MYRModel Year Report

2001 Volvo V70

■ Significantly worse — known issue year
2001 Volvo V70
BUILT 2026-10-10

This year had more than double the complaints of this model's typical year.

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.

How is this computed?

Complaints
221
Recalls
9

Campaigns on file for 2001

Investigations
2

Opened by NHTSA

Top problem
Vehicle speed control

28% of complaints

Complaints per year

1996: 1 complaint 1996 1997: 3 complaints 1998: 187 complaints 1999: 169 complaints 2000: 93 complaints 2001: 221 complaints 2001 221 2002: 76 complaints 2003: 32 complaints 2004: 83 complaints 2005: 21 complaints 2005 2006: 21 complaints 2007: 7 complaints 2008: 11 complaints 2008 2009: 4 complaints 2010: 4 complaints 2011: 0 complaints 2011 2012: 0 complaints 2013: 0 complaints 2014: 0 complaints 2014 2015: 0 complaints 2016: 0 complaints
1996: 1 complaint 1996 1997: 3 complaints 1998: 187 complaints 1998 1999: 169 complaints 2000: 93 complaints 2001: 221 complaints 2001 221 2002: 76 complaints 2003: 32 complaints 2004: 83 complaints 2004 2005: 21 complaints 2006: 21 complaints 2006 2007: 7 complaints 2008: 11 complaints 2008 2009: 4 complaints 2010: 4 complaints 2010 2011: 0 complaints 2012: 0 complaints 2012 2013: 0 complaints 2014: 0 complaints 2014 2015: 0 complaints 2016: 0 complaints 2016
1996: 1 complaint 1996 1997: 3 complaints 1997 1998: 187 complaints 1998 1999: 169 complaints 1999 2000: 93 complaints 2000 2001: 221 complaints 2001 221 2002: 76 complaints 2002 2003: 32 complaints 2003 2004: 83 complaints 2004 2005: 21 complaints 2005 2006: 21 complaints 2006 2007: 7 complaints 2007 2008: 11 complaints 2008 2009: 4 complaints 2009 2010: 4 complaints 2010 2011: 0 complaints 2011 2012: 0 complaints 2012 2013: 0 complaints 2013 2014: 0 complaints 2014 2015: 0 complaints 2015 2016: 0 complaints 2016

2001: 221 complaints

View as data table
YearComplaints
19961
19973
1998187
1999169
200093
2001221
200276
200332
200483
200521
200621
20077
200811
20094
20104
20110
20120
20130
20140
20150
20160

Known problem areas

Percentages can add to more than 100% — a complaint can name more than one system.

Vehicle speed control

28% · 61 reports

Most commonly citing cruise control and accelerator pedal.

CRASH
Show complaint excerpts

Initially noticed erratic acceleration, then my wife was accelerating from a stop light and the vehicle actually lost acceleration and she was hit behind by a pickup truck. The dash readout showed the message "Performance reduced".

NHTSA ODI report, 2005-11-01

Power train

20% · 45 reports

Most commonly citing automatic transmission and clutch assembly.

CRASHINJURY
Show complaint excerpts

The car lost power occasionally when shifting between first and second gears. It would not accelerate, but it revved to over 6,000 rpms. The car would pull back and then lunge into gear. It had a whiplash effect on the driver and passengers.

NHTSA ODI report, 2005-08-04

Vehicle was parked inside a parking lot. Vehicle was in drive and driver removed key from ignition. When she returned to pick her car up, vehicle had rolled down the hill, and hit a parked vehicle. Dealership was aware of problem.

NHTSA ODI report, 2002-01-09

Electrical system

14% · 30 reports

Most commonly citing ignition and rear compartment/trunk.

CRASHFIRE
Show complaint excerpts

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Volvo V70. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the front driver and passenger seats were melting and black smoke was emerging from the seats.

NHTSA ODI report, 2019-05-31

Also filed under Seats

Fuel system, gasoline

11% · 24 reports

Most commonly citing fuel pump and fuel injection system.

Engine and engine cooling

10% · 22 reports

Most commonly citing engine and gasoline.

FIREINJURY

Safety timeline

9 recalls · 2 investigations · oldest first

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

  1. ▮
    2001Complaint volume 221 complaints filed for this model year.
  2. R
    2001-05-07Seat belts01V101000 Vehicle description: wagons. The bolted joint, used for attaching the bracket that is part of the installation hardware for the isofix-type child restraint, may have been incorrectly tightened.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the anchorage bolts and tighten to the correct torque level. Owner notification began May 7, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  3. R
    2001-05-07Seat belts01V100000 Vehicle description: sedans and wagons. The rear outboard seat belt anchorage bolts may have been incorrectly tightened.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the anchorage bolts and tighten to the correct torque level. Owner notification began May 7, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon…

    Check if this car was fixed →

  4. 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 →

  5. R
    2004-11-29Engine and engine cooling04V451000 On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, under certain operating conditions, some electric cooling fans may overheat potentially causing heat damage and, in rare instances, a fire in the…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the cooling fan. The recall began on November 29, 2004. Customers should contact Volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.

    Check if this car was fixed →

  6. I
    2005-07-26Preliminary evaluationClosed 2005-12-07 Throttle control malfunction
  7. I
    2005-12-06Engineering analysisClosed 2006-12-12 Throttle control malfunction
  8. R
    2006-12-29Vehicle speed control06V441000 On certain passenger vehicles, a combination of throttle positioning sensor irregularities, a dirty throttle housing, and/or inefficient software calibration may cause a warning lamp to light and…

    Remedy: Dealers will install the current software upgrade onto the involved vehicles. The recall began on December 29, 2006. Owners may contact Volvo AT 1-800-458-1552.

    Check if this car was fixed →

  9. 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 →

  10. 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 →

  11. 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 →

  12. R
    2021-12-14Air bags21V800000 Volvo Cars USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2007 V70 and XC70 vehicles.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 14, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10136.

    Check if this car was fixed →

Buy-smart checklist

2001 Volvo V70 — pre-purchase inspection

Inspect

  • Vehicle speed control: 61 reports on file for this year.
  • Power train: 45 reports on file for this year.
  • Electrical system: 30 reports on file for this year.

Verify these recalls were completed

  • Recall 01V101000 · Seat belts
  • Recall 01V100000 · Seat belts
  • Recall 03V284000 · Equipment
  • Recall 04V451000 · Engine and engine cooling
  • Recall 06V441000 · Vehicle speed control
  • Recall 07E023000 · Service brakes, hydraulic
  • Recall 09V483000 · Fuel system, gasoline
  • Recall 10V566000 · Equipment
  • Recall 21V800000 · Air bags
Inspected by ______________ Date ______________

Other years of this model

See all years ranked →

Best years3 years

Worst years2 years

FAQ

Is the 2001 Volvo V70 reliable?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume compared to this model's typical year, the 2001 Volvo V70 is rated "significantly worse".
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Volvo V70?
The most-reported component is vehicle speed control, accounting for 28% of complaints on file.
How many recalls does the 2001 Volvo V70 have?
9 recalls on file for this model year.

Data updated 2026-10-09 · Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA, not independently verified defects. Methodology.