Reliability & cost of ownership
Volvo S40 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Volvo S40? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Volvo S40 problems by model year
29 recall entries and 491 owner complaints on file across 12 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 S40 | 2 | 5 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2010 S40 | 2 | 9 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2009 S40 | 3 | 10 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2008 S40 | 2 | 16 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2007 S40 | 2 | 25 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2006 S40 | 3 | 58 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2005 S40 | 3 | 69 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2004 S40 | 6 | 48 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2003 S40 | 2 | 18 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2002 S40 | 1 | 27 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2001 S40 | 2 | 84 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2000 S40 | 1 | 122 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Volvo S40, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system99 complaints
- service brakes, hydraulic97 complaints
- engine and engine cooling50 complaints
- vehicle speed control42 complaints
- air bags37 complaints
- visibility28 complaints
- engine27 complaints
- exterior lighting25 complaints