2008 Volvo S40: complaints, problems and recalls

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLVO S40. SHE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH AND PARKING THE VEHICLE WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND CRASHED INTO A STORE WINDOW. THERE WERE FRONTAL DAMAGES TO THE VEHICLE. SHE SUFFERED CHEST INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY ARE WAITING FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST RESULTS. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS DONE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 10000.

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10313793 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLVO S40. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH DURING A SNOW STORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED IMPAIRING THE CONTACTS VIEW OF THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE OFF THE ROADWAY AND THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT UNTIL THE SNOW STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER NOTICED THAT THE WIPER ARM HAD FRACTURED. FOUR WEEKS LATER WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING IN SNOWY WEATHER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIPER MOTOR FAILED.…

Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10373946 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I SET CRUISE CONTROL TO 65. WITHIN SECONDS I FELT AS IF I WERE GOING VERY FAST AND I HAD ACCELERATED TO NEAR 90 MPH. I TURNED CRUISE CONTROL OFF, STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND WHEN I LET OFF THE BRAKE THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. AFTER THE SECOND TIME STEPPING ON THE BRAKE THE PROBLEM CEASED. THE SAME TYPE OF INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT INVOLVED. STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN, THE RPMS IMMEDIATELY JUMPED AND MY CAR ACCELERATED VERY …

Owner-reported narrative. 61,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10505181 at NHTSA ↗

MY SERPENTINE BELT BROKE ON 6/6/2014 AND WAS REPLACED. ON 6/20/2014 I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60MPH ON THE INTERSTATE IN CHICAGO, IL WHEN MY VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED. THIS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON THE INTERSTATE, BUT I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE LEFT SHOULDER BEFORE BEING STRUCK. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WHEN THE SERPENTINE BELT BROKE, SHARDS OF THAT BELT WENT IN TO THE TIMING BELT AREA. THIS IS DUE TO A FLAWED DESIGN ON MY MAKE OF VOLVO. THE TIMING COVER IS NOT SEALED, AL…

Owner-reported narrative. 69,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10605931 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 VOLVO S40 STOPPED IN TRAFFIC WHEN I WAS IN MAJOR/SEVERE REAR END COLLISION. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT (70+ MPH) PUSHED ME INTO A VEHICLE AHEAD WHICH CAUSED SEVERE FRONTAL DAMAGE THAT WENT ALL THE WAY PAST MY RADIATOR. PROPERTY DAMAGES OVER $17K AND AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY RESULTING IN INJURIES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 123,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10649024 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING ON A MAIN ROUTE AT NIGHT AROUND 730 AND A CAR WAS TRYING TO GET IN MY LINE AND I ASSUME THEY DID NOT SEE ME. I TRIED TO MOVE TO THE LEFT TO GET OUT OF THE WAY BUT MY STEERING WHEEL WAS SO TIGHT I COULD NOT VEER AWAY FROM THE CURB. DUE TO THIS I HAVE NUMEROUS REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE PAID AND MY POWER STEERING WAS TIGHT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, IT WAS ALMOST HARD FOR A STRONG MAN TO TURN THE WHEEL. I TRIED POWER STEERING FLUID WHEN I STARTED TO NOTICE THE PROBLEM AND IT DID NOT HELP. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 79,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10678956 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLVO S40. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OIL TRAP AND VENTILATION HOSE WERE DAMAGED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE, AND THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THE FAILURE WAS IN THE OIL TRAP AND VENTILATION HOSE IN THE ENGINE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN RTJ-19745 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), WHICH EXTENDED T…

Owner-reported narrative. 77,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10743990 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLVO S40. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN ROOF WAS LEAKING WATER INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS A WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT WATER MAY HAVE STOPPED THE AIR BAGS FROM DEPLOYING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 73,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10743995 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2008-07-23 (July 23, 2008)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2010-11-08 (November 8, 2010)

VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.

Consequence: AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.

Remedy: 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.