Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

44 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
5

Most reports here involve unintended acceleration. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

unintended acceleration 4transmission slipping 1
A recent report: The car speeds up from 30mph around a curve when the adaptive speed control loses sight of the vehicle ahead of me. A speed of 55mph on the curve posted at 30mph is dangerous. The dealer says “oh…
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The car speeds up from 30mph around a curve when the adaptive speed control loses sight of the vehicle ahead of me. A speed of 55mph on the curve posted at 30mph is dangerous. The dealer says “oh just turn off the crisis control by tapping the brake.” This is true but could be too late, since the car has already increased its speed on the curve. Volvo is unresponsive.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11752676 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Worth reading
22

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

software faults 18sudden stalling 1
A recent report: The vehicle intermittently loses all audio output, including music/media, turn-signal sounds, lane-change/blind-spot warning tones, parking/reverse proximity sensor alerts, and other vehicle chimes…
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The vehicle intermittently loses all audio output, including music/media, turn-signal sounds, lane-change/blind-spot warning tones, parking/reverse proximity sensor alerts, and other vehicle chimes. I have experienced this problem for more than one year, and it has become significantly more frequent/severe following the latest software update. When the failure occurs, visual displays and cameras may continue to function, but the associated audible safety warnings are completely absent. This creates a safety concern because the driver may not realize that important warning tones are unavailable, including while changing lanes or maneuvering near other vehicles or objects. The issue can temporarily be corrected by rebooting/resetting the vehicle's infotainment/head-unit system, but the problem returns. We have had to perform this reset at least 10 times in the past several months. The problem appears to involve the vehicle's electrical/infotainment audio system and affects multiple safety-related audible warning systems. The issue existed prior to the most recent software update but has worsened since the update. The vehicle is available for inspection if requested.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11763812 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
8

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 4 mention a crash, 3 mention an injury.

loss of braking 3software faults 2unintended acceleration 2
A recent report: NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Plus Vehicle: 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Plus BEV VIN: [[XXX]] Date of Incident: [XXX Approximate Mileage: [26,9333] Location: [[XXX]] –…
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NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Plus Vehicle: 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Plus BEV VIN: [[XXX]] Date of Incident: [XXX Approximate Mileage: [26,9333] Location: [[XXX]] – occurred while going downhill Component: Service Brakes, Electric; Parking Brake; Vehicle Speed Control Summary: I experienced complete loss of braking while driving my 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge on a highway. One Pedal Drive was active. After coasting downhill for approximately 1.5-2 minutes with no accelerator or brake pedal input, I applied the brake pedal to slow for traffic and discovered the vehicle had no braking capability. The pedal was firm but the car did not decelerate. There were no warning lights, messages, or alerts before or during the failure. This resulted in a collision with other vehicle Damage to my vehicle to the front left etc.]. Police responded and generated report #[XXX]. Additional Details: 1. Drive mode: One Pedal Drive was ON at the time of incident. This matches the failure mode described in NHTSA Recall 25V-392 for 2020-2026 Volvo BEV/PHEV models, which warns of total brake loss after 1 minute 40 seconds of coasting in One Pedal Drive/B mode. 2. No warnings: No dashboard alerts, sounds, or messages occurred before brake failure, inconsistent with a safe design. 3. After incident: Braking function returned intermittently after the vehicle came to a complete stop, also consistent with 25V-392. 4. Recall status: My VIN currently shows no open recalls on NHTSA’s lookup tool. However, 2023 XC40 BEV is explicitly listed in NHTSA Recall 25V-392. I was never notified to disable One Pedal Drive or that my vehicle was unsafe to operate. Vehicle Status: I still have possession of the vehicle and it has not been repaired. It is available for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11744615 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Worth reading
6

Most reports here involve loss of steering. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

loss of steering 2unintended acceleration 1
A recent report: I was driving northbound on XXX, driving from [XXX] to [XXX]. I was driving in the left most lane and was approaching an area of the highway where there was construction currently in progress to my…
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I was driving northbound on XXX, driving from [XXX] to [XXX]. I was driving in the left most lane and was approaching an area of the highway where there was construction currently in progress to my left (this was where Chuckanut Creek intersects the interstate, I was told they were constructing a salmon run there). As my vehicle was approaching the beginning of the construction area, my car's Lane Assist feature activated and the steering wheel turns to follow the yellow dashed lines that were painted on top of the current highway lane I was driving in, and I could not turn the steering wheel to the right as it was locking and completely turning to the left following the yellow dashed construction lane markings. I could not control the car, and I ended up hitting a concrete construction barrier. After impact, I regained control of the wheel and swerved a bit until fully slowing down to pull over onto the right hand shoulder. The front driver side wheel was completely busted and the car was not drivable following the collision. No person was physically hurt, nor other nearby vehicles. We towed the car to the nearest Volvo dealership where it currently remains, and have received an quote of current damages (the problem of what caused the accident is not included in the report nor confirmed by Volvo. When I spoke to their service department manager, he ultimately said Volvo doesn't claim responsibility and says it's the drivers responsibility to respond to Driver Assistance features). I have opened a claim with my auto insurance, and am still waiting on their inspection/response. The car is available for additional inspection if needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11747055 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Minor
1

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 1
A recent report: The contact owns a 2023 Volvo XC40. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger's side seat belt failed to latch as intended. The contact's mother was attempting to latch the…
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The contact owns a 2023 Volvo XC40. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger's side seat belt failed to latch as intended. The contact's mother was attempting to latch the front passenger's side seat belt when the failure occurred. The contact stated that the failure could have occurred while the vehicle was being driven. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact was not provided the result of the diagnostic test. In addition, the contact stated that four months prior to the failure, the front driver's side seat belt failed to latch as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that there was a failure with the latching mechanism. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11697427 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Worth reading
2

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention an injury.

software faults 1
A recent report: On January 22, 2025 on a clear sunny day (no wind) I was putting groceries in the trunk of my car when the trunk lid came down on my head injuring me. I was leaning from the right side of my car…
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On January 22, 2025 on a clear sunny day (no wind) I was putting groceries in the trunk of my car when the trunk lid came down on my head injuring me. I was leaning from the right side of my car across to the left side. My key was in my pocketbook on my right shoulder. Volvos should be "Mom" cars where one should be safe putting groceries in the trunk. Instead of popping back open with an obstruction, it continued to press down on my head before eventually popping back open. According to Volvo chat boards, this has happened to others. On January 6 my car had its two year servicing at the dealer on my leased vehicle. The service department's initial reaction to this malfunction was to BLAME me for having the key too close to the kick open sensor and to leave the key in the car while loading groceries. When I got the car, we were told (and it was demonstrated) that the kick open feature was on the left side of the trunk under the first "V". It appears that there was an update which electrified the entire back of the trunk without any notice to owners. Even so, I am 5 feet 2 1/2 inches tall. It is extremely difficult for me to kick open the trunk which is why I always open it from the button in the middle of the trunk and close it with the controls on the top right of the trunk lid. Buried in the owners' manual is a statement that you can kick the trunk lid closed, but no one ever told us that or that it can be kicked closed from the right side of the trunk. I did not kick the sensor to activate the trunk lid closing on my head. Only after a second call to the service department did the dealer agree to "look at" my car, but that they were booked up for the next two weeks.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11639147 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 44 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2022 and 2026, roughly 12 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.