BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
2023 Volvo XC40
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 45 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2023 Volvo XC40, most frequently naming the driver assistance, electrical and brakes categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 212 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2022 | 1 | 1 |
| Mar 2023 | 1 | 2 |
| May 2023 | 1 | 3 |
| Jun 2023 | 1 | 4 |
| Sep 2023 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 2023 | 2 | 7 |
| Nov 2023 | 1 | 8 |
| Dec 2023 | 1 | 9 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 10 |
| Apr 2024 | 1 | 11 |
| Jun 2024 | 2 | 13 |
| Sep 2024 | 1 | 14 |
| Oct 2024 | 1 | 15 |
| Dec 2024 | 1 | 16 |
| Jan 2025 | 3 | 19 |
| Feb 2025 | 1 | 20 |
| Mar 2025 | 2 | 22 |
| May 2025 | 2 | 24 |
| Jul 2025 | 3 | 27 |
| Aug 2025 | 2 | 29 |
| Sep 2025 | 1 | 30 |
| Oct 2025 | 2 | 32 |
| Nov 2025 | 1 | 33 |
| Jan 2026 | 1 | 34 |
| Feb 2026 | 1 | 35 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 | 36 |
| Jun 2026 | 4 | 40 |
| Jul 2026 | 2 | 42 |
| Aug 2026 | 1 | 43 |
| Sep 2026 | 2 | 45 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Driver assistance2237.9%
- Electrical1220.7%
- Brakes1017.2%
- Visibility35.2%
- Body & structure23.4%
- Seat belts23.4%
- Steering23.4%
- Powertrain (other)11.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
4 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govBACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
I was pulling into a parking space at very low speed and was in the final stage of positioning the vehicle in the parking space. I was intentionally controlling the vehicle’s movement by gradually lifting my foot from the brake pedal. Instead of continuing to move forward slowly as expected, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward with substantial force and speed greater than would be expected from simply releasing the brake pedal, and crashed into a cement wall. I did not intentionally press the accelerator or attempt to accelerate the vehicle. The collision caused substantial damage to the vehicle. The repair estimate is $14,644.25. The vehicle was NOT in cruise control. The Volvo-installed rubber floor mats were securely attached to the factory retaining pegs on the floor and were not loose or displaced. The vehicle’s Forward Collision Avoidance system did not engage or provide an automatic braking intervention before the vehicle struck the cement wall. The airbag did not deploy. The seat belt did not lock into place during the crash. I am submitting this complaint because the vehicle was being maneuvered at extremely low speed during a parking maneuver and unexpectedly accelerated forward with sufficient force to cause a collision with a cement wall, and resulted in significant vehicle damage. I am concerned that this may represent a safety defect. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this incident is part of a broader pattern involving the 2023 Volvo XC40 B5 mild-hybrid, including accelerator/throttle system, brake system, transmission, electronic controls, sensors, software, or communication between these systems. And consider examination of the vehicle’s electronic data, including accelerator-pedal position, brake-pedal position, throttle commands, engine-control-module data, transmission commands, brake-control-module data, diagnostic trouble codes, freeze-frame/event data and relevant software versions immediately preceding the collision.
- NHTSA ID
- 11765706
- Incident
- Sep 10, 2026
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.
- NHTSA ID
- 11763812
- Incident
- Sep 12, 2026
Vehicle has 26k miles on it and is under mfr warranty. Dealer-covered warranty has included five (5) visits to address electrical issues with the most recently being 8/13/26. Dealer "system reflash" is not solving the problems. Electrical / safety issues persists, which include: Loss of ALL audio: blinker sounds, all audible safety alerts (seatbelt warning, park assist, blind spot, forward collision alert, and lane keeping). This has also occassionally coincided with a full dark-out of the driver dashboard while the vehicle is running (speedometer, entire instrument panel). This vehicle is for our teenage daughter and dealer efforts combined with my trouble-shooting (car on/off, hard system reset) is not solving the issue. The backup camera also regularly failed to work and on 12/10/24, the dealer addressed as part of earlier recall notice and the camera seems to be working fine. Other than above, the car has operated normally.
- NHTSA ID
- 11758689
- Incident
- Dec 10, 2024
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.
- NHTSA ID
- 11752676
- Incident
- Jul 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was directed downward towards the bumper and the ground. The rearview camera image was not displaying within a normal viewing range, making it difficult to park. No warning lights illuminated. A local dealer was contacted, but was unable to determine a related fault code. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
- NHTSA ID
- 11749318
- Incident
- Jan 1, 2026
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)
- NHTSA ID
- 11747055
- Incident
- Jun 19, 2026
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)
- NHTSA ID
- 11744615
- Incident
- Jun 16, 2026
While I was driving, the infotainment system turned itself off twice during the same trip. First time was on a highway and was extremely scary. I wasn’t in a place I could easily pull over to assess. Both the main screen in the middle console and the screen behind the steering wheel went dark. Volvo NEEDS to figure it out re infotainment. It shouldn’t be turning itself off mid drive and then ultimately rebooting itself while the car is moving. I have already installed all the updates, but clearly it wasn’t enough/effective.
- NHTSA ID
- 11744378
- Incident
- Jun 14, 2026
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
This is a TJ - text, plus 2 PDF's - If there is a "Check Engine Light" lit in the DIM with one or a combination of the DTC's listed below, please follow the advice for checks and inspection procedures under "service".
This is a TJ - Text - plus 2 instruction documents (TJI's) - + 2 PDFS + how to find structure week + flow chart, 6 in all. If the Check Engine Light is on in the DIM and one or more of the DTCs listed below are set, please follow the advice under "Service".
This is a Technical Journal: iCUP IHU - Text plus 1 PDF Prior Approval. In most cases, the IHU does not need to be replaced -In many cases the Infotainment Head Unit (IHU) does not need to be replaced and can be retained by following the fault tracing in VIDA.
This is a TJ - Text plus 1 jpg - If the Check Engine Light is on and DTC ECM P052123 is stored, please follow the advice under "Service". with emphasis on the engine part numbers and serial numbers.
This is a TJ - Text - plus 2 instruction documents (TJI's) - + 2 PDFS + how to find structure week + flow chart, 6 in all. If the Check Engine Light is on in the DIM and one or more of the DTCs listed below are set, please follow the advice under "Service".
This is a TJ - Text plus 1 jpg - If the Check Engine Light is on and DTC ECM P052123 is stored, please follow the advice under "Service". with emphasis on the engine part numbers and serial numbers.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.