YearToAvoid

2010 Volvo C70 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

No verdict

Complaint Index

0/100

#4 most-complained of 4 C70 years

The 2010 Volvo C70 has a Complaint Index of 0, the lowest of the 4 model years with data, and ranks 4th (best) worst-first. It has 4 complaints, 2 recalls, and no crashes, injuries, or deaths reported.

Complaints
4
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
0 / 1
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
22.5
19.5 city / 28 hwy

Top 2010 Volvo C70 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System1 (25%)
  2. Other1 (25%)
  3. Structure & Body1 (25%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain1 (25%)

What owners report

  • A battery overheated and welded to its posts, causing sudden loss of power and a fire while driving, at a median mileage of 50,112 miles.
  • The accelerator stuck at full throttle during sudden acceleration around 11,000 miles, then released on its own after about 10 seconds.
  • The passenger door opened on its own while locked and driving on the expressway, and also while parked in a garage, triggering the dome light and door-ajar warning, reported at 103,570 miles.
2010 Volvo C70 complaints: complaints filed per month1Mar 2010Feb 2015May 2015Jul 2019
4 complaints filed with NHTSA from Mar 2010 to Jul 2019; peak Mar 2010 (1).

2010 Volvo C70 recalls

2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 11V508000Oct 18, 2011Other20,611 vehicles

    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 comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles do not contain the correct information for vehicles equipped with the optional accessory spare tire and wheel kit.

    Risk: A misprinted label could lead to improper tire inflation which could result in a tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Volvo will notify owners and dealers will inspect the vehicle and install the label as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on february 23, 2012. Owners may contact volvo at 1-201-768-7300.

  2. NHTSA 10V566000Nov 8, 2010Other416 vehicles

    Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)

    Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.

    Risk: An overheated battery could lead to a fire.

    Remedy: Volvo advises owners to please stop using the garmin portable gps device immediately, and visit the garmin website to determine if their unit is affected. The unit's battery will be replaced with a new battery and a spacer will be inserted on top of the battery next to the pcb. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 18, 2010. Owners may contact garmin at 866-957-1981 or visit garmin's website at www.garmin.com/nuvibatterypcbrecall.

2010 Volvo C70 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
19.5 MPG
Highway
28 MPG
Combined
22.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,875
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other C70 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002010201120122013
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010No verdict04222.5
2011Avoid10012123
2012Caution6723121

All Volvo C70 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Volvo C70 reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2010 C70 has a Complaint Index of 0, the lowest among the 4 model years tracked, with only 4 complaints and no crashes, injuries, or deaths reported.
What problems does the 2010 Volvo C70 have?
Owners reported an electrical issue involving battery overheating that led to a fire, an unintended acceleration event, and a passenger door opening on its own. Each of these problem areas accounts for 25% of complaints.
Does the 2010 Volvo C70 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2010 C70: one covering a possible mislabeled component shared with 2006-2012 C70 and some S60 models, and one for Garmin 760 GPS units with batteries that may overheat.
How does the 2010 C70 compare to other years?
The 2010 model ranks 4th worst-first out of 4 years with data, meaning it has the fewest reported problems relative to the 2011 (Complaint Index 100, Avoid), 2012 (67, Caution), and 2013 (33, Good).

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.