Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 9 safety complaints
about the 2010 Volvo S40 with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the seats and equipment.
The most complained-about system is the air bags,
named in 2 complaints, 22% of the total.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers January 2015 to June 2025 · How this is counted
What is on file
9 complaints on file
9
Complaints
1
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
0
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
AIR BAGS 2 · 22%
2 22%
STRUCTURE 2 · 22%
2 22%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 · 22%
2 22%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 · 11%
1 11%
POWER TRAIN 1 · 11%
1 11%
SEAT BELTS 1 · 11%
1 11%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 · 11%
1 11%
WHEELS 1 · 11%
1 11%
048
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 9.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2016 at 2.
4 3 2 1
152015162016202020212021222022242024252025
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2015 to 2025.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2010 Volvo S40, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
4-DR. w/SAB
Overall
Not rated
Frontal crash
Not rated
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Not rated
Side barrier
Not rated
Side pole
Not rated
Rollover
Chance of rollover
11.1%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
NHTSA made its frontal crash test harder for the 2011 model year, and says ratings from before that change should not be compared with ratings after it.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Recall campaigns
2 on file
SEATS
10V591000 · November 22, 2010
The defect
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.
The risk
POSITIONING OF THE SEAT BEYOND THE INTENDED MAXIMUM CAN CAUSE INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE PASSENGER IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FRONT POWER SEAT STOPS FOR BOTH FRONT SEATS FOR THE PRESENCE OF AN "END STOP" AND REPAIR THE VEHICLES AS NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 23, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552 OR AT [email protected].
VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC. · up to 7,420 vehicles across all model years covered
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 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.
VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC. · up to 416 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
crash
I got into a car accident today. The electrical wiring is constantly giving out and I had no idea my airbags wouldn't work until today when they did not deploy. My car hit the other car enough to move it several feet and no airbags.
NHTSA complaint 11569920. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
Hello. The warning of the device is on the dashboard that the SRS is not functional
NHTSA complaint 11667325. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The adhesive and seal on the entire top of my windshield has failed. The glass is shaking while driving and rattles severely if a small bump is driven over on the road. This is a huge safety concern since my window could break or fall off at any given moment.
NHTSA complaint 11469496. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The windshield is coming unglued at the top center and right . I am concerned that the windshield could come out on the highway, I plan to contact a windshield shop and see if they can repair it.
NHTSA complaint 11431520. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
100,100 miles
I WAS DRIVING 65MPH ON HIGHWAY 101, JUST SOUTH OF WILLITS, CALIFORNIA, WHEN MY SUNROOF EXPLODED. I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION SOUND AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED. I COULD SEE THAT MY SUNROOF WAS MOSTLY GONE AND THERE WAS PIECES OF GLASS FALLING ON ME. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO HELP CALM ME DOWN, AS MY HEART WAS RACING AND I WAS SHAKING. I PUT MY HAZARDS ON AN PULLED OVER A LITTLE MORE FOR SAFETY. JUST THEN I NOTICED A MAN WALKING TOWARD ME FROM FURTHER UP THE HIGHWAY. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND COULD HEAR THE CONVERSATION THAT THE MAN WAS HAVING WHILE ON HIS PHONE. WHEN HE HUNG UP THE PHONE, HE STATED THE HE CALLED 911. THE MAN EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS PASSING ME AND …
NHTSA complaint 11375719, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
74,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 VOLVO S40. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AS THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF ANY WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATING. THE DEALER ALAN BYERS (1230 W GENESEE ST, SYRACUSE, NY 13204) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE FAILURE ONLINE AND FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V255000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS OPENED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE RECALL COULD NOT BE FOUND IN THEIR SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER WAS: R227. THE CONTACT …
NHTSA complaint 11363255, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed November 22, 2010.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst