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Volvo S80Model year report

2003 Volvo S80 Problems

Complaints
26filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
50,753miles, 16 complaints with mileage
Recalls
5campaigns 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
20 mpgcombined, 2.9L 6-cyl FWD · 18 city / 25 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2003 Volvo S80 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 26 consumer complaints for the 2003 Volvo S80. The part named most often is fuel system, with 8 complaints (31% of the total), followed by brakes (4) and electrical system (4). 16 of the complaints include a mileage, and 50% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 50,753 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 174 technical service bulletins for this model year. Fuel system complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the fuel pump and 4 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Brakes complaints overlap with 3 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

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: Suspension (1), Vehicle speed control (1).

Example complaints

Fuel system: “My car shows exact symptoms of the vehicles involved in NHTSA recall # 09v483. Recall involved cars in the hot weather states of us. At the time of the original recall I have resided in the massachusetts which was not included in the initial recall. I have moved to arizona in the summer of 2010 and now my car is smelling gas as recalled vehicles. Tried to contact Volvo dealers and thy are stating since my VIN is not in the database of recalled vehicles they will not perform repair ( unless I will pay full price of course ).”

NHTSA complaint #10521782, filed 2013-06, 101,500 miles

Brakes: “I keep getting ABS module failure on Volvo S80; every time we take our car to Volvo dealer, they come up with some module failure diagnosis. Seems like a Volvo generic issue with ABS module failure message. We have tried contacting Volvo about this and they really did not help us. They have asked me to talk to the service manager at the local Volvo dealership. However service manager has told us that this is not a typical Volvo and asked to get rid of our car. Please help.”

NHTSA complaint #10362161, filed 2010-10, 59,493 miles

Electrical system: “Takata recall the dashboard lights are not working at all. I just bought the car 2 months ago. Without the dashboard lights not working, it is very dangerous. I can not see how many MPH I am going, and can't tell how much gas I have. Also at night, it is completely black in the dashboard and is very dangerous. This happens day and night. It happened as soon as I drove it off the lot. I called the dealer, and they did not want to take care of it. I purchased the car at michele motors, located on rt.88, brick, nj.”

NHTSA complaint #10820957, filed 2016-01, 144,077 miles

Air bags: “The vehicle has a recall and Volvo told me I have to drive 8 hours to another state to get it fixed by the closest dealership. I cannot do that - I need to have it fixed locally”

NHTSA complaint #11444009, filed 2021-12

Mileage when problems were reported

50% of the 16 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 13,000 and 112,000 miles.

25%0–106%10–2519%25–5013%50–750%75–10031%100–1506%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (16 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 50,753 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.

’0333’05’07’09’12’163’22’24
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 2003 Volvo S80. 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
S80 · sedan not rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

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

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2003 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/S80 Executive FWD2.9L 6-cyl4-speed automatic182520$4,100
S80/S80 Executive FWD2.9L 6-cyl4-speed automatic172419$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 2003 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. 174 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 174 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

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2003 Volvo S80 have?

NHTSA recorded 26 consumer complaints for the 2003 Volvo S80 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2003 Volvo S80 is reported most often?

Fuel system is named most often, in 8 complaints (31% of the total), followed by brakes with 4.

Has the 2003 Volvo S80 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2003 Volvo S80 get?

The EPA rates the 2003 Volvo S80 (S80/S80 Executive, 2.9L 6-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 18 city and 25 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,100 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2003 Volvo S80 reported?

Among the 16 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 50,753 miles and the middle half falls between 13,000 and 112,000 miles; 50% 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. 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.