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1999 Volvo S80 Recalls & Complaints

5

open safety recalls on record

Critical

288 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.19 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical02V096000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Fan

SHOULD THIS OCCUR, THE ENGINE COOLING FAN COMPONENTS COULD OVERHEAT AND CAUSE THE MELTING OF ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND ADJACENT COMPONENTS, INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 1, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

ON SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN ELECTRIC COOLING FANS COULD BE INADEQUATE IN A HOT CLIMATE. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, EXCESSIVE HEAT COULD BE GENERATED.

Critical04V451000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Fan

FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE COOLING FAN. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 29, 2004. CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS, SOME ELECTRIC COOLING FANS MAY OVERHEAT POTENTIALLY CAUSING HEAT DAMAGE AND, IN RARE INSTANCES, A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

Serious07E023000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder

LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN RESULT IN POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

CARDONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE ANY DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDERS. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING APRIL 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CARDONE AT 1-800-777-4780.

CERTAIN CARDONE MASTER CYLINDERS WITH PART NUMBERS 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987MZA, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, AND 11-3156, AND WITH DATE CODES LOWER THAN DCA7078 SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE SEAL ON MASTER CYLINDER CAN FAIL AND LEAK BRAKE FLUID.

Moderate06V441000

Vehicle Speed Control

THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE CURRENT SOFTWARE UPGRADE ONTO THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 29, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING, AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.

Moderate00V238000

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Ball Joint

THIS CONDITION COULD AFFECT THE BALL JOINT'S DURABILITY AND PERFORMANCE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. OVER TIME, THE BALL JOINT BETWEEN THE FRONT WHEEL KING PIN AND THE SUSPENSION LINK ARM, CAN EXPERIENCE INCREASED LOOSENESS.

Complaint volume

288 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

7Crashes
8Fires
4Injuries
0Deaths

Across 288 complaints. Severity Index 0.19.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Vehicle Speed Control49 · 17%Electrical System25 · 9%Engine And Engine Cooling17 · 6%Suspension · Front10 · 3%Power Train · Automatic T…8 · 3%Steering7Suspension · Front · Cont…6Service Brakes, Hydraulic…6
  1. Vehicle Speed Control — 49 reports
  2. Electrical System — 25 reports
  3. Engine And Engine Cooling — 17 reports
  4. Suspension:Front — 10 reports
  5. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 8 reports
  6. Steering — 7 reports
  7. Suspension:Front:Control Arm — 6 reports
  8. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 6 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 6 reports
  10. Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump — 6 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1999 · 2000 (5) · 2001 (8) · 2002 (5) · 2003 (6) · 2004 (5) · 2005 (6) · 2006 (4) · 2007 (5) · 2008 (7) · 2009 (5) · 2010 (5) · 2011 (4) · 2012 (3) · 2013 (3) · 2014 (1) · 2015 (2) · 2016 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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