NHTSA Complaint #11712127 — 2026 VOLVO XC60MHEV

Component/System: Original equipment tires – Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season, size 255/40 R21, installed on a 2026 Volvo XC60. The affected tire is the front passenger-side tire and is currently available for inspection upon request. Description of Failure and Safety Risk: At approximately 2,500 miles, the front passenger-side tire developed a visible bulge on the sidewall. This bulge indicates a structural failure of the tire (broken internal cords/belts) and creates a risk of sudden blowout while driving at normal highway speeds with my family in the vehicle, including my young child in a car seat. Because a sidewall bulge can lead to catastrophic tire failure without warning, I consider this an immediate safety hazard and stopped using the tire as soon as the defect was noticed. Pattern / Recurrence: This is my second Volvo XC60 lease equipped with Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season tires in size 255/40 R21. On my prior XC60 lease, two of these same model tires experienced severe, premature tread wear and had to be replaced at low mileage due to safety concerns. In researching this issue, I found numerous other Volvo XC60 owners reporting similar problems with Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season tires, including tread chunking, premature wear, and sidewall bulges at relatively low mileage. Volvo service advisors have stated to me that this is a “known problem” with certain Pirelli tires on Volvo vehicles. Reproduction / Confirmation by Dealer or Service Center: The problem has been observed and confirmed visually by my Volvo dealer’s service department, which documented the sidewall bulge and recommended immediate replacement of the tire for safety reasons. They advised that Pirelli treats this under a prorated warranty, which would require me to pay a portion of the replacement cost, but they did not dispute that the tire is unsafe to drive on. No independent tire specialist inspection has been performed yet.