Your vehicle report
1999 Volvo S80
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
- 199
- Received Nov 1999 to Jul 2021
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power14 complaints · 7.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving13 complaints · 6.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline11 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #06V441000On 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.
- Recall #04V451000On 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.
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: 6 crashes, 6 fires, 4 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 18 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Ball joints wear out and fail
- Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps
- Power steering rack leaks fluid
1 more problem
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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 2 |
| 2000 | 21 |
| 2001 | 5 |
| 2002 | 11 |
| 2003 | 13 |
| 2004 | 19 |
| 2005 | 55 |
| 2006 | 20 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 10 |
| 2009 | 15 |
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2011 | 7 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 199 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 14 | 7.0% | – | NHTSA recall #06V441000 |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 13 | 6.5% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 11 | 5.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 10 | 5.0% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 8 | 4.0% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 3.5% | – | NHTSA recall #04V451000 |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 7 | 3.5% | – | NHTSA recall #00V238000 |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 6 | 3.0% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 6 | 3.0% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 5 | 2.5% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 5 | 2.5% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 3 | 1.5% | – |
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 #06V441000November 15, 2006170,099 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #04V451000September 13, 2004149,799 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #02V096000April 7, 200225,876 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan
On some passenger vehicles, certain electric cooling fans could be inadequate in a hot climate. Under certain circumstances, excessive heat could be generated.
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.
NHTSA recall #00V238000August 24, 200049,488 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Over time, the ball joint between the front wheel king pin and the suspension link arm, Can experience increased looseness.
This condition could affect the ball joint's durability and performance.
Remedy
Dealers will replace both front ball joints.
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 1999 Volvo S80.
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