The used Volvo S60 worth chasing is a 2022 to 2025 car, because that is when the plug-in T8 got its bigger battery (up to 41 miles of electric range) and the simpler B5 gas engine replaced the T5/T6 split. The one thing to verify before money changes hands on any 2020-2022 T8 or Recharge is high-voltage battery recall 25V179, since the official advice until it is fixed is to not charge the car at all. Volvo stopped selling the S60 new in the U.S. after the 2025 model year, so every one you find now is a used car with a history worth reading.
That last part matters more than it sounds. When a model dies, dealers stop stocking it, and the cars drift into independent lots and private sales where nobody hands you a service file. I went through Car and Driver's year-by-year reviews and the NHTSA recall records on October 15, 2026, and the gaps between model years are bigger than the near-identical styling suggests.
What changed from 2019 to 2025
The third-generation S60 arrived for 2019, built in Ridgeville, South Carolina. Per C/D's 2019 review, the front-drive T5 made 250 hp, the all-wheel-drive T6 added a supercharger for 316 hp, and the T8 plug-in hybrid made 400 hp. A T8 Polestar Engineered made 415 hp, and C/D says it was only offered through the Care by Volvo subscription, so expect to see ex-subscription cars with short ownership stints on the report. For 2021 the T8 became the Recharge and C/D's estimate for its electric range was just 22 miles.
2022 is the year to circle. C/D's 2022 page says the T5 and T6 names went away, the gas car became the B5 (247 hp), and the T8 Recharge got up to 41 miles of electric-only range. The Polestar Engineered was bumped to 455 hp. For 2023 the car got a light facelift and a Google-based touchscreen, and honestly C/D did not love it, saying the new icons were harder to use while moving. In its own 75-mph test, a 2023 plug-in went 34 miles on electricity and then returned 37 mpg. The 2025 cars use Core, Plus and Ultra trims, and the Recharge was renamed T8 AWD plug-in hybrid. C/D reported in June 2024 that U.S. production would end that month and that Volvo had no plans to import the China-built S60.
Recalls the NHTSA API returned
We queried the recalls API for every model year from 2019 through 2025, and the list is shorter than on most luxury sedans, but two entries deserve real attention. The first is 25V179, covering 2020-2022 S60 plug-in hybrids (plus several other Volvo PHEVs). The record says the high-voltage battery may short circuit inside a module when it is fully charged and parked. Owners are told not to charge until the remedy is done, and dealers inspect and replace the battery module as needed and update monitoring software. Letters went out May 28, 2025, which is recent enough that plenty of cars still have not been in.
The second is 23V780, which covers 2019-2024 S60s whose passenger air bag may not be secured properly; the dealer inspects and tightens the bolts. The rest are smaller but still worth closing. 2019 cars have 19V327 (rear toe link lock nuts possibly loose) and 2019-2020 cars share 20V144 (automatic emergency braking software/hardware mismatch) and 21V414 (low-pressure fuel pump fuse can blow, so the pump fails). 2021-2022 cars have 21V682 for seat belt locking retractors. 2022-2023 cars have 22V793, an engine control software error that can keep the gas engine from starting. 2023 adds 23V012 (brake control module diagnostic error that can cut ABS and stability control) and 23V188 (false e-call fault), and 2023-2025 cars have two rearview camera software recalls, 25V282 and 25V908.
None of that list tells you about the car in front of you. Only a VIN lookup does, and our Volvo recall check by VIN post walks through it.
Plug-in checks before you buy a T8
The T8 is the fun one and the one with homework. Ask for proof that 25V179 was completed, not a verbal "yeah, they did it." Then plug it in during the test drive or ask the seller to have it fully charged, and see what range the car estimates in pure electric mode. If a 2022-or-later car shows a fraction of the low-40s figure on a mild day, something is off, or the seller has been babying it on gas because they read the recall notice. C/D lists hybrid components at 8 years or 100,000 miles, with the basic and powertrain coverage at 4 years or 50,000, so on a 2020 or 2021 car the hybrid coverage is the only factory protection likely left. Confirm the in-service date with a Volvo dealer before you count on it.
Decode the VIN, too. Badges come off and go on easily, and a listing title that says Recharge or Polestar proves nothing by itself. Our Volvo VIN decoder notes show which digits identify the powertrain.
If the S60 is not quite right
The S60 is a comfortable, nice-inside sedan that C/D rated behind the BMW 3-series and Genesis G70 for driving fun. If that bugs you, our used BMW 3 Series buying guide covers the obvious rival. If you want the same hardware with more room, the used Volvo XC60 shares the plug-in system and several of the same recalls.
Run the history before the test drive
A history report is where subscription returns, fleet use, and body work tend to surface, and it is cheap compared to one surprise on an orphaned model. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian. Right now a CARFAX through us runs roughly $5.50 as a guest or $4.50 as a member, and the AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, where buying retail usually costs $39.99 to $44.99. Those numbers move, so confirm at checkout. CARFAX explains what its reports cover, and for title brands you can cross-check through NMVTIS.
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