Owners have filed 35 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, brakes, and lane keeping. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2018Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2018 Volvo XC60: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1
Engine off, key in hand0/3
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2018's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2018 checks
Worth adding to your 2018 checks
Worth adding to your 2018 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2018 Volvo XC60. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cylGas | AWD | 24 mpg |
| 2.0L 4-cylPlug-in hybrid | AWD | 370 mi range |
NHTSA complaints for the 2018 Volvo XC60, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The engine shuts off at a stop and fails to restart, often after the auto stop/start feature engages. Some reports describe a locked steering column and brake pedal. Others describe the engine dying while driving, which takes away power steering and brake assist. A second pattern is water getting in through a clogged windshield drain, the windshield seal, or the sunroof. The water damages wiring and modules and triggers airbag warnings, gear selector errors, and shifting problems. Some failures come back after dealer repairs. Of 11 complaints, 2 involve crashes and 3 involve injuries.
Brake pads and rotors wear out early, often needing replacement around 25,000 miles. Rear pads and rotors come up most, and rotors can warp even while the pads are still in good shape. Some owners report replacing pads and rotors again at about 25,000-mile intervals. Dealers disagree on the cause. Some call it a common problem on newer models, while others call it normal wear. No crashes or injuries are reported.
Pilot Assist steering help shuts off, and once it does, the car can drift out of its lane or off the road. Complaints say the handoff comes with little or no warning. Sometimes the only sign is a small steering wheel icon in the instrument cluster turning from green to grey. Another report says the blind spot monitor turns itself off without warning. No crashes are reported. The risk is a driver who is not ready to take back control.
Door hardware fails. The inside driver door handle cracks more than once, and a rear door lock can jam so the door will not open from inside or outside. No warning message appears when the lock fails. Parts shortages drag out repairs. In one case a replacement lock assembly took days to arrive, and another complaint describes a recall repair held up because the dealer had no parts. No crashes or injuries are reported.
Park Assist Pilot can reverse and turn faster than the driver can react. In one crash-related complaint, the rear bumper hits a garage column even though the system showed no obstruction warning. Separately, a warning reading "Power steering assistance temporarily reduced" comes on while driving, along with parking assist alerts and an engine stop/start feature that works only some of the time. These warnings are unsettling enough that some drivers avoid the car.
Severe vibration and bouncing at road speed come from the noise-reducing foam glued inside the tires. The foam comes loose and bunches up, throwing the tire out of balance. Reports describe louder road noise first, then shaking that forces drivers to slow down or pull over. In one case the shaking came from the rear starting at 45 mph. An alignment does not fix it. The tires have to come off the rims before the problem shows. One case involves Continental CrossContact 255/45R20 tires at 39,000 miles.
Excerpts from complaints XC60 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
While driving, the engine will shut off while stopped and fail to restart when the gas pedal is engaged. The car will not turn on, the steering column and brake pedal lock rendering it completely unresponsive to any attempt to restart the vehicle. It has now happened over six times and Volvo has made two attempts to fix it, but it continuously occurs.
Filed with NHTSA, May 2023
Water leaking from the windshield seal (possibly the moonroof) gets into electronics under the dash and causes the transmission to stop working properly and also causes the engine to just stop completely. It happened 4 years ago and Volvo replaced a module but it happened again a week ago.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
Brakes continue to malfunction & I am having to replace brakes & rotors each time at approximately 25k mile intervals. Local dealership in Baton Rouge Louisiana & Lafayette Louisiana continue diminish my concerns and state this in normal wear for this vehicle. i am certain this not the case.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2021
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2018 ranks third for owner complaints among 8 XC60 years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2018 is the first model year of the XC60's second generation (2018–2023). First years of a redesign often carry teething problems that Volvo fixes in later years, so the checks above matter more than usual.
Volvo updated the XC60 for 2021, so a 2018 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2021 (not on a 2018)
Should you avoid the first year of a redesign? See the 45-car study.
Recall repairs are free at any Volvo dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2026 XC60MHEV, 2018 and 2025 XC60 vehicles. The front seat bolts may have been improperly tightened, resulting in loose bolts.
Risk: A seat with loose bolts may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will tighten the front seat bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 17, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10345. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 5, 2025.
Volvo Car of N.A., LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2018-2020 XC60 vehicles. The nuts that secure the front wipers may not have been sufficiently tightened, possibly causing the wipers to not function properly.
Risk: The risk of the front wiper arms nut fixation to loosen and not holding the arm in correct position, the wiper function could be reduced and vision could be impaired, thus increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the nuts holding the front windshield wiper arms in position, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10044.
Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2018-2019 XC60 and S90 vehicles. The driver and passenger front seat rail rear flange nuts may not have been installed during assembly.
Risk: If the nuts are missing, in the event of a crash, the front seat structure and position may be affected, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat rails for missing flange nuts, installing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R19931.
Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volvo XC60 vehicles. Under certain conditions and cold temperatures, the tailgate lifting arms may freeze which may cause the lifting arms to separate from the vehicle.
Risk: If the tailgate lifting arms separate, the arms could project rearward with significant force, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volvo has notified owners, and dealers will replace the tailgate lift arms with an improved designed, free of charge. The recall began May 14, 2019. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89910.
Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Volvo XC90, S90, V60, V60 Cross Country, V90, XC40, XC60, and V90 Cross Country vehicles. The software installed in the Vehicle Connectivity Module (VCM) may have an error causing the Telematics and Driver Support Systems to function improperly. As a result, the GPS will not provide location information to emergency personnel in the event of an emergency.
Risk: If the GPS location is not provided to emergency personnel it can inhibit emergency response in the event of a crash or injury.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will correct the software, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R39917.
Cars shoppers compare with the Volvo XC60, with their own 2018 checklists.
