Home · 2021 Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered Plug-in Hybrid · Complaints

What 31 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered Plug-in Hybrid

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 (31)Crash / fire / injury (4)Electrical system (9)Brakes (7)Driver assistance (6)Engine (5)Lane Departure (5)Steering (5)Fuel system (3)Airbags (1)Latches & locks (1)Seat belts (1)

4 of 31 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 22, 2022AirbagsCrash1 injury

Side impact curtain air bags only deployed on right side (side of impact), causing head concussion from hitting driverside window on left side. Vehicle has been towed for repair, but may still be available for inspection for a short time. Fire department stated airbags tried but failed deployment. Contacted dealer. Dealer said contact Volvo North America. Volvo has yet to connect me to the right person or department.

NHTSA ODI 11475285

Apr 22, 2022Electrical systemDriver assistanceCrash1 injury

The car started to move and accelerate with brake pressed. Accident prevention system did not activate itself. It did not display any warnings as it typically do during parking and being close to other cars. The car caused an accident with mild injuries to the driver of the other car, but could have hit a pedestrian or go to the intersection and involved with an accident with a car moving perpendicularly at a higher speed. I am waiting for an investigator from Volvo and Travelers Insurance. Prior to the accident the electronic display of the car started to malfunction. I have a video of the whole accident , but it is in mp4 format and thus i could not upload it. The dashboard camera's microphone picked some electromagnetic interference that increased as we got closer to the accident. Description of the accident: We pulled to a red light behind another car. After not moving for a few seconds, the car started to move on its own, accelerating and hitting the car in the front, continuing to move forward. I was able to put the shifter into the park, stopping it. The road conditions were good. Roads were dry. The sky were cloudy overhead. The vehicle is not drivable ( radiator leak ). The car behaved usually before the accident, except for some reason, for the first time, all the displays dimmed significantly ( it was hard to see anything, and I could not increase brightness ). The screens went back to normal brightness right before the accident. Also, the dashboard camera that recorded the incident, for some reason, picked up audio evidence of electromagnetic interference which was increasing as we were getting closer to the intersection.

NHTSA ODI 11461792

Sep 21, 20211 injury

I leased the vehicle in December, 2020. Periodically while the tailgate is open and I am underneath it, the tailgate has closed on me and hit me in the back. In February, 2021, the struts on the tailgate were replaced at Patrick Volvo, Fort Myers, Florida, after I received a recall letter from Volvo. On September 9, 2021 at approximately 11:00 a.m. (CST) I was under the opened tailgate and it closed three times in a row and hit me in the back. Each time that it hit me, it reversed direction and went back into the open position. I was not injured but my back was sore for the rest of the day. I brought the SUV into Patrick Volvo, Shaumburg, Illinois. The service representative (SR) explained to me that there is a sensor under the rear bumper that will open and close the tailgate if you waive your foot under one specific location. Which is approximately two feet from the left edge of the bumper. The SR explained to me that I must have accidentally waived my foot under the bumper and the sensor caused the tailgate to close. He further advised that it could not be deactivated. On September 18, 2021, at approximately 10:00 a.m. I was sitting in the cargo area putting on my golf shoes. The tailgate started to close. I ran as fast I could and avoided getting hurt or injured. My feet were not capable of engaging the sensor as they were in front of the bumper. I have advised Volvo Customer Service and Patrick Volvo of this new safety concern. Patrick Volvo has stated to me that they have never had this problem on any of their SUVS. They also do not know what is causing it. They are waiting for a loaner SUV to come back to their dealership and then I will bring the vehicle in, so they can attempt to solve this safety issue. In the meantime, I have to be very cautious when the tailgate is open. My fear is not only that it will hit me, but more so that it will not reverse direction and close on me.

NHTSA ODI 11433850

Sep 21, 2021Transmission & drivetrainBrakesCrash1 injury

The contact owned a 2021 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle suddenly began to accelerate and the brakes failed to stop. The vehicle crashed into a nearby fence causing the vehicle to flip. The air bags did deploy. The contact received injuries to their right shoulder and left knee. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and had not been deemed totaled as of yet however, damage to the vehicle would be considered unrepairable. The dealer was informed of the incident however they were unable to assist. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11433852

Working with the data? Download all 31 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 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 2021 Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered Plug-in Hybrid verdict →