Volvo S80 problems, reliability and years to avoid
If you are considering buying a used Volvo S80, these are the common problems worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 2 known faults for this model, 1 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
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Is the Volvo S80 reliable?
The Volvo S80 has 2 known faults in our database across 2 generations, 1 of them rated high severity. The most serious are engine (belt-drive failure on the five-cylinder diesel can wreck the engine) and engine (fuel injected to burn off the particulate filter can get past the pistons into the sump). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.
That is a count of the faults we hold, not a reliability score. Popular cars get written about more, and a newer generation has had less time to show its faults.
Which Volvo S80 years should you avoid?
No year is a write-off on its own. What matters is which serious faults a given year and engine can have, and whether the car in front of you has had them fixed.
Mk1, 1998 to 2006
No faults on record yet
Mk2, 2006 to 20161 high severity
2 known faults, the serious ones in the engine
Years and engines with a serious known fault
2001 to 2015, Five-cylinder diesel: 2.4 D5 and 2.4D, plus the D3 and D4 versions of the same engine (2.0 or 2.4) sold until about 2014: belt-drive failure on the five-cylinder diesel can wreck the engine
Each one is set out in full below, with the symptoms, the typical mileage and a rough repair cost.
Generation 1 of 20 known faults · 5 good notes
Volvo S80 Mk1 (1998 to 2006): owner reports
What owners like about the Mk1
5 notes
The S80 features excellent radios with physical knobs for volume and channel selection, plus an integrated hands-free car phone system.
The S80 achieved a very good four-star 85% NCAP crash safety score in 2001, earning a nomination as 'The World's Safest Car'.
S and T registration S80 models performed well in customer satisfaction surveys in 2001 and 2002, ranking highly among many cars.
S80 models from 1998 to 2000 showed good reliability with fewer breakdowns, and warranty repair costs were better than average in 2003.
The S80 ranked 16th in the 2005 JD Power/What Car Survey, achieving an 82.5% satisfaction score from owners of 2002 to 2003 registered cars.
Generation 2 of 22 known faults · 5 owner reports · 4 good notes
Volvo S80 Mk2 (2006 to 2016) problems
Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial
Belt-drive failure on the five-cylinder diesel can wreck the engine. On earlier cars the timing belt tensioners and idler pulleys may give out ahead of the planned belt change and throw the belt, with many failures around 65,000 miles. On S80, V70, XC70 and XC60 builds from 2007 to 2010 the auxiliary belt tensioner was recalled in the UK, because a failed tensioner or belt can get into the timing belt. Owners have had the auxiliary belt snap at 46,790 miles on a 2011 V70 D3, and a newly fitted one come off and wrap round the lower timing belt pulleys on a 50,000-mile 2011 XC60.
Typical symptoms
squeal or chirp from the belts, especially from cold
battery or power steering warning if the auxiliary belt comes off
engine stops suddenly and will not restart
Affected vehicles
Engines:
Five-cylinder diesel: 2.4 D5 and 2.4D, plus the D3 and D4 versions of the same engine (2.0 or 2.4) sold until about 2014
Typical mileage:
46000-65000 miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
Engine/EmissionsMedium severity📝 Editorial
Fuel injected to burn off the particulate filter can get past the pistons into the sump, so the oil level creeps up and the oil is thinned with diesel. Volvo issued a service bulletin in 2010 for D5 engines with a filter: new engine software to use less fuel during regeneration, and draining the oil back to the middle of the dipstick. A 2010 V70 D3 covering only around 7,300 miles annually needed 0.5 litres of oil taken out after a service warning, and a 2015 V70 D4 had diesel found in its oil after regenerating, with the oil changed free.
Typical symptoms
oil level above the maximum mark on the dipstick
engine oil that smells of diesel
engine service or check warning on the dash
Affected vehicles
Engines:
Diesels with a particulate filter: the five cylinder D5, D3 and D4 (2.4 and 2.0), and the later four cylinder 2.0 D4 (VEA)
Typical mileage:
unknown miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
What owners report on the Mk2
5 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Engine · April 2019A 2016 S80 D4 181HP engine hesitated on initial acceleration when using standard diesel, indicating a need for premium fuel due to sophisticated injectors.
Gearbox and clutch · March 2019A 2013 S80 1.6 D2 Powershift automatic at 56,000 miles experienced frequent regeneration and a noisy bearing, leading to full gearbox replacement under extended warranty.
Exhaust · March 2018An emissions warning light illuminated on a 2015 S80 diesel at 30,000 miles, caused by a sooty diesel particulate filter requiring regeneration.
Engine · January 2018A late-registered 2016 S80 D4 had its engine warning light illuminate at 7,000 miles, with the garage attributing it to return exhaust gases and fixing it under guarantee.
Gearbox and clutch · January 2012A 1.6 D2 DRIVEe S80 experienced clunking noises from its transmission, likely due to the dual mass flywheel struggling with high gear ratios.
What owners like about the Mk2
4 notes
The Volvo S80 was recognised as the Professional Driver Car of the Year in 2012, highlighting its overall quality.
The S80 offers solid build quality combined with generous interior space, making it a reliable and sturdy executive saloon.
Extensive standard safety equipment elevates the Volvo S80's crash protection capabilities beyond many of its competitors.
The D5 turbodiesel engines deliver good performance for both pace and fuel economy, pairing effectively with the five-speed automatic gearbox.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
We track 6 specific phrases sellers use in adverts to soft-pedal these exact issues. Paste any Volvo S80 advert and we check it in seconds.
An overdue cambelt is the most expensive thing a seller can fail to mention on a used S80. These are the figures UK specialists work to.
Timing belt (cambelt)Belt
1.6D, 1.6 DIESEL
108,000 miles or 10 years, whichever comes first
PSA-sourced 1.6D engine has an official interval of 108,000 miles / 10 years. However, many specialists recommend 72,000 miles / 7 years for preventative safety.
Always confirm against the vehicle handbook. Intervals vary by engine, and several manufacturers revised theirs after failures in service.
Repair costs are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Actual cost depends on condition and garage.Data last verified: October 2026
Volvo S80 buying questions
Which Volvo S80 years should I avoid?
No Volvo S80 year is a write-off, but the Mk2 (2006 to 2016) carries the most serious faults: engine. The Mk1 (1998 to 2006) has none rated high severity. Year matters less than whether the specific car has had the known fixes, so check the history for them.
What should I check when viewing a used Volvo S80?
Ask the seller about the engine faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for squeal or chirp from the belts, especially from cold and oil level above the maximum mark on the dipstick. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against its known faults before you travel. Check a Volvo S80 advert →
What is the real MPG of a Volvo S80?
Owners report 43.0 mpg on average across the Volvo S80 engines with data, about 86% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 265 owner submissions. Volvo S80 Real MPG by engine →
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Volvo S80 owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.