Volvo S60 owners have reported 3 parking brake related problems since 1996. Table 1 shows the 1 most common parking brake problems. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's parking brake (3 problems). For details of each of the problem category, use the links in the table.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Parking Brake problems |
Good afternoon, we have experienced a catastrophic failure of the emergency brake, whereby the brake lining of the e-brake is of an "organic" compound and according to the Volvo technician "swells" when it gets wet, causing the e-brake to lock-up. My bride was in our neighborhood when this occurred, causing the entire braking assembly and associated parts to be ripped and busted loose. Volvo charged us $2100 in parts and labor to "fix" this. Volvo techs did say that this happens alot, but alot at speed (faster than 25mph). Can you imagine this e-brake lock-up at highway speeds. How frequently has this happened? I have pictures of the affected parts. This is totally unsafe and Volvo knows about it.
While operating the vehicle a loud "bang" was heard from the rear of the vehicle causing a momentary moving disturbance (shimmy). Upon stopping the vehicle to inspect, I noticed there was no longer any tension on the parking brake. Continuing to drive indicated that the brake was seized on one wheel and loose/rattling parts from somewhere near the rear wheel. Further investigation has so far revealed that this may not be an uncommon problem for S60 Volvos with repeated complaints appearing on enthusiasts sites including incidents of both rear wheels seizing while the vehicle is in operation. Consultation with the two nearest Volvo dealerships indicates no acknowledgment from Volvo of the defect. It appears the problem may be with the internal parts associated with the return mechanisms in the parking brake assembly. As this is potentially a serious safety item I believe it would be beneficial to have the NHTSA review this problem as many S60 Volvos will have reached similar service lives.
Parking brake pad delaminated from shoe: dislodged after driving over a bump in the road and became wedged into rear spindle causing wheel to lock up and resulted in major damage to brake and wheel components. 1 occurrence, required replacement of left rear rotor, backing plate, spindle, parking brake shoes (both sides) and parking brake cable.