2011 Volvo S80: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
5 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 5 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 0.33
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Driver seat belts has faulty hooks. seat belt popped open while driving and coming to quick brake to avoid being hit by another car. the sudden stop caused my seat to shift position. i tried to move seat back into position it did move. the seat was permanently locked in the position which rendered me knees cramped on steering wheel. i buckled my seat belt back and slipped out again. the drivers seat & seat belt still…
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 volvo s80. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to switch gears. the vehicle failed to restart. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the computer system failed and needed to be restarted. in addition, the battery cable was fractured and needed to b…
While driving between 35 to 40 miles per hour for approximately 5 minutes, i began to smell something burning. there was no engine nor temperature indicator lit up on the dash. assuming it was from a passing vehicle, i continued to drive for 1 to 2 minutes. then looking in the rear view mirror, i could see black smoke coming from the trunk. upon opening the trunk, the car burst into flames. the fire seems to hav…
Recalls: 4 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 12V317000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) | VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2013 S80 VEHICLES. A SOFTWARE ERROR MAY PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION FROM DOWNSHIFTING SUCH AS SHIFTING FROM FIFTH TO FOURTH GEAR WHEN COASTING. |
| 10V489000 | Air Bags:Frontal | VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010-2011 S80, XC70, MODEL YEAR 2011 XC60 AND MODEL YEAR 2010 V70 VEHICLES. THERE MAY BE AN INTERMITTENT FAULT IN THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG CLOCKSPRING WIRING CONNECTOR FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM. |
| 10V579000 | Engine And Engine Cooling | VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011, S80, S60, XC70 AND XC60 VEHICLES. THE SOFTWARE CALIBRATION FOR THE FUEL CUT-OFF FUNCTIONALITY IN THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) IS TOO SENSITIVE. |
| 20V378000 | Seat Belts:Front | 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… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train2 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System2 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine1 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Seats1 complaints · typical job: Seat frame, track or occupancy-sensor repair (2.5 h labour + parts)$500–$1,200
- Air Bags1 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
Other Volvo S80 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Volvo S80?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (2 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Volvo S80 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 86/100, computed from 5 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Volvo S80's most common problem?
2 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Volvo S80 sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Volvo S80 cost to run per year?
About $5,446 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,230 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Volvo S80 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Volvo S80, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 06/07/2012. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Volvo S80 really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 5 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 5 NHTSA complaints on record (0.3/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (0.6/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality