Volvo S70 Years to Avoid — Worst & Best Years to Buy

Q: What year S70 should I avoid?

Based on NHTSA recall and complaint data, the 1998 Volvo S70 has the most documented problems with a problem score of 175 — driven by 2 recalls, 149 complaints.

Q: What is the best year S70 to buy?

Review the best years table on this page for the lowest-risk S70 model years.

Q: Which S70 has the fewest problems?

Use the year-by-year table on this page to compare every S70 model year by problem score.

Every Volvo S70 model year (1998–2000) ranked by recall count, complaint volume, deaths, and injuries. Data sourced directly from NHTSA.

Years Tracked

Total Recalls

411

Total Complaints

Reported Injuries

Reported Deaths

Volvo S70 Years to Avoid

#1 WORST

1998

2 recalls · 149 complaints

10 reported injuries

Top issue: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

Problem score: 175

#2 WORST

1999

2 recalls · 150 complaints

9 reported injuries

Top issue: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Problem score: 174

#3 WORST

2000

1 recall · 112 complaints

5 reported injuries

Top issue: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Problem score: 125

Best Volvo S70 Years to Buy

Not enough data to identify standout safe years.

Found the right year? Verify that specific S70 with a free VIN report.

Volvo S70 — Year-by-Year Problem Report

Year	Recalls	Complaints	Injuries	Deaths	Problem Score	Verdict
2000	1	112	5	—	125	Avoid
1999	2	150	9	—	174	Avoid
1998	2	149	10	—	175	Avoid

All 3 model years shown. Deaths and injuries from NHTSA complaint filings. Higher problem scores indicate more reported safety issues.

Volvo S70 Shopping Guide by Era

Pre-2013

Proceed with Caution

Older S70 models have more accumulated wear and a larger recall history. These are higher-risk purchases without documented maintenance records and a clean VIN history report.

Frequently Asked Questions

What year S70 should I avoid?+

Avoid the 1998 Volvo S70 if possible. It has 2 recalls, 149 owner complaints. The overall problem score is 175 — the highest in our dataset.

What is the best year S70 to buy?+

Review the "Best Years" section above for the top-rated S70 model years.

Which S70 has the fewest problems?+

Use the year-by-year table on this page to find the S70 model years with the lowest problem scores.

More Volvo S70 Research

Reliability Score

Overall reliability rating and score breakdown for the Volvo S70.

Common Problems

Full breakdown of every reported defect for the Volvo S70.

Check a Specific Volvo S70 VIN

Model-year rankings show statistical risk. A VIN-specific report reveals the individual vehicle's full history — accidents, odometer rollbacks, auction records, and open recall status.

Run a Free VIN Report →