Reviewers at MotorTrend got the chance to spend a year with the 2019 Volvo S60. During that time, they put it to the test and came up with several things they liked about it. However, there were a couple of items noted in the S60 that weren’t as pleasing to those test-driving Volvo’s sporty luxury sedan. Did they make a huge impact on their final thoughts? Their review reveals just how the car held up long-term and what problems they found themselves dealing with.

How well did the Volvo S60 hold up long-term?

After 20,000 miles, one year of use, and a few cross-country trips, MotorTrend gave their thoughts on the 2019 Volvo S60 sedan. Overall, this car didn’t disappoint as they were pleased with most aspects of the vehicle. 

The exterior styling never got old, and the ride remained comfortable even after one year of putting it to the test. As far as features, equipment, and technology, they were more than pleased with the offerings their model had. 

One such feature was the Volvo On-Call app, which they tried out for a few months. It allowed them to connect their phone to the car and start it to either cool it down or heat it up even if they were miles away at the time. This way the car was ready and waiting by the time they arrived on the scene. 

What were the quirky problems they noticed?

As much as the reviewers loved the Volvo S60, there were still a few issues that arose during their time driving it. The local dealership handled each problem, and in the end, MotorTrend never had to pay a dime for any of it. 

A few trips to the dealer were simply for maintenance and service that are recommended at certain mileage intervals. One issue, however, had them going back for a second repair four months after they fixed it the first time. 

Emission tubes became damaged, somehow, so the dealership replaced them and things were fine. At least until a few months later when a check engine light showed there was another problem concerning the tubes. Volvo replaced them a second time, and there were no other issues noted while they had the car. 

Another quirky problem that would crop up now and then was with the automatic emergency braking system. The alarm would sound off, and the car would apply pressure on the brakes for a quick second regardless of if another car was near or not. But after that, everything would immediately return to normal. 

The last issue they found had to do with the panoramic sunroof. When closing it, they noticed that it would get jammed. They brought the problem up to the Volvo dealer, but because the pandemic limited the dealership in what they could do, the sunroof problem had to wait. 

Is the 2019 Volvo S60 a reliable vehicle?

Looking at the issues MotorTrend reviewers faced, all of them were common problems according to the dealership employees. The emission tubes are the most concerning since they had to be replaced twice in one year and with under 20,000 miles on the car.

They also had the automatic emergency brake system repaired due to a safety recall that previously came out. But the reviewers report that they’ve still experienced the issue a couple of times after the repair. 

The sunroof problem, which has yet to be addressed, appears to have been common on previous versions of the S60. In the 2001 model, according to users on the Volvo Forums, it even tied into an alarm system problem, which MotorTrend must not have experienced. 

All in all, the Volvo S60 is actually pretty reliable. It will still have its quirky problems, but when compared to other vehicles that had owners visiting the repair shop frequently, the S60 seems to hold its own quite well. 

The 2019 Volvo S60 car performed well for MotorTrend reviewers and managed to please them despite the few issues that popped up during their testing.