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Volvo S40NModel year report

2005 Volvo S40N Problems

Complaints
12filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
5,200miles, 4 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2005 Volvo S40N (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 12 consumer complaints for the 2005 Volvo S40N. The part named most often is brakes, with 6 complaints (50% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control (4) and electrical system (1). 4 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 5,200 miles. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 22 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 2 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Brakes: “On the 2005 Volvo s40 t5 automatic only, the brake pedal is dangerously close to the gas pedal. In fact, a size 9 shoe of medium width will barely fit on the gas pedal while touching the brake pedal. In addition, the brake pedal is about 1.5 inches higher than the gas pedal so many times the foot will be caught under the pedal. This is a highly dangerous design and is a safety issue. Other drivers have reported this but Volvo is not willing to retrofit the pedals. Please note that the non-t5 version does not suffer from this bad design nor does the manual transmission. …”

NHTSA complaint #10132017, filed 2005-08, 600 miles

Vehicle speed control: “I own a 2005 Volvo s40 and the gas pedal and brake pedal are too close together. This has caused an issue with my foot catching the brake from behind as I move my foot from the gas to the brake. And if I need to brake immediately and my foot hangs up this could cause a major accident.”

NHTSA complaint #10118100, filed 2005-04

Electrical system: “I own the 2005 s40. This is the second time in 2.5 months that my car has just decided not to start. The first time, it had just been serviced and I drove about 20 minutes to a gas station, shut off the engine and then it would not start. After a few tries it decided to start. I took it immediately back to dealer and they kept it for a day and said nothing wrong. In the mean times, a few days before the nst time the car failed to start, I thought I smelled something fire-like smoky, but figured must be my imagination. …”

NHTSA complaint #10147313, filed 2006-01

Engine cooling: “When attempting to start vehicle in the morning the first try results in loud shaking and shuttering. Sounds like car is not running on all cylinders, or has bad timing. Inital problem is that hood insulator fasteners are comming off which could come in contact with accessory drive belt and casue engine failure. Vehicle has been brought to dealer two times. Dealer said that the problem could not be duplicated. Problem occurs at least once every two days.”

NHTSA complaint #10129562, filed 2005-07, 5,600 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 4 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 4,800 and 5,600 miles.

75%0–1025%10–250%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (4 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 5,200 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

2004200592006
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2005 Volvo S40N in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 22 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 22 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volvo S40N

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2005125,2000———Not enough data

All Volvo S40N model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2005 Volvo S40N have?

NHTSA recorded 12 consumer complaints for the 2005 Volvo S40N as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2005 Volvo S40N is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 6 complaints (50% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control with 4.

Has the 2005 Volvo S40N been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2005 Volvo S40N reported?

Among the 4 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 5,200 miles and the middle half falls between 4,800 and 5,600 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.