Your vehicle report
1998 Volvo S70
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 215
- Received Jul 1997 to Sep 2018
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up50 complaints · 23% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Headlights dim or fail at night15 complaints · 7.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Rear door latch fails to open or close13 complaints · 6.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V504000On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, the headlight switch may cease to function.
- Recall #00V405000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. There could be inadequate contact between the bulb and socket which could cause the front turn signal not to function as designed.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 10 crashes, 3 fires, 16 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 10 |
| 1999 | 43 |
| 2000 | 17 |
| 2001 | 17 |
| 2002 | 37 |
| 2003 | 35 |
| 2004 | 12 |
| 2005 | 18 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 215 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 50 | 23% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 15 | 7.0% | – | NHTSA recall #04V504000, #99V235000 |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 13 | 6.0% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 10 | 4.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 4.7% | – | |
| Turn signals work intermittently or fail | 9 | 4.2% | – | NHTSA recall #00V405000 |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 9 | 4.2% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 3.3% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 6 | 2.8% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Tail light sockets melt and burn | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 3 | 1.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V504000October 21, 200497,000 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: headlights: switch
On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, the headlight switch may cease to function.
The head lights may not operate properly which could result in intermittent or no headlight function. This could impair a driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
On vehicles with an original oem switch, dealers will replace the headlight switch. All other vehicles will be inspected to determine if the switch has een damaged and replace only if necessary. The recall began on january 24, 2005. Owners should contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
NHTSA recall #00V405000December 6, 2000245,894 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: turn signal
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. There could be inadequate contact between the bulb and socket which could cause the front turn signal not to function as designed.
This would fail to warn an approaching driver that the vehicle is turning and could lead to a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the left and right front turn signal bulb and socket.
NHTSA recall #99V235000August 30, 1999139,588 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: headlights: switch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, Can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.
Driver's could experience a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the headlight switch.
NHTSA recall #99V236000August 30, 1999124,381 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The frontal passenger air bag may be overly sensitive to certain electrostatic discharge.
This could possibly cause an inadvertent deployment.
Remedy
Dealers will install an additional ground wire in the passenger side to assure sufficient grounding.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Volvo S70.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN