VOLVO S40 · model year

2011 VOLVO S40

7 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011VOLVOS40 carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 S40 is electrical system with 3 filings, followed by seats (1) and vehicle speed control (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 28 investigation files overlapping the 2011 S40. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
SEATS1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER1

Recalls (2)

10V59100022/11/2010

SEATS

VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER FRONT PASSENGER SEATS. THE FRONT SEAT RAIL'S DETECTION SYSTEM WAS MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY AND MAY PERMIT THE PASSENGER TO FORWARD THE SEAT BEYOND THE INTENDED MAXIMUM.

11V18600018/03/2011

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 S40 PASSENGER VEHICLES. A CRACK ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE SUPPORT MEMBER IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT MAY HAVE DEVELOPED DURING THE FORMING PROCESS IN COMPONENT PRODUCTION.

Recent Complaints

20251113ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Volvo S40. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 115,314. The contact stated that at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 350,000 on VIN History USA.

Mileage: 350,000

20230430STRUCTURE:BODY

Windshield bonding has failed on the top edge of the windshield. It leaks and I can move the glass easily. I am worried that the windshield will fall out in a crash and reduce the airbag performance

20170213ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH WHEN INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT COMPLETELY BLANK I HEARD A SIZZLING NOISE BEHIND THE DASH BOARD. I LOST THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE, LIGHT INDICATOR, BLINKER INDICATORS, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENTS YOU DEPEND ON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, IT CONTINUED SIZZLING SOUNDING LIKE IT WAS BURNING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I STARTED THE CAR AND NOTHING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WORKS, I TURNED ON THE FLASHER AND LIMPED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, AS AN ELDERLY FEMALE THIS WAS VERY NERVE RACKING AS I DID NOT KNOW IF MY FLASHERS WERE WORKING NOR WHAT SPEED I WAS TRAVELING. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS SOMETHING CALLED THE DIM HAD WENT BAD AND THAT ONLY A VOLVO DEALER COULD REPLACE WHICH WILL COST OVER $1800. HE SAID I SHOULD FEEL LUCKY THAT THE CAR HAD NOT CAUGHT FIRE AS THAT WAS USUALLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THESE SITUATIONS AND VOLVO HAD IGNORED THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON A RECAL

Mileage: 69,000

20170213SEATS

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH WHEN INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT COMPLETELY BLANK I HEARD A SIZZLING NOISE BEHIND THE DASH BOARD. I LOST THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE, LIGHT INDICATOR, BLINKER INDICATORS, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENTS YOU DEPEND ON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, IT CONTINUED SIZZLING SOUNDING LIKE IT WAS BURNING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I STARTED THE CAR AND NOTHING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WORKS, I TURNED ON THE FLASHER AND LIMPED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, AS AN ELDERLY FEMALE THIS WAS VERY NERVE RACKING AS I DID NOT KNOW IF MY FLASHERS WERE WORKING NOR WHAT SPEED I WAS TRAVELING. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS SOMETHING CALLED THE DIM HAD WENT BAD AND THAT ONLY A VOLVO DEALER COULD REPLACE WHICH WILL COST OVER $1800. HE SAID I SHOULD FEEL LUCKY THAT THE CAR HAD NOT CAUGHT FIRE AS THAT WAS USUALLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THESE SITUATIONS AND VOLVO HAD IGNORED THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON A RECAL

Mileage: 69,000

20170213VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH WHEN INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT COMPLETELY BLANK I HEARD A SIZZLING NOISE BEHIND THE DASH BOARD. I LOST THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE, LIGHT INDICATOR, BLINKER INDICATORS, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENTS YOU DEPEND ON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, IT CONTINUED SIZZLING SOUNDING LIKE IT WAS BURNING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I STARTED THE CAR AND NOTHING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WORKS, I TURNED ON THE FLASHER AND LIMPED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, AS AN ELDERLY FEMALE THIS WAS VERY NERVE RACKING AS I DID NOT KNOW IF MY FLASHERS WERE WORKING NOR WHAT SPEED I WAS TRAVELING. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS SOMETHING CALLED THE DIM HAD WENT BAD AND THAT ONLY A VOLVO DEALER COULD REPLACE WHICH WILL COST OVER $1800. HE SAID I SHOULD FEEL LUCKY THAT THE CAR HAD NOT CAUGHT FIRE AS THAT WAS USUALLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THESE SITUATIONS AND VOLVO HAD IGNORED THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON A RECAL

Mileage: 69,000

20160221FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

A COLD, WET, WINTERY MORNING; PULLED INTO COFFEE SHOP PARKING LOT, PARKED CAR, TURNED ENGINE OFF, REMOVED KEY, GOT OUT OF THE CAR, LOCKED DOORS, WENT INTO THE COFFEE SHOP. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, NOTHING LEFT ON IN THE CAR. WHILE WAITING FOR COFFEE GLANCED OUT COFFEE SHOP WINDOW. SAW THAT THE CAR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. A PANIC RUSH TO CAR FOUND A FIRE WAS BURNING BEHIND DASH. COFFEE SHOP HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER; THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. THE CAR, INOPERATIVE, WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. AN OPINION IS THAT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT INVOLVING THE CAR'S CEM (CENTRAL ELECTRONIC MODULE) UNDER THE DASH, ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, WAS LIKELY THE CAUSE AND SOURCE OF THE FIRE. DEALER REPORT; ENGINE & DASH WIRING, CEM, HEATER HOUSING, AIRBAG, INNER GLOVE BOX TO REPLACE.

Mileage: 130,000

20130603ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BATTERY DEAD AND CAR WOULD NOT START; CAR HAD NOT BEEN USED FOR ONLY 1 WEEK OR LESS. *TR

Mileage: 7,500

Compare 2011VOLVOS40 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 VOLVO S40 have?
The 2011 VOLVO S40 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 VOLVO S40?
The 2011 VOLVO S40 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 VOLVO S40?
Yes, the 2011 VOLVO S40 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is SEATS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 VOLVO S40?
The most-complained component for the 2011 VOLVO S40 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2011 VOLVO S40 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 VOLVO S40 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.