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Volvo V70Model year report

2001 Volvo V70 Problems

Complaints
221filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
80,765miles, 162 complaints with mileage
Recalls
8campaigns 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
21 mpgcombined, 2.3L 5-cyl FWD · 18 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2001 Volvo V70 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe electronic throttle problems that put the car into a reduced-power or limp-home state, and transmission faults that appear as slipping, harsh engagement or a sudden loss of drive. Fuel odors and leaks from the fuel pump area are also frequently reported, and most complaints fall between roughly 50,000 and 130,000 miles.

  1. Vehicle speed control

    Electronic throttle failure / reduced power (limp home)

    • 97 complaints (44%)
    • median 69,010 mi at 4.9 yrs old (77 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 23 quotes)
    • filed 2001–2014

    Owners describe the car suddenly losing power or stalling, with a dashboard message such as "performance reduced" or "engine system service required." Some report the engine dropping to idle-only or surging while stopping, and that restarting after a few minutes sometimes clears it. Complaints say dealers replaced or reprogrammed the electronic throttle module, and some note the symptom returned after a software update. Mostly reported between about 42,000 and 85,000 miles, at varied speeds including highway driving.

    Recall 06V441000

    What to check: Ask whether the electronic throttle module has been replaced or the software updated, and request service records for it. On a test drive, watch for hesitation, an uneven idle, or any message about reduced engine performance.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Computer reprogrammed 2 years ago and car is now surging forcefully when attempting to stop . Electronic throttle module (etm) identified as cause . Volvo refuses to cover under conditions of recall which requires replacement of etm . Reason for refusal , my car was found to be a salvage vehicle . In light of safety issues are they required to help me ?”

    NHTSA complaint #10329116, filed 2010-05, 115,000 miles

    “I have a 2001 Volvo V70 and I was driving south on I-95 when the car failed to accelerate, just went limb, I tried to accelerate and nothing happened, the car behind almost hit me and the same with the 2 behind him. This is the second time something like this happen, that me along with my family are exposed to such a danger. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10249320, filed 2008-11, 75,455 miles
  2. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission slipping or harsh shifting

    • 40 complaints (18%)
    • median 88,534 mi at 8.5 yrs old (34 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 9 quotes)
    • filed 2001–2018

    Complaints describe the transmission slipping out of gear, revving without pulling, then slamming back into gear, and occasional lurching between gears or dropping into neutral while driving. Several owners say the dealer diagnosed a worn transmission and recommended replacement, in some cases after fluid changes or software updates made no difference. A few mention warning lights for transmission service. Often reported from about 60,000 to 170,000 miles; some cars showed symptoms well under 80,000 miles.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Road-test through several upshifts and downshifts, including a rolling stop, and look for revving without acceleration, clunks, or delayed engagement. Ask whether the transmission fluid has been serviced and whether any repair or replacement has been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have a 2001 Volvo V70 with 110,000 miles. The transmission has been slipping for the last 2 years. Last week the car was barely drivable. My Volvo mechanic states that the transmission needs to be replaced (approx. $4700). I have heard of many other Volvo owners having the same problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10416406, filed 2011-07, 100,000 miles

    “The transmission and radiator on my 2001 Volvo V70 failed and had to be replaced. I did quite a bit of research on 2001 Volvo V70 and found that many of this particular make and model have transmission failure. In my particular case, the transmission gave me problems several months prior to needing to be replaced. I brought the vehicle to the dealership on three separate occasions to have it looked at. Each time the repairs made no difference. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10237225, filed 2008-08, 101,000 miles
  3. Fuel system

    Fuel smell and leaks around the fuel pump / tank

    • 18 complaints (8%)
    • median 101,200 mi at 7.3 yrs old (17 state mileage)
    • filed 2007–2019

    Owners report a strong gasoline odor inside or around the car, sometimes with visible drips or a puddle under the tank area after parking. Complaints say mechanics found cracks in the fuel pump housing or leaks at the tank top and replaced the pump assembly or seals. Some report the smell returning after an earlier repair or inspection. Typically reported between about 75,000 and 200,000 miles, often noticed after the car is parked following a drive.

    Recall 09V483000

    What to check: Check for fuel odor after the car sits, and look under the rear of the vehicle for stains or dampness around the tank. Ask whether the fuel pump recall work was performed and whether the pump or tank seals have been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I began to notice a fuel smell and drip marks under the vehicle after parking the vehicle after driving into the garage in the evening. Upon investigation, I noted fuel drips on the underbody of the vehicle in the area slightly in the front of the fuel tank. I also noticed the development of a fuel puddle immediately under the vehicle in that location. I immediately contacted the Volvo dealer for servicing. Once at the dealer, it was determined that the electric fuel pump was leaking fuel. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10557644, filed 2013-12, 206,450 miles

    “2001 Volvo V70 t5 (1) recognized strong smell of gasoline in garage over period of 2-3 days. I inspected the vehicle after a short drive (5-6 miles) and discovered gasoline leaking from the gas tank area, staining the bottom of the tank and dripping onto the ground. (2) vehicle represented a safety and health hazard due to the leaking fuel. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10209635, filed 2007-11, 86,915 miles
  4. Exterior lighting

    Headlight and rear light electrical faults

    • 8 complaints (4%)
    • median 85,000 mi at 6.6 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2001–2018

    Complaints describe intermittent loss of low beams with a bulb-failure message on the dash even though the bulbs are fine, and burned bulb sockets on the running lights. Others report brake lights that stop working intermittently, in one case traced to wiring chafed at the tailgate hinge. Dealers were sometimes unable to identify the cause. Reported from roughly 70,000 to 200,000 miles, and in some cases recurring over several years.

    What to check: Check that all exterior lights work, wiggle the tailgate wiring with the lights on, and look for browned or melted bulb sockets. Ask whether the headlight switch or wiring has been repaired.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have intermittent failure of the dipped beams in my 2001 Volvo V70 t5. I see an error report on the dash: bulb failure. Dipped beams. But there is nothing wrong with my bulbs. There is an electrical problem that is totally unpredictable leading to loss of low beams. Volvo service managers say they don't know what causes the problem. Am I the only person to report this defect? It started about 2 years ago in the winter of 2003 but is now more regular but not always.”

    NHTSA complaint #10146842, filed 2006-01, 45,000 miles

    “Rear lift gate electrical wiring harness has wires severed due to the liftgate hinge. This problem resulted in a failure of the center rear mounted brake light, a warning indicator that the rear gate is ajar, and failure of the rear defroster. Dealership mechanic indicated that vehicle hinge cut the wiring harness and that the routing of the wiring harness and design was the cause of the problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10171862, filed 2006-10, 81,532 miles
  5. Engine cooling

    Coolant loss into the cabin / heater core leaks

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    A few complaints describe coolant soaking the driver-side floorboard, with the dealer pointing to heater core seals as a possible cause. Owners also describe stalling and rough running tied to throttle work, and a 2019 service bulletin from the manufacturer covers a cleaning method for oil found in the cooling system. Reported around 85,000 miles in the sampled complaints.

    Recall 04V4510003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check for a sweet smell or damp carpet on the driver side, watch the coolant level over a week, and ask whether the cooling fan recall or any cooling-system cleaning has been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Dt: 2001 Volvo station wagon V70. Vehicle stalled/died and lost power while driving at 25 MPH. Throttle body sensor was replaced. The upper engine mount broke and oil leaked from the turbo return line seals.”

    NHTSA complaint #10131668, filed 2005-09, 51,313 miles

    “The contact owns a 2001 Volvo V70. While driving 30 MPH, radiator fluid saturated the driver side floorboard underneath the accelerator pedal. The dealer stated that the seals or heater core could have caused the failure. As of april 8, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 86,000.”

    NHTSA complaint #10223746, filed 2008-04, 86,000 miles

Buying note. On this model year, the throttle module and transmission are the two areas most worth confirming with service records before purchase, and a fuel smell after parking should be investigated rather than assumed to be normal. A pre-purchase inspection that includes a scan for stored codes and a check of the cooling system and exterior lights covers 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 221 consumer complaints for the 2001 Volvo V70. 162 of the complaints include a mileage, and 17% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 80,765 miles. Of all complaints, 8 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 7 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns and 195 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: Air bags (6), Steering (5), Body and structure (5), Tires (5), Equipment (3), Latches, locks and linkages (3), Seat belts (3), Engine (2), Seats (2), Electronic stability control (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Vehicle speed control: “I started the car, placed the car in drive gear and idled through the parking lot traffic to the intersection but the car would not accelerate through the intersection though the condition restored after I pulled over and turned off the ignition and restarted it. Then the accelerator functioned normally.had a semi truck been coming along, I would not be here to write you this letter.”

NHTSA complaint #10586226, filed 2014-05, 128,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “When I am driving in 5th gear the transmission will drop into 4th gear, at that time I loose 1st, 3rd and 5th gears I can shift between 4th and 2nd. The shift is very hard and causes a jerk and clunking noise. I have to stop and shut off the vehicle. I turn the car immediately back on and all the gears are functional. I'm not sure why there's so many complaints about this issue yet no action has been taken to fix this problem”

NHTSA complaint #11093551, filed 2018-05, 190,000 miles

Fuel system: “First time, was in a drive through & just took off, hopped the curb, and hit talk box. Next 2 times were stopped quickly by me putting in neutral. Last time was just leaving parking space, and car jumped curb and I stopped 4 ft. From brick wall. Have had it tested 2-3 times by mechanics w/o success.”

NHTSA complaint #10713148, filed 2015-04, 170,000 miles

Electrical system: “Alternator has intermittent charging problems, left stranded with dead battery. When I spoke with Volvo the service manager said that it is not uncommon problem. I took the car to a service station and they had seen the problem on multiple volvos as well.”

NHTSA complaint #10130857, filed 2005-08, 46,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

17% of the 162 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 58,000 and 103,876 miles.

3%0–101%10–2513%25–5029%50–7527%75–10018%100–1509%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (162 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 80,765 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.

’01’0473’07’10’13’16’19’22
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 2001 Volvo V70 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
V70 AWD2.4L 5-cyl5-speed automatic162319$4,350
V70 FWD2.3L 5-cyl5-speed manual182621$3,900
V70 FWD2.3L 5-cyl5-speed automatic182420$4,100
V70 FWD2.4L 5-cyl5-speed automatic192621$3,900
V70 FWD2.4L 5-cyl5-speed manual192521$3,900
V70 FWD2.4L 5-cyl5-speed automatic182520$4,100
V70 FWD2.4L 5-cyl5-speed automatic182520$4,100

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

See all 8 recalls for the 2001 Volvo V70 → · 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. 195 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 195 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volvo V70

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
200811115,0004—19—Not enough data
2007726,1622—21—Not enough data
20062144,0003—21—Stable
20052164,7193—21—Falling
20048484,5005—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20033262,8885—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200276100,0006—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200122180,7658—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20009378,5645—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199916980,0004—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199818777,5005—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Volvo V70 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Volvo V70?

Owners of this model year most often describe electronic throttle problems that put the car into a reduced-power or limp-home state, and transmission faults that appear as slipping, harsh engagement or a sudden loss of drive. The issues reported most often: Electronic throttle failure / reduced power (limp home); Transmission slipping or harsh shifting; Fuel smell and leaks around the fuel pump / tank.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2001 Volvo V70 have?

NHTSA recorded 221 consumer complaints for the 2001 Volvo V70 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2001 Volvo V70 is reported most often?

Vehicle speed control is named most often, in 61 complaints (28% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 45.

Has the 2001 Volvo V70 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2001 Volvo V70 get?

The EPA rates the 2001 Volvo V70 (V70 FWD, 2.3L 5-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2001 Volvo V70 reported?

Among the 162 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 80,765 miles and the middle half falls between 58,000 and 103,876 miles; 17% 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.