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EnginePart report

2008 Volvo S40 Engine Problems

Complaints
4about this part
Share
25%of 16 total for the year
Median mileage
77,800miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the engine of the 2008 Volvo S40, 25% of the 16 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 77,800 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, 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.

“My serpentine belt broke on 6/6/2014 and was replaced. On 6/20/2014 I was driving about 60mph on the interstate in chicago, il when my vehicle stopped accelerating and eventually stopped. This nearly caused an accident on the interstate, but I was able to pull to the left shoulder before being struck. I had to have the vehicle towed to a shop where it was determined that when the serpentine belt broke, shards of that belt went in to the timing belt area. This is due to a flawed design on my make of Volvo. …”

NHTSA complaint #10605931, filed 2014-06, 69,900 miles

“After buying the vehicle on 7/9/21, the car started having problems with the cooling system. I took it to a repair shop and they said the cooling system was overfilled. The air problem continued. I took it back to the dealership who said they fixed it but it continued. I contacted the prior Manufactuer service center who informed me the computer chip was recommended to be replaced when the dealer had it serviced but they declined, causing all the electrical and cooling issues. …”

NHTSA complaint #11428519, filed 2021-08

“The contact owns a 2008 Volvo S40. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle overheated and stalled. In addition, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 191,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11118496, filed 2018-08, 191,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2008 Volvo S40. The contact stated that the oil trap and ventilation hose were damaged. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated, the vehicle made an abnormal noise, and there was an oil leak in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and it was confirmed the failure was in the oil trap and ventilation hose in the engine that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

NHTSA complaint #10743990, filed 2015-07, 77,800 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2009110%
2008425%
200728%
200659%
200557%
200424%
200316%
200156%
200022%

Other parts of the 2008 Volvo S40

Electrical system
4 complaints
Steering
4 complaints
Vehicle speed control
3 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaints
Air bags
2 complaints
Suspension
2 complaints
Electronic stability control
1 complaints
Other or unknown
1 complaints
Seats
1 complaints
Tires
1 complaints
Wheels
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2008 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