Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1999 Volvo C70, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Vehicle speed control5
- Engine and engine cooling5
- Electrical system4
- Power train2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Tires2
- Steering1
- Seat belts1
- Equipment1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1999 Volvo C70 failed the safety check 6.59% of the time — 275% more often than the average 1999 passenger car (1.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 109,505 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1999 Volvo C70 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.4 petrol (142 kW, 190 hp) and 2.3 petrol (176 kW, 236 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 petrol | 142 kW 190 hp | 233 |
| 2.3 petrol | 176 kW 236 hp | 85 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
367 first registered in 1999 are on Dutch roads; 50% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde143
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen114
- Band onvoldoende profiel63
- Richtingaanwijzers kleur wijkt af/niet toegestaan56
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm41
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld37
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect36
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm36
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
66 cars built in 1999 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 168 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 108 of these cars first registered in 1999 took their annual MOT test. 65% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1999 the figure was 63%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1999 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16.7% | 16.6% |
| Brakes | 13.9% | 12.2% |
| Suspension | 6.5% | 13.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.6% | 7.3% |
| Tyres | 5.6% | 4.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.6% | 9.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
72 of these cars first registered in 1999 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 289,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
7 1999 cars are on the New Zealand register.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 11.6–11.8 L/100 km (about 20 mpg US), CO₂ 267–271 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| C70 Turbo · Compact · Premium gasoline | 13.4 | 9.4 | 11.6 |
| C70 Turbo · Compact · Premium gasoline | 13.4 | 9.4 | 11.6 |
| C70 Turbo · Compact · Premium gasoline | 13.5 | 9.6 | 11.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1999 Volvo C70.
| 2006311 14 Nov 2006 | Other On certain vehicles, a combination of throttle position sensor (TPS) irregularities, a dirty throttle housing, and/or inefficient software calibration, may caus… |
| 2004374 19 Oct 2004 | Electrical On certain vehicles, the Master Light Switch may cease to function. If this occurs, the headlights will not function and a loss of visibility will occur, incre… |
| 2001101 9 May 2001 | Lights And Instruments On certain Volvo C70, C70 convertible, C70 coupe, S70 and V70, inadequate contact between the bulb and socket could cause the front turn signal not to function … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY CEASE TO FUNCTION.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THERE COULD BE INADEQUATE CONTACT BETWEEN THE BULB AND SOCKET WHICH COULD CAUSE THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL NOT TO FUNCTION AS DESIGNED.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volvo told its dealers about the 1999 Volvo C70: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 627799 | B+CABLE, BATTERY-TO-FUSE BOX, REPLACEMENT. *YD |
| 626872 | INFORMATION REGARDING WINDOW CASSETTE INSTALLATION. *YH |
| 621858 | SUBJECT REGARDING TRAVEL-FORWARD FUNCTION REPAIR OF THE FRONT POWER SEATS. *TT |
| 620880 | THIS SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBES HOW TO CLEAN THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) BORE. *TT |
| 620109 | INFORMATION TO ALL VOLVO RETAILERS (US & CANADA) REGARDING VEHICLES WITH INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE HEADLIGHT WIPER BLADE AND THE STOP LUG. INFORMATION CONTAINS SERVICE MANAGER BULLETIN 35-101A, SERVICE BULLETIN 36-0018, PARTS BULLETIN 35-101A AND OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER. *TT |
| 620108 | THIS SERVICE CAMPAIGN NO. 101A INVOLVES HEADLIGHT WIPER ARM ADJUSTMENT AND STOP LUG REPLACEMENT FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES WITH INADEQUATE CLEARANCE. *TT |
| 619521 | SUBJECT REGARDING POWER SEAT, TILT-TRAVEL-FORWARD FUNCTION REPAIR. *TT |
| 619110 | INFORMATION TO ALL VOLVO RETAILERS REGARDING SERVICE CAMPAIGN 101A - INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE HEADLIGHT WIPER BLADE AND THE STOP LUG. *TT |
| 619104 | ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THERE MAY BE INADEQUATE CONTACT BETWEEN THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL BULBS AND THE SOCKETS. *TT |
| 619103 | ON CERTAIN VEHICLES THERE MAY BE INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE HEADLIGHT WIPER BLADE AND THE STOP LUG. *TT |
| 615901 | SUBJECT PERTAINS TO EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT AND NOISE FROM THE DASHBOARD. *TT |
| 615035 | HEAD LAMP WIPER MOTOR REPLACEMENT. *TT |
| 612380 | SUBJECT ON THE POWER WINDOW MECHANISM, NOISE AT THE LOWER LIMIT POSITION. *MJS |
| 610598 | SUBJECT REGARDING MODIFICATION TO THE POWER ANTENNA GROUND STRAP TO IMPROVE FM RADIO DISTRUBRANCE / STATIC. *TT |
| 610431 | THIS BULLETIN MENTIONS THAT WHEN DIAGNOSING A COMPLAINT OF FM RADIO DISTURBANCE / STATIC ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, A MODIFICATION TO THE POWER ANTENNA GROUND STRAP WILL IMPROVE THE CONDITION. *TT |
| 6089468 | BULLETIN DESCRIBING HOW TO CORRECT CONDITION OF OIL LEAKAGE OCCURRING AT ONE OR MORE OF THE OIL PUMP RETAINING SCREWS. *TT THIS BULLETIN REPLACES THE PREVIOUS SB21-0023 DATED OCTOBER 1999. *TT |
| 6089460 | SOME MODELS MAY HAVE A CONDITION WHERE THE CHECK ENGINE AND ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM LIGHTS ON THE DASH PANEL MAY ILLIMINATE. *TT |
| 6089458 | INFORMATION ON THE 1999 GENUINE VOLVO CARE -- PREPAID FACTORY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICE PROGRAM. *TT |
| 608044 | THIS SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBES HOW TO INSTALL THE NEW STYLE HEIGHT ADJUSTER KNOB FOR THE FRONT SEATS. *TT |
| 607318 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT COMING ON DTCS 4308, 4338, 430C OR 430D SET. *TT |
| 606299 | INFORMATION ON VEHICLES EXHIBITING THE CHECK ENGINE AND ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM LIGHTS ON THE DASH PANEL ILLUMINATED WITH ECM DTC 91A7, 903C, F1F0, 532D OR A COMGINATION THEREOF. *TT |
| 606294 | INFORMATION ON THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. *TT |
| 606242 | SUBJECT ON THE CROSS-SHAPED PAD RETAINER SPRING IN THE REAR CALIPERS COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR. *TT |
| 605965 | INFORMATION DESCRIBING HOW TO INSTALL A DAMPER ON THE DRIVE SHAFT. *TT |
| 604723 | CONCERNS WITH THE CROSS-SHAPED PAD RETAINER SPRING IN THE REAR CALIPERS CAN COME IN CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTION
THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTION
HEADLIGHT FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation