Engine suffered severe mechanical damage/failure due to excessive oil consumption caused by defective factory piston rings (Volvo Quality Bulletin P10207). Vehicle exhibited heavy engine knocking and flashing warning lights during operation, creating a risk of sudden stall or complete power loss. Annapolis Volvo confirmed severe internal engine failure via dealer diagnostic invoice. Purchased vehicle only 10 months ago under 100k miles (currently 98k), long after Bulletin P10207's quiet expiration. Volvo never notified subsequent purchasers of this known defect, and front-line Consumer Care repeatedly issued automated denials without reviewing dealer diagnostic uploads or appeals. Annapolis Volvo quoted $14k–$17k for a used engine and ~$26k for a new engine—repair costs that exceed the entire purchase price and value of the vehicle, rendering an acknowledged, severe safety defect financially unresolvable. The video of the dealer diagnostic test that shows the catastrophic engine failure is directly related to this Quality Bulletin: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2016 Volvo XC60: excessive oil consumption
11 of the 39 complaints about the 2016 Volvo XC60 describe excessive oil consumption.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 28%
- recalls
- 0
Excessive oil consumption by model year
- 201611
- 20157
- 20141
- 20112
- 20101
What owners say
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the low oil warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into a gas station, exited the vehicle, raised the hood of the vehicle, and added engine oil to the engine. The contact stated that while buckling the seat belt, the air bag warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: TJ 35526 (Engine Oil Consumption Test); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided, and the contact was informed that the TSB had expired. The approximate failure mileage was 62,800.
Oil consumption has become a major issue and I am putting oil in every 1000 miles! I bought the vehicle certified pre owned in October 2023 and the oil light was consistently coming on early. However, it has since gotten much worse and is constantly burning through oil.
The component that failed was the oil consumption. I noticed it seemed to be using more oil than should be normal. It didn't seem to do it overnight. It seemed gradual, but over a short period of time, bc I haven't had the car that long. It wasn't super alarming but I was keeping an eye on it and would add more in here and there, as I like to keep it full. One morning, driving my son to school, I started hearing an odd sound, I don't know how to describe it, wasn't loud but different. I tried to turn around bc was on a main road, and when I did, I heard a loud bang and pop and I had to pull over to a safe spot bc on a main highway. I hv not driven since getting brought to my home. 06
Vechile is consuming oil rapidly, Warning light comes on says that the vehicle is unsafe to drive. We had an oil consumption test at the Franklin TN Volvo dealership and it failed. There is also a quality bulletin issued by Volvo and extended warranty to 100K miles or 8 years, we fall outside the years. The warning lights started coming on around 78K miles. This is a know vechile manufacturing defect and feels unsafe to drive and expensive maintain and repair (10K) estimate from dealer.
Purchased a used 2016 Volvo XC60 from a BMW dealership. A month after purchase, oil light came on - so we added oil. Not long after, it came on again. Finally took the car to a Volvo dealership and they confirmed we have the "oil consumption" issue. There was a class action lawsuit against Volvo and they extended the warranty for this issue for 8 years or 100k miles. Unfortunately, we purchased the car at 8 years, 6 months. We had no idea this issue existed. Volvo says they will do nothing about it. This is a known defect and they should fix it! If you google this you will find people reporting it all over. Some people have reported that their engines have caught fire while driving. This is very dangerous! Volvo should be made to fix this problem.
Car burns a quart of oil every thousand miles.
Purchased the vehicle sometime in 2021. Been dealing with oil consumption issues since then. Always maintained the vehicle per manufacturer recommendations. At first I had to top off the oil here and there and didn’t think much of it. Forward to Sept 2023 I have to add a quart every 500 miles. I began to research about the oil consumption problem and learned the following: There was a letter that was sent out to Volvo owners in Feb 2023 about a service bulletin regarding an oil consumption test and if the vehicle fails the oil consumption test then Volvo will replace piston rings or engine. They would also extend the warranty. The free oil test applies to vehicles within 8yrs or 100k. I never received the letter because I was the second owner. I called Volvo North America and they confirmed that the previous owner was listed on their end and that previous owner must’ve received the letter. If I had received the letter in Feb 2023 then I would be within that 8yr time frame and that would qualify me for repairs. I asked Volvo for grace to be included in the free oil consumption test. They said no because I was outside the time frame which was 3 months. Only 3 months! I never received the letter and I had to research on my own. I never received that letter and if I had received the letter then I would’ve taken it immediately to Volvo for the free oil test consumption. I believe this is a serious safety problem because at one point the engine will seize and could stall on the interstate due to the excessive oil consumption. Please look into this safety issue. A sudden seizure of engine leads to a sudden stall at interstate speeds which can cause a major collision and I know the federal safety agency is all about safety for operators of vehicles. Thank you!!
Volvo XC60 is burning oil and putting off a smell. Approximately every 500 miles I am prompted to put in another quart of oil. No signs of leaking. Took the car into a mechanic to inspect and was notified this is a known Volvo problem and I'd need to take it to a dealership since there are several TSBs on it with this known issue. Issue has been progressively been getting worse since I purchased the car a few years ago.
The engine is using a quart of oil every 1000 miles, There is no leaks or pools of oil on the ground under the car. This is one of the engines identified in a class action lawsuit filed for this same reason.
This car has excessive oil consumption and burns oil because the piston rings are faulty. Eventually can cause the engine to stop working and put lives on the road in danger. This was proven in a class action lawsuit against Volvo and they extended the warranty to 8 years or 100,000 miles however some cars are over the 100,000 miles and are still needing to add oil every 2-3 weeks. The low oil light started coming on about 80,000 miles. Had it in for repair but the dealership didn't know what was wrong with it.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 2 PDFs and 1 .PNG Oil Consumption test
- Extended Warranty
- PHEV Intermittent Start of the Combustion Engine in Hybrid or Pure Mode
- Creaking noise from right engine pad
- Engine Control Module (EMS) Software (MSW) Information – August 2022; Improvement List (Change Log)
- Volvo Chassis
- This is a Technical Journal: High oil consumption
- This is a Service Journal: Coolant Filling Equipment Tool
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2016 Volvo XC60 oil consumption
Is excessive oil consumption a common problem on the 2016 Volvo XC60?
11 of 39 owner complaints about the 2016 Volvo XC60 (28%) mention excessive oil consumption. The model year with the most reports is 2016.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2016 Volvo XC60?
There are 0 recalls and 33 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2016 Volvo XC60?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history