1998 Volvo S70 problems
Owners have filed 317 complaints about the 1998 Volvo S70 with NHTSA. Service brakes, hydraulic account for 19.9% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of exterior lighting at 14.5%.
Complaints317
Crashes11
Fires5
Injuries17
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Service brakes, hydraulic 19.9% · 63
Exterior lighting 14.5% · 46
Electrical system 12.3% · 39
Engine and engine cooling 8.2% · 26
Service brakes, air 4.7% · 15
Air bags 4.4% · 14
Suspension 4.1% · 13
Structure 4.1% · 13
Severity
Of those complaints, 11 describe a crash, 5 describe a fire and 17 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 3 model years of the Volvo S70 in this data, 1998 draws the most complaints of any of them.
Filing volume has held steady, 10 in the last three years against 10 in the three before.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 78,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Failure of abs controller module. My research over the internet and numerous Volvo certified technicians indicate this failure is problematic with the teves 20 abs module. An internet forum page dealing with the Volvo 850/S70 models is littered with inquiries into this problem. One Volvo technician I corresponded with indicated he had replaced "hundreds" of these modules over the last several years. Service brakes, hydraulic · reported at 48,000 miles
Abs module on the car failed. While driving, the abs light came on and upon taking it to the dealer, I was told that the abs module had to be replaced at a cost of $615. The car is a certified per-owned with less than 60k miles. The module should not have failed and by reading the other complaints, it seems to be a common issue on the 1998 S70 models. Mr Service brakes, hydraulic
While braking, the vehicle vibrated. Took vehicle to dealership and the mechanic indicated there was a crack in the brake master cylinder.*Ak the abs light illuminated, the oxygen sensor was replaced, the vacuum line was replaced, the upper torque arm bushing broke, the door locking system broke, the inside door panel came apart. *Jb Service brakes, hydraulic · reported at 74,500 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…