Reliable Auto DB

2016 Volvo XC60 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Volvo XC60 holds 38 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most XC60 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Front, Buckle, and Fuses and circuit breakers.

2012 Volvo XC60
Photo by Alexander Migl, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

38

Per year

2

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (15 of 38), then Seat belts (6) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports a fire.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 XC60 has 47 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2017 has 16 complaints, 2 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer 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 XC60. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

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 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 (38 total)

Engine
15
Seat belts
6
Electrical system
3
Service brakes
3
Air bags
2
Engine and engine cooling
2
Exterior lighting
2
Equipment
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Powertrain
1
Seats
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 4 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201622017220181201922020520213202272023520249202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the low oil warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into a gas station, exited the vehicle, raised the hood of the vehicle, and…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-07-01
  • "Oil consumption has become a major issue and I am putting oil in every 1000 miles! I bought the vehicle certified pre owned in October 2023 and the oil light was consistently coming on early. However, it has since…"
    Engine · filed 2025-12-23
  • "appears to be significant electrical issue or internal computer issue causing a safety issue"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2025-10-25
  • "The component that failed was the oil consumption. I noticed it seemed to be using more oil than should be normal. It didn't seem to do it overnight. It seemed gradual, but over a short period of time, bc I haven't had…"
    Engine · filed 2025-10-23
  • "Volvo xc60 sunroof drains clog and leak. Sunroof maintenance is not mentioned in owner's manual, and dealer does not clear drains during regular service unless specifically asked to. Leak causes damage to electronic…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2025-09-05

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Volvo XC60 SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Volvo XC60 SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 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
XC60 all-wheel drive 2.5L, 5-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 19 26 21 MPG $3100
XC60 all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 19 27 22 MPG $3650
XC60 all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 17 23 20 MPG $3250
XC60 front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 23 30 26 MPG $2500
XC60 front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 29 24 MPG $3300

Specs and fitment

First generation XC60, 2012–2017
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20, 0W-30 or 5W-30 (engine-dependent; ~5.7 qt with filter on typical fills) , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 235/60R18 or 255/45R20 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V220000 covers certain 2018-2019 Volvo XC60 and S90 vehicles. Driver and passenger front seat rail rear flange nuts may not have been installed during assembly, which can allow the seat to move in a crash and increase injury risk. Recall 19V046000 covers certain 2018-2019 XC60 vehicles where tailgate lifting arms may freeze in cold conditions and separate from the gas struts when the tailgate is opened.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Volvo XC60 Next year 2017 Volvo XC60 See every Volvo XC60 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Volvo XC60 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Volvo XC60 holds 38 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most XC60 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Front, Buckle, and Fuses and circuit breakers.

What are common problems with a 2016 Volvo XC60?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (15 of 38), then Seat belts (6) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports a fire.

Is the 2016 Volvo XC60 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 XC60 has 47 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2017 has 16 complaints, 2 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Volvo XC60 been recalled?

The 2016 Volvo XC60 has 3 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 XC60?

Owners have filed 38 complaints about the 2016 Volvo XC60 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Volvo XC60 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Volvo XC60 is 22.6 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Volvo XC60 use?

First-generation models commonly list 0W-20/0W-30/5W-30 (~5.7 qt); SPA models commonly list 0W-20 (~5.9 qt).

What tire sizes does a Volvo XC60 use?

OEM sizes commonly include 235/60R18 and 255/45R20 on earlier cars and 235/60R18 through 265/35R22 on SPA models.

What seat-rail recall covers certain XC60 models?

Recall 19V220000 covers certain 2018-2019 Volvo XC60 and S90 vehicles where front seat-rail rear flange nuts may not have been installed during assembly.