MYRModel Year Report

2003 Volvo S80

○ Not enough data
2003 Volvo S80
RENDERED 2026-11-01T12:47:24.115Z

Only 26 complaints on file — too few for a fair verdict.

This verdict reflects complaint volume compared to this model's typical year. Recalls and safety issues below apply regardless of the verdict — always check them.

Only 26 complaints on file — too few for a fair verdict. The data below is complete but unranked.

How is this computed?

Complaints
26

Too few to rank

Recalls
6

Campaigns on file for 2003

Investigations
0

None on file

Top problem
—

Not enough data

Complaints per year

1999: 199 complaints 1999 2000: 318 complaints 2001: 164 complaints 2002: 42 complaints 2003: 26 complaints 2003 26 2004: 50 complaints 2005: 15 complaints 2006: 12 complaints 2007: 24 complaints 2008: 25 complaints 2008 2009: 16 complaints 2010: 27 complaints 2011: 5 complaints 2011 2012: 8 complaints 2013: 8 complaints 2014: 1 complaint 2014 2015: 7 complaints 2016: 6 complaints
1999: 199 complaints 1999 2000: 318 complaints 2001: 164 complaints 2001 2002: 42 complaints 2003: 26 complaints 2003 26 2004: 50 complaints 2005: 15 complaints 2005 2006: 12 complaints 2007: 24 complaints 2007 2008: 25 complaints 2009: 16 complaints 2009 2010: 27 complaints 2011: 5 complaints 2011 2012: 8 complaints 2013: 8 complaints 2013 2014: 1 complaint 2015: 7 complaints 2015 2016: 6 complaints
1999: 199 complaints 1999 2000: 318 complaints 2000 2001: 164 complaints 2001 2002: 42 complaints 2002 2003: 26 complaints 2003 26 2004: 50 complaints 2004 2005: 15 complaints 2005 2006: 12 complaints 2006 2007: 24 complaints 2007 2008: 25 complaints 2008 2009: 16 complaints 2009 2010: 27 complaints 2010 2011: 5 complaints 2011 2012: 8 complaints 2012 2013: 8 complaints 2013 2014: 1 complaint 2014 2015: 7 complaints 2015 2016: 6 complaints 2016

2003: 26 complaints

View as data table
YearComplaints
1999199
2000318
2001164
200242
200326
200450
200515
200612
200724
200825
200916
201027
20115
20128
20138
20141
20157
20166

Known problem areas

Only 26 complaints on file for this model year — too few to rank by share. Raw counts only, below.

Fuel system, gasoline

5 of 26 total reports mention: fuel system, gasoline, most commonly citing fuel injection system and fuel pump.

CRASHINJURY
Show complaint excerpts

Re: 2003, Volvo S80.

NHTSA ODI report, 2005-05-25

Dear [xxx]. ,his is to notify about the failure of the vehicle S80 on the highway and the difficulty we are facing with the dealer that sold the car to us.

NHTSA ODI report, 2003-12-29

My car shows exact symptoms of the vehicles involved in NHTSA recall # 09V483. Recall involved cars in the hot weather states of us.

NHTSA ODI report, 2013-06-25

Electrical system

4 of 26 total reports mention: electrical system, most commonly citing 12v/24v/48v battery.

FIRE
Show complaint excerpts

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Volvo S80. While parked, the battery compartment caught fire without warning. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed.

NHTSA ODI report, 2016-10-13

Driver information module (Dim) originally started dropping out and returning multiple times during a trip, now it is going out completely after roughly 15 miles, no cluster gauges or dash lights.

NHTSA ODI report, 2013-01-28

Service brakes

4 of 26 total reports mention: service brakes, most commonly citing hydraulic and electric.

Fuel/propulsion system

3 of 26 total reports mention: fuel/propulsion system.

Show complaint excerpts

Within a week of purchasing the vehicle from a dealer, I discovered that the fuel tank has a leak, so its currently unsafe to drive. I found out about the leak when I brought it to an independent mechanic for service.

NHTSA ODI report, 2021-06-07

Air bags

3 of 26 total reports mention: air bags.

Show complaint excerpts

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ODI report, 2024-02-05

The contact owns a 2003 Volvo S80. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V766000 (Air Bags). The dealer had been notified about the recall and an appointment was made for the recall repair.

NHTSA ODI report, 2022-03-11

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…

NHTSA ODI report, 2021-12-16

Safety timeline

6 recalls · 0 investigations · oldest first

To check one car, enter its VIN on the NHTSA recall page. Check a VIN →

  1. R
    2003-12-19Equipment03V284000 Certain passenger cars fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 225, "Child restraint anchorage systems." The second isofix guide was not installed in…

    Remedy: Owners will receive a letter/package consisting of the second isofix guide with installation instructions, and in certain cases, the corrected owner's manual may be provided. If the owner wants to…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  2. R
    2007-04-02Service brakes, hydraulic07E023000 Certain cardone master cylinders with part numbers 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987MZA, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, and 11-3156, and with date codes lower than DCA7078…

    Remedy: Cardone will notify owners and offer to repurchase any defective master cylinders. The recall began during April 2007. Owners can contact cardone at 1-800-777-4780.

    Check if this car was fixed →

  3. R
    2010-01-15Fuel system, gasoline09V483000 Volvo is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 S80, model year 2001-2004 V70, S60, XC70 and model year 2003-2005 XC90 vehicles sold in or registered in the states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas…

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fuel pump installed in the vehicle, and if necessary replace the fuel pump with a part of a modified design. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  4. R
    2010-11-18Equipment10V566000 Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (Gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.

    Remedy: Volvo advises owners to please stop using the garmin portable gps device immediately, and visit the garmin website to determine if their unit is affected. The unit's battery will be replaced with a…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  5. R
    2021-04-20Air bags20V681000 Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2003 S80 and S60 vehicles sold or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Puerto...

    Remedy: Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side air bag module, free of charge. The recall began April 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10058.

    Check if this car was fixed →

  6. R
    2021-11-29Air bags21V766000 Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2006 S80 and 2001-2009 S60 vehicles.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10125.

    Check if this car was fixed →

Buy-smart checklist

2003 Volvo S80 — pre-purchase inspection

Inspect

  • Fuel system, gasoline: 5 reports on file for this year.
  • Electrical system: 4 reports on file for this year.
  • Service brakes: 4 reports on file for this year.

Verify these recalls were completed

  • Recall 03V284000 · Equipment
  • Recall 07E023000 · Service brakes, hydraulic
  • Recall 09V483000 · Fuel system, gasoline
  • Recall 10V566000 · Equipment
  • Recall 20V681000 · Air bags
  • Recall 21V766000 · Air bags
Inspected by ______________ Date ______________

FAQ

Is the 2003 Volvo S80 reliable?
There isn't enough NHTSA complaint data on file yet to give this model year a verdict.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Volvo S80?
The most-reported component is fuel system, gasoline, accounting for 19% of complaints on file.
How many recalls does the 2003 Volvo S80 have?
6 recalls on file for this model year.

Data updated 2026-11-01 · Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA, not independently verified defects. Methodology.