2009 Volvo C30

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train2
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Tires1
000
Steering1
000
Exterior Lighting1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Equipment › Electrical › Navigational System(global Positioning System)10V566000
Filed Nov 8, 2010416 vehiclesVolvo Cars Of N.a. Llc.

Defect. VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.

Risk. AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.

Remedy. VOLVO ADVISES OWNERS TO PLEASE STOP USING THE GARMIN PORTABLE GPS DEVICE IMMEDIATELY, AND VISIT THE GARMIN WEBSITE TO DETERMINE IF THEIR UNIT IS AFFECTED. THE UNIT'S BATTERY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW BATTERY AND A SPACER WILL BE INSERTED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY NEXT TO THE PCB. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN AT 866-957-1981 OR VISIT GARMIN'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GARMIN.COM/NUVIBATTERYPCBRECALL.

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections08V329000
Filed Jul 23, 20081,020 vehiclesVolvo Cars Of N.a. Llc.

Defect. VOLVO IS RECALLING MY 2008-2009 VEHICLES. A SECTION OF THE POWER STEERING RETURN LINE HOSE WAS NOT PROPERLY VULCANIZED (CURED) AND DOES NOT MEET SPECIFICATIONS. IF THE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE FAILS, A SUDDEN RUPTURE OF THE HOSE CAN OCCUR.

Risk. THIS CAN RESULT IN A RAPID DRAINAGE OF THE POWER STEERING FLUID IN THE SYSTEM AND A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSISTANCE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE STEERING RETURN LINE HOSE ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Power Train
Filed Feb 11, 2025106,000 milesTN

The contact owns a 2009 Volvo C30. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the gear shifter shifted out of gear independently. No dealer or independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

Power Train
Filed Aug 8, 2023SC

The clutch gets stuck on depressing intermittently. I was not able to shift the gear in the middle of the highway at around 80 miles an hour and this was a fatal encounter for me. It could have killed me as well as was a hazard for other cot ravellers around me. This problem reproduces its multiple times but at unpredictable moments. It is difficult to replicate the problem when showing it to the service centre however, Volvo issued a recall for faulty clutch master and slave cylinders in the UK but not in USA. There are absolutely no leaks or problems as the clutch is new.

Unknown or Other
Filed May 13, 2020196,000 milesMI

WINDSHIELD WAS NOT PROPERLY SEALED AND SEAL CAME LOOSE, FREEING WINDSHIELD FROM THE BODY OF THE CAR. PROBLEM WAS NOTICED WHEN RAIN CAME IN ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND WET THE DRIVER'S SIDE FOOTWELL. SUNROOF DRAINS WERE CHECKED AND THEY WERE NOT THE PROBLEM. WINDSHIELD HAD BEEN LOOSE AT PIVOT POINT AND COULD BE EASILY PUSHED OUT FROM THE INSIDE. WINDSHIELD HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED SINCE PURCHASE. *TR

Tires
Filed Feb 3, 201699,800 milesIL

RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT VIBRATIONS WHILE DRIVING. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED AT AN INDEPENDENT TIRE SHOP WHO FOUND TWO OUT OF FOUR TIRES (ONE FRONT, ONE REAR) WERE OUT-OF-ROUND BECAUSE OF TREAD SEPARATION OR BELT SLIPPING. I BEGAN TO SUSPECT THAT THIS WAS RELATED TO VIBRATIONS THAT I EXPERIENCED EARLY AFTER BUYING THE CAR USED WITH NEW CONTINENTAL DWS TIRES INSTALLED, FROM A VOLVO DEALER, JUST OVER TWO YEARS AGO. THEN I HAD ASSUMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A SLIGHT IMBALANCE OR POOR WHEEL MOUNTING. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED AT A CONTINENTAL TIRE DEALER TO INITIATE A WARRANTY CLAIM, BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE POSSIBLY UNSAFE TO USE AFTER 2 YEARS AND 18000 MILES (WELL WITHIN THE 6 YEAR WORKMANSHIP, AND 50000 MILE TREADWEAR WARRANTY). THEY FOUND UNEVEN CAMBER WEAR AND CUPPING, BUT NO TREAD SEPARATION, AND THE CARS SUSPENSION AND ALIGNMENT CHECKED OUT. CONTINENTAL REFUSED TO HONOR THE DEFECT IN WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY CLAIMING THAT I HAD NOT MAINTAINED THE TIRES BECAUSE I HAD FOLLOWED THE CARS MANUFACTURES SERVICE RECOMMENDATION OF NOT ROTATING TIRES (SACRIFICING TREADWEAR FOR IMPROVED HANDLING). I RECONTACTED CONTINENTAL WHEN THE LEVEL OF THE VIBRATIONS AND THUMPING NOISES SUBSIDED AGAIN BECAUSE AN INTERMITTENT VIBRATION COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED BY CUPPING AND CAMBER WEAR BECAUSE THEY ARE PERMANENT, THUS SUPPORTING THE INDEPENDENT SHOPS CLAIM THAT THERE IS AN INTERNAL DEFECT IN THE TIRE ALLOWING THE BELTS TO SHIFT. CONTINENTAL HAS DISMISSED THIS AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE AND IS S

Steering
Filed Sep 4, 201430,000 milesHI

TURN ENGINE ON AND STARTED TO GET OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE AND SUDDENLY NOTICED HESITATION OF MY WHEEL TO TURN LEFT>RIGHT. I CHECKED MY POWER STEERING RESERVOIR AND I CANNOT SEE POWER STEERING FLUID. I CALLED VOLVO AND THEY SAID MY VIN IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I HAVE LOW MILEAGE AND THEY JUST DID A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE PAST SUMMER. *TR

Exterior Lighting
Filed Oct 11, 201028,500 milesVA

HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY CRACKING. TWO PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES (ORIGINAL AND REPLACEMENT) HAVE CRACKED WITH THREE MONTHS WITHOUT SIGN OF EXTERNAL IMPACT. CRACKING IN BOTH ASSEMBLIES HAS BEEN IDENTICAL. A THIRD ASSEMBLY WILL BE INSTALLED THIS WEDNESDAY. CRACKING IS SUBSTANTIAL AND POSES A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2011
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20134000Routine
201210000Routine
201114100Routine
20106200Routine
2009 — this page6200Routine
20088200Routine
20071200Routine

Compare every C30 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Nov 8, 2010. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.