On 4/6/2026 At about 2:30 p.m. my son [XXX] stated that he started the car and was in the process of driving out of the parking lot when he saw smoke coming thru the vents in the car. My son [XXX] stated that he got out the car and opened the hood and the car was on fire. [XXX] stated that he called the fire department and they came and put out the fire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Volvo S60 fire or smoke problems
22 of the 1,274 owner complaints about the Volvo S60 describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2001 model year.
- owner complaints
- 22
- worst model year
- 2001
- typical mileage
- 109,000
Is there a fix? There are 6 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Oil consumption 3Misfire 2Check engine light 2Wipers 1Headlights 1Knocking 1Engine failure 1
What owners say
I experienced an engine issue that I believe is related to excessive oil consumption and the lack of an oil pressure light warning. The car was driven out of town when a noise was heard coming from the engine. A visual inspection of the engine revealed smoke coming from the engine department when the oil cap was removed. The dipstick was checked and showed no visible oil on the stick. Later in that evening, 3 additional quarts of oil were added to the engine but the addition of oil did not remedy the noise from the engine. The final result was that the car was towed to a Volvo dealership in Florida for repair. I checked the status of the recalls (oil comsumption and no oil pressure light) and the status is closed. From what I can tell, this issue appears to be directly related to previous recalls for the vehicle.
1. The engine has been compromised due to excessive oil consumption for at least half the life of the vehicle. The oil level was detected y a Volvo mechanics being 4 quarts low despite the vehicle not being due for an oil change for another 2,200 miles. At that time, the vehicle was still under extended warranty 2. Had the low oil level not been detected , I would have run out of oil on the freeway and the engine would have caught fire 3. I monitored oil consumption over 5 months and documented significant consumption on the order of 1 quart over 500 miles 4. I opened a case with Volvo in Feb. 2021, and I was sent to one of their dealers for an oil consumption test. The service dealer stated the test was normal, despite the fact that the dipstick level drop corresponded to 1.5 quarts of oil consumed over 1000 miles (documented by photos). Volvo then closed the case 5. I continued to monitor oil consumption myself and topped up the oil as needed at a rate of 1 quart per 600 miles. Since Feb. 2021, over 30,000 driven miles, I have added ~ 60 quarts of oil, in addition to continuing to perform oil changes as recommended by Volvo dealers 6. For the record, Volvo has been concealing their excessive oil consumption by administering 7 quarts and even 8 quarts of oil at each oil change instead of the owner's manual recommended 5.8 quarts. I have 15 oil service record documents from Volvo service facilities for all my oil services documenting the above 7. In Nov 2023 my catalytic converter issues error codes due to low performance caused by excessive oil consumption 8. On [XXX] while driving to Cleveland I had several misfires, the engine started shaking on the freeway and barely made it to Cleveland 9. On [XXX] I took the car to a Volvo dealership where it was diagnosed with severe engine damage from prolonged oil consumption. I re-opened a case with Volvo to cover repairs (~$7000) and loaner car. So far Volvo has been silent and slow. 10. Doc upload not working below. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFO
1. The vehicle caught fire while driving. The radiator cooling fan stayed on after parking, The vehicle the night before. The vehicle had to be jump started the next morning. yes the vehicle is available for inspection. 2. bodily injury and property damage could have been caused by the fire. 3. Yes. independent service center. Automotive Body and Tire Center. (Skokie IL) 4. Yes. Fire was put out by prospect heights fire department. Police report #PHP23-004049 5. No warning lamps prior to the fire. Symptom of problem was the radiator cooling fan staying on after vehicle was turned off, which caused the battery to discharge.
I was driving down our main road and I saw and smelled smoke coming out of the air vents, then a warning light came on my dashboard for my 12V battery I pulled over right away and opened the trunk and saw fire on the left-hand side. I attempted to extinguish the fire myself using soda, I was pulling clothing (2 shirts and napkins) out of the car and burned my hand We towed the car to Volvo and they are claiming it’s not their fault We have only had the car for 4 months And my husband could have died or worse if my child was in the back seat!
I was driving down our main road and I saw and smelled smoke coming out of the air vents, then a warning light came on my dashboard for my 12V battery I pulled over right away and opened the trunk and saw fire on the left-hand side. I attempted to extinguish the fire myself using soda, I was pulling clothing (2 shirts and napkins) out of the car and burned my hand
My wife and I were driving to BWI airport for a 10:30am flight from Virginia Beach in the Express Lane on I-95N going 75mph when all of a sudden at 8:30am the engine seized and I got a message telling me I would experience "Reduced Engine Performance" as my car puttered to a stop with white smoke pouring out of the exhaust. Prior to this message I had no warnings or messages on my dashboard. I got out of my car to check my oil and it was completely evaporated, so I called AAA. While we are 1 hour into waiting (it is now 9:30am) on the narrow shoulder of two Express Lanes for a tow truck to take our car to a shop at 11:40am and for a Lyft driver to figure out how to get to us, two VDOT employees told us we had to move our car by 11am otherwise the state police will tow us. I managed to call a local tow company who finally arrived by 10:55am, so we had been stranded in an Express Lane watching cars fly by at 85mph for almost 2 and a half hours before we were able to move. After the first shop took a look and told me the engine was damaged and that they couldn't replace it, I had it towed to a Volvo dealership. 5 days and a $375 diagnostic later, they find that the turbocharger has an internal oil leak and that this and the catalytic converter would have to be replaced for $6k. Aside from now being carless 4 hours from the dealership and missing my wife's birthday celebration without refund, I now have a $6,375 bill that I had no way of preventing due to a manufacturing design flaw in 2012 Volvo S60 T5. I SHOULD have been warned of a low oil situation so I could have at least pulled over and properly tended to it. I SHOULD NOT have to be liable for a Volvo design flaw that may involve faulty piston rings that has apparently affected countless others. This incident put both my wife and I in danger on an Express Lane on a very busy highway. Volvo needs to be accountable for this design flaw.
I was driving on my way back home. When my car started to knock. As I was slowing down to pull over. My oil pressure light came on. Granted, the reason was unknown. I had just recently checked the oil level. I got out to check the dipstick to find smoke coming out where the dipstick was. Curious as I was, I had no oil which left me puzzled. After some research, I found that my car had a recall on it for oil consumption. I called and asked a rep if they could verify if my vehicle was serviced for the issue. But without a doubt, he said it was. I just want to know if the problem was fixed. I currently can't crank my vehicle. I even dug into it myself and found that I had a bad starter nd battery. After replacing the two. I still can't get my vehicle to turn over. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Volvo failed to notify consumer of a manufacturer's defect with the volvo spark plugs being unstable in its original housing, which resulted in 'recalled spark plugs'. As a result the spark plug ends broke off and caused permanent damaged to the engine (cylinder #4 has little to no compression, misfire). The car smokes and extremely dangerous to drive; it is subject to catch on fire. The car was in motion when the engine light and oil light came on.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo s60. The contact stated that while stationary, the engine caught fire. The contact stated that smoke entered into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and opened the hood, and the engine was surrounded by flames. A police or fire department report was not filed. An independent mechanic extinguished the fire. There were no injuries sustained. A dealer was not made aware of the fire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the fire. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Related recalls
Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery
- What is wrong
- Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2020-2021 S90, 2020-2022 S60, V60, XC60, XC90, and 2022 V90 plug-in hybrid vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery module when the battery is fully charged and the vehicle is parked.
- Risk
- A short circuit in a high-voltage battery increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles until the remedy has been completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the high-voltage battery module as necessary. In addition, dealers will update the software to monitor the battery. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 28, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1‑800‑458‑1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10312.
Recall number 25V179000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2023 S60, V60CC, XC60, XC90, XC40, and C40 vehicles. A diagnostic trouble code (DTC) may be falsely detected for the emergency call system (e-call) and display "e-Call Service Required" in the driver information module (DIM).
- Risk
- The false warning message could prevent the detection of an actual e-call system failure, which could delay an emergency response during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the telematics and connectivity antenna module (TCAM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service 1‑800‑458‑1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10225.
Recall number 23V188000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2020 V90, XC60, S60, V60, V60CC, S90, V90CC, S90L, and XC90 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump can blow a fuse and fail.
- Risk
- Failure of the low-pressure fuel pump can cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1‑888‑458‑1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10100.
Recall number 21V414000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- Volvo Cars of North America, LLC. (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 Volvo S60, V60, V60CC, XC60, XC70, and S80 vehicles manufactured April 8, 2015 to August 19, 2015. In certain driving conditions when using the automatic engine stop/start function, the starter motor fuse may blow, preventing the car from restarting when necessary.
- Risk
- If the vehicle is unexpectedly unable to be started in the middle of traffic, such as when stopped at an intersection, there is an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the existing starter motor fuse with a higher amperage fuse, free of charge. The recall began on October 26, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1‑800‑458‑1552 or by visiting http://volvo.custhelp.com. Volvo's number for this recall is R39574.
Recall number 15V555000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Volvo is recalling certain model year 2014 S60, S80, XC60 and XC70 vehicles equipped with keyless ignition. In the affected vehicles, the Central Electronic Module (CEM) will not perform as intended. As a result, the front windshield wipers might run continuously when the ignition is on. Also, the turn signals, high beams, and headlight switch might not work.
- Risk
- Malfunctioning head lamps and/or turn signals increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will upgrade the CEM software, free of charge. The recall began on October 3, 2013. Owners may contact Volvo at 1‑800‑458‑1552.
Recall number 13V377000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Volvo is recalling certain model year 2012 s60, xc60, s80 and xc70 vehicles manufactured from may 16, 2011, through october 6, 2011. In these vehicles, the wire harness under the front seats may have not been attached properly to the seat frame. As a result, when the seats are moved to adjust the seating position, the wire harness may get pulled, causing it to disconnect.
- Risk
- In the event of crash, the front and/or side impact air bags may deploy improperly or not at all, increasing the risk of injury. Also, the lap belt pretensioner may not deploy.
- Remedy
- Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, secure the seat wire harness. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on april 12, 2012. Owners may contact volvo cars at 1‑800‑458‑1552.
Recall number 12V075000 · Recall details
Questions about the Volvo S60 fire or smoke
Which Volvo S60 years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2001 (5 complaints), 2004 (5 complaints) and 2012 (3 complaints).
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