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Vehicle safety record

2007 Volvo S40 Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 25 complaints about the 2007 Volvo S40 with NHTSA, most often about the brakes (6) and the electrical system (5). Those complaints describe 4 crashes, 1 fire and 5 injuries. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in November 2010 for the navigational system(global positioning system). For comparison, the 2006 has 59 and the 2008 has 16.

NHTSA data checked

CAbout as many problems as a typical S40 year, for its age

#193 most complained-about 2007 vehicle

Complaints
25
Recalls
2
Crashes
4
Fires
1
Injuries
5
Deaths
0

Most common 2007 Volvo S40 problems

Share of all 25 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2007 Volvo S40 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.

Service brakes: master cylinder

08V1010001,114 vehicles affected

The problem
Volvo is recalling 1,114 my 2007 c30, c70, s40, and v50 passenger vehicles. A soft anodized layer in the master cylinder may trigger early wear on a rubber seal that can result in internal leakage of brake fluid. If affected, the driver may experience reduced brake performance when applying and maintaining force of the brake pedal.
The risk
The capacity to brake will gradually deteriorate forcing the driver to use a higher than expected force on the brake pedal when compared to an intact brake system. The deterioration can eventually result in complete loss of the brake system functionality increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will inspect the master cylinder. The brake master cylinder and brake fluid reservoir will be replaced and certain brake lines cleaned free of charge. The recall began on march 11, 2008. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.

What owners say

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25 complaints about the 2007 Volvo S40

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.

Electrical systemVisibility & wipers

On or about 12/04/2019 during a flash rain storm last winter, my husband and I was headed home on the 215 fwy northbound in san bernardino, ca when the center dome area and the electric sunroof inside our car begin pouring in huge amounts of very cold rain water on us and on the dashboard, stereo console, gear shifter, floor and seats. Until it was safe to exit the freeway, my husband tried to soak up as much of the leaking rainwater as he could with his coat but the water continued to pouring into the car. Once...

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it was safe to exit the freeway, we pulled into a gas station and examine the sunroof to make sure it was shut properly, which it was, not understanding why this was happening, he and I used as many pieces of napkins and cloth that we could find to sop up as much water as we could and as best as we could. We drove on the streets the remaining few miles to get home because it was much safer to do so at this point. Later, we researched as much as we could find out about the problem via online complaints and reviews from other volvo owners. We then tried one of the fixes offered: clearing potential debris from the sunroof drain hoses. However, when we took the car to a drive-thru carwash shortly afterwards, the exact same thing happen. We are looking forward to selling the volvo, but due to the leaky center dome and sunroof, there is no way we will consider selling the car without disclosing this safety issue to the next buyer, even though when we purchased the car in 2013, the dealer who sold it to us did not tell us about the safety defect. Undoubtedly, if caught off guard while driving (i.E. Without a passenger's helping hand), not knowing about the defect may result in a major accident or fatality. Please help!!!

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or other · Visibility / wiperNHTSA 11360366
Steering

I was driving and the engine shut off causing me to lose control of my vehicle as the power steering shut down. I was able to steer my vehicle with difficulty to the side of the road where it stopped. About one week later this happened again. This time I was coming out of a parking lot and had to aim my vehicle in a way to avoid hitting other vehicles. Both time, after a few minutes the car started right up and I was able to drive again. Last friday, may 3, I pulled my vehicle over and when I stopped the vehicle...

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shut down. This time it did not restart. The error message displayed on the dash was that the "steering was locked, try again." After several attempts including jump starting the vehicle, which was unnecessary, the vehicle would not start. I had my vehicle towed to the nearest volvo dealership and was told that the "steering column lock" had failed. The part needed to be replaced at a cost of over $830.

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 11205749
AirbagsSeats & seat beltsCrash1 injury

Tl* the contact owned a 2007 volvo s40. The contact called on behalf of the driver. The contact stated that the vehicle was struck on the front passenger side by another vehicle. The speed was unknown. The air bag failed to deploy and the seat belt detached. The driver sustained leg, back, and shoulder injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Filed Incident Air bags · Seat beltsNHTSA 11141465
Electrical systemDriver assistance

After parking car and turning car off, airbag, brake, and information warning lights stay on, as does ventilation system. Passenger seat has excess water underneath. Now car will not start.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or other · Electronic stability control (ESC)NHTSA 11098954
Acceleration & cruise control

Vehicle loses power due to accelerator pedal low voltage/signal. This occurs in multiple situations. Safest is shortly after starting the car an engine light stating 'engine system urgent' appears. Unsafe occurrence includes power loss while pedal is depresses such as on the highway with constant pressure or most severe when turning left through an intersection power is reduced to idle. If the vent occurs with the pedal repressed, power is reduced to idle momentarily (2-3 seconds) and after 'pumping' the pedal...

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several times it returns to normal. I have brought this vehicle several times to repair. Deal changed pedal, changed wiring connectors (also cleaned several times) and ultimately replaced engine computer. Problem still occurs and dealer does not know what else to do. Most recent occurrence was 27 jan but this issues appears about every two months after repair and occurs daily once to problem returns.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10949021
Acceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

Safety concern: 2007 volvo s40 electronic throttle module failure - causing "reduced engine performance" message and vehicle (2007 volvo s40) suddenly slows down while in motion, limps and cannot go higher speed. Had barely exited the freeway on 1/24/2017 and this happened as I was on ramp. Could be extremely dangerous if it happened 1 minute before when on freeway. Turned vehicle in right away to local volvo dealership (which was luckily within 15 minutes) and they diagnosed it to be faulty electronic throttle...

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module needing replacement. Mileage on car 129,000 miles. Wanted to report so this issue can be looked into for safety concern and if the huge cost of replacement can be offset so owners can have peace of mind replacing it timely if there is a recommendation or bulletin (similar to timing belts etc. - Which I don't believe there is currently for electronic throttle module).

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Unknown or other · EngineNHTSA 10947597
Airbags

Takata recall something is wrong with the airbags. I t is showing me that it needs to be repaired.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 10887948
Engine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 volvo s40. While driving, there was an abnormal noise coming from the engine and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the pvc valve failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 117,000.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10758733
Steering

My car would not start because there was a message indicating the steering wheel was locked, but, it was not locked. I had to tow the car to the shop. They reported a defective steering column lock module. I found this is a common problem for this cars which is totally unsafe and unacceptable.

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 10745158
Engine & coolingVisibility & wipers

The cooling system and defrost shut down after driving for a while. Turns out the clutch went bad on the compressor. After researching further online, there are many complaints about this failure. Unfortunately, this is a very expensive repair that I cannot afford. *Tr

Filed Incident Engine and engine cooling · VisibilityNHTSA 10662337
Brakes

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 volvo s40. The contact stated that the brake sensor illuminated indicating low brake fluid. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. The technician replenished the brake fluid and reset the brake sensor. The contact indicated that shortly after the brake sensor was reset by the dealer, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop who was not able to replicate or diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 08v101000 (brakes). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 10648903
Electrical systemBody, doors & structureSeats & seat belts

Sunroof drain became clogged. This caused the poorly designed drains to leak at a junction inside the vehicle along the door pillar and behind the instrument panel. The water collects on the rear passenger floorboards and around the drivers seat. The car owner is unaware of the leak until a large amount of water has accumulated. I am very concerned about the potential for an electrical fault or short circuit that could potentially result in a fire, malfunction or could lead to an accident. Volvo should make checking these drains a regular part of it's service procedures or consider a redesign or recall. This issue is widespread. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical system · Structure · SeatsNHTSA 10648861
Wheels & tires

Michelin primacy mxv4 tires - dry rot on all 4 tires after only 20,000 miles. The warranty is for 60,000 miles. This dry rot is a huge safety concern. *Tr

Filed Incident TiresNHTSA 10551644
BrakesCrash1 injury

12/9/2011 While on an incline driving at approximately 25 mph brakes failed, even after pressing pedal all the way to the floor, car failed to stop causing collision with vehicle in front despite more than necessary braking distance maintained between two vehicles and under clear, sunny conditions. Note: dealer had completed 10-point inspection during oil change 14 days before occurrence. 8/2011 Car flooded with water internally and on floor/carpet. Second occurrence. Sunroof drain pipes replaced and car seats,...

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carpets, foam padding removed and dried. Owner required to pay 50% of cost of labor and parts, even though was to have been repaired in 2/2011.2/2011 First incident of car flood with water internally and on floor/carpet. Sunroof replaced and car seats, carpets, foam padding removed and dried. Sunroof replaced by volvo, owner incurred labor costs. Warranty expired 2 months and 1 week before taken in. Car had undergone 22500 mile check with nothing noticed by volvo while under warranty! Regular maintenance was done at dealers at recommended schedule and dealer performed state-required safety and emission inspections. *Tr

Filed Incident Service brakes, hydraulicNHTSA 10439260
Engine & cooling

I own a '07 volvo s40 with 78,000 miles. It began making a loud whistling noise coming from the oil dipstick. After researching online I found that it was a known problem by volvo and the defective part is covered under an extended warranty, however this defective part causes excessive damage to the engine that is not covered by volvo. It is now up to the consumer to pay for the engine damage or it will cause the timing belt to snap and the engine to explode. An unsuspecting consumer can be fatally injured by this problem and something must be done about it! *Kb

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10437709
Brakes

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 volvo s40. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, she applied the brakes and a brake light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop and the contact was informed that the vehicle was leaking brake fluid. Brake fluid was added to the vehicle as a temporary remedy. The vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated nhtsa campaign id number 08v101000...

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(service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 76,000. The vin was unavailable.

Filed Incident Service brakes, hydraulicNHTSA 10430628
Seats & seat beltsCrash2 injuries

2007 Volvo s-40. Consumer writes regarding a seat belt defect after suffering an injury to the eye due to a rear end collision *tgw the consumer stated he was struck from the rear while stopped yielding to traffic. The consumer stated he and his wife were hit with such force that the vehicle rolled approximately 25 feet from where they were originally stopped. The driver's side seat belt did not retrain the consumers upper body which allowed his torso to go forward; consequently, his head struck the left...

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windshield pillar. From the impact of his head striking the windshield pillar, his upper eye lid was lacerated by the frame of his eyeglasses and severely bruised his eye as a result. The consumers wife sustained whiplash. *Jb

Filed Incident Seat beltsNHTSA 10381951
BrakesCrash1 injury

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 volvo s40. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph the brakes failed causing her to crash into the rear of a vehicle. The driver sustained minor injuries, whiplash and was not transported to the hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was inspected by an insurance adjuster who confirmed that it was destroyed. The failure and current mileages were approximately 63,000.

Filed Incident Service brakes, hydraulicNHTSA 10378807
Electrical system

I parked the 2007 s40 volvo and can't remove the key from the ignition switch. The car is in park, brake on, all necessary checks are checked. Still can't get the key to release, had to turn it several times (30 minutes) right to left until I heard a click and the key came out. I have seem post on the internet about this and that is how I figured out how to get my key and lock the doors. I called volvo and the response was go to the dealer and you are out of warranty?! The key will not go past the I position. I...

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don't mind paying to get it fixed but according to the volvo makers it is isolated and not known how to fix. I beg to differ based on talking to other owners and the info on the web. Please assist as much as possible or a direction to get resolution. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10312587
Brakes

I drove into a hotel parking garage , came into my spot and the car accelerated and went into a wall. I shut the engine off to prevent my whole car going thru the wall. Just the front of the car went into the wall. *Tr

Filed Incident Service brakes, electricNHTSA 10312385
Electrical systemBody, doors & structure

On june 28, 2008, my garage door came down on my 2007 volvo s40 sedan, without warning, causing damage to the roof of the car (est. $2000.00) As well as irreparable damage to the garage door (replaced at a cost of $1150.00). A technician from genie (mfg of garage door opener) thoroughly inspected and tested the opener on june 30, 2008, and found the unit to be working properly. It was discovered that the action of unlocking and locking the car doors with the remote as well as starting the ignition of the car...

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caused the garage door to open and close without warning. Each time the car remote was pressed, it transmitted to the garage door opener. After de programming the homelink in the car, the situation no longer occurred. I no longer felt safe having the homelink active, as I did not want to chance further vehicle damage or bodily harm. The problem was clearly a transmitter/electrical problem with the car remote/homelink. I contacted volvo on june 30, who assigned a field representative to inspect the car at a local volvo dealership on july 9, 2008. I had requested they come to my home to witness the problem, but that request was denied. On july 10, 2008 the product investigation coordinator from volvo informed me that the findings of the field representative showed no operational issues, therefore, it was not a volvo problem. I have tried contacting homelink, to no avail. Nothing has been done to correct the malfunction, nor have I received any compensation for damage caused by this malfunction. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical system · Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 10233973
Transmission & drivetrain

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 volvo s40. The contact stated that her vehicle feels as if it were downshifting; however, it has an automatic transmission. When she begins to accelerate, the reduced engine performance light illuminates when the downshifting occurs. The dealer replaced the accelerator pedal and cleaned the computer after the first failure. After the second failure, they replaced the computer. The failures still persist and the contact is scheduled to take the vehicle to the dealer next week. The speed was unknown. The failure mileage was 3,000.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 10226473
BrakesFire

The rear brakes on this vehicle caught on fire after a short drive (1 mile) having to be extinguished with a fire extinguisher. The rear brake assembly (left rear) completely failed and overheated to the point of causing flames to appear needing to be extinguished. This car had 2939 miles on it as a new volvo s40. This catastrophic failure was unexplained and without an apparent error by driver as this vehicle is used by a college student for very short distances. The emergency brake was not left on. *Tr

Filed Incident Service brakes, hydraulicNHTSA 10208681
Engine & cooling

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 volvo s40. The contact has recently rented three zip-cars within the past few months and has detected an unusual scent coming from the vents. The pants he had hanging inside the vehicle had a faint smell to them once he arrived home. He believes there could be asbestos inside the vehicles. The dealer and manufacturer have not been notified. The vin and engine size were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 40.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10196172
Transmission & drivetrain

On my brand new s-40 volvo with a manual 5 speed transmission operating the clutch pedal to be fully depressed to the floor can be obstructed easily by an adjacent protruding panel on the floor board. When my left foot is blocked by this protruding panel, I am inhibited from shifting gears. This condition is very dangerous in heavy traffic. Volvo customer service has been advised of this problem and has refused to acknowledge it as a defect. Volvo has refused to provide a simple solution to the problem by...

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supplying a properly formed clutch lever that positions the clutch pedal far enough away from the protruding panel for consistently proper depression of the clutch during shifting. *Jb

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 10178369

Volvo S40: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20115201Electrical systemA
20109210AirbagsA
200910303Transmission & drivetrainB
200816250Electrical systemB
200725241BrakesC
200659310Electrical systemD
200581320Fuel systemD
200450651AirbagsD
200321201Transmission & drivetrainB
All S40 years

2007 Volvo S40 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 2007 Volvo S40

Does the 2007 Volvo S40 have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2007 Volvo S40: navigational system(global positioning system) (November 2010); master cylinder (March 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 2007 Volvo S40?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the brakes (6), electrical system (5), engine & cooling (5).

How many complaints has the 2007 Volvo S40 had?

25 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 10, 2007 and the latest on September 22, 2020. Of these, 4 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 5 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2007 Volvo S40 a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 48 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Volvo S40 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 S40 years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2007 Volvo S40 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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