What 47 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Volvo V60 Cc Mhev

Hello, I currently drive a 2016 Volvo V60 Cross Country which falls under the year of recalled vehicles related to the piston ring issue outlined in the Buchanan, et al. v. Volvo Car USA, LLC, et al., Case No. 2:22-cv-02227. According to the suit Volvo is supposed to replace my oil piston rings if it falls under warranty which is under 100k miles. For Volvo to confirm if my vehicle was impacted they performed an oil consumption test back in March of 2023 in which my vehicle failed meaning the rings still needed to be replaced. Three years later and Volvo Cars Tacoma has still refused to replace the piston rings after multiple follow up attempts. I have also reached out to other Volvo dealers in the area to try and get the rings replaced, but no one ever returns my phone calls. The oil check symptom test was done on my vehicle at 81k miles meaning it still feel under warranty at the time they told me they needed to be replaced. Since then, I have pleaded with them multiple times to fix the issue for three years with zero success although they are LEGALLY required to fix this issue. I took my car in for a repair in November of 2025 and requested they fix the piston ring issue then when they had my vehicle for others repairs and they still refused.

NHTSA ODI 11711626

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.

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Currently on going, second time around with high oil consumption problems. Dealer is saying warranty is holding up repairs, warranty points finger at dealership, and Volvo refuses to address the massive safety problem with oil consumption cars by refusing to fix. I will never buy another Volvo, and strongly recommend anyone considering a Volvo to think about how they’re treating current customers with the known oil consumption problem (horribly).

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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

NHTSA ODI 11695319

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.

NHTSA ODI 11664921

After piston rings were replaced 1 year ago, engine continues to burn too much oil. 4 quarts after 1800 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11652043

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.

NHTSA ODI 11644206

Engin shut off while driving and would not start again. Fortunately, this happened in a parking lot. If this happened on a highway, there could have been a bad outcome. When the car shut off the steering became very heavy. Dealer says it was a result of skipped timing. Timing belt did not break and has about 10,000 miles on it. Dealer provided no reason as to why this happened. No warning signs and no warning lights before this happened.

NHTSA ODI 11637046

Car burns a quart of oil every thousand miles.

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The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC60. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,690.

NHTSA ODI 11608768

On [XXX], I was traveling back from North Carolina to Columbia Sc. While driving, I had my cruise control on ~78 mph and had a 4 foot Christmas tree on the top of my car. Suddenly, my car jolted and the car began to run funny. Almost run like there was sand. An alert also popped up on the dashboard that said something to the extent of “downshift or reduce speed” I was low on fuel and luckily the next exit was right there. I also scheduled an appointment with my local Volvo dealership as my car is under an extended warranty. I took my car to the dealership and at first they said it was total engine failure. But have since revised that after Volvo inspected it. Now they are reporting only the cylinder head and a valve is bent. However after researching this problem, it seems like a lot of 2016 Volvos have the same issue with oil consumption leading to massive engine problems. This worries me that the main issue is not being fixed as Volvo doesn’t want to spend money to fix the engines. However no recall for the 2016 Volvos has been posted despite this known issue that seems to only affect the 2016 Volvo. Has the NHTSA investigated this previously? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal burning odor inside the vehicle. The "Low Oil" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the piston rings were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 5,500.

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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 NHTSA is all about safety for operators of vehicles. Thank you!!

NHTSA ODI 11547425

My vehicle sustained catastrophic, permanent engine failure while I was driving, in two-way city traffic. Cars backed up behind me, I had difficulty opening my door because of oncoming traffic, and eventually was able to push it (and get help pushing) to the intersection gas station. No warning lights appeared on my dashboard before, during or afterward. Independent service center reports no battery or alternator issue - engine is locked up. No idea why. The vehicle is out of warranty. I will have to pay to replace the engine myself, ~$7-8,000 in order to sell it at near KBB value. So disappointed in Volvo.

NHTSA ODI 11533429

Since 2021 my car has been burning excessive oil. I have recently discovered that a defect in the pistons of certain Volvo engines, including the one that is in my car, may be the cause for the excessive oil consumption. I am having check and add approximately add 1-2 quarts of oil every 1000 miles on a car that has only 70,000 on the odometer. The defects, according to a recent class action lawsuit may lead to potentially dangerous outcomes. I seek your assistance in getting help with this issue. I have provided all of the details of my concerns in the complaint which is attached.

NHTSA ODI 11522075

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.

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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.

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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.

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WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, HAVE TO HOLD BRAKE DOWN IN ORDER TO KEEP THE CAR FROM DRIVING AS THE RPMS ARE REVVING UP AND DOWN, CAUSING THE CAR TO WANT TO MOVE AND WHEN IN PARK REVVING SO HIGH THAT IT WENT INTO RED AND CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON AND I HAD TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. ALSO THE GAS TANK FILLER TUBE CLOGGS UP EASILY AND HAS TO BE DROPPED IN ORDER FOR THE TUBE / VENTS TO BE CLEANED OUT OR REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI 11450946

"The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she refilled the oil when she arrived at her residence. The contact noticed that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil and she was refilling the oil each 4-6 weeks. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, Bobby Rahal of the South Hills, who diagnosed that the piston rings needed to be replaced for more than $4,000 or the dealer stated that adding oil to the car every month would be a cheaper and not unsafe solution. On January 1 while driving on the highway, far from home, in the rain and fog with 3 children in the car, the engine started riding rough. The vehicle was driven cautiously home and taken to the independent mechanic specializing in Volvos who diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic said he has seen 4-5 Volvos this year with the same problem, and that there is something wrong with the 2015 2/5 engine for this car, but prior to that year, it has been a good engine, and since that year, it has been a good engine. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was purchased, Bobby Rahal Volvo of the North Hills, and the diagnosis was the same for the 6 year old car needing a new engine for more than $16,000. Since the car was purchased in November 2020 for $18K+, the customer is wondering if the dealer that sold the car and the dealer that was asked about the oil issue knew the car engine was likely defective, did not tell the contact and put the contact's family in an unsafe situation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact is awaiting a response. The vehicle has not yet been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000, after less than 8,000 of vehicle ownership."

NHTSA ODI 11446234

The 2016 Volvo V60 Cross Country started burning oil like crazy and the engine light went off. When I checked the levels, it was down multiple quarts. We have had all work done as detailed in the manual at the dealership. We took the car in and they said the Piston rings were damaged and that they had to replace those. Thankfully this was under warranty. They pushed back the repair for several months because this is such a systemic problem they were having a hard time getting the parts, and setting aside the time to do so many.

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WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, GOING DOWN A STEEP (APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREE DECLINE) THE NO OIL PRESSURE ALARM WAS TRIGGERED AND SYSTEM INSTRUCTIONS TO PULL OVER AND STOP ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE CLOSEST VOLVO DEALER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE PISTON RINGS HAD FAILED/WERE FAILING LEADING TO RAPID, EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. VOLVO HAS BEEN AWARE OF FAULTY PISTON AND OIL CONTROL RINGS IN THEIR ENGINES MADE FROM 2012-2016 AND HAVE DEVELOPED A REMEDIATION PROCEDURE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE DESIGN FLAW IN THESE VEHICLES WHICH COULD RESULT IN ENGINE SEIZURE. *TR

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