VOLVO C70 · model year

2012 VOLVO C70

28 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012VOLVOC70 carries 28 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 C70 is unknown or other with 10 filings, followed by structure:body (7) and suspension (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 28 investigation files overlapping the 2012 C70. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

28
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

28 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10
STRUCTURE:BODY7
SUSPENSION2
WHEELS2
POWER TRAIN2
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR1
SEAT BELTS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
SERVICE BRAKES1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH PLATE1

Recalls (1)

11V50800018/10/2011

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2012 C70 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 15, 2005, THROUGH JULY 31, 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 S60 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 14, 2010, THROUGH APRIL 16, 2011, THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL ACCESSORY SPARE TIRE KIT. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO C

Recent Complaints

20250818STRUCTURE:BODY

The drivers side door keeps opening while driving. I see recalls for other volvo models but not mine. This is very concerning when driving on the highway

20250707LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH PLATE

While in transit, the passenger door periodically unlatches on its own. There is a safeguard that prevents the door from completely swinging open when this happens. This problem has not been inspected by a professional. The warning light appears after the door unlatches while in motion. Because I never have a passenger, I am not able to immediately close the door. The last time this happened was at 65 mph on [XXX]. This problem has existed for years. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The cause is unknown, and timing is unpredictable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20250404ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The car developed an electronic communication issue that would cause random failure messages for the ABS, anti-skid system, transmission control and a "brake failure" message that would put the car into limp mode even at highway speeds. If you come to a complete stop, it would not allow you to pull away at any speed which makes you a traffic hazard and at risk for a rear end collision. I took the car to the dealer and they said it was the steering module so I had them replace it which ended up not resolving the problem. More alarming, the mechanic said that the factory original windshield had become unbonded and needed resealed. He showed me by flexing the windshield out at the top. I paid a windshield shop to reseal the windshield but I am reporting this since it's bond to the body is integral to keeping occupants from being ejected in the event of a rollover and the owner is unlikely to ever notice the issue.

20250404POWER TRAIN

The car developed an electronic communication issue that would cause random failure messages for the ABS, anti-skid system, transmission control and a "brake failure" message that would put the car into limp mode even at highway speeds. If you come to a complete stop, it would not allow you to pull away at any speed which makes you a traffic hazard and at risk for a rear end collision. I took the car to the dealer and they said it was the steering module so I had them replace it which ended up not resolving the problem. More alarming, the mechanic said that the factory original windshield had become unbonded and needed resealed. He showed me by flexing the windshield out at the top. I paid a windshield shop to reseal the windshield but I am reporting this since it's bond to the body is integral to keeping occupants from being ejected in the event of a rollover and the owner is unlikely to ever notice the issue.

20250404SERVICE BRAKES

The car developed an electronic communication issue that would cause random failure messages for the ABS, anti-skid system, transmission control and a "brake failure" message that would put the car into limp mode even at highway speeds. If you come to a complete stop, it would not allow you to pull away at any speed which makes you a traffic hazard and at risk for a rear end collision. I took the car to the dealer and they said it was the steering module so I had them replace it which ended up not resolving the problem. More alarming, the mechanic said that the factory original windshield had become unbonded and needed resealed. He showed me by flexing the windshield out at the top. I paid a windshield shop to reseal the windshield but I am reporting this since it's bond to the body is integral to keeping occupants from being ejected in the event of a rollover and the owner is unlikely to ever notice the issue.

20240103SUSPENSION

There is a know defect with the chassis used for several Volvo car models. My car is a Volvo C70, year 2012. My car is affected by this defect. The defect wasn't disclosed to me at time of sale. I only learned about it literally 10 years later when Volvo of Gilbert (dealership) advised me to install a costly part on the rear suspension of my car because of "excessive negative camber". According to the Volvo repair department, they've known for years of an internal repair "recommendation" memo issued by Volvo that Volvo actually pays for on other models, but won't pay for on mine, to correct this "negative camber" on the rear of the car. ***** The negative camber causes tire walls to fail early and abnormally wear the internal edges of the tires. I've experienced early tire failure on multiple sets of tires on my Volvo C70 and never knew why. Now I know. **Volvo has always known.** I have to replace all of my tires almost every two years due to the inside edges wearing out, despi

20240103WHEELS

There is a know defect with the chassis used for several Volvo car models. My car is a Volvo C70, year 2012. My car is affected by this defect. The defect wasn't disclosed to me at time of sale. I only learned about it literally 10 years later when Volvo of Gilbert (dealership) advised me to install a costly part on the rear suspension of my car because of "excessive negative camber". According to the Volvo repair department, they've known for years of an internal repair "recommendation" memo issued by Volvo that Volvo actually pays for on other models, but won't pay for on mine, to correct this "negative camber" on the rear of the car. ***** The negative camber causes tire walls to fail early and abnormally wear the internal edges of the tires. I've experienced early tire failure on multiple sets of tires on my Volvo C70 and never knew why. Now I know. **Volvo has always known.** I have to replace all of my tires almost every two years due to the inside edges wearing out, despi

20240103STRUCTURE:BODY

There is a know defect with the chassis used for several Volvo car models. My car is a Volvo C70, year 2012. My car is affected by this defect. The defect wasn't disclosed to me at time of sale. I only learned about it literally 10 years later when Volvo of Gilbert (dealership) advised me to install a costly part on the rear suspension of my car because of "excessive negative camber". According to the Volvo repair department, they've known for years of an internal repair "recommendation" memo issued by Volvo that Volvo actually pays for on other models, but won't pay for on mine, to correct this "negative camber" on the rear of the car. ***** The negative camber causes tire walls to fail early and abnormally wear the internal edges of the tires. I've experienced early tire failure on multiple sets of tires on my Volvo C70 and never knew why. Now I know. **Volvo has always known.** I have to replace all of my tires almost every two years due to the inside edges wearing out, despi

20221011SEAT BELTS

The driver side seat belt gets stuck and is very hard almost impossible to unlatch once it is locked over driver

20210925UNKNOWN OR OTHER

door opened on its own while driving. three times this week. door appears locked and warning illumination indicator does not recognize that door is open. door cannot be locked when in this condition but it indicates that it is locked. appears identical to issue in NHTSA campaign 19v849000.

20210814STRUCTURE:BODY

This occurred after driving for about an hour. While driving at a fairly high rate of speed, I felt the driver's door move slightly. The dome light came on indicating that the door had opened. The windows were down so I cannot state if they would have slightly lowered as they normally do when the door is opened. I pushed outward on the door to see if it was fully open. The latch held the door. Using the interior door handle, I then opened and closed the door. The doors were then locked as extra security. Approximately 30 minutes later this happened again on a busier highway. I then had to worry about the door opening on me again while I was driving, however, there was no further occurrence. Later after returning home, I performed an internet search to see if something like this had happened to others. After seeing other comments of C70 doors opening & door latch problems, I decided to report the problem to get it on record.

20210601STRUCTURE:BODY

Drivers door without warning while driving at high speed suddenly unlatches, hazard light and warning indicator that door is open is shown .Besides being very dangerous it is very scary .My problem has not been confirmed by dealer but was reported to dealer as far back as 7 years ago.

20210521UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The doors open when driving, first the passenger door opened about 3 months ago. The warning light comes on and stated that the door is open. The safety on the door keeps it from completely opening but the door is ajar just not completely opened. Last month it happened twice to the drivers door while in drive. I am aware that there is no recall but Volvo recalled 144,937 S60 sedans and V60 wagons from the 2011 through 2017 model years because their doors may open unexpectedly while the car is in motion. I had to pay $2000 to have this flaw fixed when in actuality it should have been a safety recall.

20210520STRUCTURE:BODY

The large coupe doors on this vehicle have a tendency to become unlatched while driving requiring the need to stop the vehicle and re-open and close the doors. This happens when doors are locked as well as unlocked. When this happens on the highway at high speeds, it is very dangerous and difficult to hold the door closed while making your way to the side of the road to correct the problem. This happens with no warning. There are recalls by Volvo for this exact issue on several other models but not the C70. I have reported this issue directly to Volvo customer service. I am also aware this is a widespread issue as I have have seen it identified by several other C70 owners on various Volvo Owner Internet forums.

20210520UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The large coupe doors on this vehicle have a tendency to become unlatched while driving requiring the need to stop the vehicle and re-open and close the doors. This happens when doors are locked as well as unlocked. When this happens on the highway at high speeds, it is very dangerous and difficult to hold the door closed while making your way to the side of the road to correct the problem. This happens with no warning. There are recalls by Volvo for this exact issue on several other models but not the C70. I have reported this issue directly to Volvo customer service. I am also aware this is a widespread issue as I have have seen it identified by several other C70 owners on various Volvo Owner Internet forums.

20210125STRUCTURE:BODY

WHEN DRIVING AND OPERATING THE VEHICLE WITH THE TOP DOOR THE DOOR BECOMES AJAR ON THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE WITH A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE ROSE.

20200919UNKNOWN OR OTHER

DRIVE SIDE DOOR OPENS UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAPPENS AT CITY AND HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE DOOR LATCH, AND SEEMS TO BE AN IDENTICAL ISSUE THAT IS COVERED IN A RECALL FOR THE VOLVO S60 AND V60. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE C70 IS THE CONVERTIBLE VERSION OF THE S60. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THE EXISTING RECALL FOR THE S60 SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE C70.

Mileage: 65,000

20200723UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WE SOMETIMES HAVE DIFFICULTY WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING THE DRIVER'S DOOR. ALSO, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN DRIVING A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING THE DOORS WERE AJAR. WE WERE ON A HIGHWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED. IT SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO AN ISSUE WITH THE DOOR LATCH. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A DOOR LATCH RECALL ON OTHER VOLVO VEHICLES, BUT NOT THE C70.

Mileage: 52,000

20200609STRUCTURE:BODY

WHILE ON HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE DRIVER DOOR MOVED OUTWARD AS IF IT WAS OPENING. THE OPEN DOOR WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ON THE DASH. MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO FALL OUT OF THE CAR. HAD TO STOP AND CLOSE THE DOOR AGAIN. WOULD HATE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN WHILE CORNERING. *TR

Mileage: 140,000

20200602UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE DRIVER WINDOW OPENED SLIGHTLY AND THE CAR DISPLAYED A WARNING LIGHT OF DOOR OPEN. I HAD TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER TO CLOSE AND LOCK THE DOOR. ON MY RETURN TRIP, I CLOSED AND LOCKED THE DOOR BUT AFTER AN HOUR OF HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE SAME THING OCCURRED. I AM TAKING THIS TO THE DEALER TODAY BUT WONDER IF THIS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL OF FAULTY DOOR LATCHES ON THE S60 AND XC60 MODELS. *TR

Mileage: 56,900

Compare 2012VOLVOC70 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 VOLVO C70 have?
The 2012 VOLVO C70 has 28 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2012 VOLVO C70?
The 2012 VOLVO C70 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 VOLVO C70?
Yes, the 2012 VOLVO C70 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 VOLVO C70?
The most-complained component for the 2012 VOLVO C70 is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY and SUSPENSION.
Is the 2012 VOLVO C70 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2012 VOLVO C70 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.