Volvo S40 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 491 consumer complaints across the 12 model years of the Volvo S40 (2000–2011) that have at least 5 complaints. 2000 has the most, with 122. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (114 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All S40 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5 | 99,500 | 2 | 158 | — | Not enough data |
| 2010 | 9 | 76,000 | 2 | 154 | — | Not enough data |
| 2009 | 10 | 65,000 | 3 | 153 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 16 | 75,265 | 2 | 158 | — | Falling |
| 2007 | 25 | 57,500 | 2 | 161 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 58 | 75,000 | 3 | 162 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 69 | 76,500 | 3 | 170 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 48 | 64,000 | 6 | 235 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 18 | 85,106 | 2 | 156 | — | Falling |
| 2002 | 27 | 45,000 | 1 | 153 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 84 | 67,000 | 2 | 153 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 122 | 73,458 | 1 | 151 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes114 25%
- Electrical system100 22%
- Fuel system50 11%
- Engine cooling50 11%
- Vehicle speed control42 9.2%
- Air bags38 8.4%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)34 7.5%
- Engine27 5.9%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2006: “In some occasions car won't start and while driving the car it would shut off unexpectedly causing a dangerous situation. I believe it's the pump electronic module which is already recalled in some cars. According to your recall I have the exact same symptoms but my VIN number is not part of the recall.”
NHTSA complaint #11378407, filed 2020-12, 108,000 miles2011: “Driving down the highway at 55 MPH when instrument panel went completely blank I heard a sizzling noise behind the dash board. I lost the speedometer, gas gauge, light indicator, blinker indicators, all of the instruments you depend on while driving down the road. I immediately pulled over and shut the car off, it continued sizzling sounding like it was burning. …”
NHTSA complaint #10954356, filed 2017-02, 69,000 miles2005: “My vehicle shuts off while im driving it. I took it to a mechanic 3 times and was advised its an issue with the fuel pump. I was also advised this is an known issue with this particular vehicle and was provided a NHTSA campaign id # 08v033000.”
NHTSA complaint #11327540, filed 2020-06, 168,505 milesOther Volvo models
1,531 complaintsVolvo S60
1,263 complaintsVolvo S80
953 complaintsVolvo V70
922 complaintsVolvo XC60
654 complaintsVolvo S70
584 complaintsVolvo 850
566 complaintsVolvo XC70
415 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology