Reliability & cost of ownership
Volvo V40 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Volvo V40? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Volvo V40 problems by model year
9 recall entries and 72 owner complaints on file across 6 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 V40 | 0 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 V40 | 3 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 V40 | 2 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2002 V40 | 1 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 V40 | 2 | 11 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 V40 | 1 | 50 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Volvo V40, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- service brakes32 complaints
- hydraulic31 complaints
- engine and engine cooling13 complaints
- suspension7 complaints
- electrical system6 complaints
- vehicle speed control5 complaints
- power train4 complaints
- exterior lighting4 complaints