The Lemon IndexVolvo S40 reliability.
Is it reliable? About average. About as many complaints as the average car.
About average · 2004–2006
20062nd generation
What owners say on YouTube
2000–2004 S40 · 199 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
- Fuel pump, filter & tank249K views
- Intake, EGR & engine sensors193K views
- Starter, alternator & belts109K views
Before you buy, watch
2004–2011 S40 · 198 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
- Fuel pump, filter & tank249K views
- Intake, EGR & engine sensors193K views
- Starter, alternator & belts109K views
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Looking at a 2006 or newer? Those are too new for a full complaint score (any score shown is partial, in gray), but YouTube owners like the 2008 best.
Fewest complaints
2005.
Only 1 Volvo S40 year has enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2005 drew about one and a half times the average car's complaints.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Show 2 older years (2000–2001, YouTube reviews only, no complaint data)
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 10 Volvo S40 years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 359 YouTube videos about the Volvo S40, 2000 to 2011, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2008. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Volvo S40.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Volvo S40 reliable?
About average. It draws about as many complaints as the average car, and YouTube owners rate it about average for its age. No year beat the average car. The year with the fewest complaints, 2005, still drew 1.6× the average.
Is the Volvo S40 a good car?
It is about average, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2004-2006: Lemon Index 107; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2005 drew the fewest complaints.
What are the best Volvo S40 years to buy?
Only 1 Volvo S40 years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2005 drew the fewest complaints (about one and a half times the average car's complaints).
What Volvo S40 years should you stay away from?
Only 1 Volvo S40 years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.
How many recalls does the Volvo S40 have?
24 safety recalls across the 9 model years we track. Most: 2004 (6), 2005 (3), 2006 (3). Each year's page lists them, and every Volvo S40 recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Volvo S40 problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name electrical, brakes and engine most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 16 | service brakes, hydraulic (19%) | 1 | — | 22 |
| 2003 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 9 | transmission & drivetrain (33%) | 2 | — | 22 |
| 2004 | – | too few complaints to score | 12 | electrical (67%) | 6 | — | 22–23 |
| 2005 | 160 | about one and a half times the average car's complaints | 27 | engine (22%) | 3 | — | 20–22 |
| 2006 | – | too few complaints to score | 18 | engine (28%) | 3 | — | 20–23 |
| 2007 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 7 | transmission & drivetrain (29%) | 2 | — | 21–23 |
| 2008 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 2 | speed control (50%) | 2 | — | 20–23 |
| 2009 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 1 | service brakes, hydraulic (100%) | 3 | — | 20–24 |
| 2011 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 1 | electrical (100%) | 2 | — | 24 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: goodcarbadcar.net. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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