Your vehicle report
2001 Volvo S40
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 84
- Received Nov 2000 to Jul 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Unintended acceleration despite braking9 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines7 complaints · 8.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Front brake rotors warp and wear early7 complaints · 8.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V284000Certain passenger cars fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the second isofix guide was not installed in these vehicles and, in certain cases, the owner's manual isofix information is incorrect.
- Recall #01V169000Vehicle description: sedan and wagon passenger vehicles. A diode in the electronic climate control system may have a reduced service life.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 11 crashes, 4 fires, 5 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 14 |
| 2002 | 6 |
| 2003 | 11 |
| 2004 | 8 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 84 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 9 | 11% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 7 | 8.3% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 7 | 8.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 6 | 7.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 5.9% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 4.8% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 3.6% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 3.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 3.6% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 3 | 3.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V284000August 1, 2003220,407 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Certain passenger cars fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the second isofix guide was not installed in these vehicles and, in certain cases, the owner's manual isofix information is incorrect.
This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Remedy
Owners will receive a letter/package consisting of the second isofix guide with installation instructions, and in certain cases, the corrected owner's manual may be provided. If the owner wants to take their vehicle to a Volvo dealer for installation of the guide, it will be performed at no charge to the owner. Owner notification began on december 19, 2003. Owners should contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
NHTSA recall #01V169000May 21, 200119,000 vehicles affected
equipment: appliance: air conditioner
Vehicle description: sedan and wagon passenger vehicles. A diode in the electronic climate control system may have a reduced service life.
If the diode fails, the heater fan stops operating and the defroster function is affected.
Remedy
Dealers will install an adapter with a diode fitted to the heater fan motor. Owner notification began june 11, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2001 Volvo S40.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN