Model year 2016 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2016 Volvo XC70: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2016 Volvo XC70 at 21–26 mpg combined across 2 versions. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 7 owner complaints for this model year.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

21–26

NHTSA overall rating

—

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Volvo dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2016 Volvo XC70 recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2016 Volvo XC70, newest first.

Seat belts: Front

NHTSA 20V378000 Reported Jun 30, 2020

Filed by: Volvo Car USA, LLC (manufacturer recall no. R10029)
Units affected: 308,260 (estimate)
Problem: 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 the seat belt to not secure the occupant in the event of a crash.
Risk: An unsecured occupant has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt anchor cable for both front seats. The recall began December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10029.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Electrical system: Wiring: Fuses and circuit breakers

NHTSA 15V555000 Reported Sep 2, 2015

Filed by: Volvo Car USA, LLC (manufacturer recall no. R39574)
Units affected: 7,855 (estimate)
Problem: Volvo Cars of North America, LLC. (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 Volvo S60, V60, V60CC, XC60, XC70, and S80 vehicles manufactured April 8, 2015 to August 19, 2015. In certain driving conditions when using the automatic engine stop/start function, the starter motor fuse may blow, preventing the car from restarting when necessary.
Risk: If the vehicle is unexpectedly unable to be started in the middle of traffic, such as when stopped at an intersection, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the existing starter motor fuse with a higher amperage fuse, free of charge. The recall began on October 26, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552 or by visiting http://volvo.custhelp.com. Volvo's number for this recall is R39574.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2016 Volvo XC70 fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2016 Volvo XC70 EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
XC70 AWD	2.5L 5-cyl turbo	Automatic 6-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	19/26/21 mpg	$3,200	409
XC70 FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	23/30/26 mpg	$2,600	346

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2016 Volvo XC70 crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 Volvo XC70 NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2016 Volvo XC70 SW AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	—	Optional
2016 Volvo XC70 SW FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	—	Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2016 Volvo XC70 owner complaints

Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Volvo XC70, most recently on Jan 24, 2024. 0 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2016 Volvo XC70 complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	2
Electrical system	1
Power train	1
Seat belts	1
Unknown or other	1
Visibility/wiper	1

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Volvo XC70 model years

Volvo XC70 by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2015 XC70	20–27 mpg	1	6	—

All Volvo XC70 years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2016 Volvo models

2016 Volvo S60 2016 Volvo S80 2016 Volvo V60 2016 Volvo XC60 2016 Volvo XC90

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Volvo.