1998 Volvo C70

Routine

Owners filed 7 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the tires › tread/belt. It has been recalled 4 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments1
000
Steering1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip1
000
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch1
000

4 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch04V504000
Filed Oct 21, 200497,000 vehiclesVolvo Cars Of N.a. Llc.

Defect. ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY CEASE TO FUNCTION.

Risk. THE HEAD LIGHTS MAY NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WHICH COULD RESULT IN INTERMITTENT OR NO HEADLIGHT FUNCTION. THIS COULD IMPAIR A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. ON VEHICLES WITH AN ORIGINAL OEM SWITCH, DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. ALL OTHER VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE IF THE SWITCH HAS EEN DAMAGED AND REPLACE ONLY IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 24, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

Exterior Lighting › Turn Signal00V405000
Filed Dec 6, 2000245,894 vehiclesVolvo Cars Of Na, Inc.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THERE COULD BE INADEQUATE CONTACT BETWEEN THE BULB AND SOCKET WHICH COULD CAUSE THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL NOT TO FUNCTION AS DESIGNED.

Risk. THIS WOULD FAIL TO WARN AN APPROACHING DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE IS TURNING AND COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT TURN SIGNAL BULB AND SOCKET.

Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch99V235000
Filed Aug 30, 1999139,588 vehiclesVolvo Cars Of Na, Inc.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. OPERATION OF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, CAN RESULT IN INCONSISTENT OPERATION OF THE SWITCH.

Risk. DRIVER'S COULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.

Air Bags › Frontal99V236000
Filed Aug 30, 1999124,381 vehiclesVolvo Cars Of Na, Inc.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FRONTAL PASSENGER AIR BAG MAY BE OVERLY SENSITIVE TO CERTAIN ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE.

Risk. THIS COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE AN INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL GROUND WIRE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE TO ASSURE SUFFICIENT GROUNDING.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Steering
Filed Jun 25, 201178,200 milesCA

CAR HAS BEEN AT A RECOGNIZED AUTO REPAIR FACILITY AND HAS BEEN HAVING MAINTENANCE WORK PERFORMED. IT WAS SEEN THAT THE CAR HAD SUFFERED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING RACK WITH THE HOUSING FRACTURING, AND ALL OF THE POWER STEERING FLUID BEING LOST. THERE WAS NO IMPACT AND THE HOUSING APPEARS CRYSTALLINE AT THE BREAK. THERE WAS NO IMPACT CAUSING THIS DAMAGE, WHICH HAD THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD HAVE HAD SEVERE CONSEQUENCES

Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Jun 16, 200690,000 milesGA

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT DOORS SUDDENLY BECAME INOPERABLE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS TO ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN AND OPEN THE DOORS FROM THE OUTSIDE. WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THE PASSENGER SIDE FAILING, THE DRIVER'S SIDE ALSO FAILED. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THIS COULD LEAD TO ENTRAPMENT IF AN ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE DOORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module
Filed Feb 1, 200651,700 milesNY

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED, THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LAMPS ILLUMINATED. THIS HAS BEEN A REGULAR OCCURRENCE FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ABS MODULE NEEDED REPLACED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 8, 2005125,000 milesNC

DT: CONTACT STATED VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AT 45 MPH. . THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 8-12 MONTHS AGO. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED. CONTACT HAD NOT REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER. ALSO, LOST POWER STEERING WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IT TOOK ABOUT 30-60 SECONDS FOR THE VEHICLE TO START AGAIN. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG.*AK

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Nov 12, 2003CA

1998 VOLVO C70 PASSENGER DOOR LATCH FAILURE - HAVE REPLACED MECHANISM TWICE IN PAST 2 YEARS. NO INJURY BUT 2ND FAILURE PREVENTED OPENING DOOR FROM INSIDE CAR CREATING SAFETY RISK. THANK YOU. *LA

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Nov 3, 200389,000 milesNY

THE ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE SENSOR LIGHT TO STAY ON. *AK

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Dec 27, 200272,453 milesTX

WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH ON OPEN HIGHWAY, DRIVER SIDE FONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AND TIRE DESINTEGRATED CAUSING VEHICLE TO TURN LEFT ALMOST RUNNING OFF THE ROAD. TIRE TYPE BF GOODRICH COMP T/A, 225/45ZR-17. TIRE CAME APART COMPLETELY. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE GOOD SURFACE, EVEN PAVEMENT, AMBIENT TEMPERATURE 46 DEGREES, DRY SURFACE AND CALM WINDS.

7 of 7 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
201311000Routine
201223100Routine
201112101Fatalities reported
20104210Routine
200910300Routine
200822310Routine
200717400Routine
20069200Routine
200415000Routine
20034000Routine
20025100Routine
20017300Routine
200026400Routine
199923300Routine
1998 — this page7400Routine

Compare every C70 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 21, 2004. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.