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Volvo S80Model year report

2000 Volvo S80 Problems

Complaints
318filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
78,000miles, 224 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
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 2.9L 6-cyl FWD · 16 city / 24 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2000 Volvo S80 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2000 S80 most often describe abrupt loss of engine power: the car stalling, surging or dropping into "reduced performance" mode, usually traced by dealers to the electronic throttle module (ETM). Stall and near-stall reports run from about 24,000 to 130,000 miles and appear in both city and highway driving. Secondary reports cover overheating at low speed or in warm weather, a fuel smell traced to the fuel pump/tank flange, and warning lights for the airbag and ABS systems.

  1. Vehicle speed control

    Electronic throttle module (ETM) stalling and surging

    • 169 complaints (53%)
    • median 71,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (137 state mileage)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 43 quotes)
    • filed 2001–2018

    Complaints describe the engine cutting out without warning, sometimes coasting at highway speed and sometimes dying when slowing to a stop or idling at a light. Others report surging or an engine that revs on its own, often with the check-engine light and a "reduced performance" message. Owners say dealers replaced the electronic throttle module, cleaned the throttle body or applied software updates, and some report the symptom returning within weeks or after repeat module replacements. Spread across roughly 24,000 to 130,000 miles, reported in city traffic, at stop lights and on the highway.

    Recall 06V441000

    What to check: Ask whether the ETM has been replaced or updated and whether any throttle-related software campaign was applied; a scan for stored ETM codes and a test drive at idle and light throttle can show surging or hesitation.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2000 S80 Volvo 2.9 is dangerous! Suddenly when driving throttle dies, acted like throttle cable broke. Then it came back! Then it surged at a red light last week, and I had no foot on the gas! Volvo said etm(?) needed cleaning / replacing . It was cleaned , still surges, I am afraid it will die on highway while going on an on ramp.”

    NHTSA complaint #10134585, filed 2005-08, 69,800 miles

    “Driving in the city and when trying to stop on a traffic light the brakes became hard and engine was not running well. When I tried to drive off in the green light the speed control of the gas pedal was very chaotic. I got a message of engine system service required. I took the car to the local Volvo dealer and he diagnosed a faulty throttle etm asking 2000 $ to replace. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10433515, filed 2011-10, 144,400 miles
  2. Air bags

    Airbag and ABS warning lights

    • 18 complaints (6%)
    • median 103,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (14 state mileage)
    • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2001–2020

    Complaints describe the airbag/SRS warning light staying on, with dealers attributing it to a failed airbag control module and quoting a replacement cost. Some owners link the light to a battery change, and one reports the light followed a software update for the SRS and ABS systems. A few complaints describe airbags that did not deploy in a collision, though others report deployment in the same vehicle. Mostly reported between about 78,000 and 130,000 miles, sometimes right after battery service.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Confirm the SRS and ABS lights go out after the bulb-check sequence on startup, and ask for a scan of stored airbag and ABS codes before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I changed the battery and the airbag warning light went on. Went to Volvo dealer and was told that control module is dead and it cost me $900 to replace air bag control module.”

    NHTSA complaint #10482329, filed 2012-10, 130,000 miles

    “Swapped battery at o'reilly's auto parts. All manufacturer safety protocols followed. After swapping out w/new battery: climate control module not working- srs airbag 'service urgent' errors. Volvo quoting $2500 to replace ccm, $800 for rebuild-process. Dim is also fried. No heat or A/C- airbag accidental deployment risk. Quick search online shows this is a Volvo issue specific to s60, S80 & xc70 models (all years) filed compliant w/vt state ag- cap 2020-07438 original repair order attached”

    NHTSA complaint #11351616, filed 2020-08, 119,375 miles
  3. Suspension

    Steering that stiffens or loses power assist

    • 11 complaints (3%)
    • median 68,950 mi at 6.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2011

    Owners describe the steering wheel becoming suddenly heavy at speed or when the engine cuts out, plus squealing on turns with a low or empty power steering reservoir and fluid loss that returned after refilling. Some complaints describe the dealer being unable to reproduce the intermittent stiffness. Others note the steering shake and hard-to-steer feel appeared alongside warning lights for the stability and ABS systems. Reported from about 16,000 to 114,000 miles, including highway driving and turns.

    What to check: Check the power steering fluid level and look for leaks at the rack and pump; drive at highway speed and on full-lock turns to feel for stiffness or noise.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Whilie traveling to illinois from kansas, the power steering on my 2000 Volvo S80 suddenly gave out. I stopped at the first available exit and checked the fluid level, which was empty. I then added 24 fl. Oz. Of power steering fluid and that corrected the problem for about 5-10 minutes. I ended up driving the remainder of the trip with no power steering. It appears that the leak is coming from the area of the power steering servo located at the lower end of the steering wheel rod. Car was taken in today to the shop for repairs. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10116737, filed 2005-04, 34,100 miles

    “The contact owns a 2000 Volvo S80. While driving at 7 MPH the steering wheel locked. The vehicle crashed into a tree and rolled over. Upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. The road conditions were clear. The vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the failure. The current and failure mileage were 111,000.”

    NHTSA complaint #10187440, filed 2007-04, 111,000 miles
  4. Engine cooling

    Overheating at low speed or in warm weather

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the temperature gauge climbing into the red while the car is stopped or crawling in traffic on warm days, with warning messages telling the driver to switch off the engine and coolant boiling out once parked. Some owners say the dealer tied the behavior to a cooling fan or thermostat issue, and one notes the fix was not covered because the vehicle fell outside a related campaign. Occasional reports describe the engine overheating shortly after purchase or during routine driving. Mostly reported between about 62,000 and 130,000 miles, typically in slow traffic or warm weather.

    Recall 04V4510003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Have the cooling fan cycle checked and ask whether the fan relay or module was replaced; look for coolant residue or staining around the radiator and expansion tank.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have a 2000 Volvo s 80 and it was sold to me by a dealer this car has so many problems and I feel that when I took the car to Volvo they tried to charge me 6400 just to fix the problem like ABS sensors,stc sensor , throttle etc I feel its un fair I only had the car for 3days what can I do.”

    NHTSA complaint #10380108, filed 2011-02, 116,000 miles

    “Paperwork was completed, I was on my way out, the salesman said, make sure you put some oil in the engine, it has no oil, we didn't have a chance to inspect the car. He went on to say, bring it in sometime next week and we'll inspect it. Car was brought in following week, they had no time to inspect it. It went on for three weeks. The engine temperature would rise very quickly, I pulled over and turned off the car. This happened five times. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10235247, filed 2008-07, 62,000 miles

Buying note. Service records for the electronic throttle module and cooling fan matter most on this year, since those are what owners describe most often. A pre-purchase scan for stored throttle, ABS and airbag codes, plus a check of the fuel tank area for odor or seepage, will surface most of what owners report.

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 318 consumer complaints for the 2000 Volvo S80. 224 of the complaints include a mileage, and 18% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 78,000 miles. Of all complaints, 16 involved a crash, 8 a fire, 13 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 168 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

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: Other or unknown (9), Exterior lighting (6), Body and structure (5), Equipment (4), Seat belts (4), Engine (3), Tires (3), Electronic stability control (2), Latches, locks and linkages (2), Seats (2).

Example complaints

Vehicle speed control: “The car throttle is faulty. My car revs to high RPM when idle and at low speeds. It also is in limp mode. When this problem was found and recalled in 2006 I brought the car in for the software upgrade, but the car is still trying to lunge forward at low speeds and revving in idle. I was told by Volvo customer care there was nothing they will do for the problem since the software had been upgraded even though the throttle is faulty.”

NHTSA complaint #10399624, filed 2011-05, 108,000 miles

Engine cooling: “Since I bought my car from the Volvo dealer last winter it has stalled on me at low rpms it also surges forward almost causing me to hit cars in front of me I brought it back to them and the dealers told me its normal because its fuel injected and they wont do anything about it.. This is very dangerous.”

NHTSA complaint #10441243, filed 2011-12, 63,000 miles

Electrical system: “My 2000 S80 Volvo has a defect with the emission control module it was losing power and idling very bad. Because of this problem the cat converter and o2 sensors also miss functioned which cost over $4000 to repair after I got the car back 2 days later the emission message appeared again and the car is not running well.”

NHTSA complaint #10136283, filed 2005-09, 92,000 miles

Fuel system: “My 2000 Volvo S80 t6 etm they said they would not fix it unless I bought a cem they said car wouldn't work without it. So they fixed it to a tune of $900.00 for cem so I charged it back on my credit card because it's all covered on etm update. In the morning the car still revs more I want Volvo to buy this car back from me because no one informed me of this problems. They wouldn't give me old cem I asked.”

NHTSA complaint #10179282, filed 2007-01, 10,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

18% of the 224 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 57,479 and 102,000 miles.

1%0–103%10–2514%25–5030%50–7526%75–10022%100–1504%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (224 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 78,000 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.

’00’03108’06’09’12’15’22
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.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2000 Volvo S80 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
S80 FWD2.8L 6-cyl4-speed automatic162318$4,550
S80 FWD2.9L 6-cyl4-speed automatic162419$4,350

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 2000 Volvo S80 → · 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. 168 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 168 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volvo S80

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2016659,8002—29—Not enough data
2015736,0002—29—Not enough data
2013851,0003—22—Not enough data
2012851,2823—23—Not enough data
2011525,0004—22—Not enough data
20102747,9005—21Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Stable
20091670,0005—20—Falling
20082667,2507—19Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
20072490,0005—19—Falling
20061260,5003—22—Not enough data
200515102,0005—22—Falling
20045099,0004—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20032650,7535—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200242104,4454—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200116463,2947—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200031878,0004—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199919981,6564—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Volvo S80 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2000 Volvo S80?

Owners of the 2000 S80 most often describe abrupt loss of engine power: the car stalling, surging or dropping into "reduced performance" mode, usually traced by dealers to the electronic throttle module (ETM). The issues reported most often: Electronic throttle module (ETM) stalling and surging; Airbag and ABS warning lights; Steering that stiffens or loses power assist.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2000 Volvo S80 have?

NHTSA recorded 318 consumer complaints for the 2000 Volvo S80 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2000 Volvo S80 is reported most often?

Vehicle speed control is named most often, in 93 complaints (29% of the total), followed by engine cooling with 68.

Has the 2000 Volvo S80 been recalled?

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

What gas mileage does the 2000 Volvo S80 get?

The EPA rates the 2000 Volvo S80 (S80, 2.9L 6-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 16 city and 24 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2000 Volvo S80 reported?

Among the 224 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 78,000 miles and the middle half falls between 57,479 and 102,000 miles; 18% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. 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.