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1999 Volvo S70Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 205 owner complaints about the 1999 Volvo S70, most often about the vehicle speed control. It is covered by 4 safety recalls.

50
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.0× the S70 median · #2 of 3 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Free fix at dealersOwner complaints20524 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage80kVehicle speed control, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 1, 2017. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1999 Volvo S70 has problems

205 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Vehicle speed control663
Electrical system480
Engine and engine cooling401
Fuel system, gasoline180
Structure140
Air bags98
Exterior lighting90
Power train82
Service brakes, hydraulic60
15 other systems270

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

1999 Volvo S70 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 06V-441 · Nov 15, 2006 · 170,099 vehicles

Risk. THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Headlights: switch

Recall 04V-504 · Oct 21, 2004 · 97,000 vehicles

Risk. THE HEAD LIGHTS MAY NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WHICH COULD RESULT IN INTERMITTENT OR NO HEADLIGHT FUNCTION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Exterior lighting: turn signal

Recall 00V-405 · Dec 6, 2000 · 245,894 vehicles

Risk. THIS WOULD FAIL TO WARN AN APPROACHING DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE IS TURNING AND COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volvo.

Mileage at failure

When do vehicle speed control problems start?

80kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 53 vehicle speed control complaints. 64% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
1under 30k miles34under 100k miles19100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

10 owners mentioned a cost

$1,000median

Middle half: $925 – $1,425

Electrical system

9 owners mentioned a cost

$906median

Middle half: $900 – $1,000

Vehicle speed control

8 owners mentioned a cost

$1,000median

Middle half: $888 – $1,125

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1999 vs. every other S70 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the S70 median. How we score

'98'99'00'02
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

1999 Volvo S70 safety ratings

1999 Volvo S70 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1999 Volvo S70, and the recalls they led to.

  1. THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONEA05021 · closed Dec 12, 2006
    Led to recall 06V-441
  2. TURN SIGNALPE00031 · closed Dec 22, 2000
    Led to recall 00V-405
  3. THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONPE05041 · closed Dec 7, 2005
    No recall
  4. INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTPE99040 · closed Oct 27, 1999
    No recall
  5. HEADLIGHT FAILURERQ04004 · closed Nov 5, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-504
In owners' words

What S70 owners report

Recent vehicle speed control complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

WHILE DRIVING SPEED NEEDLE GOES BACK TO ZERO AS IF YOU ARE NOT MOVIN, SHOW NO MILEAGE NUMBERS N MILES YOU HAVE GONE OR ZERO TRIP MILES, MANY LIGHTON BREAKS, ABS ECT.ALL WHILE DRIVINGIF STOP WHEN TIME TO GO CAR THINKS IT IS IN PARK ALL THIS IS WHILE IN TRAFFICHAVE PIC CAN NOT DOWN LOAD BE GLAD TO…
Complaint 11042001 · Nov 1, 2017 · 117,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S70. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. IN ADDITION, ALL THE LIGHTING AND WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT…
Complaint 10904292 · Sep 7, 2016 · 120,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S70. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP AT A LOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE…
Complaint 10704156 · Apr 7, 2015

Own a 1999 S70?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.