Reliable Auto DB

2016 Volvo S60 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Volvo S60 holds 26 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most S60 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Front, Latch, and Buckle.

2012 Volvo S60
Photo by Arild Vågen, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

26

Per year

2

Recalls

4

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (8 of 26), then Electrical system (5) and Seat belts (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 S60 has 58 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2017 has 16 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Volvo S60. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall seat belts, front 2020-06-30 · NHTSA campaign 20V378000
Summary Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2008-2016 V70 and XC70, 2007-2016 S80, 2011-2018 S60 and V60, 2016-2018 S60 Cross Country, 2014-2020 S60L, 2009-2015 S80L, 2009-2016 XC60 and 2015-2018 V60 Cross Country vehicles. The flexible steel cable that connects the seat belt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue over time, causing the seat belt to not secure the occupant in the event of a crash.
Remedy Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt anchor cable for both front seats. The recall began December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10029.
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2019-11-26 · NHTSA campaign 19V849000
Summary Volvo Car of USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2011-2017 S60, S60I, V60, S60CC and V60CC vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Remedy Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89978.
Recall seat belts, front, buckle 2016-11-02 · NHTSA campaign 16V798000
Summary Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 XC90, S90, XC60, V60 Cross Country, V60, S60 Cross Country, S60, and S60 Inscription vehicles manufactured February 16, 2015, to August 22, 2016. On the affected vehicles, the front passenger seat belt buckle attaching stud may loosen, allowing the buckle to separate from the seat belt bracket. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages" and number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Remedy Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front passenger seat belt buckle stud, replacing the seat belt buckle as needed, free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89708.
Recall electrical system, wiring, fuses and circuit breakers 2015-09-02 · NHTSA campaign 15V555000
Summary Volvo Cars of North America, LLC. (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 Volvo S60, V60, V60CC, XC60, XC70, and S80 vehicles manufactured April 8, 2015 to August 19, 2015. In certain driving conditions when using the automatic engine stop/start function, the starter motor fuse may blow, preventing the car from restarting when necessary.
Remedy Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the existing starter motor fuse with a higher amperage fuse, free of charge. The recall began on October 26, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552 or by visiting http://volvo.custhelp.com. Volvo's number for this recall is R39574.

Complaints by component (26 total)

Engine
8
Electrical system
5
Seat belts
3
Structure
3
Visibility and wipers
3
Air bags
2
Wheels
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Powertrain
1
Service brakes
1
Speed control
1
Steering
1
Show 5 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120151201622017220182201910202032021220222202312024
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "In November of 2021, I purchased my dream car, a 2016 Volvo s60 Cross Country, proud to own a vehicle from a company known for their safe and reliable vehicles. In April of 2022, a class action case ([XXX], et al., v.…"
    Engine · filed 2024-10-03
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Volvo S60. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the SRS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who repaired the vehicle under NHTSA…"
    Electrical system, Seat belts, Air bags · filed 2023-06-01
  • "The alternator seized on the highway snapping the serpentine belt which got sucked into the timing and stopped the car in the left lane at highway speed. The timing guard failed allowing the belt to damage the timing.…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2023-04-29
  • "Driver door latch not engaging. Door opened at low speed."
    Unknown or other · filed 2022-09-03
  • "At 86K miles can smell oil burning and add 1 quart light comes on. It's said Volvo is aware of a defect with the piston rings causing oil to consume and burn away. They aren't willing to address the issue outside…"
    Engine · filed 2022-08-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Volvo S60 4 DR AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 Volvo S60 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
S60 all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 18 27 21 MPG $3100
S60 all-wheel drive 2.5L, 5-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $2800
S60 all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 22 31 25 MPG $3200
S60 CC all-wheel drive 2.5L, 5-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $2800
S60 front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 23 32 27 MPG $2950
S60 front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 26 37 30 MPG $2150
S60 Inscription all-wheel drive 2.5L, 5-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $2800
S60 Inscription front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 25 37 29 MPG $2250
S60 PoleStar all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 18 27 21 MPG $3100

Specs and fitment

Second generation (P3), 2012–2018
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (2.0L); 0W-30/5W-30 (2.5L and 3.0L) , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 215/50R17, 235/45R17, 235/40R18, 235/40R19 or 245/35R20 (trim-dependent) front / 215/50R17–245/35R20 (trim-dependent) rear

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V849000 covers certain 2011-2017 S60, S60I, V60, S60CC, and V60CC vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, making doors difficult to latch or leading an occupant to believe a door is closed when it is not; an unlatched door can open while the vehicle is moving. Recall 20V378000 covers certain 2011-2018 S60 and V60 vehicles (among other Volvo models). The flexible steel cable that connects the seat belt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue over time so the belt does not secure the occupant in a crash.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Volvo S60 Next year 2017 Volvo S60 See every Volvo S60 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Volvo S60 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Volvo S60 holds 26 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most S60 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Front, Latch, and Buckle.

What are common problems with a 2016 Volvo S60?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (8 of 26), then Electrical system (5) and Seat belts (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2016 Volvo S60 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 S60 has 58 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2017 has 16 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Volvo S60 been recalled?

The 2016 Volvo S60 has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Volvo S60?

Owners have filed 26 complaints about the 2016 Volvo S60 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Volvo S60 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Volvo S60 is 24.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Volvo S60 use?

Earlier models commonly list 0W-20 (2.0L) or 0W-30/5W-30 (2.5L/3.0L); SPA 2.0L models commonly list 0W-20 (~5.9 qt with filter).

What tire sizes does a Volvo S60 use?

OEM sizes commonly include 215/50R17 through 245/35R20 on earlier cars and 235/45R18 or 235/40R19 on SPA models.

What door-latch recall covers certain S60 models?

Recall 19V849000 covers certain 2011-2017 S60, S60I, V60, S60CC, and V60CC vehicles where a door-latch component may break.