Problems · by component
2001 Volvo V70XC power train problems
30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Volvo V70XC cite power train, 21% of all 144 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
30
21% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“AT 148,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO FAIL TO UPSHIFT AFTER GETTING WARMED UP (ABOUT 20 MINUTES DRIVING) THEN FAILED COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. DEALER SAID NO REPAIR/REBUILD WAS AVAILABLE AND SUGGESTED COMPLETE REPACEMENT. ESTIMATED COST WAS MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE.”
“AT ABOUT 155K MILES WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 40 MILES AN HOUR THE TRANSMISSION ON MY V70 XC WENT OUT IM TOLD ALMOST ALL CARS THIS YEAR MODEL AND TRIM HAVE THIS PROBLEM BETWEEN 20K AND 150K MILES MY CAR IS PRISTINE EXCEPT FOR THIS ISSUE THE TRANSMISSION JUMPS IN AND OUT OF GEARS LURCHES FORWARD DOESN'T MOVE QUICK ENOUGH TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC VOLVO KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND SO DO THE OWNERS OF THESE CARS AND AT A 4000 DOLLAR PRICE TAG TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THESE TRANSMISSIONS WHO CAN AFFORD THAT”
“TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO GEAR WHEN SHIFTING AT LOW GEARS. SHIFTING IS VIOLENT. CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY OR PREDICTABLY . TOOK IT TO THE DEALER , COMPLETED ROAD TEST, AND INDICATED ON SERVICE WRITE UP " NO SLIPPAGE, OPERATED TO SPECS " , THEY DIDN'T CHECK FOR CODES. I RECALL THE SERVICE MANAGE TELLING ME " THE CAR RETAINS A HISTORY OF HOW IT IS DRIVEN AS THE REASON THE CAR IS JERKING INTO GEARS 1 TO 3." CAR CONTINUED TO HAVE FLARE UPS, I WAS TOLD BY INDEPENDENT SVC STATION NOT TO DRIVE IT OUT OF THE OUR CITY. VA BEACH DEALERSHIP CONTINUED TO NOT BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE COMPLAINT THEY FOUND OTHER ISSUES WITH THE DRIVING OF THE CAR, FIXED THEM, BUT NONE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE. REQUESTED THEY CONTACT THE MFG , THEY WOULDN'T. FINALLY , WHEN THE CAR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY BEYOND THE WARRANTY, I WAS TOLD THE CAR NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE SIGNS WERE THERE WHICH THEY IGNORED. I'VE SUBSEQUENTLY READ ON VOLVO FORUMS SUCH AS BRICKBOARD, AND SWEDESPEED "THAT THE XC70'S ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE SOFTWARE FEATURE CALLED STOP NEUTRAL , PUTS THE TRANS IN NEUTRAL WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED. WHILE THIS MAY SOUND GREEN AND GOOD, IT KILLS THE TRANSMISSION…”
“'01 XC70 AWD WAGON, WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. SO AUTOMATIC THAT IT PUT ITSELF IN DRIVE WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE VOLVO LURCHED FORWARD AT A DAYCARE FACILITY RATHER THAN BACKING OUT AS WAS HOPED A WORKING TRANSMISSION WOULD DO. UPON A CURSORY GLANCE ON THE INTERNET, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF THE 2001 MODEL XC70 SINCE BUILT. VOLVO SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE RUBBISH THEY ARE SELLING, AND I ASSURE YOU, WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF THIS SAME SITUATION OCCURS FOR SOMEONE ELSE AND THERE IS A LOSS OF LIFE. I HAVE NEVER BOTHERED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE RANDOM ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT HAVE PLAGUED THIS LEMON SINCE WE HAVE OWNED IT, RANDOM DOOR LOCKS, WINDOW SWITCHES, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF LIGHT BULBS BURNED OUT, BUT THE FACT THAT MY WIFE AND INFANT DAUGHTER WERE LEFT STRANDED WITHOUT REVERSE OR REALLY A FUNCTIONING TRANSMISSION, ON A 90+ DEGREE DAY, MAKE THIS A CAUSE I WILL NEVER BE SILENT ABOUT. *TR”
“A WEEK AFTER I BOUGHT MY 2001 VOLVO V70 XC THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING HARD, LUNGING BETWEEN SHIFTS AND AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF DRIVING IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. THE SERVICE TRANNY LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BOTH CAME ON AFTER A VIOLENT SHIFT FROM 3-2. TOOK CAR TO LYLE PEARSON VOLVO IN BOISE. NATE TOLD ME THE COMPUTER NEEDED RE-PROGRAMING FROM VOLVO AND AN ADAPTIVE DRIVE TEST WAS NEEDED. I PAID THE $149.00 FOR 45MIN (WOW)! THE NEXT DAY IT STARTED AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME ALL SHIFTS WERE "VIOLENT"! I CALLED A VOLVO DEALER IN A DIFFERENT CITY AND THEY SAID THE DRIVE TEST WAS NOT DONE CORRECTLY. I THEN CALLED NATE AT LYLE PEARSON AND HE SAID TO REPLACE THE B4 PISTON COVER. 2 DAYS LATER AND THE B4 PISTON COVER WAS REPLACED AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. WHEN I CALLED NATE AGAIN HE ACTUALLY SAID " I WISH I NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT IT" AND REFUSED TO RE-DO THE ADAPTIVE DRIVE TEST. SENDING CAR TO AN AUCTION. THIS IS CRIMINAL. *TR”
“TRANSMISSION FAILED TO UPSHIFT WHEN ACCELERATED AND FAILED TO DOWNSHIFT WHEN DECELERATED. VEHICLE JERKED SEVERELY WHEN SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE, OR FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE, OR FROM REVERSE TO PARK. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED.”
Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.