2012 Volvo S60 recalls and problems

The 2012 Volvo S60 has 8 safety recalls and 121 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Volvo dealer.

Recalls
8
Complaints
121
Crashes / fires
8 / 0
Injuries / deaths
13 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2012 Volvo S60 vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2012 Volvo S60 recalls

Recall 20V-378: Seat Belts

Reported Jun 30, 2020 · 308,260 vehicles affected · Volvo Car USA LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: An unsecured occupant has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Fix: 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.

Recall 19V-849: Latches/Locks/Linkages

Reported Nov 26, 2019 · 144,937 vehicles affected · Volvo Car USA LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Fix: 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.

Recall 13V-592: Engine and Engine Cooling

Reported Nov 22, 2013 · 30,929 vehicles affected · Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: Without being warned of a low oil pressure situation, the driver may continue to drive the vehicle until it stalls, which increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

Recall 12V-101: Structure

Reported Mar 14, 2012 · 2,742 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Problem: 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 vehicleâ’s undercarriage.

Risk: If this condition exists, the underbody coating may penetrate the fuels lines and cause fuel leakage, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: 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.

Recall 12V-075: Electrical System

Reported Feb 28, 2012 · 32,552 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Problem: 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.

Risk: In the event of crash, the front and/or side impact air bags may deploy improperly or not at all, increasing the risk of injury. Also, the lap belt pretensioner may not deploy.

Fix: 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.

Recall 11V-508: Equipment

Reported Oct 18, 2011 · 20,611 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Problem: 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.

Risk: A misprinted label could lead to improper tire inflation which could result in a tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

Recall 11V-311: Fuel System, Gasoline

Reported Jun 6, 2011 · 448 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Problem: 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.

Risk: If a vehicle exhibits this condition, the fuel line quick connector may detach and the engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. The customer may also notice a fuel smell and leakage. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.

Fix: 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.

Recall 11V-303: Fuel System, Gasoline

Reported Jun 1, 2011 · 8,179 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Problem: 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.

Risk: Under certain driving conditions, there may be engine hesitation and possible engine stall even though the fuel gauge indicates up to 1/4 of the fuel is left in the tank. This condition increases the risk of a vehicle crash.

Fix: 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.

2012 Volvo S60 problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Engine61
Electrical System17
Unknown or Other15
Seat Belts9
Steering8
Structure7
Fuel/Propulsion System7
Vehicle Speed Control6
Air Bags6
Service Brakes5
Power Train4
Latches/Locks/Linkages3

Most reported parts

  • Structure › Body — 6
  • Visibility › Windshield — 2
  • Electrical System › Ignition — 1
  • Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner — 1
  • Electrical System › Starter Assembly — 1
  • Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch — 1
  • Forward Collision Avoidance › Warnings — 1
  • Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 79,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2012 Volvo S60 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Vehicle Speed Control · reported Jun 23, 2026
Brakes , and vacuum booster, speed control I experienced a sudden acceleration phenomenon and reached speeds of 100+ mph I manipulated the brakes and the gas in order to safe my life I eventually got my speeds down but it was too late I was ejected from the vehicle and nearly died my brakes scrubbed and I pressed my brakes as hard as I could and my car continued to acceleration. The police has the vehicle and there were no warnings signs . I had just bought the vehicle and was on my way home from the dealership never made it home
Air Bags · reported Jun 7, 2026
The driver's side seat airbag system failed. Specifically, diagnostic trouble code SRS-B002011 was retrieved, indicating a circuit short to ground in the left side airbag deployment control system. The technician found a broken clip on the airbag connector housing, causing an intermittent connection failure between the connector and the seat airbag itself. The airbag cannot be relied upon to deploy in a crash. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I purchased this vehicle on May 10, 2026, and drove it as my primary means of transportation. During that time, the driver's side…
Engine · reported Apr 22, 2026
I experienced an engine issue that I believe is related to excessive oil consumption and the lack of an oil pressure light warning. The car was driven out of town when a noise was heard coming from the engine. A visual inspection of the engine revealed smoke coming from the engine department when the oil cap was removed. The dipstick was checked and showed no visible oil on the stick. Later in that evening, 3 additional quarts of oil were added to the engine but the addition of oil did not remedy the noise from the engine. The final result was that the car was towed to a Volvo dealership in…
Engine · reported Feb 22, 2025
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.
Back Over Prevention · reported Aug 14, 2024
At temperatures around 90* and higher the rear camera flickers and is unusable. This happens without any warning and when vehicle attempting to reverse.

Other Volvo S60 years

Compare all Volvo S60 years · All Volvo models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Volvo S60 have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recalls for the 2012 Volvo S60: 20V-378 (seat belts), 19V-849 (latches/locks/linkages), 13V-592 (engine and engine cooling), 12V-101 (structure), 12V-075 (electrical system) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2012 Volvo S60?

Owners report engine problems most often (61 reports), followed by electrical system (17). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 79,000 miles.

Are Volvo recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Volvo dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.