2016 Volvo S60
Gas Compact car
The 2016 Volvo S60 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 9 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the S60 FWD, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 27 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S60 FWD | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 26 | 37 | 30 | $2,100 |
| S60 Inscription FWD | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 37 | 29 | $2,150 |
| S60 FWD | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 32 | 27 | $2,850 |
| S60 AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 22 | 31 | 25 | $3,100 |
| S60 AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 20 | 28 | 23 | $2,700 |
| S60 CC AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 20 | 28 | 23 | $2,700 |
| S60 Inscription AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 20 | 28 | 23 | $2,700 |
| S60 AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 18 | 27 | 21 | $2,950 |
| S60 PoleStar AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 18 | 27 | 21 | $2,950 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2016 Volvo S60 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
Compare coverage →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Data on this page is never influenced by that.
Recalls (4)
Seat Belts
highProblem: Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2008-2016 V70 and XC70, 2007-2016 S80, 2011-2018 S60 and V60, 2016-2018 S60 Cross Country, 2014-2020 S60L, 2009-2015 S80L, 2009-2016 XC60 and 2015-2018 V60 Cross Country vehicles. The flexible steel cable that connects the seat belt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue over time, causing the seat belt to not secure the occupant in the event of a crash.
Risk: An unsecured occupant has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt anchor cable for both front seats. The recall began December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10029.
Latches/Locks/Linkages
moderateProblem: Volvo Car of USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2011-2017 S60, S60I, V60, S60CC and V60CC vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89978.
Seat Belts
highProblem: Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 XC90, S90, XC60, V60 Cross Country, V60, S60 Cross Country, S60, and S60 Inscription vehicles manufactured February 16, 2015, to August 22, 2016. On the affected vehicles, the front passenger seat belt buckle attaching stud may loosen, allowing the buckle to separate from the seat belt bracket. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages" and number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Risk: If the seat belt buckle separates from the bracket, the front seat passenger may not be adequately restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front passenger seat belt buckle stud, replacing the seat belt buckle as needed, free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89708.
Electrical System
highProblem: Volvo Cars of North America, LLC. (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 Volvo S60, V60, V60CC, XC60, XC70, and S80 vehicles manufactured April 8, 2015 to August 19, 2015. In certain driving conditions when using the automatic engine stop/start function, the starter motor fuse may blow, preventing the car from restarting when necessary.
Risk: If the vehicle is unexpectedly unable to be started in the middle of traffic, such as when stopped at an intersection, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the existing starter motor fuse with a higher amperage fuse, free of charge. The recall began on October 26, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552 or by visiting http://volvo.custhelp.com. Volvo's number for this recall is R39574.
Owner complaints
27 complaints filed
1 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 10 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 2
Most-cited components
- Engine — 9
- Electrical System — 5
- Unknown Or Other — 4
- Structure — 3
- Visibility/Wiper — 3
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other S60 model years
2025 S60
2 recalls · 0 complaints
B2024 S60
3 recalls · 20 complaints
D2023 S60
6 recalls · 3 complaints
D2022 S60
4 recalls · 15 complaints
D2021 S60
3 recalls · 8 complaints
D2020 S60
4 recalls · 11 complaints
C2019 S60
4 recalls · 25 complaints
A2018 S60
1 recalls · 4 complaints
D2017 S60
5 recalls · 17 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 36224, 36282, 36225, 37193, 36223, 36247, 36222, 36221, 36226). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.