1999 Volvo S80 problems
NHTSA has received 288 complaints about the 1999 Volvo S80, and 18% of them involve cruise control. After that come engine (13%) and electrical system (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 288 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Cruise control 18% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 7 and 8
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 76,000 miles 168 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 11 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 8 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 21 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 52 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 22 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 20 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 17 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 11 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 5 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 168 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 76,000 miles. For cruise control specifically, the median reported mileage is about 84,000 miles (39 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 7 complaints mention a crash; 8 complaints mention a fire; 4 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1999 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 10 model years of the Volvo S80 with enough data (131 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Dealer advised car had a defective steering rack, which was replaced along with associated "o" rings. Eleven days after warranty work was completed, owner was driving vehicle when the car caught on fire. Fire was attributed to a "crimped" o-ring. Dealer replaced the o-ring and has been test driving vehicle since then. The o-ring has crimped again recreating the same scenario. Owner is now in the middle between dealer and volvo pointing fingers at each other.
Car was parked. Fire started under hood. Appears to be an electrical short. Car was considered a "total" by the insurance co.
Dt: the contact states while driving on the interstate the vehicle accelerated and experienced a loss of power. The engine did not stall, but operated at a reduced speed. The engine slowly resumed power and the contact was able to proceed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the problem was with the electronic throttle control module. Volvo offered no cost assistance. The consumer had the etm replaced. Updated 12/27/2005.
Air bag light came on. Had the car checked by a volvo service garage. The technician said that the SRS (supplemental restraint system) module needs to be replaced. I was informed the pyrotechnics in the seat belt system and the front air bags do not work until the module is replaced and programmed. The re-programming is a 'dealer only' service. This is a permanent safety failure which has life or death consequences if I am ever involved in an accident. Not corrected as of 03/08/10.