Problems · NHTSA complaints

1999 Volvo V70 problems

Owners filed 169 complaints about the 1999 Volvo V70 with NHTSA between Mar 1999 and Oct 2020. The most-cited component is vehicle speed control (53).

Complaints
169
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Vehicle speed control53
  2. Electrical system43
  3. Engine and engine cooling20
  4. Fuel system, gasoline19
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic13
  6. Visibility9
  7. Power train8
  8. Exterior lighting6
  9. Tires5
  10. Structure5
  11. Air bags5
  12. Latches/locks/linkages4
  13. Suspension4
  14. Seat belts4

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 28, 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
199912
20008
20019
20028
20037
20049
200574
200610
20079
20084
20093
20104
20113
20123
20130
20143
20150
20161
20171
20180
20190
20201

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

53 reports1 crash1 related recall
“CAR SURGES RANDOMLY AT LOWER SPEEDS. CAR ALSO LOSES POWER ON FREEWAY AND ACCELERATION FLUCTUATES UNCONTROLLABLY AT TIMES. ALL SYMPTOMS HAPPENING WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION, MOSTLY AT SPEEDS OVER 50MPH. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE THERE WERE OPEN RECALLS ON THE MODEL I OWN. AFTER RECALL WAS PERFORMED, THE SYMPTOMS HAVE INCREASED AND WORSENED. DEALERSHIP IS REFUSING TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2017Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11018946

Electrical system

43 reports
“THROUGOUT THIS CARS HISTORY (FROM THE FIRST YEAR 20 + YEARS AGO THROUGH TO TODAY) THE ENGINE RANDOMLY CUTS OUT WITHOUT WARNING, THOUGH THIS HAPPENS WHEN USALLY WHILE DECLERATING AND BRAKING TO ROUND A STREET CORNER. ONCE IT CUTS OUT, OF COURSE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES ARE VIRTUALLY INOPERATIVE. HOWEVER, BY SIMPLY PUTTING IN NEUTRAL AND TURNING THE KEY THE CARE ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY RESTARTS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2020Electrical system, EngineODI 11365304

Engine and engine cooling

20 reports1 related recall
“MY HUSBAND AND I WERE BURNED BY SCOLDING HOT STEAM AND WATER THAT EXPLODED OUT OF OUR A/C HEATING VENTS ON OUR DASHBOARD. WE WERE WAITING IN A DRIVE THRU WITH THE CAR ON, BUT THE A/C HEATING UNIT WAS OFF. THE MAKE , MODEL AND YEAR OF OUR CAR IS A 1999 VOLVO V70. IT WAS TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC WHO SAID THE HEATER CORE WENT BAD AND THE HOSES RUPTURED. HE BYPASSED THE HEATER UNIT TO SAVE MONEY ON REPAIRS. WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME IT RAN HOT, HE PROMPTLY TOOK IT BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP. THE RADIATOR FAN WAS INOPERATIVE THE MAIN CABIN FLOOR WAS FLOODED WITH COOLANT AND FOUL SMELLING. WE NO LONGER HAD FAITH IN THE CAR AND SOLD THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC. WE'RE JUST HAPPY WE WEREN'T DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD WHEN THAT HAPPENED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 25, 2010Engine and engine coolingODI 10314119

Fuel system, gasoline

19 reports1 fire
“CAR REPEATEDLY STALLS WITH NO EXPLANATION. VOLVO DEALERSHIP HAS WORKED ON CAR 8 TIMES. THROTTLE PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, ETM, AND MANY OTHER PARTS. NOW THEY SAY IT'S THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIS IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND SCARY. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO RHYME OR REASON TO WHY THE CAR STALLS. SOMETIMES, IT WILL ACT AS IF THERE'S A CLOGGED FUEL LINE, THEN IT STALLS THE NEXT TIME I HAVE TO DECELERATE. OTHER TIMES, IT DIES WHEN I'M DRIVING. *DT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 22, 2010Fuel system, gasoline, Electrical system, Equipment, Unknown or otherODI 10321447

Service brakes, hydraulic

13 reports1 crash
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO V70. IN 2008 A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ABS, EBD SWITCH FAILED AT 105,000 MILES. HE DID NOT REPLACE THE SWITCH. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2009 THE FAILURE RECURRED AND CAUSED THE BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS PER HIS VIN. THE ABS MODULE AND THE EBD SWITCH WERE REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST WAS $822.26. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 10/27/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED ONLY THE ABS FEATURE FAILED. THE BRAKES CONTINUED TO WORK, HOWEVER, THE SWITCH FAILURE ALSO CAUSED INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE ODOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER AS WELL AS CAUSING THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS TO COME ON AND GO OFF. UPDATED 10/28/09.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 21, 2009Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10284727

Visibility

9 reports
“ABOUT A 1999 V70 GLT VOLVO: THE SUN VISOR IS SAGGING DOWN AND IT UNEXPECTEDLY COMES INTO MY LINE OF SIGHT WHILE DRIVING. TO BE CLEAR, IT'S STRAIGHT AND IN OTHERWISE GOOD CONDITION, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T LOCK UP FLAT TO THE CEILING THE WAY IT SHOULD. CURRENTLY WHILE DEBATING THE RELATIVELY HIGH REPLACEMENT COST - $200 JUST FOR THE PART BECAUSE IT HAS A MIRROR AND LIGHT, I'VE GOT IT STRAPPED UP WITH A NYLON BELT, KEEPING IT OUT OF MY VIEW, BUT THEN I NOW HAVE NOTHING FOR LOW SUN DRIVING CONDITIONS. IT MAY SEEM PETTY TO MENTION THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT IT DID COME DOWN AND PRESENT A VISUAL OBSTRUCTION TO ME WHILE DRIVING. ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS HAS NEVER OCCURRED IN MY NOW ALMOST 24 YEAR OLD SAAB, NOT EVEN WITH 240,000 MILES ON IT. NOR DO WE HAVE THIS PROBLEM ON MY WIFE'S '94 ACURA LEGEND, WHERE THERE ARE OVER 140,000 MILES OF USE AND AGE. NOR HAVE I HAD THIS PROBLEM IN OTHER CARS I'VE OWNED, BACK TO AND INCLUDING MY FIRST: THE '73 PINTO I HAD IN COLLEGE, I SOLD IT W/ 105,000 MI. AND DON?T RECALL THIS TYPE OF CONCERN! I JUST THINK ON A NEWER CAR, (THIS OCCURRED ON OUR NEWEST CAR EVER, AND BEFORE 80,000 MILES, I THINK I?VE BEEN FIGHTING TO KEEP THE VISOR UP SINCE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 13, 2008VisibilityODI 10238098
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

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