2014 Volvo S60 Engine Problems

Vehicle Make/Model/Year: 2014 Volvo S60 Mileage at Failure: 111,000 Incident Description: I am reporting a complete engine failure in my 2014 Volvo S60 due to excessive oil consumption, a known defect in these models as documented in Volvo’s Quality Bulletin P10207. I purchased this vehicle used only 7 months ago, unaware of this defect. There was no notification of any warranty extension or known issue, and the vehicle showed no signs of oil leakage —it simply failed. Volvo has refused to assist me because the vehicle is now beyond 100,000 miles and 8 years, despite their documented acknowledgment of this design flaw. This is a serious safety issue that could have resulted in an accident had the engine seized at highway speed. I am requesting NHTSA investigate further or reopen the matter as a public safety concern.

As part of routine scheduled maintenance for this car, it was determined that there is excessive oil consumption occurring in the engine which requires the piston rings to be replaced. In conversations with the Volvo dealership and other Volvo repair facilities, this appears to be a known issue with this make and model of Volvo. I purchased this car from the Volvo dealership and have taken it back to the dealership for every scheduled maintenance/servicing recommendation. An engine failure of this type with this low of mileage is concerning. Volvo has apparently acknowledged this issue for this make and model and has paid for the required repairs in some cases. I want to raise this issue so that future owners of this model of used car can be aware before purchasing this car.

1. The engine has been compromised due to excessive oil consumption for at least half the life of the vehicle. The oil level was detected y a Volvo mechanics being 4 quarts low despite the vehicle not being due for an oil change for another 2,200 miles. At that time, the vehicle was still under extended warranty 2. Had the low oil level not been detected , I would have run out of oil on the freeway and the engine would have caught fire 3. I monitored oil consumption over 5 months and documented significant consumption on the order of 1 quart over 500 miles 4. I opened a case with Volvo in Feb. 2021, and I was sent to one of their dealers for an oil consumption test. The service dealer stated the test was normal, despite the fact that the dipstick level drop corresponded to 1.5 quarts of oil consumed over 1000 miles (documented by photos). Volvo then closed the case 5. I continued to monitor oil consumption myself and topped up the oil as needed at a rate of 1 quart per 600 miles. Since Feb. 2021, over 30,000 driven miles, I have added ~ 60 quarts of oil, in addition to continuing to perform oil changes as recommended by Volvo dealers 6. For the record, Volvo has been concealing their excessive oil consumption by administering 7 quarts and even 8 quarts of oil at each oil change instead of the owner's manual recommended 5.8 quarts. I have 15 oil service record documents from Volvo service facilities for all my oil services documenting the above 7. In Nov 2023 my catalytic converter issues error codes due to low performance caused by excessive oil consumption 8. On [XXX] while driving to Cleveland I had several misfires, the engine started shaking on the freeway and barely made it to Cleveland 9. On [XXX] I took the car to a Volvo dealership where it was diagnosed with severe engine damage from prolonged oil consumption. I re-opened a case with Volvo to cover repairs (~$7000) and loaner car. So far Volvo has been silent and slow. 10. Doc upload not working below. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle Odometer less than 7K Miles. vehicle was serviced with full synthetic oil in November 2022. March 2022, Vehicle had consumed all the synthetic lubricant and failed while driving. Report was made to both dealership and Volvo USA. only answer received as to why or how the lubricant evaporated was that ' it was a well known issue' and that since it's out of warrantee they could not assist any further. This incident mechanical failure incident scared me as a Father as my son found out while He was driving on the interstate and it puts his life in danger.

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AT 75K MILES. OIL CHANGE WAS COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER 2020 BY VOLVO AUTHORIZED DEALER/SERVICE. "NO OIL PRESSURE" WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON ON 3/19/21. CHECKED OIL AND IT WAS NEARLY DRY. ADDED 5 QUARTS OF OIL AND CALLED VOLVO ON 3/22/21 TO REPORT. SCHEDULED AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST BUT BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ WITH OTHER COMPLAINTS, THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH VOLVO AND PISTONS/RINGS GOING BAD. FROM READING OTHER COMPLAINTS, IT SEEMS VOLVO MAY NOT BE EASY TO WORK WITH ON THIS. WHY IS THIS NOT ISSUED AS A RECALL?

I was driving my car and one day I got a warning to stop car immediately that there was no oil. I get regular oil changes and maintenance. I checked the oil and it was empty. There are no leaks, nothing burning out of the exhaust. I added oil and 2 weeks later same warning, I have to add oil 1-2 times a month. I took the car to Volvo and they couldn’t find an issue. I took the car to family mechanic and he said there is a known issue w Volvo cars pistons rings going bad and causing oil to burn. He said there is a class action law suit about this very thing. I took the car back to Volvo dealer and they found the issue and want $8000 to correct it. Volvo knows about their faulty piston rings. They even acknowledged it at the dealer and told me to put something in my oil and keep adding oil monthly. They told me the car will be fine as along as I add oil. However I don’t feel I need to add oil to a car 1-2 times a month. I’ve also had error warnings that there is no coolant. Volvo also knows about this and refuses to correct or recall the car

ON 7/21/2019, MY 2014 VOLVO S60 (WITH 58,582 MILES) WOULD NOT START. THERE WERE NO ERROR LIGHTS, AND I HAD MY VEHICLE FULLY SERVICED IN APRIL 2019. I HAD ALSO DRIVEN MY CAR THE DAY BEFORE, AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES. I CALLED MY ROADSIDE SERVICE COMPANY AND HAD MY BATTERY CHECKED, BUT THE BATTERY WAS NOT THE ISSUE. I HAD TO TOW MY CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE FIRST REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE 'SERPENTINE BELT FAILED AND WORKED ITS WAY INTO THE TIMING COVER, CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO BECOME MISALIGNED. THIS CONDITION CAUSED THE VALVES IN THE CYLINDER HEAD TO CONTACT THE PISTONS AND BENT THE VALVES. CAR HAS NO COMPRESSION. WILL REQUIRE CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT.' THIS FACILITY INDICATED THAT I WOULD NEED THE ASSEMBLY HEAD REPLACED ($7,424.03), A/C BELT REPLACED ($57.41), ALTERNATOR BELT REPLACED ($73.81), AND SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER REPLACED ($131.09). ADDITIONALLY, BASED ON THIS SHOP'S REPORTS, MY VEHICLE'S WARRANTY COMPANY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS. DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF REPAIRS, I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A DIFFERENT SHOP FOR A SECOND OPINION. THIS SHOP STATED THAT 'ENGINE HAS NO COMPRESSION. INSPECTED CYLINDER WITH BORESCOPE. VALVE CONTACT MARKS VISIBLE ON TOP OF THE PISTONS. NEEDS INTERNAL ENGINE REPAIRS.' THE SECOND SHOP SAID SIMILAR THINGS AS THE FIRST SHOP. I DECIDED TO TOW MY CAR TO MY FATHER'S SHOP IN TEXAS, WHERE I KNEW I WOULD RECEIVE AN HONEST ASSESSMENT OF WHAT WENT WRONG. MY FATHER DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AFTER TAKING THE ENGINE APART. ONE OF THE LEVERS WAS NO LONGER SECURING THE TIMING BELT, THUS CAUSING THE TIMING BELT AND ALL THE SUBSEQUENT PARTS TO MALFUNCTION. I HAVE INDICATED THE FAILED LEVER IN THIS PICTURE. RATHER THAN REBUILDING THE ENGINE, MY FATHER INSTALLED A NEW ENGINE. HE ALSO REPLACED THE GASKETS AND TIMING KIT. AFTER HE COMPLETED THE REPAIRS, HE SHIPPED THE CAR BACK TO DC, AND IT HAS BEEN DRIVING WELL.