Used Volvo S60 2010-2018 reliability review

What should I look for in a used Volvo S60?

Problems have been reported with the exhaust system on 2.0-litre diesels, along with failures of the heated rear screen and the radar system, which helps cruise control to maintain a set distance from the car in front.

If you’re buying a diesel, ask whether your potential purchase has been used regularly on the motorway, as this will have given the diesel particulate filter (DPF) the opportunity to regenerate and burn off any diesel particulates it has trapped. Another guide might be to work out how many miles it has done each year, as higher-mileage cars are more likely to have spent their lives on these roads.

Some people have complained about the heated rear screen not working properly, so if you are testing the car on a hot day, try parking it in the shade for a while to allow the back window to cool down. This should enable you to judge whether the heated screen works when you switch it on. You should be able to feel a slight temperature change as you lightly run your hand over it. This temperature change should be much more obvious on a cold day.

S60s that are so-equipped can also suffer from problems with the adaptive cruise control. Look out for warning messages in the driver’s information display to that effect, and if you need further clarification, ask the seller if they are willing to let you take the car to a specialist to perform a diagnostic check, as any fault codes should be stored on the vehicle’s internal memory.

Is a used Volvo S60 reliable?

Volvo as a brand finished in 11th place out of 31 manufacturers included in our latest reliability survey, which is a vast improvement on pervious years.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.

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