Problems · NHTSA complaints

2004 Volvo V40 problems

Owners filed 4 complaints about the 2004 Volvo V40 with NHTSA between May 2005 and Jun 2016. The most-cited component is service brakes (1).

Complaints
4
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Service brakes1
  2. Air bags1
  3. Structure1
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20052
20060
20070
20081
20090
20100
20110
20120
20130
20140
20150
20161

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Service brakes

1 report
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO V40. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOORBOARD IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 24, 2016Service brakesODI 10876490

Air bags

1 report
“THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG HAS FAILED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE COST OF REPAIR WILL BE AROUND $900.00 THE CAR WAS PURCHASED 4 YEARS AGO. THAT IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR FOR A RELATIVELY YOUNG VEHICLE. I ASKED THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT MY AUTHORIZED VOLVO REPAIR SHOP IF I SHOULD EXPECT THE RIGHT SIDE TO FAIL AS SOON AS I REPAIR THE LEFT ONE. HE SAID "NO, THE RIGHT NEVER GOES OUT." "I HAD ONE IN JUST LAST WEEK- EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS YOURS." *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 7, 2008Air bagsODI 10217324

Structure

1 report
“DT: CONSUMER STATES WHEN THERE IS A SUN GLARE ON THE DASHBOARD THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ILLUMINATION. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED A FLASH LIGHT MUST BE USED TO SEE THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE PANEL. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2005StructureODI 10127029

Service brakes, hydraulic

1 report1 crash1 related recall
“ON APRIL 13, 2005 AT APPROXIMATELY 4 PM, I WAS BACKING MY V40 VOLVO 2004 WAGON OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT THE KOSSMAN GARAGE, LIBERTY AVENUE,PITTSBURGH, PA, GOING SLOWLY BECAUSE IT WAS A TIGHT SPACE, WHEN MY BRAKES DID NOT WORK, AT ALL. DESPITE PUSHING MY BRAKES AS FAR AS THEY WOULD GO, THE CAR DID NOT STOP, AND CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE SUPPORT BEAM, CRASHING IN THE ENTIRE BACK WINDOW AND DENTING THE BACK BUMPER VERTICALLY WHERE THE TALL CONCRETE BEAM HIT IT. THANK GOODNESS, NO PEOPLE WERE HURT, AND I WAS NOT INJURED EITHER. NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED, BECAUSE THE BEAM WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND ME, THANK GOODNESS. THE VOLVO HEADQUARTERS INSPECTED THE CAR AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, BUT THERE WAS INDEED SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. THROUGH MY INSURER, AMICA, I BECAME AWARE OF THE REPORTED HYDRAULICS PRO BLEM WITH BRAKES ON CERTAIN V40 VOLVO 2004 CARS. I ALSO FOUND A WEBSITE SHOWING A NOVEMBER, 2004 RECALL NOTICE REQUIRED TO BE SENT BY THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT TO OWNERS OF SUCH VEHILCES, BUT I NEVER RECEIVED SUCH A NOTICE. WHAT IS MORE, EVEN AFTER MY ACCIDENT, THE COMPANY HAS NEVER TOLD ME OF SUCH A PROBLEM. I FOUND OUT TODAY ABOUT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 23, 2005Service brakes, hydraulicCrash reportedODI 10121869
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.