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Vehicle safety record

2009 Volvo C30 Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2009 Volvo C30 with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (2) and the steering (1). It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in November 2010 for the navigational system(global positioning system). For comparison, the 2008 has 8 and the 2010 has 6.

NHTSA data checked

CAbout as many problems as a typical C30 year, for its age

#249 most complained-about 2009 vehicle

Complaints
6
Recalls
2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Most common 2009 Volvo C30 problems

Share of all 6 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2009 Volvo C30 recalls 2

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Equipment: navigational system(global positioning system)

10V566000416 vehicles affected

The problem
Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
The risk
AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.
The fix
Volvo advises owners to please stop using the garmin portable gps device immediately, and visit the garmin website to determine if their unit is affected. The unit's battery will be replaced with a new battery and a spacer will be inserted on top of the battery next to the pcb. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 18, 2010. Owners may contact garmin at 866-957-1981 or visit garmin's website at www.Garmin.Com/nuvibatterypcbrecall.

Steering: hose, piping, and connections

08V3290001,020 vehicles affected

The problem
Volvo is recalling my 2008-2009 vehicles. A section of the power steering return line hose was not properly vulcanized (cured) and does not meet specifications. If the power steering return hose fails, a sudden rupture of the hose can occur.
The risk
This can result in a rapid drainage of the power steering fluid in the system and a complete loss of power assistance, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will inspect and replace the steering return line hose assembly free of charge. The recall began on august 13, 2008. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.

What owners say

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6 complaints about the 2009 Volvo C30

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.

Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2009 Volvo C30. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the gear shifter shifted out of gear independently. No dealer or independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11641916
Transmission & drivetrain

The clutch gets stuck on depressing intermittently. I was not able to shift the gear in the middle of the highway at around 80 miles an hour and this was a fatal encounter for me. It could have killed me as well as was a hazard for other cot ravellers around me. This problem reproduces its multiple times but at unpredictable moments. It is difficult to replicate the problem when showing it to the service centre however, Volvo issued a recall for faulty clutch master and slave cylinders in the UK but not in USA. There are absolutely no leaks or problems as the clutch is new.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11537208
Other & unknown

Windshield was not properly sealed and seal came loose, freeing windshield from the body of the car. Problem was noticed when rain came in on driver's side and wet the driver's side footwell. Sunroof drains were checked and they were not the problem. Windshield had been loose at pivot point and could be easily pushed out from the inside. Windshield had not been replaced since purchase. *Tr

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11324380
Wheels & tires

Recently I have been experiencing intermittent vibrations while driving. I had the car inspected at an independent tire shop who found two out of four tires (one front, one rear) were out-of-round because of tread separation or belt slipping. I began to suspect that this was related to vibrations that I experienced early after buying the car used with new continental dws tires installed, from a volvo dealer, just over two years ago. Then I had assumed that the problem was a slight imbalance or poor wheel...

Read the full complaint

mounting. I had the car inspected at a continental tire dealer to initiate a warranty claim, because the tires were possibly unsafe to use after 2 years and 18000 miles (well within the 6 year workmanship, and 50000 mile treadwear warranty). They found uneven camber wear and cupping, but no tread separation, and the cars suspension and alignment checked out. Continental refused to honor the defect in workmanship warranty claiming that I had not maintained the tires because I had followed the cars manufactures service recommendation of not rotating tires (sacrificing treadwear for improved handling). I recontacted continental when the level of the vibrations and thumping noises subsided again because an intermittent vibration could not be explained by cupping and camber wear because they are permanent, thus supporting the independent shops claim that there is an internal defect in the tire allowing the belts to shift. Continental has dismissed this as a possible cause and is seemingly ignoring the fact that these tires could have a potentially dangerous manufacturing defect.

Filed Incident TiresNHTSA 10824054
Steering

Turn engine on and started to get out of my parking space and suddenly noticed hesitation of my wheel to turn left>right. I checked my power steering reservoir and I cannot see power steering fluid. I called volvo and they said my vin is not part of the recall. I have low mileage and they just did a routine maintenance on the vehicle past summer. *Tr

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 10630757
Lights

Headlight assembly cracking. Two passenger side headlight assemblies (original and replacement) have cracked with three months without sign of external impact. Cracking in both assemblies has been identical. A third assembly will be installed this wednesday. Cracking is substantial and poses a safety hazard. *Tr

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 10359987

Volvo C30: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20134000Visibility & wipersA
201210000Acceleration & cruise controlC
201114110Visibility & wipersD
20106220Visibility & wipersD
20096200Transmission & drivetrainC
20088200Seats & seat beltsC
20071200SuspensionB
All C30 years

2009 Volvo C30 vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2009 Volvo C30

Does the 2009 Volvo C30 have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2009 Volvo C30: navigational system(global positioning system) (November 2010); hose, piping, and connections (July 2008). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Volvo C30?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (2), steering (1), lights (1).

How many complaints has the 2009 Volvo C30 had?

6 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on October 11, 2010 and the latest on February 11, 2025. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2009 Volvo C30 a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 50 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Volvo C30 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Volvo C30 years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2009 Volvo C30 has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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