Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, steering, and body and structure. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2019Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2019 Volvo XC60: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1
Engine off, key in hand0/3
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
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 2019's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2019 checks
Worth adding to your 2019 checks
Worth adding to your 2019 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2019 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, FWD | 23–24 mpg |
| 2.0L 4-cylPlug-in hybrid | AWD | 500 mi range |
NHTSA complaints for the 2019 Volvo XC60, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Water leaking from the sunroof and roof drains is the most serious pattern. It collects under the carpet and reaches electronics beneath the front passenger seat. Afterward the car may crawl, refuse to leave park, or fail to shut off, with a flood of error messages. Other reports describe the center screen and driver display going black while driving, taking the speedometer, turn signals, and hazards with them. One driver display failed before 45,000 miles. One crash with an injury involved the auto-hold brake releasing at a parking gate.
Vibration is the most common complaint. Some owners feel brake pulsation in the wheel, with rotors replaced repeatedly before 20,000 miles. Others report heavy shaking above 45 mph that stops only when the car comes to a halt, starting around 55,000 miles. One electric power steering rack failed suddenly at about 65,000 miles, leaving the car unable to steer, and the quoted repair was nearly $7,000. Separate reports say the buttons on the right side of the steering wheel stop working, so messages on the center display cannot be cleared.
The reported failures involve seats, doors, and the liftgate. In one case the driver's seat back tipped forward toward the steering wheel and locked there. The car could not be driven and had to be towed for a warranty repair. Another report describes a rear passenger door that will not open from inside or outside, which blocks an emergency exit. A third says the liftgate arms separated in freezing weather. These failures came with no warning beforehand, and none of the 3 complaints describes a failure while driving.
Both reports involve sudden safety failures. One describes repeated unintended acceleration after a stop on an uphill turn, and one of those incidents ended in a crash with a roadside signpost. The other describes a sudden loss of power brake assist at 10 mph that left the pedal nearly impossible to press. A technician traced it to a failed exhaust camshaft, which drives the brake vacuum pump, at 45,000 miles. With only 2 complaints on file, these are single reports rather than a clear trend.
Two separate failures are reported. In one, the gas pedal stuck at highway speed and the car kept accelerating toward 80 mph even after the driver lifted off. Braking slowed it only slightly until the R-Design pedal cover came loose. In the other, the speedometer went blank with no warning lights, so the driver could not tell how fast the car was going. That happened once, and no dealer reproduced or confirmed it.
Both complaints involve tires the car came with from the factory. In one, the foam lining inside a tire came loose and caused severe shaking above 40 mph, and the dealer would not cover the replacement. In the other, a rear Pirelli Scorpion Zero tire blew out while the car was parked, with a child standing nearby. No one was hurt. Neither report links the failure to a mileage, and neither describes a crash.
Violent shaking and vibration at 50 mph and above is one reported symptom. The other complaint traces back to water entering through a faulty sunroof seal and drain. The water pools out of sight under the carpets and shorts out computer modules, which can disable the airbags, suspension, and engine electronics and leave the car inoperable. Confusing error messages on the display come with it. Owners describe the water damage as expensive to fix.
Rapid brake and rotor wear is the pattern here, with one report of brakes and rotors replaced 3 times. Drivers feel the brake pedal pulse or shake, the car shudders as it slows, and the steering wheel vibrates at 55 to 70 mph. One report says the dealer could not reproduce the vibration. Owners also worry that worn brakes will not stop the car reliably. No crash or injury is reported.
Excerpts from complaints XC60 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
On 9/1/25 while driving 25 mph in the neighborhood the car started shifting very hard. Upon getting back in the driveway and put in park all dashboard light came on. Car would not leave park, parking brake would not work. Windows would not roll down, dash would not turn on, car would not turn off. Got it to the dealership and the told me it was a software update that needed to be done.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
Driving down the interstate in rush hour at 30 mph, the entire entertainment system as well as the dashboard went black and went through a system restart. The dashboard, including spedometer and related controls were black and unusable for approximately 10 seconds. Approximately 3 minutes later, the system reboot again and all visual aids were unusable for 10 seconds or so.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2022
The rear passenger door on this 4 year old car will not open from inside, nor outside. This is a huge safety issue, as any emergency egress from that point will not be possible. I can imagine the outcome if we were in an accident and needed to try to exit via that door. I chatted with Volvo and they simply recommended opening a case with their 800 number. I've seen forums with many other people having this same problem with Volvos for many years.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2023
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2019 ranks fourth 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 2019 is the second model year of the XC60's second generation (2018–2023).
Volvo updated the XC60 for 2021, so a 2019 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2021 (not on a 2019)
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 Car) is recalling certain 2019-2022 V60CC, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. During steering gear assembly, double screws may have been assembled on top of each other, which can cause a screw to fall into the gearbox housing.
Risk: A screw inside the gearbox housing can cause the steering wheel to lock up and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 1, 2023. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10213.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2020 V90, XC60, S60, V60, V60CC, S90, V90CC, S90L, and XC90 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump can blow a fuse and fail.
Risk: Failure of the low-pressure fuel pump can cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10100.
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 Cars USA LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2019-2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. Due to a software/hardware incompatibility, the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.
Risk: If the automatic emergency braking system does not engage as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29998.
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.
Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2019 Volvo XC60 hybrid electric vehicles, equipped with certain AeroVironment electric vehicle TurboCord and TurboDock/TurboDX charging systems. Capacitors within these charging systems may fail, possibly resulting in a shock hazard or a fire.
Risk: An electrical shock or a fire can increase the risk of injury or death.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charge cord, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2018. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R39901. Note: Owners are advised not to use the charging cord until it is inspected.
Cars shoppers compare with the Volvo XC60, with their own 2019 checklists.
