Problems · by component
2002 Volvo V70 power train problems
29 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Volvo V70 cite power train, 27% of all 106 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
29
27% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“MY TRANSMISSION IS JERKING BETWEEN REVERSE AND DRIVE. THE CAR HESITATES AND THEN SLAMS FORWARD. I HAVE READ ALL OVER THE INTERNET WHERE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *JS”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLVO V70. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS ON A HILL AND COASTED TO HIS HOUSE AND PARKED HIS VEHICLE FOR A YEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS EVENTUALLY TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLVO V70. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION HESITATED EXCESSIVELY AND THE WARNING INDICATOR BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,549. UPDATED 02/22/12*LJ THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. UPDATED 03/12/12”
“BEGAN EXPERIENCING WHAT I NOW REALIZE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS MODEL/YEAR HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH LURCHING, REVVING HIGH AND JERKING FORWARD, AND MISSING IN DRIVE (WITH TRANSMISSION). VOLVO HAS TOLD MANY THAT A SOFTWARE UPDATE WILL FIX THIS PROBLEM, BUT IT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM...AT ALL. I HOPE THIS WILL BE INVESTIGATED SO THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED THAT WILL FIX THE PARTS/MECHANICS OF THIS RECURRENT PROBLEM, AND NOT WITH BOGUS SOFTWARE UPDATES. *TR”
“SHIFTING BECAME ROUGH. THEN TRANSMISSION WOULD THUD IN AND OUT OF GEAR REPEATEDLY WHILE DRIVING. AT 40 MPH THE VEHICLE SHIFTS UP AND DOWN AND CAN'T DECIDE WHAT GEAR TO BE IN. BETWEEN 35PMH-40MPH IT THUDS IN AND OUT OF GEARS. *TR”
“THIS CAR HAS BEEN WELL CARED SINCE WE GOT IT AT THE DAY ONE. ALL SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE HAVE BEEN DONE AT A VOLVO DEALER. WE HAVE SPEND OVER $7000 ON REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE OVER THE YEARS. BUT ITS TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP SINCE FEB 2011 WHEN THERE WAS ONLY 100,000 MILES ON IT. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY SUGGESTED A TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE. WE FOLLOWED THEIR SUGGESTION AS WE ALWAYS DID. BUT THAT DID NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION STILL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AGAIN THIS OCT, AND THE DEALER SAID THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS ALL BLACK. ALONG WITH THE PROBLEM WE MEET, THEY CONCLUDE THE TRANSMISSION IS ABOUT TO DIE, AND THE ONE FIX IS TO REPLACE WITH A NEW ONE WHICH WILL COST $4500! WE WOULD EXPECT THE TRANSMISSION OF A WELL-CARE VOLVO WOULD LAST LONGER THAN 100,000 MILES. AS I DID SOME RESEARCH ON INTERNET, I FOUND MANY 99-02 VOLVO OWNERS HAVE THE SIMILAR UNFORTUNATE ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE NHTSA LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE, AND INITIATE A RECALL ON TRANSMISSION OF 2002 VOLVO V70. *TR”
Showing 6 of 29 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.