Volvo XC40 Complaints
169 consumer complaints on file.
- #11611252August 27, 2024EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The reverse lights are not bright enough when backing up at night. When using the backup camera, the driver is unable to see anything behind the car, as the lights do not shine bright enough to illuminate the area of the camera. There is no way to adjust the brightness of the camera or the lights.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11603647July 21, 2024VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Car can move forward automatically itself from stop position
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 1
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11595667June 21, 2024ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Backup camera frequently flickers between video stream and black screen, creating a dangerous situation while backing up. Display screen also frequently displays message sharing camera is not available when shifting into reverse. After multiple trips to Volvo dealership they state the problem is common but nothing they can do about it.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11595208June 18, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Describe what happened: While driving my Volvo, both right side tires simultaneously went flat on a deserted road. I was traveling with my [XXX] daughter, who was hungry and tired, making this situation extremely stressful and unsafe. There were no warning lamps or messages indicating any issues before the tires went flat. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The GPS navigation system failed to report an accurate location to Volvo Roadside Assistance. Yes, the GPS navigation system is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Our safety was severely compromised as we were stranded on a deserted road with no immediate help available. I had to drive on flat tires to find assistance, which could have caused further damage to the vehicle and posed additional risks. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? No, the vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning lamps, messages, or any other symptoms prior to the tires going flat. Additional Details: Despite being a loyal Volvo customer, the GPS location provided to the tow truck by Volvo Roadside Assistance was incorrect, and the tow truck never arrived. I had to drive on flat tires to find help and eventually flagged down a park service vehicle to get an address for roadside assistance. Additionally, Volvo wouldn't provide an Uber due to my phone's unstable connection, leaving us feeling completely abandoned. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11594175June 13, 2024STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When using the power liftgate, in normal day to day use, the strut had seized and the lift gate was stuck open. As we were parked, we attempted multiple times and different ways to lower the lift gate by the buttons provided for their lift gate, the key fob and by manually attempting to close. The lift gate would not close nor latch and it appeared to be misaligned. When we called Volvo Santa Ana Ca, Mina, a representative who assisted, advised to hold the center button to reset the electricals. That did not work. He then advised to manually push the lift gate closed in order to drive it to them and be serviced. When advised by Mina, a Volvo associate, the liftgate still would not close and we were only able to close it half way before taking it to them to be examined and serviced as it is still under warranty. This became a HUGE health and safety issue when using a component of the car that is expected to function flawlessly day in and day out. If this had happened in our garage, we would not be able to get out. After a few attempts we drove the car to Volvo Santa Ana Ca, and dropped it off, they took several days to respond to let us know what was happening. The service department director, Mark, had advised that the strut seizure causing the lift gate to not function is a common occurrence and that the struts would be covered by the warranty but the liftgate WOULD NOT BE; as it was no longer aligning (due to faulty, defective strut) and thus Mark claimed it was on us, to replace or repair. This was absolutely ridiculous. The defective part of the Volvo is what caused the issue. If one is covered then both should be. We did not get into an accident. We were parked. There is absolutely no damage to the liftgate prior to this date. We then opened a case with Volvo customer service and they also denied it. We feel this is unethical and a health and safety issue that Volvo does not care about nor care to inform their customer that faulty struts are common.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11589423May 18, 2024FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
In approximately May of 2023, my vehicle experienced "propulsion system failure" per a dash board light, and would not drive. I had it towed to Volvo and they told me that it was a known defect that required a software upgrade. They upgraded the software. In May of 2024, the car had a second propulsion system failure. The Volvo dealer found the error code and light on the dash, followed diagnostic procedures and saw that the software is up to date. They opened a case with Volvo and Volvo informed them that they are aware that propulsion system failures are occurring even with the updated software installed. They are planning an upgrade but have not yet completed it or made it available. Thus, Volvo knows that the propulsion system can fail, including when the car is in driving, and has not advised consumers or corrected the problem.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11584753April 23, 2024STRUCTURE:BODY, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Rear passenger door was unable to be opened via door handles either from inside or outside the vehicle which could trap occupant inside
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11581246April 4, 2024FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
There have been several times when slowly backing up when monitoring the mirrors and backup camera that the car had a very violent stop. I wasn't going fast at all and was within two feet of objects that I'm very familiar with. My old car handled backing up fine and didn't stop so violently. The warning on the old car got quicker as I got closer. This Volvo does have an increasingly rapid beep too but as you monitor the space it jerks so hard before it's really close enough to hit. This week I was backing up in a parking lot with NOTHING around me. I was still going slowly but the backup camera picked up an asphalt strip in between two cement pads and jerked so hard I have had whiplash like symptoms right after and ever since. The car stopped so hard my neck snapped back and I hit my head on the headrest. This incident was the most violent but there have been others that are too harsh for the slow moving conditions and insignificance of the objects.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 1
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11578280March 19, 2024SUSPENSION
Both front strut upper bearings failed with less than 30k miles. Continued noise coming from front end diagnosed as failed left strut, causing left upper bearing and strut to be replaced. Polestar 2, which uses the same assembly and Volvo have issues technical journals. Polestar is issuing an upgraded part, though it appears Volvo is not. Owner forums comment on this issue and it is well known with Volvo. A solution for the front suspension should be implemented under a recall as failure of these parts is premature and seems to represent a manufacturing defect.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11570507February 7, 2024FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I am on my third Volvo in ten years, a 2022 XC40 that I purchased in new from the dealer. It's actually my second Volvo XC40. However I have had serious safety issues with the current model as it has repeatedly engaged the anti collision braking nearly causing an accident on one of the 8-9 times this has happened. It was taken in to two different dealers multiple times for repeat errors with the anti collision system. Each time the system has activated - 8-9 times - the road conditions are perfectly fine and there are no cars or obstructions in the road. On a recent incident in 2023 my kids were thrown forward and all of our luggage ended up dispersed throughout the car. It was a hard brake from about 40 mph down to nearly zero before I could get control of the vehicle. The only warning was a message and red colors on the dashboard at the same time as the braking. If a car had been following me we would certainly have been hit from behind. It has been a terrifying experience with each inaccurate activation of the anti collision feature, but Volvo services in contact with Volvo engineers can't fix it. And they won't provide me with any details or access the computer to substantiate my claims. I contacted my salesperson out of desperation and he agreed that this wasn't normal. He submitted a request for a trade assist but it was denied by Volvo. I feel compelled to let other owners know as it is a very serious safety flaw that is being ignored by Volvo.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11565403January 14, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This submittal is concerning the backup camera viewing area and the 360 degree camera view. The backup camera doesn't provide the same view as did our 2021 XC-40 R-Design rear back up camera view. The 360 degree view is very confusing when there are other cars or objects around the car. When going into the garage the surrounding objects give a distracting and distorted view.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11563764January 5, 2024VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE
SUA Sudden unintended acceleration while making a U-turn to park in front of our home my wife, [XXX] was driving when the vehicle suddenly accelerated rapidly jumping the curb onto the sidewalk onto grassy front lawn then stopped. This was a ‘loaner’ vehicle from Volvo whom I called to have it towed back to them. Luckily there were no injuries or damages. 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
- #11563210January 3, 2024STEERING
When traveling down a local and city road traveling at approximately 55 miles per hour, the vehicle is fine. But once I get on the highway and travel over 60 miles per hour (approximately driving 70 miles per hour), there is a horrible click that engages in the steering wheel at around approximately 1° angle (it turns right barely when it happens). While driving in either lane, the steering wheel will automatically lock up and turn the vehicle right. When this happens, you can legitimately feel it in the steering wheel. You have to then turn the steering wheel left in order for the click to disengage, but it causes the vehicle to turn sharply. This is unsafe and I feel it will eventually result in a car accident if this is not fixed. It is my daily drive and I feel 100% unsafe!
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11563100January 2, 2024VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The contact owns a 2022 Volvo XC40. The contact stated the vehicle was in park, with no accelerator pedal or brake pedal being depressed when it experienced an unintended acceleration. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a pole where it came to a stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. No warning lights were illuminated on the vehicle. The contact mentioned the auto braking did not engage along with the other equipped safety features. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the owner's residence where it remains. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, and a case was opened with the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 33,710.
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11562233December 28, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE
The brake systems have failed repeatedly on this vehicle, and have been replaced by the manufacturer TWICE since purchase (April 28, 2023). Brakes continued to intermittently freeze or lose pressure, so car is now classified as a lemon. However, as we have waited months and months for the lemon process to complete, the transmission began to fail. At first, we had incidents of the car seeming to shift into neutral at speeds of 30-40 MPH. The car’s engine would rev and yet forward propulsion would become coasting. Lifting foot from accelerator and then putting fit back on would often result in the gear “catching” and the car lurching into gear. On the most recent and dangerous iteration of this transmission/engine problem, when merging onto an interstate and traveling at 45-50 MPH, I attempted to accelerate and merge. Instead of downshifting to give me more power, the car entered a seeming neutral state (both hands were on the wheel, indicator said I was in Drive). The engine revved and yet the car coasted. I was unable to pull into traffic, on a very short entrance ramp. I pulled my foot off the gas pedal, waited a second, and put it back on. The car lurched into gear and shot forward. We have stopped driving this car while awaiting Volvo’s agreed upon lemon law payout. The dealer will not fix the car, given its lemon status. The buyback company, Sedgwick, takes no responsibility. We are fortunate enough to be able to afford a new car while awaiting the payout. But had we not been able to, these transmission/engine problems could easily have caused an accident. No other person should be in danger from these cars. The service manager at our dealer states that they are in the process of multiple XC40 buybacks right now. Volvo has a problem and it is simply buying back these cars. I will list the date of the most aggregators transmission issue (the merging problem) below.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11560494December 16, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
Rear collision warning system activated without reason. While stopped at a traffic light the RCWS activated and the emergency brake system engaged. This has been reported before to NHTSA. Vehicle was at the dealership for repairs or to identify the issue. Had to have it towed and dragged onto the flat bed tow truck as the cars emergency brake system was engaged and couldn't be disengaged. Received vehicle back and was told to bring it back once it happened again, which it has twice. But this time, emergency brake did not get stuck and have to be towed. It occurs without a vehicle or anything behind the vehicle and the vehicle was not in reverse when the system activated. I have contacted the Volvo consumer affairs to see if they could assist with resolving the issues as the vehicle remains in an unsafe driving state. They explained to me that it was up to the dealership/shop to locate the problem and they couldn't do anything to help. Which the dealership only suggested a replacement of the hydraulic brake system and I was advised that it might not fix the problem. I've since then been instructed to bring the vehicle back again for them to continue their road testing of the vehicle. The first time the vehicle was left for road testing it was only driven under a mile as per the recorded data showed through the Volvo car application with GPS and mileage tracking. This was explained to the service manager who reiterated to the service technician manager to road test the vehicle again. It was only driven approximately 30 miles with no issues identified by the technicians. I am currently waiting to bring the car back to the dealership for further troubleshooting / road tests.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11555285November 15, 2023FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The vehicle was driving on cruise control at 55 mph approaching an intersection with a stop sign. Attempted to brake to cancel the cruise control, but vehicle sped and continued gathering speed so that the driver lost any control over the speed. Frantic application of the brake did not have any effect on the speed. The vehicle shot across a south bound highway, collided with traffic signs in the center, crossed northbound lanes, jumped a four foot berm and landed in bushes where the air bags deployed.
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 2
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11553711November 6, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
The rear backup camera consistently fails to provide a view while in reverse. The camera either blinks between a view and black screen, or will completely fail and say the camera is unavailable.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11552613October 30, 2023TIRES
The contact owns a 2023 Volvo XC40 equipped with Pirelli Tires, Tire Line: Scorpion Zero, Tire Size: 235/45/R20, DOT Number: 1XB1H884J5022. The contact stated that the message "Low Air Pressure" was displayed. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the rear passenger’s side tire was flat. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who replaced the tire. Later, while driving approximately 35 MPH, the front driver’s side tire had a blowout. The cause for the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 3,588.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11551651October 24, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that at a stop light, the vehicle became inoperable. The contact stated that the doors would not unlock, and the seat belts became inoperable. The Rear Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the warning light remained illuminated without another vehicle being behind. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0