NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
79,183 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Volvo S60 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2004 Volvo S60 Owner Comments

problem #19

Jul 082024

S60

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2004 VOLVO S60 PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN SEPT 04. On 7/8/24 STRANDED AT 7-11 CAR WOULDN'T START. ACTING AS IF THERE WAS POWER LOSS, AC WENT OFF, BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT ON PANEL, POWER WINDOWS AND LOCKS DID NOT WORK, TEMP 105 OUTSIDE, THEN DRIVER PANEL WENT BLACK., I WAS SCARED. ENGINE WOULDN'T START. FINALLY, AFTER WAITING 10 MINUTES...IT STARTED RUNNING BUT WAS SLUGGISH. RADIO WAS ON, POWER DOOR, LOCKS, AND WINDOWS, DID NOT WORK. CUT THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, ALL POWER RETURNED, NOW CHECK ENGINE AND AIR BAG TROUBLE ON PANEL. CALLED VOLVO DEALER NEXT DAY NEAR MY HOME, THEY CAN NOT SEE MY CAR TIL NEXT WEEK TUESDAY. CAN NOT ACCESS ENGINE BOX, MUST GO TO DEALER.

- Hillsboro, OR, USA

problem #18

Jul 072017

S60

  • 136,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo S60. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled and was pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted and there were no warning indicators illuminated. The failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

- White Post, VA, USA

problem #17

Dec 022015

S60

  • 155,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo S60. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled and the check engine light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and resumed driving. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000.

- Willingboro, NJ, USA

problem #16

Dec 282014

S60 5-cyl

  • 67,275 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driver's side seat started smoking within a few seconds of starting the vehicle while backing out of parking place. Seat heater was on. Immediately stopped and turned off seat heater and smoking stopped. Quarter size hole was burned into the leather seat bottom on the driver's side outside panel. Took it to darrell waltrip Volvo/Subaru in franklin, tn, and they said it was the seat heater and took the fuse out. Said it wasn't covered under warranty and no recall out. Hope no one has this problem driving down the interstate. Best regards and thanks for all your hard work, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #15

Mar 242011

S60

  • 90,000 miles
While driving, the car jerks violently - the same thing happens when the car is idling (no jerk, only an "click" sound). It happens anytime but seems worse in the summer but I think it's hot-heat related. The other issues are related: -the interior lights usually come on -the instrument panel goes completely blank/lights go off/no available emergency lights -the windshield wipers make one wipe sometimes -the "rear passenger door open" warning comes on -the "brake failure stop safely" warning comes on and sometimes "check engine" light comes on. Not all of these symptoms occur each time. There are more severe and less severe incidents.

- Pflugerville, TX, USA

problem #14

May 192014

S60 5-cyl

  • 160,000 miles
Car was in park and running when electrical wires to the windshield wipers caught fire. The bundle of wires are housed in a rubber tube. My understanding is rubber is quite fire-resistant. There have been 5 recalls on this model, two which were related to electrical fires. Neither applied to this particular car fire. Local Volvo dealership wants nothing to do with the situation; they send us to corporate customer service and they, in turn send us back to the local dealership. Service manager said he was not a knowledgeable fire inspector and suggested that we hire an expert in that field.

- North Charleston, SC, USA

problem #13

Feb 012013

S60 5-cyl

  • 52,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Purchased this car in 2010 with 51,000 miles. Shortly after purchase check engine light came on with service engine soon message. Car worked fine. Then brake failure message came on, brakes worked fine. Took vehicle to Volvo dealership and they found a way to "reset" system. Go in trunk, remove black battery cable, touch it to red battery cable for approx 10 seconds and the system will. We've reset the system countless times and it continues to be a problem. About 3 months ago all gauges would quit working and car would randomly brake at about 45 mph. Plus after coming to stop, car would barely move but after it got going it would be fine. Reset system and it worked for about 3 miles and happen again. Volvo mechanic found AWD (dem) control module failure. Replaced this at $1500 for the part and after 50 miles, gauges still work, no random braking and acceleration is normal. But....service engine message and check engine light back on. Was told that all modules relate to each and if one is out it can affect the others. At about $1500 per module, it is cost prohibitive to replace all these, 6 to be exact. Volvo needs to recall these vehicles and replace these modules.

- Windsor, CO, USA

problem #12

Jun 082012

S60

  • 118,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo S60. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing several electrical failures. The rear door indicator was illuminated, the vehicle was exhibiting hesitation, the steering was hard to turn and the interior light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the brake, spark plugs and air filter was replaced however, the failure was not corrected. The vehicle continued to experience the electrical failures. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000 and the current mileage was 120,000.

- Brockton , MA, USA

problem #11

Apr 052011

S60 5-cyl

  • 100 miles
When turning a corner. I noticed the check engine light was on. The this happened a second time a week later, and then several additional times. I took the car to independent mechanic and he checked it out but couldn't diagnose the problem. He only speculated that it could be the pvc box, but that they were not sure it would fix the problem. The car had approximately 100K after this happened about eight times in the next 3 months, I took the car to Volvo dealer. They checked it out, and told me it may be the pvc box, but they were not sure this would fix the problem. I took it to another mechanic and who said it was the catalytyic converter. This problem has been ongoing for a year. I took the car to another mechanic and he changed the spark plugs and cabin filter. He told me to take the car to the Volvo dealership/service to have the computer reset. He said, because the car looses pressure and stalls when you make a quick turn. I called Volvo they said this would fix the problem. I took the car to Volvo to get an oil change. They told me the car stalled out on the mechanic 3 times and the check engiine light was on. They checked the car on the computer and told me the engine coils needed replacing. That was the problem. I paid for the engine coils to be replaced and some other work which totaled $1350. I picked the car up on Friday, on Monday, while turning a corner the car stalled out, no power, no steering, just onboard lights. It happened again on Tuesday morning. I experienced this problem when the car was under recall. The dealership fixed it, but it seems as though this problem is occuring again. This is dangerous and Volvo should be responsible and fix these cars. There are some serious mechanical/engine problems with this vehicle.

- Lorton, VA, USA

problem #10

Jan 222008

S60 5-cyl

  • 107,231 miles
1/22/08 inserted key and it would only move into the first position activating the radio, lights, etc. Unable to continue to turn key and turn on automobile. Steering column lock assembly failed, although it is expected to last the life of the car, leaving me stranded and without a car for over a week since part comes from germany. 4/17/12 same symptoms and once again I am stranded unexpectedly. Volvo dealer reports this happens often and new double priced part might last longer. This is a danger due to its sudden completely unpredictable onset, inability to be driven, and length of time that the car is unable to be in use.

- St. Louis, MO, USA

problem #9

Feb 092012

S60 5-cyl

  • 140,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Like many others who are on Volvo websites have reported I too had a fire on the drivers seat left side due to my seat heater. I now have a half dollar sized hole in the side of my seat. The first sign of this was a smell and then a lot of smoke. Luckily I was able to pull over quickly and had a towel handy to snuff it out, otherwise I would have burned hands or other parts. I've been a lifelong Volvo owner, I have to say I'm surprised Volvo hasn't at least warned their dealers about this problem. I did see another drivers seat totally blackened and burnt out last time I took my car in, was amazed that it could even happen let alone be a common occurrence. Now after searching online this is a prevalent problem.

- Washougal , WA, USA

problem #8

Jan 122012

S60 5-cyl

  • 95,100 miles
When turning a corner, the engine stopped, steering stopped working and lights on dashboard come on. This happened a second time two days later. Took to independent mechanic and he checked all work he had done in the past plus checked the whole car out and he could not find why the car stopped. Two days later the car again stalled out when in traffic - engine stopped, steering stopped working and lights on dashboard came on. Last two times this happened I was driving on a straight road. This has happened 5 times now in the last week. All times engine stopped working, I was driving between 10 and 40 miles per hour. After researching this problem, I found out that my vehicle had been recalled and at 53,333 miles the fuel pressure sensor was replaced by the dealer. Now 42,000 miles later it appears that it is once again the fuel pressure sensor. This is very dangerous especially since I do a lot of highway driving and also live in an area where children have been know to run out into the street. Not only is there a possibility of a car accident, but also the possibility of a child being hit if I cannot turn the car quickly to avoid the child. At this point I am afraid to drive the car and fell very unsafe even though Volvo are know for their safety. After reading numerous reports of many people having this problem with their 2004 S60 Volvo it makes me wonder why Volvo is not correcting this problem on all 2004 Volvo S60S that are having this same problem. My mechanic is checking on this problem and will replace next week if this is the real issue. Sometimes doors lock for no reason at all. Also I have had to replace the rear lights on this vehicle several times. Seems much more than normal.

- Sykesville, MD, USA

problem #7

Mar 292011

S60 5-cyl

  • 115,000 miles
This is what is happening to me with my 2004 T2.5 S60 Volvo. I called Volvo and they said no recalls yet I see this same thing happening to other, it has to be a defect with the car. My happens when the weather gets hot here in California. I had no problems this winter, but yesterday it was in the mid to high 80?S and the problem happened again! no warning to the events. On numerous occasions, the car feels as if it has hit a large object, temporarily lurches and appears to momentarily stall creating a temporary loss of vehicle control. This is followed by an immediate loss of all instrument gauges, air conditioner, window controls and door locks. The fan did continue to work. The ABS warning light also indicated as well as a warning that no brakes function existed. The SRS service air bag urgent indication is illuminated. On turning the car off and restarting(sometimes that doesn't work, but if I remove the battery cable and let it set for a bit and put it back on the car will start), the functions of the car return with exception that the SRS service air bag urgent indication remains. This problem can take months to repeat or only a matter of minutes. It seems to be more prevalent in hot weather. I have taken it to different repair places and they too many codes, reset it and it comes back again. This has been going on for over the past two years.

- Beaumont, CA, USA

problem #6

Jan 112010

S60 5-cyl

  • 79,000 miles
Volvo S60R seat issue. Turned seat heater on, felt very warm sensation on my left hip/leg after a few minutes. Turned seat heater off and got out of car to check what was happening. Seat heater burned through the leather and also my jeans. Is there a recall/fix? seems extremely dangerous.

- Lake Villa, IL, USA

problem #5

Jun 152009

S60

  • 70,000 miles
I own a 2004 Volvo S60R that has turn signal issues. There was no event leading up to the failure. Simply one day it no longer worked 100% of the time. When using the turn indicator stock to signal a left turn it will not do so if I fully depress it into the lock position. If I hold it only part of the way before it locks into the position it sometimes works. If I do put it into the fully locked position and turn the steering wheel sometimes it may work and sometimes it may not. This only effects the left turn signal and not the right. I saw the following article (www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-26/Volvo-SUVS-examined-for-electronics-flaws-U-S-says.html) about the 2004 - 2005 XC90 exhibiting the same behavior with the turn signal stalk intermittently working. Obviously the consequences would be disastrous if I cannot signal my intentions on lane changing and others would then collide into me causing injury and possibly death to either one or all parties involved. No parts have been replaced and the defective part is still installed on my vehicle.

- Bothell, WA, USA

problem #4

Sep 202008

S60

  • 62,000 miles
Driving along the highway at bout 70 mph, the car suddenly hesitates and loses power (the RPM reader, and speedometer fall to 0). The car then regains power and then it jerks and hesitates, once again losing power. This time the power stays out. Haven't had the problem fixed yet the initial acceleration of the car is extremely slow and it requires a hard press on the gas to get the car in motion. The power doesn't work for the following functions: Power lock (including the remote) all steering wheel functions (radio and cruise control) headlights turn signals windshield wipers sun roof side and rear view mirrors air conditioning controls all gauges in the dashboard.

- Flowery Branch, GA, USA

problem #3

Sep 232008

S60

  • miles
Bulbs continuously burns out causing errors that cannot be readily fix by the owner. Bulbs such as for headlights, turn signals and rear lights burn out constantly. We are averaging a bulb replacement every 2 months.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #2

Jun 242008

S60

  • 57,780 miles
I have a 2004 Volvo S60 with 57,700 miles. All work on the vehicle has been done by Volvo. Recently, when the ac is on, the fan speed has stopped responding to adjustments. Nothing happens when I try to adjust the speed and then, on its own, the speed will change a few minutes later. When I turn the car off, the fan continues to run for at least five minutes. I'm afraid that one day it won't turn off and will drain the battery. The Volvo rep and an independent mechanic feel that the repair may be costly and just to do the diagnostic is expensive, so I haven't had it done while I decide whether to just trade in the vehicle.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #1

Apr 192006

S60 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Car stops while driving. Gauges on dashboard don't work.

- Secaucus, NJ, USA

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