Research · complaint index
Volvo C-Class years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 15 model years of the Volvo C-Class by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2012, 2011 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 15 | 1 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 | Typical |
| 2012 | 33 | 2 | 2.6 | 1 | 0 | Most complaints |
| 2011 | 28 | 2 | 2.1 | 2 | 3 | Most complaints |
| 2010 | 10 | 1 | 0.7 | 3 | 2 | Typical |
| 2009 | 16 | 1 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | Typical |
| 2008 | 30 | 2 | 1.9 | 3 | 2 | Typical |
| 2007 | 17 | 1 | 1.0 | 4 | 0 | Typical |
| 2006 | 9 | 0 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 | Typical |
| 2004 | 15 | 1 | 0.8 | 0 | 1 | Typical |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2002 | 9 | 0 | 0.4 | 1 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2001 | 18 | 1 | 0.8 | 3 | 0 | Typical |
| 2000 | 42 | 2 | 1.8 | 4 | 2 | Typical |
| 1999 | 31 | 1 | 1.3 | 3 | 1 | Typical |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 | 0.3 | 4 | 1 | Fewest complaints |
- 201315 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 201233 complaints · 1 recallMost complaints
- 201128 complaints · 2 recallsMost complaints
- 201010 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 200916 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 200830 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 200717 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 20069 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 200415 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 20037 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 20029 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 200118 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 200042 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 199931 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 19988 complaints · 4 recallsFewest complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Oct 29, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 1998, 2003, 2002.
About this comparison
What Volvo C-Class years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2012, 2011 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 15 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.