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1998 Volvo S70

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1998 S70.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1998 Volvo S70 is a passenger car with a 5.8-quart oil capacity calling for 5W-30 or 10W-30 API viscosity. It represents the high-water mark for documented problems across the model’s 1995–2002 production run, amassing 249 owner complaints—versus just two for the 1995 baseline—alongside four recalls. With service brakes and hydraulic systems cited as the top complaint area, this model year stands as the most heavily scrutinized iteration of the S70.

Model year2000 1999 1998

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.8 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 / 10W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque81 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 · 520 CCA battery, OE oil filter 3517857. Note the factory front wiper blades is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 47 · 520 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	3517857
Engine air filter	9186262
Fuel filter	30671182
Battery	9459947 alt 9459948
Front wiper blades	31276592 discontinued
Serpentine belt	9146973 alt 9146844
Thermostat	271664 alt 6842214
Cabin air filter	9171296

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	185.8 in
Overall width	69.3 in
Overall height	55.1 in
Wheelbase	105.1 in
Curb weight	3155 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.8 / 57.5 in

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the S70 of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.40 sec — 1998 T5 Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1998	T5 Sedan 2.3L Turbo I-5	6.40 sec	14.90 sec	236 hp	FWD
2000	GLT Sedan 2.4L Turbo I-5	7.50 sec	15.80 sec	190 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.8 qt of 5W-30 / 10W-30 API engine oil, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 81 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 25.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-4-5-3.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API · 10W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	5.8 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API · 10W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	5.8 qt
Power Steering Fluid	SYNTHETIC

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	13 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	18 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	13 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	25.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	7 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

81 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-4-5-3
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	Turbo: 850 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	Turbo: 50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	Ex. Turbo: 850 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	Ex. Turbo: 50 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance	0.5-1.5 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	8000-9000 ohms
Spark Plug Gap	0.020-0.030 in

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	Cold market vehicles, 1.818; warm market vehicles, 1.653. Refer to decal on lefthand suspension tower to determine vehicles market type. lbs
Oil Type	Volvo Part No. 11 61 407-0, or equivalent.
Oil Capacity	6.76 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	520 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	520 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	22 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	22 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	189-194 °F
RPM	43.0 rpm
Engine Oil Pressure	14.5 psi @ 750 rpm, 50.76 psi @ 4000

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	22 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	75 ft-lbs / 45 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.118; Rear: 0.079 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0003 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0014 in / 0.0019 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.024 in / 0.378 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.024 in / 0.378 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.937 in / 0.35 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

15 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

15 ft. lbs

Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

33 ft. lbs., Step 2: 65

33 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 30,000 mi.

Every 5,000 mi	Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 10,000 mi	Battery (inspect electrolyte level) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Clutch Pedal Assembly (inspect) · Driveshaft U-Joint (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection)
Every 20,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Driveshaft Support Bearing (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Steering Gear Box Assembly (inspect) · Suspension Shock or Strut (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 60,000 mi	EGR System (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · PCV System (inspect)
Every 70,000 mi	Timing Belt (replace)
At 105,000 mi	Fuel Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1998 Volvo S70 represents a dramatic inflection point in this generation's federal record, with complaints surging from just 4 in 1997 to 249 — a sixtyfold increase — alongside the introduction of 4 recalls and 3 investigations, up from zero recalls and one investigation the prior year. TSBs ballooned from 36 to 228, reinforcing that this was a launch year beset by widespread, multi-system issues. The top complaint areas — hydraulic service brakes (46), exterior lighting (31), electrical system (25), and air bags (14) — point to broad quality concerns rather than a single isolated defect, and the presence of 13 crash complaints and 5 fire complaints elevates the safety risk beyond mere inconvenience. The arc across the generation shows 1998 as the peak of complaint volume, with 1999 (218 complaints) and 2000 (188 complaints) representing gradual but modest improvement while still carrying the same 4 recalls, before complaints collapse to just 3 by 2002. The data does not specify root causes for any of these complaint areas, so no definitive failure mechanism can be assigned. Given that 1998 sits squarely at the top of the generation's problem curve and that subsequent years show incremental improvement without ever dropping to zero recalls, a buyer would be better served seeking a later year in this generation — ideally 2000 or beyond — where the same core issues appear to have been at least partially addressed.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

228

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

249

Owner complaints

13 involved a crash · 5 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’95 ’97’98’99 ’00 ’02

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 249 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic46

Exterior Lighting31

Electrical System25

Air Bags14

Service Brakes, Air13

Engine & Engine Cooling12

Structure10

Latches/Locks/Linkages9

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

04V504000Exterior Lighting:Headlights:SwitchReported 21/10/2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY CEASE TO FUNCTION. Remedy: ON VEHICLES WITH AN ORIGINAL OEM SWITCH, DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. ALL OTHER VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE IF THE SWITCH HAS EEN DAMAGED AND REPLACE…

99V236000Air Bags:FrontalReported 30/08/1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FRONTAL PASSENGER AIR BAG MAY BE OVERLY SENSITIVE TO CERTAIN ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL GROUND WIRE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE TO ASSURE SUFFICIENT GROUNDING.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 228 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
C00009	2023-07-21	Unknown Or Other	COMPLIMENTARY UPGRADE C00009 DESCRIPTION.
TJ3656330	2023-06-12	Unknown Or Other	Rubber cushion
Special Tools Bu	2022-05-12	Unknown Or Other	The Deutronic DBL-1200 is an advanced battery maintainer/charger with the flexibility to…
Service Manager	2022-05-06	Equipment	ICUP/Google Built-In Diagnostic Operations
356EN01	2022-02-09	Equipment	VIDA QR Scanner Mobile App

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific S70. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 47 battery Vehicles taking 5.8 qt Engine oil filter 3517857 Engine air filter 9186262 Fuel filter 30671182 Battery 9459947

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1998 S70 take?

5.8 qt of BELOW 86 degrees F: 5W-30 API, -4 degrees F TO 104 degrees F: 10W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1998 S70 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.