1999 Volvo S80 Problems and Recalls (195 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1999 Volvo S80 is Cruise / speed control (21% of 195 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Cruise / speed control — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 195 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 1999 Volvo S80?

40 of 195 filings named Cruise / speed control (21% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Fuel system (27 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Suspension, Engine, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.

What to check before you buy a 1999 Volvo S80

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Cruise / speed control. Test cruise control and ask about unintended-acceleration reports on this year.
  3. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Cruise / speed control. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Cruise / speed control 40 complaints · 20.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 6
  • Fires 6
  • Injuries 4
  • Deaths 0
All Volvo S80 years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) appears in 40 of 195 owner complaints (20.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 40 complaints, 20.5% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 crash reports 40 · 20.5% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 27 complaints, 13.8% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 2 fire reports 27 · 13.8% Engine (ENGINE): 24 complaints, 12.3% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 3 fire reports 24 · 12.3% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 22 complaints, 11.3% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 22 · 11.3% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 17 complaints, 8.7% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 17 · 8.7% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 13 complaints, 6.7% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 13 · 6.7% Steering (STEERING): 13 complaints, 6.7% of reports Steering (STEERING) 13 · 6.7% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 8 complaints, 4.1% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 8 · 4.1% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 8 complaints, 4.1% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 8 · 4.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 102 complaints, 52.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 4 fire reports 102 · 52.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 40 20.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 27 13.8% 0 crashes · 2 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 24 12.3% 0 crashes · 3 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 22 11.3% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 17 8.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 13 6.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 13 6.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 8 4.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 8 4.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 102 52.3% 2 crashes · 4 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 1999; the first recall shown was reported in Aug 2000. 1999-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2000-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2000-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2001-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2003-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2003-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2004-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q3: 36 owner reports 36 2005-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2006-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2006-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 1999 Jul 2021 Recall campaign 00V238000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V238000 Recall campaign 02V096000 ◆ Recall campaign 02V096000 Recall campaign 04V451000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V451000 Recall campaign 06V441000 ◆ Recall campaign 06V441000 Recall campaign 07E023000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E023000 Investigation PE05041 ● Investigation PE05041 Investigation EA05021 ● Investigation EA05021
  • Campaign 00V238000 was reported 196 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 02V096000 was reported 587 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 04V451000 was reported 1,477 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 07E023000 was reported 2,373 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1999-Q4 Owner reports 2
2000-Q1 Owner reports 3
2000-Q2 Owner reports 3
2000-Q3 Owner reports 11
2000-Q4 Owner reports 4
2001-Q1 Owner reports 3
2001-Q4 Owner reports 2
2002-Q1 Owner reports 2
2002-Q2 Owner reports 4
2002-Q3 Owner reports 5
2003-Q1 Owner reports 5
2003-Q2 Owner reports 3
2003-Q3 Owner reports 3
2003-Q4 Owner reports 2
2004-Q1 Owner reports 9
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 5
2004-Q4 Owner reports 4
2005-Q1 Owner reports 3
2005-Q2 Owner reports 4
2005-Q3 Owner reports 36
2005-Q4 Owner reports 10
2006-Q1 Owner reports 7
2006-Q2 Owner reports 6
2006-Q3 Owner reports 3
2006-Q4 Owner reports 4
2007-Q1 Owner reports 2
2007-Q2 Owner reports 2
2008-Q1 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q3 Owner reports 2
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 5
2009-Q2 Owner reports 5
2009-Q3 Owner reports 2
2009-Q4 Owner reports 3
2010-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 3
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 3
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 00V238000
Recall campaign 1 02V096000
Recall campaign 1 04V451000
Recall campaign 1 06V441000
Recall campaign 1 07E023000
Defect investigation 1 PE05041
Defect investigation 1 EA05021
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (5)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Suspension, Engine, and Brakes.

  1. Recall campaign 00V238000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION COULD AFFECT THE BALL JOINT'S DURABILITY AND PERFORMANCE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 02V096000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    Consequence:
    SHOULD THIS OCCUR, THE ENGINE COOLING FAN COMPONENTS COULD OVERHEAT AND CAUSE THE MELTING OF ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND ADJACENT COMPONENTS, INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 1, 2002. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 04V451000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    Consequence:
    A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE COOLING FAN. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 29, 2004. CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 06V441000

    Safety recall 06V441000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 07E023000

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    Consequence:
    LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN RESULT IN POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    CARDONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE ANY DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDERS. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING APRIL 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CARDONE AT 1-800-777-4780.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 195 complaints · page 1 of 8
2021-07-31Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11427306
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The ETM is acting up for no reason available
2020-11-09Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11373728
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THERES A RECENT RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS OF THE 1999 S80 VOLVO THAT WE NEED OUR AIRBAGS REPLACED BECAUSE ITS A HAZARD THAT CAN LEAD UP TO DEATH. ALSO THE ELECTRICITY KEEPS ZAPPING DOWN FROM THE CAR CREATING NO STARTS OR VERY POOR DRIVING, I ALMOST WAS STRANDED BECAUSE THE CAR SEEMS LIKE IT WANTED TO SHUT DOWN ONE NIGHT I WAS GETTING OFF WORK, I HIT FULL GAS AND IT ONLY GAVE ME 3 MPH AND ALSO WHEN I MADE A RIGHT TURN ONE NIGHT FROM WORK I FEEL THE WHEEL FEEL LIKE ITS COMING APART FROM THE INSIDE OR LOOSENING I DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT IT FEELS AND SOUNDS ROUGH
2020-11-09WHEELS
NHTSA ODI 11373727
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHEN IM DRIVING AND HAVE TO COME TO A SLOW STOP IM HEARING THE MASTER CYLINDER SOUND LIKE ITS RUBBING AGAINST SOMETHING LOUDLY EVEN WITH THE APPROPRIATE BRAKE FLUID AND MEASURE IS FILLED WITHIN IT, ALSO THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWS HOT AIR DURING THE SUMMER CAUSING THE CAR TO FAIL DURING HOT WEATHER
2018-04-12Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11084691
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ECM
2017-10-18Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11034282
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE LEAKED FUEL ONTO THE GROUND. WALLACE VOLVO IN STUART, FLORIDA DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AS HAVING A MASS AIR FLOW FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY DON IMPORTS AUTO SERVICE IN VERO BEACH, FLORIDA. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER'S SEAT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A NEIGHBOR. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO WALLACE VOLVO IN STUART, FLORIDA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.
2016-01-31Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 10823300
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE WE WERE TRY I G TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE WE WERE TEST DRIVING IT A D CAME TO A FULL STOP AT A STOPLIGHT SIGNAL AND COULD NOT DOWNSHIFT VEHICLE INTO 1ST GEAR FROM A STOP AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS AT NORMAL RUNNING TEMPERATURE. CAUSING IT TO GO I TO A LIMP HOME MODE. SO WHILE WE WERE DRIVING WE NOTICED THAT THE FLOOR WAS SATURATED WITH ANTIFREEZE AND A SWEET ODOR FROM THE VENTS WAS NOTICED WITH A SMOKE . WE SERVICED THE TRANSMISSION WITHOUT SUCCESS . ALSO NOTICED AN NO OIL PRESSURE READ ON DASH ONLY WHEN WE WERE NOT IN ACCELERATION. THIS DISAPPEAR WHEN UPON ACCELERATION AND RETURNED WHEN IDLING. WE SERVICED THE OIL FILTER THE FLUIDS PERFORMED A MOTOR FLUSH FIRST AND REPLACED THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH. WITHOUT SUCCESSFUL REPAIRS AND CONTINUE OF THE CODE RETURNS AFTER PERFORMING A DRIVE CYCLE NUMEROUS TIMES. WE ARE CONVINCED THIS IS CAUSED BY THE RECALL #R155. THANK YOU FOR HELP IN REPAIRING THIS ISSUE UNDER THE NHTSA RECALL#06V441000. *TR
2016-01-14Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10820242
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OPERATE ROUGHLY AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER FIFTEEN MINUTES, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. IN 2007, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V441000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED EIGHT YEARS LATER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.
2014-07-15Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 10610714
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000.
2014-01-07Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 10558799
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR MONTHS NOW. THE CAR SHUTS DOWN AND WON'T RESTART! I BEEN TAKING OFF THE BATTERY AND LETTING IT SIT OVER NIGHT, THEN PUTTING CABLES BACK ON TO GET IT TO RESTART! TODAY I DROVE IT FOR A MILE AND PARKED IT AND WHILE IT WAS RUNNING IT SHUT DOWN AGAIN! MOST OF THE TIME IT SHUTS DOWN WHEN I'M DRIVING AND I LOSE BRAKE CONTROL! *TR
2012-09-04Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10473816
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS THE VEHICLE WAS BEING STARTED, A STRONG BURNING ODOR BEGAN TO CIRCULATE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IMMEDIATELY, THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED FLAMES EMITTING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE CONTACT THEN EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES PRIOR TO THE RECENT FIRE FOR A SEVERE OIL LEAK. THE TURBO OIL TRAP PCV WAS REPLACED EACH TIME. THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CONTACT ALSO REPLACED THE PART HIMSELF. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1999 Volvo S80?

Owners named Cruise / speed control most often — 40 of 195 reports (21%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1999 Volvo S80?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Suspension, Engine, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1999 Volvo S80?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Test cruise control and ask about unintended-acceleration reports on this year. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources