What breaks most · 1993 to 2013 model years
Volvo V40 problems by year
Owners have filed 73 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Volvo V40 across model years 1993 to 2013. Three years stand out: 2000 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 2001 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 2002 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints. The quietest years are 1993 and 2003.
- Years to check closely: 2000, 2001, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 2003
- Complaints on file
- 731993 to 2013, all trims
- Worst year
- 200050 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 40 fires · 2 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 56kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 9Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Seat belts (1) | |
| 50 | 2 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (23) | |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | Seat belts (1) | |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | Air bags (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) |
What fails on the 2000 Volvo V40
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 46% |
23 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2000 Volvo V40 |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 20% |
10 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2000 Volvo V40 |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 14% |
7 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2000 Volvo V40 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 10% |
5 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2000 Volvo V40 |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 8% |
4 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2000 Volvo V40 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 8% |
4 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2000 Volvo V40 |
| Wheels | 6% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
2 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2000 Volvo V40 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Moisture in the vacuum system caused the vacuum pump to fail. When it was cold the vehicle's brakes didn't function at all. The rear brakes failed due to a defect in the brake system. The manufacturer refused to pay to replace the system *ak *nm
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No brakes upon initial start and shortly therafter, vehicle idled for approximately 6 hours. Dealer reset check valve and said they do not have to replace assembly, computer said okay. *ak
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Brakes failed on may 17. Dealer could not find problem. Brakes failed on may 28. Dealer replaced master cylinder and wheel cylinder. Brake warning light again on 6/12/2002. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Volvo V40 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2000, 2001, 2002 carry the most filings on the Volvo V40. The 2000 alone has 50 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common Volvo V40 problem?
On the 2000 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 23 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Volvo V40 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Volvo V40 complaints that include mileage is about 56,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.