I have only had 3 problems with the car, none of them significant.
1. Power locking does not like the doors being unlocked through pulling the open handle when locked. This will result in the door unlocking opening, but sometimes the door will not lock again through power locking on the first attempt. The power locking must be engaged an disengaged several times before the door will lock. This problem does not occur if the doors are initially unlocked through the power locking.
2. Once every 3 months, I get a "Bulb Failure" error message informing me that a position bulb has failed, whereas they are all working. This problem is solved by opening the trunk and slamming it closed. Researching Volvo forums on the internet suggests that this problem occurs due to an overly sensitive bulb failure sensor that can be triggered by dirt (which is dislodged by the impact of the trunk slamming).
3. The dipstick was stuck in place and snapped off the first time I tried to extract it. This was not covered under the certified pre-owned warranty, but only cost me $17 Canadian to fix.
This car has been fantastic so far. The light pressure turbo and five-speed auto make it extremely lively at any speed and the handling is superb. I've never felt anything, but confident attacking on- and off-ramps, or even snapping around corners.
In the winter snow, with 16-inch snow tires it gripped well and never threatened to lose control, whilst the 17-inch all-seasons I put on in summer give the car excellent grip and handling.
Inside, the factory installed 8 speaker sound system delivers crisp sound, whilst the comfortable leather seats are supportive enough to make long distance drives downright refreshing. You get out no more tired than when you got in.
Noise suppression is also very good, and it's all to easy to wander well over the speed limit because you can't hear the engine making any effort at all.
The only 2 gripes I have are that the the car suffers from quite a lot of wind noise at speed. Though this was apparently helped in later models by redesigned wing mirrors, in the 2002 model this means that after a while you reach to turn the stereo volume up...
Also, the car has not too much leg room in the back. It's great for kids and for occasionally driving around adults, but beware if you're taking tall people long distances!
Overall though, this is a fantastic car so far. The dealers treated me with enormous respect and professionalism and left me happy enough to choose to continue going there for maintenance such as tires and oil. I'll definitely seriously consider another Volvo based on my experience so far.
Hi there, it is funny I had the very same 2 problems mentioned above. The door will unlock automatically right after I lock it (Volvo had to replace the whole lock system that could have cost me around $CD 340.00 without warranty).
The same message of Bulb Failure. I did not know what is the position light until I discovered by mere chance that it is the light right above the plate in the back of the car.
After about 2 years of driving the car, it happened about 5 times that when I cruise at low speeds or right before I come to a complete stop o loose power and the motor just shuts down. I had to take it to Volvo and the said it is a computer failure.
But a very good car though. No major problems, very reliable and powerful.
Did getting the locks replaced fix the problem completely for you? I still have over 3.5 years of extended warranty left on the car, but I can't get the locks problem to repeat just when I want so as to show the dealer. It is only an intermittent fault.
In response to your question : Yes, after replacing the lock, the problem got solved. No more annoying unlocking.
Jusdt wanted to thank the person who shared how the reset the bulb warning light on my 2001 Volvo S60, by slamming the trunk.
Thanks for the tips. We are planning to buy our first used Volvo S60 T 2002. Do you think it's a good idea to buy an extended warranty with this car? The extended warranty will cost me $ 1795 (3 yrs or 60,000 KMs).
Is there are cheaper and reliable deal on extended warranty than above?
Thanks.
Hi there I have a 2002 s60d5 I bought around 3months ago and I totally love it. I have a couple of probs with it. the service light is on I've had it serviced and know it needs to go into volvo to get it cleaned off. but would it stop my cruise control from working? thanx
Graeme.
Regarding the warning indicator saying that a position light is out, here is a permanent solution and suggestion about bulbs in general:
Instead of repeatedly slamming the trunk to turn off the error warning, do this:
1. Remove the offending bulb (in this case the license bulbs) and spray the inside socket where the bulb fits into with an electric contact cleaner and also spray the bulb contacts, Dry the bulb with a dry cloth and blow out the socket. Then while holding the bulb with the cloth firmly replace the bulb. Repeat this with the other bulb. you can do this with any other bulb to create a good contact.
I've had my 2003 S60 2.4T for four years. It is just coming off lease and I can't wait to get rid of it. I've had problems with this car from the start. The craftsmanship is poor. My mats had holes in them within the first year, and shed for another year after that. The car is extremely noisy at speed and things rattle and shake constantly. I was lured to this car because of its styling and low lease payment. Lesson learned, you get what you pay for. I do not recommend this car to anyone (and I've told Volvo that as well).
To the above commenter. The car is horrible largely because the mats wore out! Give me a break! So nothing actually broke or the car didn't break down? That surely means good craftsmanship - even if there are some rattles! Looking at this site, most other makes would have several things wrong with them!
I am interested in purchasing a 2002 Volvo S60 AWD. Is the AWD reliable?I have read that the gas mileage is not as good as the FWD S60T.I have also read that the AWD is only used upon demand so I am wondering why the gas mileage is any different under normal driving conditions.
My 2001 Volvo V70 2.4T is telling me "Emissions System Service Required". I just bought it, and I don't have an owner's manual yet. What does this mean? Pardon my ignorance, please.
Thanks.
To the Feb 10th post.
I bought a 2002 S60 AWD in the fall. After the winter I don't think I'll ever buy a non AWD car (unless it's a second car) The performance was great, and I never felt that I wouldn't make it to my destination. The MPG is lower when I compare it to my friends car which is FWD. However it's a very small (say 2-4 mpg on average) I believe it is a worth while trade off given the performance gains both in the winter and summer. The only negative quality I can think of is the TCS on the AWD prevents some fun on a spirited drive. Overall a great car.. hope that helped.
I love my 2002s 2.4T. I have the license plate light problem too - something I guess we all have in common! I just broke the cover to the center cup holders. Anyone know how to go about getting a replacement w/o going to Volvo service?
With refrence to bulb problems fixed by slaming boot!!! its not a bad connection at the tail bulbs, but bulb filament failing, the filament has a break when the boot is slammed the filaments touch together with current draw they ark back together for a short while untill the bulb cools down then won't illuminate again in the morning, if warning light comes on just replace the bulb and all will be OK, best regards Paul.
I bought a used 2002 S60 AWD 2.4T this winter and have had it for 6 months now with a total of 50K miles. I LOVE this car. On day two I had a "check engine light" come on and despite me NOT buying a warranty and it not being a Volvo dealer - my dealer took it to Volvo and they ran a diagnostic and found an overly sensitive break sensor. They swapped out the sensor for free and I haven't had one problem with the car. I've heard that the warranty's aren't necessary - knock on wood as I didn't buy one.
The only draw back to the car is a horrible turning radius. You can't flip a U-turn unless you have 3 lanes to do it in, and forget an easy flip on a side street. But I think that's minor compared to the GREAT handling and reliability. I say buy away!