2003 Volvo S80 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other S80 years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 26 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Volvo S80. That ranks 7th out of 18 S80 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel system, gasoline (5 complaints, 19%), typically at around 40,748 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire, 4 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 26owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Volvo S80 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 19% | 40,748 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 15% | 144,077 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 12% | 75,039 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 12% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 12% | 7,320 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% | 129,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 4% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 4% | 3,123 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 4% | 59,493 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 4% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 4% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 4% | 123,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Volvo S80 recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2006 S80 and 2001-2009 S60 vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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 Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The driver side frontal air bag inflator may rupture, sending metal fragments into the passage compartment, when the driver side air bag is deployed.
Risk: Metal fragments can strike vehicle occupants increasing the risk of serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)
Problem: Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
Risk: An overheated battery could lead to a fire.
Fix: 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 new battery and a spacer will be inserted on top of the battery next to the pcb. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 18, 2010. Owners may contact garmin at 866-957-1981 or visit garmin's website at www.garmin.com/nuvibatterypcbrecall.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: 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, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, kentucky, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, north carolina, oklahoma, south carolina, tennessee, texas, utah, virginia and the u.s. Territories. When exposed to certain environmental conditions (hot climate and temperature cycling) over time and in combination with varying fuel quality, the fuel pump can develop cracks in the fuel pump flange.
Risk: If the condition occurs vehicle owners may notice fuel smell and/or fuel leak which, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: 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 recall began on january 15, 2010. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: 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 these vehicles and, in certain cases, the owner's manual isofix information is incorrect.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: 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 take their vehicle to a volvo dealer for installation of the guide, it will be performed at no charge to the owner. Owner notification began on december 19, 2003. Owners should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
See attached document for complaint
In Tank Fuel Pump, problem was leaking at top of pump @ the inlet at the outlet & return valve, crack in the plastic mold. Was giving off fumes, totally unhealthy and waitin for someone to light up a cigarette for a total car explosion and death for all occupants. I have replaced the pump myself…
The lovely GM transmission suddenly decided to not shift while going uphill. Pushing the accelerator just made the RPMs go up and up while the car did nothing. Then a warning light. Transmission service Then limp mode. And all I could do literally was go 5 mph then. It occurred as I was turning at…
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. The contact then received a call that the appointment was cancelled due to parts…
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 locally
Other Volvo S80 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 S80 | 6 | 2 |
| 2015 S80 | 7 | 2 |
| 2014 S80 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013 S80 | 8 | 3 |
| 2012 S80 | 8 | 3 |
| 2011 S80 | 5 | 4 |
| 2010 S80 | 27 | 5 |
| 2009 S80 | 16 | 5 |
| 2008 S80 | 26 | 7 |
| 2007 S80 | 24 | 5 |
| 2006 S80 | 12 | 3 |
| 2005 S80 | 15 | 5 |
| 2004 S80 | 50 | 4 |
| 2003 | 26 | 5 |
| 2002 S80 | 42 | 4 |
| 2001 S80 | 164 | 7 |
| 2000 S80 | 318 | 4 |
| 1999 S80 | 199 | 4 |
See all Volvo S80 problems by year, every Volvo model, or the Volvo VIN decoder.
Similar Volvo models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Volvo S80?
Owners most often report fuel system, gasoline, electrical system, air bags problems. The top one, fuel system, gasoline, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Volvo S80?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Volvo S80 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other S80 model years, the 2003 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.