By make
Known Volvo problems at the APK
Over all generations together Volvo has an A-problem 7% less often than cars of the same age (rank 15 of 33 makes). 50 times a part fails clearly more often than average on a Volvo generation.
Window: Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · Updated: 16 Oct 2026
By part
Drive shafts
Repair: medium- V90 / S90 II 2016–2026 · 8.4% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.7%)
- V70 III / XC70 II 2007–2017 · 6.3% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.9%)
- V60 I / S60 II 2010–2019 · 5.6% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.9%)
- V50 2005–2020 · 4.9% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.9%)
- XC60 I 2008–2018 · 4.0% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.8%)
- V40 II 2012–2020 · 2.4% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.7%)
- V60 II / S60 III 2018–2026 · 1.8% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.5%)
- XC40 / EX40 / C40 2017–2026 · 1.2% at 5–6 yrs (national 0.3%)
Look behind the front wheels at the rubber boots: no tears or grease around them. Drive a tight turn: no clicking noise.
Warning lights
Repair: medium- XC40 / EX40 / C40 2017–2026 · 7.1% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V60 I Plug-in Hybrid 2012–2018 · 9.3% at 9–10 yrs (national 3.2%)
- XC60 II 2017–2026 · 4.7% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V90 / S90 II 2016–2026 · 3.9% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.4%)
- XC90 II 2015–2026 · 3.6% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V60 II / S60 III 2018–2026 · 3.1% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V70 III / XC70 II 2007–2017 · 0.6% at 11–12 yrs (national 0.1%)
- V40 II 2012–2020 · 0.4% at 13–15 yrs (national 0.1%)
Switch on the ignition: all lights come on briefly and go out after starting. If one stays on, ask about the cause.
Steering
Repair: large- XC90 II 2015–2026 · 4.6% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V60 I / S60 II 2010–2019 · 3.4% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.1%)
- V70 III / XC70 II 2007–2017 · 3.1% at 13–15 yrs (national 1.1%)
- V90 / S90 II 2016–2026 · 2.3% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V60 I Plug-in Hybrid 2012–2018 · 2.9% at 11–12 yrs (national 1.0%)
- XC60 I 2008–2018 · 1.7% at 11–12 yrs (national 1.1%)
Turn the wheel while stationary: no play, knocking or heavy spot. On the test drive the car should keep running straight.
Exhaust and emissions
Repair: medium- V40 II 2012–2020 · 2.6% at 13–15 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V70 III / XC70 II 2007–2017 · 2.3% at 11–12 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V60 I / S60 II 2010–2019 · 1.5% at 11–12 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V60 I Plug-in Hybrid 2012–2018 · 1.3% at 11–12 yrs (national 0.4%)
- V50 2005–2020 · 1.3% at 13–15 yrs (national 0.4%)
- XC60 I 2008–2018 · 1.2% at 13–15 yrs (national 0.4%)
Start the engine cold and watch for smoke and an uneven idle. Listen for blowing noises under the car.
Brakes
Repair: medium- V90 / S90 II 2016–2026 · 5.0% at 9–10 yrs (national 2.8%)
- V40 II 2012–2020 · 4.6% at 13–15 yrs (national 2.9%)
- V60 I / S60 II 2010–2019 · 4.4% at 13–15 yrs (national 2.9%)
- XC40 / EX40 / C40 2017–2026 · 4.0% at 7–8 yrs (national 2.7%)
- V60 II / S60 III 2018–2026 · 3.1% at 5–6 yrs (national 1.8%)
Look through the wheel at the discs: no deep grooves or thick rust edge. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stay straight.
Springs and shock absorbers
Repair: medium- V40 II 2012–2020 · 6.2% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.8%)
- V50 2005–2020 · 6.8% at 16+ yrs (national 2.7%)
- XC60 I 2008–2018 · 6.1% at 13–15 yrs (national 2.3%)
- V60 I Plug-in Hybrid 2012–2018 · 2.0% at 11–12 yrs (national 1.1%)
Push each corner down firmly: the car should rebound once. Look for oil on the dampers and whether the car sits level.
Control arms / ball joints
Repair: medium- XC90 II 2015–2026 · 25.3% at 9–10 yrs (national 1.1%)
- XC60 II 2017–2026 · 19.1% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.9%)
- V90 / S90 II 2016–2026 · 14.7% at 9–10 yrs (national 1.1%)
- V60 II / S60 III 2018–2026 · 2.9% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.9%)
Listen for clunks or knocks over speed bumps on the test drive. The car should not wander when braking.
Leaks
Repair: medium- V40 II 2012–2020 · 5.2% at 11–12 yrs (national 2.6%)
- V70 III / XC70 II 2007–2017 · 3.9% at 11–12 yrs (national 2.6%)
- XC60 I 2008–2018 · 0.9% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.5%)
Look under the engine and where the car was parked. Open the bonnet and look for wet, greasy spots.
Engine and drivetrain
Repair: large- V60 II / S60 III 2018–2026 · 1.0% at 7–8 yrs (national 0.2%)
- V90 / S90 II 2016–2026 · 1.0% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.2%)
- V50 2005–2020 · 1.0% at 13–15 yrs (national 0.4%)
Start cold and listen for ticking, watch for smoke and jerks when shifting.
Body and doors
Repair: small- XC90 II 2015–2026 · 0.9% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.1%)
- V40 II 2012–2020 · 0.5% at 11–12 yrs (national 0.2%)
Open and close all doors and the tailgate. Uneven gaps and colour differences point to accident repair.
Seat belts, seats and airbags
Repair: medium- XC90 II 2015–2026 · 1.9% at 9–10 yrs (national 0.5%)
Pull each belt out quickly: it should lock. The airbag light goes out after starting.
All Volvo generations in a row
| Generation | A-problems vs. the same age |
|---|---|
| XC40 / EX40 / C402017–2026 | 72% less often |
| V60 II / S60 III2018–2026 | 53% less often |
| V60 I / S60 II2010–2019 | 34% less often |
| XC60 II2017–2026 | 30% less often |
| V60 I Plug-in Hybrid2012–2018 | 26% less often |
| V70 III / XC70 II2007–2017 | 24% less often |
| XC60 I2008–2018 | 17% less often |
| V502005–2020 | 6% less often |
| V90 / S90 II2016–2026 | 28% more often |
| V40 II2012–2020 | 47% more often |
| XC90 II2015–2026 | 2.2× as often |
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Frequently asked questions
Which problems are common on Volvo cars?
At the APK drive shafts stands out for Volvo: on 8 of 12 generations it is clearly more common than on cars of the same age. Source: RDW Open Data, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.
Source: RDW Open Data (CC0), analysis CarXray.nl. 6,857,004 inspected passenger cars aged 3 years and older, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026. Each car counts once. How we know