AI Damage2002 Volvo V70XC: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Volvo V70XC filed 27 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 27
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 44% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 15% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 12 complaints (44% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 4 complaints (15% of all).
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 27 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Pulling into restaurant parking space. Pushed on brake and vehicle shot forward. Ended up in restaurant. Not sure what happened, but never accidentally hit throttle before. Concerned, insurance checked recalls and found a problem.
The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the flank fractured and both the flank and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
1) fuel smell, and harder to start engine. Engine crank w/o problem. Symptoms started around july 4th last year, getting sever and more often. Took my car to local volvo, but they said "no recall for this car" even though multiple exact same symptoms are reported, then took my car to local auto repair garage finally,…
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.
When it doesn't work, I have no working speedometer, fuel gauge, odometer, blinkers (although they still work outside the car), or any other light that would normally be shown on the panel. Occasionally everything comes on, then it freezes, and eventually turns back off.
Fuel smell and leak from top of fuel tank area of fuel pump. Volvo specialty shop contracted a local dealership and was told repair was covered by this recall. I called same dealership to make appointment for repair and was told it was a 10 yr extended warranty item and not covered.
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.
My 2002 volvo xc 70 seems to smell like gasoline inside the car. I have read on numerous volvo forums regarding volvo owners that has the same or similar concerns. This cant be good for the driver(myself) or the vehicle. Any insight on a recall would be wonderful.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,189 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the V70XC has 38 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 27, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Volvo V70XC?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, fuel/propulsion system, fuel system. Total complaints: 27. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (26%), transmission slipping (19%), jerking, harsh shifts (15%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Volvo V70XC?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 Volvo V70XC from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.