These are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings from its New Car Assessment Program. Each vehicle is scored on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover resistance, which combine into the overall star rating. The ratings use the tougher test methodology NHTSA adopted for 2011 and later, so they are not comparable to older results and are separate from the IIHS awards you may also see. Here is how the Volvo S60 scored by model year.

Volvo S60 NHTSA ratings by model year

YearConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRollover
2025 2025 Volvo S60 B5 4 DR AWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2025 2025 Volvo S60 B5 4 DR FWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2024 2024 Volvo S60 B5 4 DR AWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2024 2024 Volvo S60 B5 4 DR FWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2023 2023 Volvo S60 B5 4 DR AWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2023 2023 Volvo S60 B5 4 DR FWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2022 2022 Volvo S60 B5 AWD 4 DR AWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2022 2022 Volvo S60 B5 FWD 4 DR FWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2022 2022 Volvo S60 T6 AWD 4 DR AWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2021 2021 Volvo S60 T5 4 DR AWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2021 2021 Volvo S60 T5 4 DR FWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2021 2021 Volvo S60 T6 4 DR AWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2020 2020 Volvo S60 T5 4 DR FWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2020 2020 Volvo S60 T6 4 DR AWD 5/5 4/5 5/5 5/5
2018 2018 Volvo S60 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2018 2018 Volvo S60 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2018 2018 Volvo S60I 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2018 2018 Volvo S60I 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2017 2017 Volvo S60 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2017 2017 Volvo S60 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2017 2017 Volvo S60I 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2017 2017 Volvo S60I 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2016 2016 Volvo S60 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2016 2016 Volvo S60 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2016 2016 Volvo S60I 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2016 2016 Volvo S60I 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2015 2015 Volvo S60 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2015 2015 Volvo S60 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2014 2014 Volvo S60 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2014 2014 Volvo S60 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2013 2013 Volvo S60 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2013 2013 Volvo S60 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2012 2012 Volvo S60 4 DR AWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5
2012 2012 Volvo S60 4 DR FWD 5/5 5/5 5/5 5/5

How NHTSA's crash tests work

NHTSA scores three crash tests and combines them into the overall rating. The frontal test drives the vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph to model a head-on collision. The side test hits the vehicle with a moving barrier and, separately, slams it sideways into a rigid pole, which is the type of crash that puts the most force on occupants. The rollover rating is part lab measurement of how top-heavy the vehicle is and part dynamic maneuver test. More stars is better in every case, with five the top mark.

What the ratings do not tell you

Two caveats are worth holding onto. Star ratings only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight, so a five-star small car and a five-star large SUV did not face the same physics, and the heavier vehicle generally protects its occupants better in a collision between the two. The ratings also come from standardized lab tests, which cannot capture every real-world crash. They are a strong, independent measure of crashworthiness, not a guarantee, and they are separate from both the IIHS awards and the recall record on this site. See the Volvo S60 recall history and its common owner problems for the rest of the safety picture.

Common questions about Volvo S60 safety

Is the Volvo S60 a safe car?
In NHTSA crash tests, the Volvo S60 averages 5 out of 5 stars overall across the 2012 to 2025 model years, a top five-star result. 34 of the 34 tested configurations earned the full five stars.
What is the Volvo S60 crash test rating?
The most recently rated Volvo S60 (2025) earned 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA, with 4 stars in the frontal test, 5 in the side test, and 5 for rollover resistance.
Are NHTSA stars the same as IIHS ratings?
No. The star ratings here come from NHTSA's federal crash-test program. The IIHS is a separate insurance-industry group with its own tests and "Top Safety Pick" awards. Both are worth checking, and they do not always agree.

Ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (model year 2011 and later). See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.