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Volvo S60Model year report

2013 Volvo S60 Problems

Compared with other Volvo S60 years

More complaints than typical for this model

67/100 1.5× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2014, 2016

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
87filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
53,000miles, 55 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
24 mpgcombined, 2.5L 5-cyl FWD · 21 city / 30 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2013 Volvo S60 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2013 S60 most often write about engine oil consumption: many report adding quarts of oil between changes and, in some cases, the oil pressure warning arriving late or not at all. Door latches that are hard to close, transmission jolts at low speed, and air bag concerns after collisions also appear. Complaints are spread from low mileage to well past 100,000 miles, with the oil reports clustering in the 65,000-120,000 mile range.

  1. Engine

    Excessive oil consumption / low oil warning

    • 31 complaints (36%)
    • median 86,000 mi at 7.1 yrs old (15 state mileage)
    • filed 2018–2024

    Owners describe the car using several quarts of oil between scheduled changes, with no leak found on the ground or by a mechanic. Some report the oil pressure message appearing only when the level is already very low, sometimes while turning, and a few describe engine knocking or a stalled engine afterwards. Complaints mention dealers and independent shops identifying piston ring related consumption, and Volvo service journals on high oil consumption and oil consumption testing are referenced. Mostly reported between roughly 48,000 and 120,000 miles, with several owners noticing it within a couple of years of ownership.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the oil level on the dipstick and ask for oil change and top-up records; a consumption test is the documented way to measure it. Ask whether any related warranty extension or consumption test has already been performed on the car.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving on the highway to work on 12/3/18 my vehicle driver information center displayed a message of no oil pressure - park safely . As I attempted to pull to the shoulder of the highway the engine started knocking very loudly and shutdown! The engine now has catastrophic failure, with a terrible knocking if the engine is started. It cannot be driven!”

    NHTSA complaint #11157262, filed 2018-12, 120,000 miles

    “The car has been having an oil consumption issue. Trying to stay ahead of it, I was changing the oil every 5k with full synthetic. While driving on the highway, the car started vibrating, I received a message reduce speed or shift up , and a blinking check engine light. Ultimately due to the high oil consumption I had a bent value and no compression out of the 4th cylinder. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11298184, filed 2020-01, 103,000 miles
  2. Other or unknown

    Doors hard to latch or opening while driving

    • 8 complaints (9%)
    • median 67,500 mi at 6.9 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2017–2021

    Owners report doors that will not latch normally, a door ajar indicator lighting up, or a door that opened on its own while driving. Some describe the door needing to be slammed to stay shut, and one owner reported the trunk or driver door not responding to the key fob. Complaints also mention waiting on parts for the door latch recall, with the dealer unable to say when they would arrive. Reported from about 53,000 to 72,000 miles in the sample, on cars several years old.

    Recall 19V849000

    What to check: Open and close every door several times and watch for a door ajar light; ask whether recall 19V849000 was completed and whether the latches were replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Vehicle was stationary when I did notice the driver's side does not lock properly (car does not beep when locking as usual). In order for the door to lock properly, the driver's door needs to be closed much harder than usual, technically slammed shut. In order to open the driver's side of the door, I need to either use the manual key or enter through the passenger door, propping open the door that way. This is causing a safety/security concern, as I need the vehicle to be locked at all times.”

    NHTSA complaint #11297882, filed 2020-01, 48,700 miles

    “I received two safety recall notices (march and april) for recall r89978. The door latches can weaken making it difficult to latch the door or worse drive the car believing that the door is securely closed when it's not. In the Volvo recall letter, it states to call the dealer to schedule the repair at no cost. It's almost june and my dealer has not received the parts from Volvo. They have no idea when they'll receive parts from Volvo. This is the only car I have access to and I don't feel safe.”

    NHTSA complaint #11326212, filed 2020-05, 72,000 miles
  3. Air bags

    Air bags not deploying or deploying unexpectedly

    • 7 complaints (8%)
    • median 28,500 mi at 2.5 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2013–2026

    After collisions, some owners report that the front and side air bags did not deploy and that an SRS service message appeared afterwards. Others describe the air bag warning light coming on and, in one case, both front air bags deploying while driving at low speed with no impact. According to the complaints, dealers in some cases could not determine the cause. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 10,000 to over 250,000 miles in the sample.

    Recall 12V439000

    What to check: Ask whether recall 12V439000 for the SRS control unit applies to the car and was performed; note any air bag or SRS warning light on a test drive.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was traveling between 30 - 40 MPH in my 2013 Volvo S60 when I struck an SUV from behind. None of the airbags in my vehicle deployed, even though it was a direct rear end collision. After the collision my instrument panel displayed the warning message 'srs airbag service urgent'. My Volvo S60 is equipped with the standard city safety auto braking system, which did not engage at any point to avoid/reduce the impact of the collision. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10564219, filed 2014-02, 10,289 miles

    “Vehicle involved damage front and left frontal area. Speed 40-45 MPH. No frontal or side curtain air bag and curtain deployment. Failure of collision warning system and electronical indicators, ABS did not deploy.”

    NHTSA complaint #10503753, filed 2013-03, 5,200 miles
  4. Electrical system

    Washer fluid, leaks and blower faults

    • 9 complaints (10%)
    • median 30,290 mi at 2.9 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2013–2025

    Owners report windshield washer fluid not reaching the nozzles or headlight washers in snowy weather without a low-fluid warning, and water streaking inside the windshield with a damp headliner. Others describe the heater and A/C blower not working, leaving windows fogged, and a TPMS warning that would not clear after new sensors were fitted. Reported from very low mileage in snowy conditions up to about 72,000 miles.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Test the washer nozzles, headlight washers, blower on every speed, and check the headliner and A-pillar area for water stains after rain.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The wiper fluid stopped coming out from the nozzles, as well as headlight washers during snowy weather. The car has a sensor to notify driver if the fluid levels are below a specific amount. No warning was issued. Windshield washer fluid was added but there was no improvement. There was noted snow accumulation inside the engine compartment at the driver's side, near the area of windshield wiper fluid reservoir.”

    NHTSA complaint #10494362, filed 2013-01, 5,581 miles

    “The heater/air conditioner blower fan does not work. This is not a blown fuse, yet a possible blown resistor and/or failed blower motor. This vehicle is 5 years old and has 72k miles; I cannot get heat or air conditioning due to this issue; windows are fogged often, which represents a hazardous/safety issue. Replacement of the heater blower motor and/or resistor requires the removal of the dashboard and instrument cluster. This should not happen on any 5 year old vehicle, much less a Volvo. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11089213, filed 2018-04, 72,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection measure oil consumption and check the dipstick level, and confirm whether the door latch and SRS recalls were completed for the specific car. A test drive in slow traffic and a check of every door, the blower and the washer system will surface most of what owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 87 consumer complaints for the 2013 Volvo S60. 55 of the complaints include a mileage, and 49% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 53,000 miles. Of all complaints, 5 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 271 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 5 Volvo S60 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 67 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Tires (3), Vehicle speed control (3), Wheels (3), Latches, locks and linkages (2), Electronic stability control (1), Engine cooling (1), Equipment (1), Exterior lighting (1), Forward collision avoidance (1), Steering (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “My car started making this knocking noise. I checked the oil and it was completely gone. The oil light never came on. Now I'm told the engine is gone. When I looked up my model and year in complaints it was reported this was a problem but a recall has not been issued.”

NHTSA complaint #11395683, filed 2021-02, 162,000 miles

Other or unknown: “Excessive oil consumption - burning or consuming at least 5 quarts of oil every 2k-3k miles, between oil changes. Our only notice is when oil is below 5-quart range, when we receive a dash warning noting to stop engine. Car holds 7.25 quarts of synthetic oil. Well know documented throughout the web and known to Volvo mechanics, although more recognized with 2011-2012 S60. Stop engine notice received when starting car. Fortunately able to uber to auto supply and add 5quarts to drive home. …”

NHTSA complaint #11061411, filed 2018-01, 72,000 miles

Air bags: “On feb. 3rd, I was pulling into a parking space in front of a store when my S60 r type Volvo began to accelerate on its own and reached very high RPM. My foot was not even on the accelerator as the car normally idles fast enough to perform parking maneuvers. I hit the brake but the car continued to move. It jumped the sidewalk; hit the building and proceeded to dig a hole in the flowerbed at the store's front. This all happened in the length of a parking space. I can't remember whether I shut the ignition off or of the engine stopped on its own shortly after the collision. …”

NHTSA complaint #10837637, filed 2016-02, 25,000 miles

Electrical system: “While driving the car electronics, such as the dashboard lights, and radio started to flicker off and on repeatedly and the engine cut off. I was unable to control the steering and the car came to a complete stop. I waited a few min and was able to start back the car and drive it. This incident has happened 2 times in a 6 month period. The car was recently serviced at around 38,000 miles at the Volvo dealership. The issue started to occur about a month after the car was serviced.”

NHTSA complaint #11025107, filed 2017-09, 42,900 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

49% of the 55 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 25,000 and 72,000 miles.

15%0–1011%10–2524%25–5029%50–755%75–10013%100–1504%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (55 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 53,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’14’16’18’2013’22’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2013 Volvo S60. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
S60 · sedan AWD★★★★★5 / 5555 · 10.0% risk
S60 · sedan FWD★★★★★5 / 5555 · 10.0% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2013 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking not available.

Neighbouring years: 2012: same overall rating; 2014: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2013 Volvo S60 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
S60 AWD2.5L 5-cyl6-speed automatic202923$2,900
S60 AWD3.0L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182521$3,200
S60 FWD2.5L 5-cyl6-speed automatic213024$2,800

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2013 Volvo S60 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 271 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 271 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volvo S60

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20242213,0004530—Too new
20221542,0004530—Rising
20218—3527—Not enough data
20201211,7506527—Not enough data
20192515,3005—2857 · TypicalStable
20171742,4276529—Stable
20162733,000452929 · FewerFalling
20156047,535252941 · TypicalRising
20142531,000352420 · FewerStable
20138753,000452467 · MoreFalling
201212178,500852394 · MoreFalling
2011513,1506—21—Not enough data
20097106,7503—22—Not enough data
20081051,5002—22—Not enough data
20072156,9182—22—Falling
20063146,5623—22Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20054455,5003—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200419879,1225—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200312079,6956—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200218689,1268—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200122380,5008—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Volvo S60 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Volvo S60?

Owners of the 2013 S60 most often write about engine oil consumption: many report adding quarts of oil between changes and, in some cases, the oil pressure warning arriving late or not at all. The issues reported most often: Excessive oil consumption / low oil warning; Doors hard to latch or opening while driving; Air bags not deploying or deploying unexpectedly.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2013 Volvo S60 have?

NHTSA recorded 87 consumer complaints for the 2013 Volvo S60 as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2013 Volvo S60 is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 36 complaints (41% of the total), followed by other or unknown with 13.

Has the 2013 Volvo S60 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2013 Volvo S60 do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2013 Volvo S60 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2013 Volvo S60 get?

The EPA rates the 2013 Volvo S60 (S60 FWD, 2.5L 5-cyl) at 24 mpg combined, 21 city and 30 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,800 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2013 Volvo S60 reported?

Among the 55 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 53,000 miles and the middle half falls between 25,000 and 72,000 miles; 49% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.