Driving home from church,, smoke started coming from the drivers seat,from the heated seat. Burned a hole thru the leather . Was able to turn off the switch and put some snow into the golf size hole and pulled the fuse to the elect heat switch. No further damage was noticed .city street. The hole is about 11/2 in below left side beading and closer to front of seat. Leather seat in very good codition and non smoker. Garage keep.
2004 Volvo S60 seats problems
12 complaints (6% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 107,000.
- owner complaints
- 12
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical mileage
- 107,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Front assembly: seat heater/cooler2
- Front assembly: power adjust1
- Front assembly: head restraint1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Volvo S60 seats problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2004 Volvo S60 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Heated seat shorted when turned on on drivers side and burned me while driving.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volvo s60. The contact stated that while the heated driver side seat was in the on position, a burning odor started to emit inside the vehicle. After inspecting the vehicle, the contacted discovered a flame coming from the side of the driver seat. The contact indicated that the flame self extinguished. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 107,000. Updated 4/7/15
Driver's side seat started smoking within a few seconds of starting the vehicle while backing out of parking place. Seat heater was on. Immediately stopped and turned off seat heater and smoking stopped. Quarter size hole was burned into the leather seat bottom on the driver's side outside panel. Took it to darrell waltrip volvo/subaru in franklin, tn, and they said it was the seat heater and took the fuse out. Said it wasn't covered under warranty and no recall out. Hope no one has this problem driving down the interstate. Best regards and thanks for all your hard work, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The driver seat overheated, apparently from a malfunctioning seat warmer, causing combustion. The fire burned through the seat padding, outer leather covering, and the driver's clothing. It burned into a wallet in the driver's back pocket, which protected the driver from a burn. The burn hole in the seat is about the size of a nickel.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo s60. The contact stated that he activated the heated seats and after a matter of minutes, smoke bellowed from the side of the driver's seat. The seat warmer was deactivated and the contact noticed that a one inch hole had been burned into the seat. The vehicle had not been diagnosed by a mechanic. The manufacturer had not been notified. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileage was 300,000. Updated 2/12/13
Just leaving my garage, we smelled something and immediately saw smoke coming from the left side of the driver seat. The seat warmer was on. We turned the warmer off and opened the doors. The odor and smoke dissipated but there is a 1-1/2" hole burned in the leather.
Like many others who are on volvo websites have reported I too had a fire on the drivers seat left side due to my seat heater. I now have a half dollar sized hole in the side of my seat. The first sign of this was a smell and then a lot of smoke. Luckily I was able to pull over quickly and had a towel handy to snuff it out, otherwise I would have burned hands or other parts. I've been a lifelong volvo owner, I have to say I'm surprised volvo hasn't at least warned their dealers about this problem. I did see another drivers seat totally blackened and burnt out last time I took my car in, was amazed that it could even happen let alone be a common occurrence. Now after searching online this is a prevalent problem.
Burning passenger seat in 2004 volvo s60r. While driving I smelt a horrible burning smell and seen smoke coming from the passenger seat which eventually started a fire. I turned off the heated seats and now have a burn about an inch in diameter. This is very dangerous and should be recalled immediately. This is a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed. Not happy with this at all! Glad no one got hurt!
While driving vehicle noticed very strong burning smell. Felt burning sensation through slack leg while still driving. Noticed a hole had burned through leather on rear left side of drivers seat. Smoke was pumping out of hole in leather (appx 1/2-inch round) from seat padding. I immediately turned seat warmer off and the burning stopped. An hour later, I turned seat warmer on while auto was running. Smoke began coming out of seat hole within about 30-45 seconds. Turned off seat warmer immediately. Burning stopped. Very dangerous situation. Inside of auto now stinks of burned plastic/foam.
Questions about the 2004 Volvo S60 seats
Does the 2004 Volvo S60 have seats problems?
Owners have filed 12 complaints about the seats of the 2004 Volvo S60, 6% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2004 Volvo S60 seats problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 107,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Volvo S60 seats?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
Is there a class action lawsuit over the Volvo S60?
Yes. New class action says Volvo's Google-based infotainment screens freeze and take climate and rearview camera with them (November 9, 2026).
Other 2004 Volvo S60 problems
Engine 85Fuel system 55Electrical 21Transmission 12Acceleration 11Airbags 9Brakes 9Steering 9Tires 9Lights 7Body 4Suspension 3Locks 2Seat belts 2Visibility 2Driver assistance 1
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