2005 Volvo S40 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other S40 years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Volvo S40. That ranks 3rd out of 12 S40 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (19 complaints, 28%), typically at around 83,500 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 injury. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 69owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Volvo S40 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 19 | 28% | 83,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 16% | 71,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 11 | 16% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 12% | 125,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 7% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 7% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 7% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 4% | 93,052 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 4% | 62,700 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 4% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 3% | 36,450 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 3% | 127,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 3% | 33,003 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 2,899 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | 194,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 20,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | 46,855 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Volvo S40 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)
Problem: Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
Risk: An overheated battery could lead to a fire.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: On certain vehicles sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, reoccurring, long-term exposure to certain environmental conditions such as salty-wet conditions, it is possible for the pump electronic module (pem) to become corroded internally. This can cause a faulty signal to the fuel pump, resulting in low or no fuel pressure to the engine.
Risk: If this occurs, the check engine light may illuminate. In some cases, the vehicle may fail to start or may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the pem and install it in a new location to prevent corrosion. The recall began on february 20, 2008. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Fuel system, gasoline
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with t5 turbo engines, the polyamide tube in the fuel line is sensitive to the extreme temperatures that may occur in the area where the turbo/exhaust manifold is located.
Risk: This may potentially result in fuel line leakage. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will change the fuel line material to teflon free of charge. The recall began on june 5, 2006. Owners may contact volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact's wife owns a 2005 Volvo S40. The contact stated the vehicle was difficult to start for several days. Eventually, the failure progressed and the vehicle was not able to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired by the contact, a previous Volvo…
The drivers seat belt does not lock/latch in properly. Everytime I enter the vehicle I reach for my seat belt and buckle myself, well so I thought I did. When I insert the belt it seems as though its buckles however once I start to drive the belt comes un done and it i always have to pull over to…
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 volvo s40. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel pump electronic module had failed due to rusting and corrosion. The fuel pump…
I was told by shop that work on my car that were a recall on the pvc vaul on the 2005 volv s40 2.4. *tr
My vehicle shuts off while im driving it. I took it to a mechanic 3 times and was advised its an issue with the fuel pump. I was also advised this is an known issue with this particular vehicle and was provided a nhtsa campaign id # 08v033000. *tr
Other Volvo S40 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 S40 | 5 | 2 |
| 2010 S40 | 9 | 2 |
| 2009 S40 | 10 | 3 |
| 2008 S40 | 16 | 2 |
| 2007 S40 | 25 | 2 |
| 2006 S40 | 58 | 3 |
| 2005 | 69 | 3 |
| 2004 S40 | 48 | 6 |
| 2003 S40 | 18 | 2 |
| 2002 S40 | 27 | 1 |
| 2001 S40 | 84 | 2 |
| 2000 S40 | 122 | 1 |
See all Volvo S40 problems by year, every Volvo model, or the Volvo VIN decoder.
Similar Volvo models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Volvo S40?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 19 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Volvo S40?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Volvo S40 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other S40 model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.