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Volvo S80 reliability.

Is it reliable? Not really. 1.7× the average car's complaints.

168All years 2000–2001 · 100 = average car

Worse than average · 2000–2001

Fewest 2001Most 2000

2001 Volvo S80 illustration

20011st generation

Lemon Index 134YouTube #7 of 11Fewest complaintsSee the 2001 report ›
2000Taller bar = more complaints per car sold2016

What owners say on YouTube

#59 of 269YouTube owner tone vs. cars the same age · 346 videos
2008YouTube's favorite year2003Least-liked year on YouTube

1999–2006 S80 · 198 most-watched videos

Owners praise

Reliability10%
Power5%
Comfort and ride3%

Owners complain about

Nothing stands out.

Fixes owners look up most

  1. Transmission & shifter193K views
  2. Brakes & ABS150K views
  3. Death wobble & steering119K views

Before you buy, watch

2002-2006 Volvo S60 S80 V70 XC70 XC90 Dash Cluster DIM ProblemsAutomotive Circuit Solutions · 209K viewsVolvo S80 MK2 2006-2015 | should you buy one?? | full REVIEW...Car and Driving - Car Reviews · 49K viewsShould You Buy a Volvo S80 (2004)? Join Us For a Thrilling Road Test With Stunning Drone Footage!Tariq TV Productions · 19K views

Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.

Every year2001Fewest owner complaintsSee every year →Comparevs Lincoln MKSAlso Volvo S60, Infiniti M35See comparisons →Questions6 quick answersIs the Volvo S80 reliable?Is the Volvo S80 a good car?See questions →All the data17 model yearsin one table: index, complaints, recalls, mpgSee the table →

Looking at a 2002 or newer? Those are too new for a full complaint score (any score shown is partial, in gray), but YouTube owners like the 2002 best.

Fewest complaints

2001.

Only 2 Volvo S80 years have enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2001 drew a bit more than the average car's complaints.

Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.

2016–·2015–·2014–·2013–·2012–·2011–·2010–·2009–#22008–#12007–#32006–#82005–#92004–#62003–#112002–#52001134#72000190#4
Show 1 older years (1999–1999, YouTube reviews only, no complaint data)
1999·#10

Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 11 Volvo S80 years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.

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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/volvo-s80/" title="Volvo S80 reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="261" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/volvo-s80/">Lemon Index</a> (Volvo S80 reliability by year)</p>

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Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.

YouTube rank: we read 393 YouTube videos about the Volvo S80, 1999 to 2016, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2008. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.

Compare the Volvo S80.

Volvo S80Lincoln MKSvs Lincoln MKSVolvo S80Volvo S60vs Volvo S60Volvo S80Infiniti M35vs Infiniti M35Volvo S80Volvo S40vs Volvo S40

Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →

Quick answers.

Is the Volvo S80 reliable?

Not really. It draws 1.7× the average car's complaints, but YouTube owners sound happier with it than with most cars its age. No year beat the average car. The year with the fewest complaints, 2001, still drew 1.3× the average.

Is the Volvo S80 a good car?

Not overall: it draws more complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2000-2001: Lemon Index 168; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2001 drew the fewest complaints and 2000 the most.

What are the best Volvo S80 years to buy?

Only 2 Volvo S80 years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2001 drew the fewest complaints (a bit more than the average car's complaints).

What Volvo S80 years should you stay away from?

Only 2 Volvo S80 years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.

How many recalls does the Volvo S80 have?

76 safety recalls across the 17 model years we track. Most: 2001 (8), 2008 (7), 2003 (6). Each year's page lists them, and every Volvo S80 recall is in one list here.

What are the most common Volvo S80 problems?

Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name engine, transmission & drivetrain and suspension most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.

Every year in one table
YearIndexCompared with averageComplaintsTop complaintRecallsCrash testMPG
2000190about twice the average car's complaints61engine (25%)5—18–19
2001134a bit more than the average car's complaints29transmission & drivetrain (28%)8—19–20
2002–complaints only, too few sold to score8lights (38%)5—19
2003–complaints only, too few sold to score9service brakes, hydraulic (33%)6—19–20
2004–complaints only, too few sold to score9steering (33%)5—19–21
2005–complaints only, too few sold to score2suspension (100%)6—19–22
2006–complaints only, too few sold to score1speed control (100%)4—20–22
2007–complaints only, too few sold to score1seat belts (100%)5—18–19
2008–complaints only, too few sold to score3airbags (67%)7—18–19
2009–complaints only, too few sold to score1seats (100%)5—18–20
2010–complaints only, too few sold to score8airbags (38%)5—18–21
2011–complaints only, too few sold to score2airbags (100%)4—21–22
2012–complaints only, too few sold to score1tires (100%)3—21–23
2013–complaints only, too few sold to score3body structure (33%)3—21–22
2014–complaints only, too few sold to score1transmission & drivetrain (100%)1—21–23
2015–complaints only, too few sold to score3engine (33%)2—22–29
2016–complaints only, too few sold to score1—2—29

The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: goodcarbadcar.net. How it works

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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data

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