Volvo XC40 Complaints (2023)

48 consumer complaints on file.

#11681234August 18, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
When the vehicle was put into reverse, the rear view camera failed to be displayed on the screen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675536July 23, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
My name is [XXX] , and I am writing to escalate a critical and ongoing safety issue following a recent recall-related software update on my Volvo vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ). The recall was intended to resolve a defect involving the rear camera becoming unavailable. However, ever since the update—starting approximately two weeks ago—my car has begun to experience the very issue the recall was meant to fix. The rear camera frequently becomes non-functional, especially while reversing, creating a major safety risk. The latest incident occurred today, [XXX], and I have multiple video recordings clearly documenting the failure over the past two weeks. This malfunction has resulted in accident-prone situations, endangering my safety and that of others. 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
#11675339July 22, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The supplied 240V Level 2 charger has a design defect that causes the J1772 handle to detach from the high voltage supply cable exposing the individual wires to a possible fire condition.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674216July 17, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES
On Wednesday, July 16, 2025 I was sitting at a stop light, using the Auto Hold system. A few minutes later, my car took off and accelerated on its own and hit the rear of a truck. I hit the truck so hard as he was sitting at the light as well, it pushed his vehicle into the vehicle in front of him. I was unable to stop my Volvo, it was like it took full control over.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11663690May 29, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Going back to last year I have reported to Volvo the software issues on the car. 1. Automatic Emergency Braking - Currently the car is ABRUPTLY breaking in the streets thinking it there is a car in front. It's so incredibly dangerous. I've reported it and they have not done anything about it. (Most Recent Issues) 2. Electrical - the screen every other week needs to be reset - it reads that it does not have air-conditioning, airbags, and all the buttons are grayed out. I've reported this since December of last year. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE 3.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661947May 19, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The contact owns a 2023 Volvo XC40. The contact stated while reversing, the back-over prevention camera failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the camera displayed a black screen, and the back-over prevention camera was not functioning as needed with an error message displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was recently serviced at the dealer and the recall repair was performed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V282000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11648726March 17, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Cameras Temporarily not available when backing up from garage. This is the third time it has happened. I reset the software as instructed by the tech advisor each time. until it finally worked. Reset from EST to DST, Cameras were reset also. This is happening too often. Approximate mileage is 1000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646827March 6, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Back up camera repeatedly fails. Often when put in reverse it says “camera temporarily unavailable “. Sometimes while actively backing up the camera fails. Service center says Volvo is aware but unable to fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11641583February 9, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
When pulling out my pack up camera often say camera is not available at this time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640000January 31, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The rear reverse camera cuts out with a message on the driver display stating "Camera temporarily not available". This occurs ~10% of the time. Other times the camera will flicker in and out but both scenarios result in partial or complete obstruction of view while reversing. With my children and other little children on the street, this is very concerning. The issue was reported to the dealership and software was updated but the problem remains.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639147January 28, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE, STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT
On January 22, 2025 on a clear sunny day (no wind) I was putting groceries in the trunk of my car when the trunk lid came down on my head injuring me. I was leaning from the right side of my car across to the left side. My key was in my pocketbook on my right shoulder. Volvos should be "Mom" cars where one should be safe putting groceries in the trunk. Instead of popping back open with an obstruction, it continued to press down on my head before eventually popping back open. According to Volvo chat boards, this has happened to others. On January 6 my car had its two year servicing at the dealer on my leased vehicle. The service department's initial reaction to this malfunction was to BLAME me for having the key too close to the kick open sensor and to leave the key in the car while loading groceries. When I got the car, we were told (and it was demonstrated) that the kick open feature was on the left side of the trunk under the first "V". It appears that there was an update which electrified the entire back of the trunk without any notice to owners. Even so, I am 5 feet 2 1/2 inches tall. It is extremely difficult for me to kick open the trunk which is why I always open it from the button in the middle of the trunk and close it with the controls on the top right of the trunk lid. Buried in the owners' manual is a statement that you can kick the trunk lid closed, but no one ever told us that or that it can be kicked closed from the right side of the trunk. I did not kick the sensor to activate the trunk lid closing on my head. Only after a second call to the service department did the dealer agree to "look at" my car, but that they were booked up for the next two weeks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11637199January 20, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
On Wednesday morning [XXX] at [XXX] I was parking my 2023 Volvo XC Recharge in the parking lot on Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara where I was meeting my walking group for our regular morning walk on the pier and along the waterfront. While I was slowly finishing pulling into a parking spot, with my foot solidly on the brake, the car suddenly lurched and accelerated. It jumped the parking spot wooden stop and then jumped the orange iron barrier that divides the parking lot from the pier road. It felt as if I were suddenly on a runaway horse. My instincts kicked in as the car bounced fully onto the pier road, and I immediately turned the car so that I would not crash through the other barrier on the ocean side of the pier road and dive into the ocean. I immediately drove the car back into the lot and parked it. The pier is not a standard asphalt/concrete road or lot. It is wooden beams placed one after the other. It is very bumpy and the speed limit is 10 miles per hour, but usually you cannot even drive that fast because it is so rough and bumpy. I was going the slowest you can go just before coming to a full stop in my parking spot, with my foot fully on the brake, when the sudden acceleration occurred. It is a very bumpy and uneven surface and maybe that contributed to a failure in the vehicle monitoring system or automatic braking system. I feel incredibly fortunate that this malfunction did not cause more damage than a blown tire. I am grateful there were no pedestrians or cars in the path of the car and that I was not parked on the ocean side of the parking lot. This could easily have been a fatal and catastrophic incident. My trust in the car to function properly is severely compromised. Volvo kept the car for 2 months while investigating. They said there was no malfunction, but refused to release any report substantiating their conclusion. 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
#11629892December 10, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I went through a car wash and then pulled into the first parking spot near the vacuum cleaners. As I was braking and coming to a stop, the car suddenly lurched forward and accelerated on its own. Despite pressing the brake pedal multiple times, the car did not stop until it went about 15ft. To avoid hitting the building wall directly in front of me, I swerved to the left. The car collided with the metal pole supporting the vacuum cleaner structure, causing significant damage to the entire side of the vehicle, and also clipped the corner of the building on the right as it went through the area. There were no warning lights, messages, or other indications of an issue before the incident. I have videos of the incident from the car wash. -The issue involves unintended acceleration, potentially related to the accelerator pedal sensor (APS), throttle control system, or braking system. It may also be electrical, as similar issues in 2021 and 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge vehicles were reported due to water damage and corrosion in the cable harness, leading to unintended APS signals. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. -The vehicle suddenly accelerated without input causing a collision. To avoid hitting a building wall in front of me, I swerved to the left, and the car struck the metal pole supporting the vacuum cleaner structure. The impact caused significant damage to the side of the car and clipped the corner of the building as well. This incident could have resulted in severe injury or damage had anyone been nearby or if the car had collided directly with the building (which held the car wash electrical panel). As it stands I have a stiff neck and some PTSD. -No, the problem has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. It's at the collision center. -No, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, etc. -No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms appeared before/during/after the incident.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11618188October 4, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving, car suddenly stoped and all electrical functions stoped working. Could not even turn on hazard warning flashers. Very lucky for not being rear ended.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11614296September 12, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message "Do Not Drive - Stop Immediately" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the START/STOP feature was inoperable and was the cause of the failure. The dealer attempted to recharge the START/STOP battery; however, the battery failed to hold a charge. The dealer then decided to replace the main battery but that repair also failed to correct the failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 4,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11595667June 21, 2024
ELECTRICAL 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, 2024
UNKNOWN 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
#11584753April 23, 2024
STRUCTURE: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
#11563210January 3, 2024
STEERING
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
#11562233December 28, 2023
SERVICE 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

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