Total Complaints
2 filings
VOLVO S40N · model year
2004 VOLVO S40N
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2004VOLVOS40N carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2004 S40N is air bags:frontal with 1 filings, followed by steering (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.
NHTSA currently has 28 investigation files overlapping the 2004 S40N. 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.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110710STEERING
THE STEERING LOCKED ON OUR 2004.5 VOLVO S40 T5 AS MY WIFE AND 6 WEEK OLD DAUGHTER WERE BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY UNDER POWER. NO ERRORS WERE REPORTED WHEN THE CAR STARTED, BUT THE WHEEL LOCKED (AND AN ERROR WAS DISPLAYED) AFTER THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE WHEN SHE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. SHE WAS THEN ABLE TO PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND MOVE BACK TO HER PREVIOUS POSITION. CLEARLY A SAFETY SENSOR DID NOT DO ITS JOB. LEADING UP TO THIS EVENT WE HAVE HAD OCCASIONAL INCIDENTS WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT UNLOCK AFTER ENTERING THE KEY. LIGHTLY MOVING THE WHEEL SIDE TO SIDE AND REPEATED KEY ENTRIES WOULD RESOLVE THE ISSUE. A MOTOR NOW RUNS IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN TRYING TO UNLOCK THE WHEEL. THIS IS A DIFFERENT SOUND THEN WE EXPERIENCED WHEN THE ISSUE COULD BE RESOLVED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE THE LOCKUP OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A POTENTIALLY FATAL CRASH HAD IT OCCURRED ON
Mileage: 102,929
20110203AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
SRS WARNING LIGHT ON DEFECTIVE OCCUPANT WEIGHT SENSOR. *TR
Mileage: 79,000
Compare 2004VOLVOS40N to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2004 VOLVO S40N have?▼
The 2004 VOLVO S40N has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 VOLVO S40N?▼
The most-complained component for the 2004 VOLVO S40N is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING.
Is the 2004 VOLVO S40N safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.