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Volvo XC70Model year report

2005 Volvo XC70 Problems

Complaints
27filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
71,143miles, 20 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns 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 · 16 city / 22 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2005 Volvo XC70 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 27 consumer complaints for the 2005 Volvo XC70. The part named most often is transmission and drivetrain, with 8 complaints (30% of the total), followed by electrical system (3) and fuel system (3). 20 of the complaints include a mileage, and 35% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 71,143 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 181 technical service bulletins for this model year. Transmission and drivetrain complaints overlap with 6 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the navigational system(global positioning system) and 60 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: Seats (1), Steering (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “Purchased 2005 Volvo and now have 75,000 miles and began to have transmission failure. I took to dealer and spent over $3000 to fix software problem. The problem got worse and the transmission slips and then jumps into gear. I almost crashed the car in front of me. I suspect many people are having problems and hopefully no gets hurt.”

NHTSA complaint #10368455, filed 2010-11, 130,000 miles

Electrical system: “My wife's 2005 Volvo XC70 problem is that periodically when you shut off the car and attempt to remove the key you can't. The car makes a noise like it continues to run for several minutes and sometimes you can then remove the key. Unfortunately this problem is happening more frequently.”

NHTSA complaint #10640695, filed 2014-10, 60,000 miles

Fuel system: “The contact owns a 2005 Volvo XC70. The contact was driving 70 MPH when the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to be restarted after the failure and taken to the dealer where the dealer confirmed that the fuel pressure sensor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 109,900 and the current mileage was 110,150. Updated 03/07/12”

NHTSA complaint #10438720, filed 2011-12, 109,900 miles

Vehicle speed control: “Vehicle started to uncontrollably hard-shift and jerk upon deceleration. According to Volvo dealer transmission needs to be replaced even though car has under 100k miles.”

NHTSA complaint #10542379, filed 2013-09, 88,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

35% of the 20 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 34,000 and 115,000 miles.

15%0–105%10–2515%25–5015%50–7515%75–10035%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (20 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 71,143 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.

’053’08’1033’123’143’16’18’22
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.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2005 Volvo XC70. 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
XC70 · sedan not rated5 / 5——4 · 13.0% risk

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 2005 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 automatic162219$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 2005 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. 181 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 181 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

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2005 Volvo XC70 have?

NHTSA recorded 27 consumer complaints for the 2005 Volvo XC70 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2005 Volvo XC70 is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 8 complaints (30% of the total), followed by electrical system with 3.

Has the 2005 Volvo XC70 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2005 Volvo XC70 get?

The EPA rates the 2005 Volvo XC70 (XC70 AWD, 2.5L 5-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 16 city and 22 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 2005 Volvo XC70 reported?

Among the 20 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 71,143 miles and the middle half falls between 34,000 and 115,000 miles; 35% 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.