Problems · NHTSA complaints

1999 Volvo S-Class problems

Owners filed 415 complaints about the 1999 Volvo S-Class with NHTSA between May 1999 and Jul 2021. The most-cited component is vehicle speed control (120).

Complaints
415
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
19
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Vehicle speed control120
  2. Electrical system85
  3. Engine and engine cooling73
  4. Fuel system, gasoline44
  5. Suspension25
  6. Power train23
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic23
  8. Structure20
  9. Steering19
  10. Air bags19
  11. Exterior lighting13
  12. Visibility11
  13. Equipment11
  14. Engine7

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 31, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19999
200030
200112
200216
200329
200428
2005147
200632
200712
200816
200926
201016
201116
20128
20130
20146
20152
20163
20173
20181
20190
20202
20211

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Vehicle speed control

120 reports5 crashes1 related recall
“WHEN IM DRIVING AND HAVE TO COME TO A SLOW STOP IM HEARING THE MASTER CYLINDER SOUND LIKE ITS RUBBING AGAINST SOMETHING LOUDLY EVEN WITH THE APPROPRIATE BRAKE FLUID AND MEASURE IS FILLED WITHIN IT, ALSO THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWS HOT AIR DURING THE SUMMER CAUSING THE CAR TO FAIL DURING HOT WEATHER”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 9, 2020Vehicle speed control, Wheels, Service brakesODI 11373727

Electrical system

85 reports1 crash2 fires
“THERES A RECENT RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS OF THE 1999 S80 VOLVO THAT WE NEED OUR AIRBAGS REPLACED BECAUSE ITS A HAZARD THAT CAN LEAD UP TO DEATH. ALSO THE ELECTRICITY KEEPS ZAPPING DOWN FROM THE CAR CREATING NO STARTS OR VERY POOR DRIVING, I ALMOST WAS STRANDED BECAUSE THE CAR SEEMS LIKE IT WANTED TO SHUT DOWN ONE NIGHT I WAS GETTING OFF WORK, I HIT FULL GAS AND IT ONLY GAVE ME 3 MPH AND ALSO WHEN I MADE A RIGHT TURN ONE NIGHT FROM WORK I FEEL THE WHEEL FEEL LIKE ITS COMING APART FROM THE INSIDE OR LOOSENING I DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT IT FEELS AND SOUNDS ROUGH”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 9, 2020Steering, Electrical system, Air bagsODI 11373728

Engine and engine cooling

73 reports2 fires2 related recalls
“TWICE, WITHIN 50 METRES OF THE SAME SPOT EACH TIME, MY CAR HAS SUFFERED EXTREME ACCELERATION WHILST I WAS BRAKING AS HARD AS I COULD. FIRST TIME, MY MECHANIC CHECKED ALL COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS USING TWO DIFFERENT COMPUTER TESTING DEVICES BUT THERE WERE NO FAULT CODES. NOW, AS WELL AS HAPPENING TWICE WITHIN 50 METRES OF THE SAME SPOT, I WAS AT THE SAME SET OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS, WHICH I DO NOT SUSPECT AS BEING THE PROBLEM, BUT ALSO NEXT TO A MAJOR HOSPITAL WITH AN ADJACENT HELIPAD. MY BEST GUESS AFTER 57 YEARS IN ELECTRONICS AND 40+ IN COMPUTERS IS THAT SOME SORT OF RF INTERFERENCE IS UPSETTING MY VEHICLE. I KNOW VOLVO CHECK ALL ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THEIR CARS IN SWEDEN AND WONDER WHETHER THEY HAVE EVER COME ACROSS MY PROBLEM. BOTH TIMES THE ENGINE SCREAMED ITS HEAD OFF ALTHOUGH I HAD NO TIME TO WORRY ABOUT THE TACHOMETER READING. THE NOISE ITSELF WAS ADEQUATE WARNING AND THE LACK OF BRAKING MEANT THAT I HAD TO KILL THE IGNITION TO RECOVER MINE AND THE VEHICLES COMPOSURE. SWITCHING ON THE IGNITION AGAIN BOTH TIMES, THE VEHICLE ONCE AGAIN IDLED NORMALLY AND OPERATED AS IT SHOULD. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 20, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10471485

Fuel system, gasoline

44 reports1 fire1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG FUEL ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THE FUEL PUMP WAS FRACTURED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 23, 2011Fuel system, gasolineODI 10436884

Suspension

25 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE CONTACT FELT A THUMP FROM THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER SHE ACCELERATED FROM A STOP OR DECELERATED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE INSULATION SURROUNDING THE WIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WERE DEGRADED. THE VEHICLE ALSO DISPLAYED DIFFICULTY WHEN SHIFTING INTO FOURTH GEAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT COULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF THIRD GEAR AFTER ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM 40 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALLS 00V238000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: UPPER BALL JOINT), 02V096000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: COOLING SYSTEM: FAN), AND 06V441000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,100.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 17, 2010Suspension, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10366607

Power train

23 reports3 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S70. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING COMING FROM THE ENGINE UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT BEGAN TO DRIVE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 25 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 11, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10443493
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 31, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.