2003 Volvo S40 Vehicle speed control Problems
- Complaints
- 2about this part
- Share
- 11%of 18 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 101,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 2003 Volvo S40, 11% of the 18 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 101,000 miles.
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.
“Prior to latest incident, the car had occasionally gone into limp mode, sticking in 3rd gear but drivable. That problem would go away after a day or so. Local shop couldn't find anything definitive. Bigger problem was yesterday evening's loss of throttle control and multiple electrical issues. Idle throttle setting (eg stopped at lights) became unstable, occasionally revving upto to ~2000rpm. Moments later on suburban divided main street, throttle stuck at ~2200rpm which meant I was doing 45mph (straight line) without any pressure applied to gas pedal. …”
NHTSA complaint #11066109, filed 2018-01, 108,000 miles“The contact owns a 2003 Volvo S40. The contact stated that while sitting at a traffic stop, the vehicle accelerated abnormally. The contact had his foot on the brake pedal and then had to shift into neutral to get the vehicle to slow down. The contact pulled the vehicle over, shut off and tried to restart the engine but it failed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection but the cause of the failure was unknown. The manufacturer was notified and they informed the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. The failure mileage was 94,000. The VIN was unavailable.”
NHTSA complaint #10463577, filed 2012-06, 94,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10157889Feb 14, 2019This is a Technical Journal: When sensitive information, like vehicle speed, brake usage, etc. (customer behavoiur information) of a car is required from Volvo Car Corporation…
Vehicle speed control: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 | 20% |
| 2008 | 3 | 19% |
| 2007 | 2 | 8% |
| 2006 | 2 | 3% |
| 2005 | 1 | 1% |
| 2004 | 4 | 8% |
| 2003 | 2 | 11% |
| 2002 | 1 | 4% |
| 2001 | 9 | 11% |
| 2000 | 17 | 14% |
Other parts of the 2003 Volvo S40
6 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsTires
2 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Volvo S40
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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