2012 Volvo S60 Engine Problems
Engine complaints account for 67 of 121 total complaints (55%) filed for the 2012 Volvo S60, making it the dominant problem area for this year. Owners report unintended acceleration, sudden stalling, and severe oil consumption tied to a related NHTSA recall (campaign 13V592000). Median mileage at failure is 83,250 miles.
- Engine complaints
- 67
- 55% of 121
- Crashes reported
- 3
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 1
- Median mileage
- 83,250 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical engine symptoms owners report
- Engine loses oil pressure and stalls or requires full replacement, often preceded by a low-oil warning light with no clear cause.
- Unexplained oil consumption drains multiple quarts, sometimes traced to piston rings or a ruptured PCV diaphragm causing a high-pitched whistle and vacuum leak.
- Sudden unintended acceleration occurs at low speeds or while parking, in some cases resulting in a crash.
- Engine loses power or hesitates while driving, in one case linked to no compression in a cylinder from overheating and low oil pressure.
- Adaptive cruise control and the engine system interact unexpectedly, applying the parking brake or emergency brake at low speeds and causing abrupt stops.
When 2012 Volvo S60 engine complaints were filed
First complaint Apr 10, 2012, latest Jun 23, 2026.
Engine recalls for the 2012 Volvo S60
- NHTSA 13V592000Nov 22, 2013Engine30,929 vehicles
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 S60 vehicles manufactured June 22, 2010, through May 14, 2012, and equipped with 5-cylinder B5254T5 (VIN code 62) engines. In the affected vehicles, the vehicle may not alert the driver of a low oil pressure situation.
Risk: Without being warned of a low oil pressure situation, the driver may continue to drive the vehicle until it stalls, which increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software so that the driver is alerted should there be a low oil pressure situation, free of charge. The recall began on January 10, 2014. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this campaign is R29436.
Engine complaints by S60 model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How common are engine problems on the 2012 Volvo S60?
- NHTSA data shows 67 engine complaints out of 121 total complaints for the 2012 S60, or 55% of all complaints filed for this model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2012 Volvo S60 engine?
- Yes, NHTSA lists recall campaign 13V592000 covering certain 2011-2012 S60 vehicles with 5-cylinder B5254T5 engines built between June 22, 2010 and May 14, 2012; the remedy is a software update that alerts the driver to a condition.
- At what mileage do engine problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for engine complaints on the 2012 S60 is 83,250 miles, based on NHTSA complaint data.
- Were there any crashes linked to engine complaints?
- NHTSA data lists 3 crashes and 1 injury associated with engine-area complaints on the 2012 S60, with no fires reported.
- How does the 2012 S60 compare to other years for engine complaints?
- The 2012 model year has the highest share of engine-related complaints among S60 years in this dataset, at 55%, compared to 46% in 2013 and 47% in 2015.