Volvo XC40 Complaints (2021)

52 consumer complaints on file.

#11594175June 13, 2024
STRUCTURE: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, 2024
FUEL/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
#11560494December 16, 2023
SERVICE 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
#11551651October 24, 2023
ELECTRICAL 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
#11542720September 5, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
An abrupt warning appeared on my vehicle, stating that there was a propulsion system failure. A turtle light then pulled up, warning that the vehicle was slowing down. Confused by these alerts, I pulled into a parking spot to shut the vehicle off and back on. Since the car does not have a power button, I had to step outside and re-enter the vehicle. The warnings immediately reappeared. I attempted to reverse out of the parking spot; the car abruptly braked itself and completely lost power. This all happened quickly. Seconds after the initial warning, the car slowed itself down, and within approximately 1-2 minutes of the initial warning, the vehicle completely lost power and the ability to drive. A tow truck came to pick up the vehicle to take it to the nearest dealership, where it is being looked at. We are incredibly lucky not to have been on the interstate or a shoulder-less stretch of road when this occurred. This would have otherwise been an incredibly dangerous and life-or-death situation—for the driver, the passengers, and anyone who happens to be in their proximity on the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11534108July 24, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving our vehicle on the highway and proceeded to exit on the ramp. As I was decelerating, the instrumentation started making electrical noises and then the center console and the entire navigation screen went black. They flickered then came back up briefly before shutting off a second time, then the entire car shut down. There was no power to anything. I then attempted to push the start button, and the car did not start the first time. I tried pushing the button a second time and the car started. I brough the car to the Volvo Dealership where we purchased the vehicle and they said the car was due for a major software upgrade. I thought this was ridiculous, but said ok. After a few hours, they said the car was completed and let me take it. I did not get 100 feet down the road and noticed my moon roof no longer worked. I brought the car right back, and the technicians got in my vehicle with me in it and attempted to re-calibrate the moon roof with no luck. It was at this point they gave me a courtesy vehicle and kept my car over the weekend until Monday afternoon when they called to sday they were finally able to re-calibrate. I am extrememly concerned about this incident, and did not like how the dealership brushed it off as normal! This is a serious issue, thank God my wife was not on the hoghway when the car shut down!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11511344March 11, 2023
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle is a battery electric that relies on its 12V battery to start and operate. My wife and I were driving the vehicle and began to stop in a let hand turn lane when it shuddered violently and stopped without any ability to move forward or in reverse - an emergency message appeared in the dash display indicating a 12V battery charging fault, and to immediately take the vehicle to a service center, also indicating that vehicle could not be restarted. Had we been on a highway in the process of merging, changing lanes or simply in front of another vehicle a serious accident could have occurred causing injury or death for occupant of multiple vehicles (beyond significant property damage). Furthermore, the 12V Battery charging fault is a known issue to Volvo, having been experienced by many drivers over the past several years with no resolution by Volvo other than replacing 12V batteries when they fail (mine was replaced in November 2022, and previously the battery was recharged after failing in December 2021 when it stranded us at the airport after returning from a trip.) Finding the vehicle dead is one thing, having it die when operating it is another more serious thing. I have raised this issue through my dealership on at least 2 prior occasions, as noted above. The service department at the Volvo dealership has inspected the vehicle for this 12V battery charging issue but has not provided a physical and/or software fix for this issue over the year and seven months I have owned this vehicle. This failure occurs without warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11510262March 5, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
front windshields crack from left or right pillar about 1/2 way up. I'm on my 3rd windshield. The forums for the XC40 are ALL having the same issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495845December 2, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER, STRUCTURE:BODY, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Had a cracked windshield, Volvo replaced with OEM. Another pin head size rock chip resulted in another cracked windshield. Google search will reveal the Windshield on the XC40 Volvo crack with the lightest contact. The glass has a defect and the crack interferes with driver visibility and driver assist functions
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11484154September 12, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1. What component: The doughnut spare tire is too small for my car 2. How was safety put at risk?: Since May 2022 I have had two flat tires. Both times I placed the spare on the car to drive it to repair. Both times the car, with the spare installed, could not travel faster than 8 MPH without the car shuttering and the traction system turning on and off as well as the low tire pressure staying on. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed?: No the dealer doesn't seem interest in helping with this. 4. Have the vehicle component been inspected by manufacturer, etc?: NO 5. Were there waring lamps?: See number two above.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11478229August 8, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle systems, navigation, entertainment, heating, a/c, defrosting are dependent on Internet connection. The Internet connection shows connection, but no systems are available. Vehicle is operable, but driver distraction increases 10 or 20 fold trying to do simple tasks such as defrost windshield. Rather than being available upfront, so to speak, items are hidden in layers of menus. Unlike other vehicles in which voice command is an internal function, on the Volvo this is an Internet function, rather like Amazon Alexa. This is an accident waiting to happen. To restart system requires exiting and locking/unlocking Vehicle. Dealer said fixed with software update. Update did not fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476749July 31, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
*We're experiencing constant phantom braking (sometimes multiple times within a day) with our vehicle on local roads as well as highways. Usually this occurs when we're approaching a vehicle in a turn lane, slowing down. Our blindspot sideview mirror lights light up when there is nothing present, even when we're in the outside lane against the curb - we have video to document this. The vehicle has also spontaneously turned off and then back on while in drive, in a turn lane. In addition, the dashboard and media center lighting sporadically dims down, making it difficult to see in bright light situations. *Whenever the phantom braking engages, it makes us vulnerable to being rear-ended. We're very lucky that this hasn't happened so far. The phantom side view mirror lights have created some panic situations where we didn't see a vehicle in the lane beside us and started to change lanes but swerved back into the lane we were in due to seeing the lights go on. Not being able to see the dashboard due to dimming of the lighting within poses obvious risks and spontaneous shut-down of the vehicle while in drive in a turn lane also makes us prone to being rear-ended. *The vehicle has been in service at Volvo of Naples, Florida for a combined time of about 30 days. The dealership put on 900+ miles on our car and claimed that they couldn't recreate the phantom braking or lighting situation. *We didn't experience any obvious issues with the car prior to the phantom braking, etc. We found that adaptive cruise control wasn't working but the dealership told us that our car doesn't have adaptive cruise control which seemed odd to us. We were under the impression that all cars at this level had adaptive cruise control. We're not sure whether to take them at their word.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475403July 22, 2022
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Very frequently (4-5 times a week) the charging cable will not release from the vehicle. Pushing release button resolves to flashing yellow, red, or green lights, but does not release. Sometimes will release from console, but not always. Locking and unlocking the vehicle, repeating all the above several times will eventually release the cable. This may be related to the erratic charging process where the car may or may not charge after being driven or left overnight. Dashboard may show initializing, or show that it is not charging when it is charging, or vice versa. Dealer stated could not duplicate, but software update would fix it. No code, no problem as they say in Sweden. Driving the 15 minutes home from the dealer resulted in the car failing to charge, and the cable refusing to release. This problem has been duplicated using a home Chargepoint charging system cable, and the supplied Volvo charging cable on two different 50amp outlets in the garage. The inability to remove the charging cable quickly in an emergency may lead to serious or even fatal consequences. A quick Google search shows that this is a known problem. There are other erratic system problems in the vehicle which by themselves may not be serious or fatal, but lead to increased driver distraction which could be serious or fatal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475194July 21, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
Backup camera fails intermittently at least a dozen times, error message "camera unavailable". Camera icon disappears from dash. Took to dealer. No code, no problem. Backed up and worked, did not understand intermittently?! Asked tech to report to Volvo, got push back. I advised I was reporting as safety failure to SaferCar and they report to Volvo. Suspect was not reported to Volvo. When camera fails other rear safety systems are inoperable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11471863June 30, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
The contact called on behalf of the mother who owns a 2021 Volvo CX40. The contact stated that the mother was driving approximately 25 MPH, when the brake inadvertently stopped the vehicle and the seatbelt tighten the driver into the seat. There was anti-lock brake light illuminated and a message about accident avoidance city safety. The vehicle was diagnosed at a local dealer with an unknown recall failure. The vehicle was repaired and software updated; however, the failure reoccurred while driving approximately 55 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again for a computer module update; however, failure reoccurred. The contact also experienced the same failure with the vehicle while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,250
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11471186June 27, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC40. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V288000 (Vehicle Speed Control) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11453837February 24, 2022
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Complete power failure of the vehicle. Inability to start or move the car. Car cannot be locked, wheels are locked, no power to the vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11443939December 15, 2021
POWER TRAIN
Complete loss of all power. Vehicle has been in three times for this condition. Each time, the problem has recurred. This is the third complete power failure in three months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11440533November 15, 2021
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The vehicle's rear view mirror has come loose twice upon adjustment. Twisting the base of the mirror is how it is removed or installed (friction is the *only* thing holding it in place which is a problem when adjusting the mirror side-to-side). Adjusting the mirror in the normal manner sometimes removes it from its base, so it is left dangling in its housing. I believe this to be a safety hazard since adjusting the rear view mirror is a common thing to do as a driver during operation. When the mirror comes loose, it is unusable and obstructs forward visibility. I believe all Volvo vehicles with the same rear view mirror design will have the same issue, and it should be easy to replicate the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11438593October 29, 2021
SEAT BELTS, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
The seat belt warning chimes audio alert does not alert when passenger does not wear seatbelt and easy to go unnoticed. (Unlike Toyota or other cars) The lane keep assist when not able to detect the lanes shows little alert in clusters & vibrate steering wheel which is easy to go unnoticed and feel dangerous to trust the system. Even the lane assist does not have audio alerts to inform driver. I feel the Lane Keep, Lane assist & seat belt reminder audio alert is not available or up-to driver’s attention. When compared to friends Toyota Rav4 car even the blind spot lights won’t light by when in buffer lane and cars passing from behind. Other issue I found dangerous is the gear shifter is like a toggle and when in emergency it is hard to switch to reverse as i have to switch double times between Neutral. The Drive mode buttons feels useless as it when pressed, it occupies the whole screen in center and distracts driving. Sometime Apple Carplay does not connect when maps and music are played together.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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