Research · complaint index

Volvo V40 years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say

We compared 5 model years of the Volvo V40 by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2000 stands out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.

01 —Complaint index

Complaints per year on the road

1.0 = typical year for this model
View as table
Model yearComplaints per year since release
20002
20010
20020
20030
20040
YearComplaintsPer year on roadIndexRecallsCrashesSignal
2004400.631Typical
2003500.720Typical
2002701.010Typical
20011101.521Typical
20005026.612Most complaints
  • 20044 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
  • 20035 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
  • 20027 complaints · 1 recallTypical
  • 200111 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
  • 200050 complaints · 1 recallMost complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Oct 28, 2026
02 —FAQ

About this comparison

What Volvo V40 years have the most complaints?

Adjusted for years on the road, 2000 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 5 model years compared.

Is this a reliability rating?

No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.

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