What year Volvo S40 should I avoid?

The 2005 and 2007 model years are rated Avoid, with complaint indexes of 83 and 100 respectively, the two highest among all S40 years covered.

Is the 2007 Volvo S40 reliable?

Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2007 S40 has the highest complaint index (100) in the model lineup, driven mainly by brake problems and a brake master cylinder recall.

What are the most common problems with the Volvo S40?

Across all years, electrical system issues account for 58 complaints (30%), followed by engine problems at 43 complaints (22%) and fuel system issues at 30 complaints (16%).

Did the Volvo S40 have any recalls?

Volvo issued 7 recall campaigns across S40 model years covered, including fuel line and fuel system corrosion fixes and a brake master cylinder seal recall for 2007 models.

Volvo S40 Best and Worst Years (2005–2011)

Avoid the 2005 and 2007 Volvo S40 — they carry complaint indexes of 83 and 100, the highest in the lineup, with 2005 dominated by fuel system and electrical failures and 2007 flagged for brake failures and low mileage crashes. The 2010 and 2011 model years are rated Best, with complaint indexes of 17 and 0.

Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.

Avoid 2005 Avoid 2007 Best 2010 Best 2011

Model years: 7; 2005–2011
NHTSA complaints: 192
Recall campaigns: 7
Crashes reported: 13
Fires reported: 5
Top problem area: Electrical System

S40 Complaint Index by year

Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Volvo S40 problems and recalls by year

Year	Verdict	Index	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Recalls	Top issue	MPG	NCAP
2005	Avoid	83	69	2	0	3	Fuel System	22	—
2006	Caution	67	58	1	0	3	Electrical System	22	—
2007	Avoid	100	25	4	1	2	Brakes	22	—
2008	Caution	50	16	5	0	2	Engine	22.5	—
2009	Good	33	10	0	3	3	Transmission & Powertrain	23	—
2010	Best	17	9	1	0	2	Airbags	24	—
2011	Best	0	5	0	1	2	Electrical System	24	—

S40 years to avoid: what went wrong

2007 Volvo S40 Index 100 · 25 complaints · 2 recalls

The 2007 S40 has the highest complaint index in the lineup at 100, despite only 25 total complaints. Brakes were the top problem area with 7 complaints (28%) at a median of 63,000 miles, including a report of rear brake fire and a brake failure that led to a crash. Engine issues followed at 6 complaints (24%), median 78,000 miles. This year also recorded 4 crashes and 5 injuries, the highest injury count of any S40 year. NHTSA lists two recalls, one specifically for a brake master cylinder seal defect that could leak brake fluid.

2005 Volvo S40 Index 83 · 69 complaints · 3 recalls

The 2005 S40 logged 69 complaints, the most of any year, with a complaint index of 83. Fuel system problems led the list at 20 complaints (29%), including reports of a fuel control module failing and causing stalls, with median mileage around 84,000 miles. Electrical system issues followed closely at 19 complaints (28%), often engine-failure warning messages, at a median of 83,500 miles. Engine complaints, including repeated oil trap housing failures, came in at 17 (25%), median 65,500 miles. NHTSA lists three recalls for this year, covering GPS battery overheating and two separate fuel line/fuel system corrosion issues.

2005 fuel system problems →2005 electrical system problems →2005 engine problems →

Most common Volvo S40 problems (all years)

Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.

Electrical System58 (30%)
Engine43 (22%)
Fuel System30 (16%)
Brakes21 (11%)
Structure & Body20 (10%)
Visibility & Wipers17 (9%)
Airbags15 (8%)
Other15 (8%)
Suspension, Wheels & Tires11 (6%)
Transmission & Powertrain9 (5%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

Frequently asked questions

What year Volvo S40 should I avoid?: The 2005 and 2007 model years are rated Avoid, with complaint indexes of 83 and 100 respectively, the two highest among all S40 years covered.
Is the 2007 Volvo S40 reliable?: Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2007 S40 has the highest complaint index (100) in the model lineup, driven mainly by brake problems and a brake master cylinder recall.
What is the best year for the Volvo S40?: The 2010 and 2011 model years are rated Best, with complaint indexes of 17 and 0, the lowest in the lineup.
What are the most common problems with the Volvo S40?: Across all years, electrical system issues account for 58 complaints (30%), followed by engine problems at 43 complaints (22%) and fuel system issues at 30 complaints (16%).
Did the Volvo S40 have any recalls?: Volvo issued 7 recall campaigns across S40 model years covered, including fuel line and fuel system corrosion fixes and a brake master cylinder seal recall for 2007 models.