Home · 2016 Volvo XC60 B6 · Complaints

What 38 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Volvo XC60 B6

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (38)Crash / fire / injury (3)Engine (15)Seat belts (6)Brakes (3)Electrical system (3)Airbags (2)Engine & cooling (2)Lights (2)Equipment (1)Fuel system (1)Seats (1)

Newest first · 38 complaints · page 1 of 2

Jul 1, 2026Engine & cooling

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.

NHTSA ODI 11747694

Dec 23, 2025Engine

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.

NHTSA ODI 11706759

Oct 25, 2025Electrical system

appears to be significant electrical issue or internal computer issue causing a safety issue

NHTSA ODI 11695533

Oct 23, 2025Engine

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

Sep 5, 2025Electrical system

Volvo xc60 sunroof drains clog and leak. Sunroof maintenance is not mentioned in owner's manual, and dealer does not clear drains during regular service unless specifically asked to. Leak causes damage to electronic systems including airbag system. While any sunroof has the potential to leak, this leak is caused by a design failure - their design makes it easier for debris to ingress into the tracks and clog them. Cost to fix issue and replace sunroof is over $5000. This is a known problem with numerous forums and videos on the internet describing and promoting 'fixes' for, but in reality, Volvo needs to provide a real solution.

NHTSA ODI 11685225

Sep 4, 2025Seat belts

I just purchased 2016 VolvoXC60. Looked up ti see 3 recalls it has. I went to Volvo Dealership in Culver City where I was told recalls where taken care of years ago. No recalls exist today? This raises the question if indeed where preformed on my new vehicle and why I submitting my concern to you today. If you can provide me with any information regarding this issue, I would be very appreciated! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11685055

Jun 4, 2025Engine

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

May 6, 2025Fuel systemEquipment

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11659227

Feb 21, 2025Engine

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

Jan 20, 2025Engine

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

Nov 19, 2024Engine

Car burns a quart of oil every thousand miles.

NHTSA ODI 11626085

Aug 24, 2024Airbags

2016 volvo xc60 t5 has “srs airbag service urgent”. The message came without having any kind of an accident. The dealer says it’s due to electrical wiring or front seat movement.

NHTSA ODI 11610642

Aug 21, 2024Engine & cooling

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ODI 11609900

Aug 15, 2024Engine

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

Jan 17, 2024Engine

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.

NHTSA ODI 11566100

Sep 29, 2023Engine

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

Sep 28, 2023Electrical system

There was (still is) an issue with my 2016 Volvo XC60's electrical wiring. I was driving, about to get onto the highway when my volvo stalled on the on ramp. It wouldn't start, it couldn't be jumped. It had to be towed to the repair shop. They charged me over $1,000.00 for a brand new starter, and after they did it started for one day and then it broke down again. I couldn't even drive it out of the repair shop. I had to get it towed again. The dealership said it was an electrical/wiring issue that could be very expensive. I have found out that there was a recall for 2015 XC60 Volvos for wiring/electrical issues causing the vehicle to stall. However my 2016 volvo XC60 does not qualify per the repair show due to the date it was manufactured. I'm submitting this form for a safety issue because volvo clearly KNEW about this issue enough to need recalls for 2015s. There should also be recalls for this same wiring/electrical issue in 2016s.

NHTSA ODI 11547155

Sep 16, 2023Fire

I was driving and the car started shaking and unable to accelerate. I pulled over and the car started smoking and a fire erupted under the hood. I vacated the vehicle and called 911. The car erupted in flames and burned down to the frame. The insurance inspector wasn't able to determine the cause of the fire.

NHTSA ODI 11544928

Jul 20, 2023Engine

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

Mar 20, 2023Engine

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.

NHTSA ODI 11512809

Mar 14, 2023Engine

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.

NHTSA ODI 11511748

Mar 7, 2023Engine

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.

NHTSA ODI 11510635

Feb 23, 2022Seat belts

The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that she received NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V378000 (Seat Belts). The contact stated the vehicle was taken to a dealer for routine maintenance where she requested to have the recall remedy completed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact said she received a follow-up letter from the manufacturer that said her vehicle had not had the recall addressed. The contact said that there were illustrations on the recall letter that shows that the work was not properly completed by the dealer. The manufacturer had not been informed of the issue.

NHTSA ODI 11453611

Feb 8, 2022Engine

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

Jan 4, 2022Engine

"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

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Working with the data? Download all 38 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Volvo XC60 B6 verdict →