Volvo XC40 Complaints

169 consumer complaints on file.

#11758689August 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEAT BELTS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Vehicle has 26k miles on it and is under mfr warranty. Dealer-covered warranty has included five (5) visits to address electrical issues with the most recently being 8/13/26. Dealer "system reflash" is not solving the problems. Electrical / safety issues persists, which include: Loss of ALL audio: blinker sounds, all audible safety alerts (seatbelt warning, park assist, blind spot, forward collision alert, and lane keeping). This has also occassionally coincided with a full dark-out of the driver dashboard while the vehicle is running (speedometer, entire instrument panel). This vehicle is for our teenage daughter and dealer efforts combined with my trouble-shooting (car on/off, hard system reset) is not solving the issue. The backup camera also regularly failed to work and on 12/10/24, the dealer addressed as part of earlier recall notice and the camera seems to be working fine. Other than above, the car has operated normally.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756190August 11, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Right when I turned the car on, a million different alarms went off saying different systems weren’t available. Then I started driving, and it accelerated normally, but when I took foot off accelerator: it didn’t slow down. This was really noticeable because I had one pedal drive on, which means taking foot off the gas acts as a very light brake. I could slow down with the brake, but then as soon as I took my foot off the gas, it would speed back up. Really weird feeling: it was like the cruise control had set itself and it was taking me back to that speed. But braking worked, so I could stop and control the car with just the regular brake. But then when I came to a full stop, it just locked up: parking brake on and wouldn’t come off. I just basically kept trying things to get it going again and it finally did. But then it happened again, where it would accelerate on its own and I had to control the car with just the brake. I had the car towed for repair the next day, and the tow truck driver said he noticed it accelerating on its own as he drove it up onto the truck. Volvo maintenance also confirmed the problem. They had the car forever and ultimately decided it was a problem with my “external audio module”.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755741August 9, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Randomly, the sound from the infotainment system stops working. This impacts the turn signal sound inside the car, the cross traffic alert sound, blind spot warning sounds, etc. This can be fixed by restarting the infotainment center, but this is not safe to do while driving. Being unable to hear the turn signal increases the chance of forgetting to turn it off, causing confusion for other drivers. This issue has not been confirmed by the dealer or manufacturer, although other infotainment issues have been acknowledged. The failure is random, with no indication before hand.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753925July 31, 2026
ENGINE
I live in [XXX], where summer temperatures are extremely high. This week, afternoon temperatures have been reaching nearly 100°F (38°C). My vehicle is a mild-hybrid Volvo XC40, and there is no option to permanently disable the automatic start-stop function (or at least every time I start the car). This week, while driving home from work at around 4:00 PM, I stopped at a traffic light and the engine shut off automatically. As a result, the air conditioning immediately reduced its cooling performance, making the cabin noticeably less comfortable in the extreme heat. I instinctively pressed the accelerator to turn the engine back on and I nearly collided with the vehicle in front of me. In my opinion, this creates a genuine safety concern. Volvo should provide drivers with the ability to disable the automatic start-stop feature through a software setting. While the system is intended to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy, drivers should be able to decide when those benefits are appropriate and when safety, comfort, or local driving conditions make continuous engine operation the better choice. A permanent on/off setting would allow owners to use the feature when desired while avoiding situations where the automatic engine shutdown negatively impacts driving safety or cabin comfort. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752676July 24, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The car speeds up from 30mph around a curve when the adaptive speed control loses sight of the vehicle ahead of me. A speed of 55mph on the curve posted at 30mph is dangerous. The dealer says “oh just turn off the crisis control by tapping the brake.” This is true but could be too late, since the car has already increased its speed on the curve. Volvo is unresponsive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751346July 19, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Mild hybrid vehicle that was purchased 4/20/2026. Volvo service states incident on 06/10/2026 was caused by vehicle running overnight in enclosed garage. Volvo also states that cause was due to item inserted into drivers seatbelt buckle. No warnings posted regarding this would cause the vehicle to turn on once car was parked and driver door shut and run continuously throughout the night in an enclosed garage. Volvo claims every time the driver door is opened, it shuts the engine off. This is not true! And this situation proves that. Vehicle still currently at dealers to be repaired so unsure if components are available for inspection. Components damaged are: Midvoltage battery, midvoltage Converter module, starter generator module, 12v battery. The vehicle became extremely hot and would have caught on fire had our smoke/co detector not gone off. CO was detected in house and garage. Volvo refusing to take any accountability for this situation and refusing to provide me the documentation for the findings of my vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749318July 9, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The contact owns a 2023 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was directed downward towards the bumper and the ground. The rearview camera image was not displaying within a normal viewing range, making it difficult to park. No warning lights illuminated. A local dealer was contacted, but was unable to determine a related fault code. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748717July 7, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Blindingly bright passenger-side map light came on for no reason, illuminating the car and startling the driver AND other nearby drivers (it was night). Light would not respond to touch-sensitive on/off control. Had to cycle dome lights (another distraction and even more light) to get light to turn off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748329July 5, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Front camera stop working . Today it's the second time. Not sure if a software glitch but first time need to be replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748171July 3, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I own a 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge (pure electric). At 49,030 miles, while slowly driving in a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly began shuddering and jerking as if driving over rumble strips. A warning message appeared stating “Propulsion System Failure” and indicated the vehicle would reduce speed. The vehicle lost propulsion and came to a stop. After stopping, the vehicle would not re-enter Drive or Reverse and could not be driven. It was stuck in position in the parking lot but not in a parking space. The instrument cluster and infotainment systems still powered on, but the vehicle repeatedly displayed messages such as “Vehicle system check. Wait” and would not enter a ready-to-drive state. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership with a dolly. It took 4 hours to move it because the first tow truck could not safely move it with the wheels stuck in place. This failure occurred without prior mechanical warning or other preceding symptoms. Dealer diagnosis identified an internal failure of the front axle inverter high-voltage assembly (IHFA). Service records document a 400A fuse failure, welded battery disconnect unit (BDU) contactor relays (R1 and R2), and overheating/damage to high-voltage battery disconnect components. Repair required replacement of the IHFA, BDU contactors, and high-voltage fuse. The dealership stated this was not a normal wear-and-tear issue. I have since found reports from other Volvo Recharge owners describing similar propulsion failures involving inverter and high-voltage battery disconnect components. My safety concern is the sudden loss of propulsion while the vehicle was in motion, with no warning and complete vehicle immobilization. Had this occurred at highway speed or in traffic, it could have created a serious collision hazard. The dealership service person agreed that my only chance to get the vehicle to a safe location was to coast. After that, it'd be stuck. I was unaware of this, which is itself an issue of concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747706July 1, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
passenger side map light keeps activating. It will not shut off via touch controls. only cycling the dome light manually (not by opening a door) tends to rectify the problem. Shutting off and restarting the vehicle does not work. It's particularly distracting at night for both driver and nearby traffic. Repeated trips to service deny the activity, although it is discussed heavily on discussion boards and forums, particularly centering on recalls of the infotainment head unit (which the dealer also denied there was a recall despite notices and even carfax reports).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747055June 28, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
I was driving northbound on XXX, driving from [XXX] to [XXX]. I was driving in the left most lane and was approaching an area of the highway where there was construction currently in progress to my left (this was where Chuckanut Creek intersects the interstate, I was told they were constructing a salmon run there). As my vehicle was approaching the beginning of the construction area, my car's Lane Assist feature activated and the steering wheel turns to follow the yellow dashed lines that were painted on top of the current highway lane I was driving in, and I could not turn the steering wheel to the right as it was locking and completely turning to the left following the yellow dashed construction lane markings. I could not control the car, and I ended up hitting a concrete construction barrier. After impact, I regained control of the wheel and swerved a bit until fully slowing down to pull over onto the right hand shoulder. The front driver side wheel was completely busted and the car was not drivable following the collision. No person was physically hurt, nor other nearby vehicles. We towed the car to the nearest Volvo dealership where it currently remains, and have received an quote of current damages (the problem of what caused the accident is not included in the report nor confirmed by Volvo. When I spoke to their service department manager, he ultimately said Volvo doesn't claim responsibility and says it's the drivers responsibility to respond to Driver Assistance features). I have opened a claim with my auto insurance, and am still waiting on their inspection/response. The car is available for additional inspection if needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11744615June 16, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Plus Vehicle: 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Plus BEV VIN: [[XXX]] Date of Incident: [XXX Approximate Mileage: [26,9333] Location: [[XXX]] – occurred while going downhill Component: Service Brakes, Electric; Parking Brake; Vehicle Speed Control Summary: I experienced complete loss of braking while driving my 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge on a highway. One Pedal Drive was active. After coasting downhill for approximately 1.5-2 minutes with no accelerator or brake pedal input, I applied the brake pedal to slow for traffic and discovered the vehicle had no braking capability. The pedal was firm but the car did not decelerate. There were no warning lights, messages, or alerts before or during the failure. This resulted in a collision with other vehicle Damage to my vehicle to the front left etc.]. Police responded and generated report #[XXX]. Additional Details: 1. Drive mode: One Pedal Drive was ON at the time of incident. This matches the failure mode described in NHTSA Recall 25V-392 for 2020-2026 Volvo BEV/PHEV models, which warns of total brake loss after 1 minute 40 seconds of coasting in One Pedal Drive/B mode. 2. No warnings: No dashboard alerts, sounds, or messages occurred before brake failure, inconsistent with a safe design. 3. After incident: Braking function returned intermittently after the vehicle came to a complete stop, also consistent with 25V-392. 4. Recall status: My VIN currently shows no open recalls on NHTSA’s lookup tool. However, 2023 XC40 BEV is explicitly listed in NHTSA Recall 25V-392. I was never notified to disable One Pedal Drive or that my vehicle was unsafe to operate. Vehicle Status: I still have possession of the vehicle and it has not been repaired. It is available for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11744378June 16, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
While I was driving, the infotainment system turned itself off twice during the same trip. First time was on a highway and was extremely scary. I wasn’t in a place I could easily pull over to assess. Both the main screen in the middle console and the screen behind the steering wheel went dark. Volvo NEEDS to figure it out re infotainment. It shouldn’t be turning itself off mid drive and then ultimately rebooting itself while the car is moving. I have already installed all the updates, but clearly it wasn’t enough/effective.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743215June 10, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I believe this is a major (and known) software issue, but the car has on several occasions, when stationary, entered a state where all of its controls are unresponsive and the engine cannot be turned off. *Nothing* related to the operation of the car works, including the electronic handbrake, gear selector OR the stop/start button. This is an exceptionally dangerous fault, as the car engine cannot be turned off, and the "handbrake" cannot be engaged. Getting out of the car and locking/unlocking it with the remote does not initally clear the problem. Sometimes it resolves by itself after several minutes. We think that maybe pushing and holding the stop/start button sometimes helps, but it is not clear that this is the case. Rebooting the software system onces the car has "woken up" again has not fixed the problem. Volvo dealers are apparently aware of the issue, but a massive software update by Volvo has not resolved it in any way -- if anything it is worse. Frankly, Volvo should not be permitted to sell cars to the public until this is completely resolved, and cars are recalled for a *real* (as opposed to supposed) fix. I thought you should know. (The date given below for "when this incident occurred" is simply the most recent occurrence.)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742916June 9, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that the liftgate was consistently making loud sounds while opening or closing. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741990June 4, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I pulled into a parking spot with a concrete barrier pole at a pharmacy to pick up my sister. I had my foot on the brake while she was getting into the vehicle when the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward crashing into the pole. I have also had an incident where I tried to start the vehicle and could not get the vehicle to go from park to reverse. This is concerning that there could be some faults in the electrical system, sensors or brakes.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736610May 8, 2026
STEERING
The car starts vibrations on at 70 mph through 80 mph. I have brought it to the dealer who stated they felt it and declared that it is normal for severe vibrations to occur at only these speeds. Volvo refused to acknowledge or treat the issue. This issue has been reported and Volvo issued a Technical Journal 36752.2.0 which directs the technicians to acknowledge the vibrations but will provide no solution. This is a safety issue if your car vibrates at highway speed. How has Volvo been allowed to sell these cars without warnings?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732814April 21, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Passenger side map light activates and locks on for no reason. This can be particularly disruptive at night. The only way to switch off the light is by cycling the dome lights disruptive and dangerous at night. Light may still activate and lock on for no reason.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732047April 18, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I was pulling out of a parking space, and the car opposite me in the next row was pulling out at the same time. We backed into each other, damaging both cars. The ADAS failed to activate the rear camera, automatic emergency braking, parking collision warning, and rear cross traffic warning. There were no injuries, so we didn't call the police; we exchanged insurance info. The other driver was also driving a Volvo, and the ADAS also failed in his car. The first thing we said to each other was, "What happened to all the Volvo safety alerts!" I called Volvo to report the incident, and we set up an appointment for an inspection. A few days later, the ADAS failed again when I was backing out of a space. A car drove behind my car as I was backing out and my car banged into the side of the other car. I could not believe that every warning system failed again and I reported it to Volvo. They conducted the inspection and reported no issues with the car. I requested a copy of the inspection, and they said they can't send it since it's proprietary information. I disputed that argument since it is my car and my safety at risk. The same day, I was notified of the urgent 2026 Volvo recall due to a rear-view camera failure that could cause a collision. This is the second recall, a 2025 recall for the same issue.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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