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Volvo XC70Model year report

2004 Volvo XC70 Problems

Complaints
101filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
90,000miles, 83 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns 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, 2.5L 5-cyl 4WD/AWD · 17 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Volvo XC70 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2004 XC70 most often write about a fuel smell around the rear of the car, frequently traced to a cracked fuel pump or sending unit, and about broken front coil springs that can snap while parked or at low speed. A further group of complaints involves intermittent electrical faults where the dash, lights, or warning indicators drop out, sometimes accompanied by a jolt and a stall-like loss of power. Many reports come in from roughly 50,000 to 150,000 miles, and fuel-related reports tend to arrive at higher mileage.

  1. Fuel system

    Fuel smell and leak at fuel pump / sending unit

    • 29 complaints (29%)
    • median 146,500 mi at 13.2 yrs old (22 state mileage)
    • filed 2009–2025

    Owners describe a strong gasoline smell inside or outside the car, especially after refueling or when parked, and in some cases visible fuel on the ground under the rear seat or tank area. Several reports say an independent mechanic traced it to a cracked fuel pump or flange, or a leaking sending unit seal, and quoted a repair cost. Complaints filed after the 2009 pump recall note that their vehicle was not covered because of where it was registered, and a few report the leak returning at the second sending unit on the driver's side. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 200,000 miles, often after refueling or in hot weather.

    Recall 09V483000

    What to check: Smell around the rear wheel wells and under the back seat after a fill-up, and look for dampness or staining near the pump and sender access points. Ask whether recall 09V483000 work was done, since coverage depended on the state of registration.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have 70k miles on my 2004 Volvo XC70 and noticed strong gasoline smell from the gas tank area. The car often would not start, especially if parked on the incline. Upon inspection, an independent mechanic found a gasoline leak around the gas pump area and suggested to fix it as a safety hazard. The gas pump pipe has a crack in it.”

    NHTSA complaint #10295241, filed 2009-12, 70,000 miles

    “Although the 'cracked fuel pump flange' recall service (Volvo recall r220, NHTSA 09v-483) was previously performed on my vehicle, the Volvo XC70 has an additional 'fuel sending unit' on the driver's side of the car. This additional fuel component has a similarly formed flange which also develops a crack. Even though the units are similarly composed and both in the same environment, I have been told the auxiliary fuel sending unit is not covered under Volvo recall 220. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11309852, filed 2020-02, 87,000 miles
  2. Suspension

    Broken front coil springs

    • 12 complaints (12%)
    • median 89,111 mi at 7.6 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • filed 2007–2015

    Complaints describe a loud bang or clunk, then a broken front coil spring found with corroded, fractured coils, often noticed when backing out of a driveway or turning at low speed. In several cases the broken spring punctured a front tire, and some owners report a second spring breaking weeks or months after the first. A few say the dealer indicated broken springs are a common repair and that springs are regularly stocked. Reported from roughly 35,000 to 140,000 miles, often in cold or wet climates and at low speed or while parked.

    What to check: Inspect both front springs and strut mounts for corrosion, cracks, or recent replacement, and ask whether either spring has already been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I had a coil spring break on the front of my 2004 Volvo XC70. I had it replaced 3 weeks ago. Tonight, another coil spring in the rear passenger snapped (really loud!!! I can't imagine flying metal is safe). I'm just glad neither incident happened while we were driving. That makes 2 coil springs in less than a month.”

    NHTSA complaint #10298221, filed 2010-01, 105,000 miles

    “2004 Volvo XC70: I was pulling out of my garage and immediately heard a grinding sound. I then heard a whooshing sound. The front passenger side spring coil cracked and punctured (and ruined) a four week old tire. There was no warning that this was going to happen. I was lucky that I wasn't on the highway because I would have had a sudden tire blowout. Subaru had this problem with spring coils and had a recall to install shield to protect tire.”

    NHTSA complaint #10405514, filed 2011-06, 68,000 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Intermittent electrical dropouts and stalling

    • 9 complaints (9%)
    • median 78,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2005–2016

    Owners report sudden electrical anomalies: the instrument cluster goes dark, brake lights and turn signals stop working, warning lamps light up, and the car may cut out or jolt. Some say the dealership could not find stored fault codes and suggested the central electronic module or instrument panel module, while others had wiring terminals at the throttle module replaced. Several link the behavior to software or module issues similar to those covered on later models. Reported across a wide range, from about 10,000 to 175,000 miles, with no consistent pattern.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test all exterior lights, the cluster, and warning lamps, and ask whether the central electronic module or ignition switch has been replaced or any software reloads performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The car was going 60-63mph down the highway there was a sudden hard clunk in the transmission and my guage cluster went dead and lost all power options. Was almost hit as I tried to pull over with no blinkers, flashers, etc. After about 10 minutes I tried to start the car again and the dash came back but srs warning was up on the info cluster. Took my car to the repair shop (authorized Volvo repair) and was told there were no codes present. They drove the car for a week and same thing happened to them. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10462844, filed 2012-06, 143,225 miles

    “The 2004 Volvo XC70 will just stop while I am driving. It has happened at least 5 times in the last 1.5 years. There is no pattern to the problem. It is very intermittent. I was in a situation whereby I was driving 65 MPH on a major nj highway with a tractor trailer barreling down on me when the car just stopped, losing all power, - including power steering and flashers so that I can warn others of the problem I am having. Last week, I was driving on local roads, 30 MPH with my child, and it happened again. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10193117, filed 2007-06, 42,250 miles
  4. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission slip, harsh shifting, and angle gear failure

    • 11 complaints (11%)
    • median 88,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (11 state mileage)
    • filed 2007–2012

    Complaints describe shuddering, clunking, slipping, or a violent jerk on acceleration and deceleration, with dealers recommending transmission replacement in some cases. Other owners report loss of all-wheel drive, traced to a failed angle gear and coupler, quoted as a costly repair outside warranty. A cracked rear differential housing is also described in one report. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 115,000 miles.

    What to check: On a test drive, feel for shudder or delay on gentle and firm acceleration, and check whether all-wheel drive engages on a loose surface; ask for transmission and angle gear service records.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Noticed a severe change for the worse in the handling characteristics of my Volvo xc 70 awd vehicle. Lost awd capability, confirmed by front wheels slipping in light snow. Dealer inspection identified failed angle gear and coupler, repair price $2500.00 not covered under warranty. Owner replaced angle gear with rebuild unit from salvage and a new coupler.”

    NHTSA complaint #10393623, filed 2011-03, 115,000 miles

    “Volvo XC70 angle gear burned up! 2004 with 90k on it. Seems to be an ongoing issue with Volvo's - need to purchase new or used part. Price is anywhere between $1000 - $2000. Not good. Volvo claims no real issue.”

    NHTSA complaint #10252248, filed 2008-12, 90,000 miles
  5. Seats

    Seat heater overheating and burning smell

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners report smoke, a burning smell, and melted seat upholstery from the driver's side seat heater, in some cases noticed while driving. Reported outcomes include pulling over to put out smoldering material, and owners asking whether the repair is covered. Complaints do not describe a dealer diagnosis in most cases. Reported from about 35,000 to 135,000 miles, on original-owner cars.

    What to check: Switch the seat heaters on briefly and check for uneven heat, discoloration, or a burning smell, and inspect the seat side panel and wiring for prior repairs.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “This report is for my 2004 Volvo for which I am original owner and only has 35500 miles. My seat caught on fire while driving yesterday. I got the fire out and am told that the seat warmer driver side is what caught on fire. Is there a recall for this or does it come under warranty perhaps.”

    NHTSA complaint #10820651, filed 2016-01, 35,500 miles

    “I am original owner. Car has 135k miles. While driving, driver's side seat warmer almost started fire. I smelled and saw smoke from side of seat. Melted side of seat and left hole. I pulled over and put out before any flames.”

    NHTSA complaint #11209948, filed 2019-05, 135,000 miles

Buying note. A 2004 XC70 is worth a careful pre-purchase inspection: check for fuel odor and leaks at the pump and sending unit, look closely at both front springs, and confirm the driver's airbag inflator recall 21V800000 was completed. Service history for the transmission and angle gear, plus a check of electrical functions, tells you a lot about how well a specific car has been kept.

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 101 consumer complaints for the 2004 Volvo XC70. 83 of the complaints include a mileage, and 13% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 90,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 176 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: Electronic stability control (2), Exterior lighting (2), Other or unknown (2), Tires (2), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (2), Forward collision avoidance (1), Steering (1), Body and structure (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Fuel system: “Started smelling gasoline when driving, and noted dripping under gas tank when parked. I removed the fuel pump cover in the floorboard, and there is a leak in the top of the fuel pump, that drips constantly while the ignition is on. This has been reported before, but my VIN is not listed as one of the usual suspects.”

NHTSA complaint #11040986, filed 2017-10, 157,000 miles

Suspension: “While my car was parked inside my garage there was a sudden bang . The following morning I discovered while backing out of garage that the driver side coil spring had broken. Had I been driving while this happened it would have resulted in the shredding of the front driver side tire possibly resulting in a severe accident. The reason I own Volvo is principally dye to it's reputation for safety. In fact, Volvo uses the term safety in all it's advertising. …”

NHTSA complaint #10575142, filed 2014-03, 139,400 miles

Electrical system: “The events leading up to the failure of my vehicle (which has occurred 4 times in the last 9 months) are described in this Volvo recall. However, my XC70 is a 2004 but is having this identical issue. (a software glitch is responsible for 11,993 Volvo models being recalled by the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA). The campaign includes model year 2008-2010 s80 models, 2010 s60 models, 2009-2010 XC70 models, and the 2010 xc60, all running faulty software in their central electronic modules (cem). …”

NHTSA complaint #10358044, filed 2010-09, 78,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “I have a 2004 XC70 with 56,000 miles. Recently, the reduced engine performance light came on with no apparent change in handling or acceleration. The light then went off the next time I drove the car. A few days later, the light came back on this time along with the check engine light, and there was virtually no acceleration. I got the car to limp along at about 5 MPH with the hazard lights on to the closest garage, where I left it overnight. The mechanic ran the diagnostics on the computer and the code for the throttle body appeared. …”

NHTSA complaint #10273508, filed 2009-06, 56,702 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

13% of the 83 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 66,930 and 129,600 miles.

2%0–105%10–256%25–5022%50–7522%75–10027%100–15017%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (83 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 90,000 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.

’05’091111’12’15’18’22’25
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 2004 Volvo XC70 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
XC70 AWD2.5L 5-cyl5-speed automatic172319$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 2004 Volvo XC70 → · 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. 176 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 176 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volvo XC70

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2016727,3502—26—Not enough data
2015628,7001—27—Not enough data
2013815,3002—21—Not enough data
20121425,0002—21—Not enough data
20111538,0003—21—Falling
20101528,5005—18—Falling
20091563,2235—18—Falling
20083971,5008—17Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
20072585,3752—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200618101,0002—19—Falling
20052771,1432—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200410190,0003—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200324115,5524—19—Stable
20023581,4424——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20016679,0005——Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Volvo XC70 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Volvo XC70?

Owners of the 2004 XC70 most often write about a fuel smell around the rear of the car, frequently traced to a cracked fuel pump or sending unit, and about broken front coil springs that can snap while parked or at low speed. The issues reported most often: Fuel smell and leak at fuel pump / sending unit; Broken front coil springs; Intermittent electrical dropouts and stalling.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Volvo XC70 have?

NHTSA recorded 101 consumer complaints for the 2004 Volvo XC70 as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2004 Volvo XC70 is reported most often?

Fuel system is named most often, in 33 complaints (33% of the total), followed by suspension with 16.

Has the 2004 Volvo XC70 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2004 Volvo XC70 get?

The EPA rates the 2004 Volvo XC70 (XC70 AWD, 2.5L 5-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 17 city and 23 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 2004 Volvo XC70 reported?

Among the 83 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 90,000 miles and the middle half falls between 66,930 and 129,600 miles; 13% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 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.