2001 Volvo S80 recalls and problems

The 2001 Volvo S80 has 7 safety recalls and 164 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Volvo dealer.

Recalls

Complaints

164

Crashes / fires

7 / 2

Injuries / deaths

3 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2001 Volvo S80 vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2001 Volvo S80 recalls

Recall 21V-766: Air Bags

Reported Sep 30, 2021 · 259,383 vehicles affected · Volvo Car USA, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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.

Recall 20V-681: Air Bags

Reported Nov 4, 2020 · 54,124 vehicles affected · Volvo Car USA LLC

Problem: Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2003 S80 and S60 vehicles sold or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The driver side frontal air bag inflator may rupture, sending metal fragments into the passage compartment, when the driver side air bag is deployed.

Risk: Metal fragments can strike vehicle occupants increasing the risk of serious injury or death.

Fix: Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side air bag module, free of charge. The recall began April 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10058.

Recall 10V-566: Equipment

Reported Nov 8, 2010 · 416 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Problem: Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (Gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.

Risk: An overheated battery could lead to a fire.

Fix: 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.

Recall 09V-483: Fuel System, Gasoline

Reported Dec 18, 2009 · 158,733 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Problem: 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.

Risk: If the condition occurs vehicle owners may notice fuel smell and/or fuel leak which, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

Fix: 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.

Recall 06V-441: Vehicle Speed Control

Reported Nov 15, 2006 · 170,099 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, a combination of throttle positioning sensor irregularities, a dirty throttle housing, and/or inefficient software calibration may cause a warning lamp to light and the subsequent onset of limp home modes.

Risk: This resulted in a high number of vehicles going into the limp home mode without need.

Fix: Dealers will install the current software upgrade onto the involved vehicles. The recall began on december 29, 2006. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.

Recall 04V-451: Engine and Engine Cooling

Reported Sep 13, 2004 · 149,799 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Problem: On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, under certain operating conditions, some electric cooling fans may overheat potentially causing heat damage and, in rare instances, a fire in the engine compartment.

Risk: A fire in the engine compartment could occur.

Fix: Dealers will replace the cooling fan. The recall began on november 29, 2004. Customers should contact volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.

Recall 01V-100: Seat Belts

Reported Mar 26, 2001 · 3,276 vehicles affected · VOLVO CARS OF NA, INC.

Problem: Vehicle description: sedans and wagons. The rear outboard seat belt anchorage bolts may have been incorrectly tightened.

Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the anchorage bolts and tighten to the correct torque level. Owner notification began may 7, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.

2001 Volvo S80 problems reported by owners

Problem area	Reports
Vehicle Speed Control	64
Electrical System	39
Engine and Engine Cooling	27
Power Train	20
Fuel System, Gasoline	16
Suspension	7
Visibility	7
Unknown or Other	6
Steering	5
Seat Belts	4
Exterior Lighting	4
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	4

Most reported parts

Power Train › Automatic Transmission — 11
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine — 8
Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System — 5
Electrical System › Ignition › Module — 4
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control — 4
Suspension › Front — 3
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly — 2
Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch — 2

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 63,294 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 2001 Volvo S80 complaints

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

Air Bags · reported Oct 15, 2021

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2001 Volvo S80. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V766000 (Air Bags). The dealer had been notified about the recall; however, the contact was informed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was then notified and informed him that they were unaware of when the parts may have become available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnection.

Unknown or Other · at 52,000 miles · reported Aug 10, 2020

My car lurches forward when you are idling as well as driving. I was on a busy street when I pulled out into an oncoming line of traffic when the motor completely died leaving me in the middle of both lanes of traffic. After a time I was able to restart the vehicle. This has also happened in bumper to bumper highway traffic. As you are idling at an intersection or awaiting a train to pass, the motor races and then slows and also lurches ahead. Foot must be hard on the brake or I could rear end the vehicle in front of me. This vehicle has only about 65,000 miles and I have no idea why this is…

Air Bags · at 158,000 miles · reported Dec 2, 2017

On november 9th my wife was driving our 2001 volvo s80 to church. She parked the car but it began to move. It accelerated and she wound up driving into a tree to avoid hitting other cars. She was also worried that children from the school might be around. The car was in park. The engine was off. The emergency break was on. The steering wheel was tight, making it difficult to steer since the engine was off. The church secretary observed the incident. She saw smoke coming out of the back of the car which would indicate the emergency break was on. When she first reached the car with my wife in it…

Electrical System · at 150 miles · reported Oct 19, 2017

Takata recall" frist I called volvo to inquire about recalls referening to the cooling system and the fuel pump the first lady I spoke with informed me this problem was under recalls and to take my car to get it serviced at the nearest dealer after taking my car to the dealer at 7:15am 4hours later after I called them first they now are saying that there isn't anything they can do with my car and they do not know who told me that false information. On top of all of this my car accelerates by itself lucky when it happens I hurry and push the brakes and the car dosent start up once turning the…

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) · at 143,000 miles · reported Jan 3, 2017

Takata recall- the vehicle become non responsive when pushing the accelerator, the engine started running rough, the cruise control stopped working, the dstc (Dynamic stability traction control) failed and the engine coolant temperature stopped reading. The vehicle started stalling everytime I come to a stop. All this started at the same time while I was driving the vehicle.

Other Volvo S80 years

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Compare all Volvo S80 years · All Volvo models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2001 Volvo S80 have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2001 Volvo S80: 21V-766 (air bags), 20V-681 (air bags), 10V-566 (equipment), 09V-483 (fuel system, gasoline), 06V-441 (vehicle speed control) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2001 Volvo S80?

Owners report vehicle speed control problems most often (64 reports), followed by electrical system (39). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 63,294 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.