Volvo S40 reliability by year
5 recalls and 205 owner complaints across 7 model years. Best year to buy: 2007. Year to avoid: 2006.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 7 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the S40 aggregated across 7 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Volvo S40?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2007 Volvo S40 scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2011 range. 25 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Volvo S40 year should I avoid?
The 2006 Volvo S40 scores 7.6/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 59 owner complaints with NHTSA, 2 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2006 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Volvo S40 should I avoid?
No Volvo S40 model year currently rises to an "avoid" or "high-risk" verdict on the NHTSA data — either the record is clean or sample sizes are still too thin for a confident call. The year-by-year breakdown below shows what's on file regardless.
How many years of the Volvo S40 are tracked?
7 model years (2005 through 2011) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 5 recalls and 205 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Volvo S40?
electrical is the most-reported category — 49 complaints across 4 model years. Average shop repair runs about $850.