2001 Volvo S40 Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 6%of 84 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 93,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the engine of the 2001 Volvo S40, 6% of the 84 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 93,000 miles. 2 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Car caught fire without warning as I was driving it. Car had 93,000 and had passed va inspection in august. I pulled over and called 911. By the time the fire department arrived 3 minutes later, entire engine was engulfed in large flames. The temperature gauge never indicated the engine was running hot. Usaa removed the vehicle, and I don't know whether they will inspect it for cause, but I suspect an electrical malfunction.”
NHTSA complaint #10819591, filed 2016-01, 93,000 miles“My car vibrates whenever I reach 60 MPH and continues to vibrates if I try to accelerate but stops when I decelerate. I was told it could be a balance problem but why would the whole car vibrate? I was also told it may be worn or old motor mounts, which I believe that more than it being a balance problem. I just need to know for certain so I know what to have replaced and how much I may have to spend.”
NHTSA complaint #10509003, filed 2013-04, 153,280 miles“Me an my husband was driving the car an it started to run hot so we went an got the part to go on the car an when when we got back to my father in law house the car cut off an started to smoke real bad then went into flames an when we first got the car we got everything fix on it an then when you plug the montior to the the car it said we had ten codes up there an they was the same codes that was on the car an we know we had got everything fix on the car an we was still having problems with the car no we out of a car cause it went into flames.”
NHTSA complaint #11339721, filed 2020-07, 15,000 miles“The contact owns a 2001 Volvo S40. The contact was driving 35 MPH when the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The engine rpms increased excessively as the vehicle stalled a second time. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure and current mileages were 107,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10468802, filed 2012-08, 107,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11032678Apr 23, 2026This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 2 PDFs and 1 .PNG Oil Consumption test. Perform the test. Follow service procedure Description and Service sections updated to clarify…
- 10157864Feb 9, 2019This is a Technical Journal: Oil in cooling system. New cleaning method developed.
- 10110147Jun 14, 2016All new Volvo engines leave the factory filled with Castrol EDGE Professional as an integral part of their delivery of high performance. Castrol EDGE Professional?s outstanding…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2001 Volvo S40
27 complaintsEngine cooling
12 complaintsElectrical system
10 complaintsVehicle speed control
9 complaintsAir bags
7 complaintsFuel system
6 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsExterior lighting
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
4 complaintsEquipment
3 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Volvo S40
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology