Volvo S40
Owners filed 491 complaints across 12 model years of the Volvo S40. The 2000 drew the most (122); the 2011 the fewest (5).
Model years12
Complaints491
Recalls29
Fires12
Deaths0
Every Volvo S40 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2010 | 9 | 2 | — | 1 | Structure › Body | Routine | |
| 2009 | 10 | 3 | 3 | — | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2008 | 16 | 2 | — | 5 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2007 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2006 | 58 | 3 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2005 | 69 | 3 | — | 2 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2004 | 48 | 6 | 1 | 5 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2003 | 18 | 2 | 1 | — | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 2002 | 27 | 1 | — | 4 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2001 | 84 | 2 | 4 | 11 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 2000 | 122 | 1 | 1 | 12 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine |
Which Volvo S40 years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2000 is the weakest year on record, with 122 complaints concentrated in the vehicle speed control. It carries 1 recall.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.