2002 Volvo XC70 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 15, 2021 · 35 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other XC70 years
Far more complaints than other years 4th of 16 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 35 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Volvo XC70. That ranks 4th out of 16 XC70 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (14 complaints, 40%), typically at around 83,943 miles. Complaints mention 1 fire. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Volvo XC70
2003 Volvo XC70 Description Volvo XC70 de 2003 Source Photo faite par moi-même. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: The original uploader was Zouzzou at French Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2002 Volvo XC70 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Power Train14 · ~83,943 mi
Vehicle Speed Control7 · ~71,400 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling5 · ~82,885 mi
Fuel/propulsion System5 · ~138,000 mi
Suspension4 · ~63,000 mi
Visibility3 · ~130,756 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline2 · ~62,000 mi
Engine1 · ~30,000 mi
Exterior Lighting1 · ~54,900 mi
Seat Belts1 · ~80,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Power Train1440%83,943——
Vehicle Speed Control720%71,400——
Engine and Engine Cooling514%82,885——
Fuel/propulsion System514%138,000——
Suspension411%63,000——
Visibility39%130,756——
Fuel System, Gasoline26%62,000——
Engine13%30,000——
Exterior Lighting13%54,900——
Seat Belts13%80,000——
Steering13%28,000——
Unknown or Other13%2,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2010, with 10 complaints
2003: 2200322004: 1200412005: 2200522006: 1200612007: 2200722008: 3200832009: 2200922010: 102010102011: 4201142012: 1201212014: 1201412015: 2201522016: 1201612018: 320183

n = 35 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2002 Volvo XC70 recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleOct 14, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V800000 · 194,546 vehicles

Problem: Volvo Cars USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2001-2007 V70 and XC70 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 December 14, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10136.

Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)Nov 8, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V566000 · 416 vehicles

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 pumpDec 18, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V483000 · 158,733 vehicles

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:labelsAug 1, 2003 · NHTSA campaign 03V284000 · 220,407 vehicles

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.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Throttle control malfunction (PE05041) — opened Jul 26, 2005, closed Dec 7, 2005.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo xc70. The contact stated that an unknown warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact called an independent mechanic and was informed that the failure could be related to nhtsa campaign number: 06v441000 (vehicle speed control)…

Vehicle Speed Control · received Aug 20, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11121047

Fuel leak at the top of the fuel pump. Fuel oder in can. Fuel leaking under the car

Fuel/propulsion System · received Aug 8, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11118612

Volvo xc v70 2002 ocean race edition has developed a strong gasoline smell after driving. There is no 1) leakage under vehicle, 2) check engine light, or 3) apparent reduction in mileage or performance. I also replaced the gas cap, but nothing changed. We keep our volvo in the garage under our…

Fuel/propulsion System · received Feb 12, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11072312

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo xc70. While driving 15 mph, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle would not accelerate past 20 mph. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed that the throttle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The…

Engine · received Apr 11, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10854800

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo xc70. While driving at various speeds, there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. In addition, there was fuel leaking from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v483000…

Fuel/propulsion System · received Sep 18, 2015 · NHTSA complaint 10765049

Other Volvo XC70 years

← 2001 XC70 · 2003 XC70 →

See all Volvo XC70 problems by year, every Volvo model, or the Volvo VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Volvo XC70?

Owners most often report power train, vehicle speed control, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 14 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2002 Volvo XC70?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2002 Volvo XC70 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other XC70 model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.