, LLC · up to 7,483 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

23V780000 · November 21, 2023

The defect
Volvo Car USA, LLC. (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2024 S60 vehicles. The passenger air bag may not be secured properly, which can cause the air bag to deploy improperly.
The risk
An air bag that does not deploy properly in a crash increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and tighten the bolts securing the passenger air bag, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 5, 2024. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10254.

Volvo Car USA, LLC · up to 346 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

21V682000 · September 1, 2021

The defect
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021 XC40, XC 40 Recharge, V60CC, V90, V90CC, XC90, and 2021-2022 V60, XC60, S60 vehicles. The seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 13, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10111.

Volvo Car USA, LLC · up to 19,149 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Pedestrian alert sounds

DP22005

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical system

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Air conditioning evaporator core is leaking refrigerant into cabin

NHTSA complaint 11738038. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The high voltage coolant heater failed. It will not heat when running solely on battery. Defrost therefore will not get warm to clear windshield

NHTSA complaint 11721000. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2021 Volvo S60 T8 AWD, VIN [XXX] , ~71k miles Component: SUNROOF / DRAINAGE SYSTEM / ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Summary: Water entered the passenger compartment through clogged sunroof drain hoses and accumulated under the front passenger seat, causing catastrophic failure of wide angle module (WAM) and related electronic components (incl. front camera and wipers). Description: After moderate rain, a large amount of water was discovered under the front passenger seat. The vehicle began displaying multiple warning messages (camera faults, wiper faults). The authorized Volvo retailer diagnosed failure of the WAM and other modules due to water intrusion originating from the sunroof drainage system.

NHTSA complaint 11701998, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Tire has a defect

NHTSA complaint 11676297. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
I believe that there is a material or design defect in the front brakes of this car that is leading to the premature failure of the front brake rotors. Two sets of front brake rotors have been replaced on the car due to excessive warping in the first 15K miles of operation. I purchased the car in June 2022 as a certified used car with roughly 9K miles on it. As soon as I drove it I could tell the brakes had a problem due to a high vibration level in steering wheel and throughout the car upon brake application above 30 mph. The dealer agreed and replaced the front rotors. The replaced parts were retained by the dealers under Volvo's warranty terms In November 2023, after roughly 4500 miles

NHTSA complaint 11560138, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
My car developed a severe shake in the steering wheel and pulsing in the brake pedal while under braking. The problem has worsened to the point that braking at high speed creates a serious shaking. I took the car to the dealership and they diagnosed the problem as warped rotors. The car started this with less than 15000 miles on the car. The dealer contacted Volvo to fix under warranty due to the defective parts. Volvo declined to fix the rotors because they are a "wear item". This is not normal wear. In fact, during the inspection (10/8) it was noted that the pads still have plenty of life and would not need to be replaced. If the situation were that I had worn out the pads and rotors, I

NHTSA complaint 11494338, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Volvo S60

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 20 3 —
2022 15 4 —
2020 11 4 —
2019 25 4 —
2017 15 5 —
2016 25 4 —
2015 57 2 —
2014 25 3 —
2013 86 4 —
2012 121 8 —

Other 2021 Volvo models

XC40 51 XC60 46 XC90 33

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Volvo on this site — 71 vehicles, 319 recall campaigns and 0 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst