May 9, 2026Tires
The car had no warning signs showing. We were on the highway and this was the longest trip we’ve taken in this car. We were at about 100 miles into the trip, we were at mile 115 on I-95 in [XXX] coming from [XXX] . Suddenly the rubber around the tire ripped off completely, the car started to slow in the middle of the highway. We pulled over to the right side of the road and found the tire completely blown out. The vehicle is currently being inspected by Volvo. The Volvo dealership is currently replacing the tire and we are paying full price out of pocket. We will be in touch with continental as soon as their office opens back up on Monday. Tire size 255/45 R 20 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI 11736763
Jan 20, 2026Tires
Component/System: Original equipment tires – Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season, size 255/40 R21, installed on a 2026 Volvo XC60. The affected tire is the front passenger-side tire and is currently available for inspection upon request. Description of Failure and Safety Risk: At approximately 2,500 miles, the front passenger-side tire developed a visible bulge on the sidewall. This bulge indicates a structural failure of the tire (broken internal cords/belts) and creates a risk of sudden blowout while driving at normal highway speeds with my family in the vehicle, including my young child in a car seat. Because a sidewall bulge can lead to catastrophic tire failure without warning, I consider this an immediate safety hazard and stopped using the tire as soon as the defect was noticed. Pattern / Recurrence: This is my second Volvo XC60 lease equipped with Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season tires in size 255/40 R21. On my prior XC60 lease, two of these same model tires experienced severe, premature tread wear and had to be replaced at low mileage due to safety concerns. In researching this issue, I found numerous other Volvo XC60 owners reporting similar problems with Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season tires, including tread chunking, premature wear, and sidewall bulges at relatively low mileage. Volvo service advisors have stated to me that this is a “known problem” with certain Pirelli tires on Volvo vehicles. Reproduction / Confirmation by Dealer or Service Center: The problem has been observed and confirmed visually by my Volvo dealer’s service department, which documented the sidewall bulge and recommended immediate replacement of the tire for safety reasons. They advised that Pirelli treats this under a prorated warranty, which would require me to pay a portion of the replacement cost, but they did not dispute that the tire is unsafe to drive on. No independent tire specialist inspection has been performed yet.
NHTSA ODI 11712127