2024 Volvo XC40 Owner Complaints

Right when I turned the car on, a million different alarms went off saying different systems weren’t available. Then I started driving, and it accelerated normally, but when I took foot off accelerator: it didn’t slow down. This was really noticeable because I had one pedal drive on, which means taking foot off the gas acts as a very light brake. I could slow down with the brake, but then as soon as I took my foot off the gas, it would speed back up. Really weird feeling: it was like the cruise control had set itself and it was taking me back to that speed. But braking worked, so I could stop and control the car with just the regular brake. But then when I came to a full stop, it just locked up: parking brake on and wouldn’t come off. I just basically kept trying things to get it going again and it finally did. But then it happened again, where it would accelerate on its own and I had to control the car with just the brake. I had the car towed for repair the next day, and the tow truck driver said he noticed it accelerating on its own as he drove it up onto the truck. Volvo maintenance also confirmed the problem. They had the car forever and ultimately decided it was a problem with my “external audio module”.

NHTSA ID

11756190

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

Randomly, the sound from the infotainment system stops working. This impacts the turn signal sound inside the car, the cross traffic alert sound, blind spot warning sounds, etc. This can be fixed by restarting the infotainment center, but this is not safe to do while driving. Being unable to hear the turn signal increases the chance of forgetting to turn it off, causing confusion for other drivers. This issue has not been confirmed by the dealer or manufacturer, although other infotainment issues have been acknowledged. The failure is random, with no indication before hand.

NHTSA ID

11755741

Incident

Aug 9, 2026

Blindingly bright passenger-side map light came on for no reason, illuminating the car and startling the driver AND other nearby drivers (it was night). Light would not respond to touch-sensitive on/off control. Had to cycle dome lights (another distraction and even more light) to get light to turn off.

NHTSA ID

11748717

Incident

Jul 4, 2026

Front camera stop working . Today it's the second time. Not sure if a software glitch but first time need to be replaced.

NHTSA ID

11748329

Incident

Jul 5, 2026

passenger side map light keeps activating. It will not shut off via touch controls. only cycling the dome light manually (not by opening a door) tends to rectify the problem. Shutting off and restarting the vehicle does not work. It's particularly distracting at night for both driver and nearby traffic. Repeated trips to service deny the activity, although it is discussed heavily on discussion boards and forums, particularly centering on recalls of the infotainment head unit (which the dealer also denied there was a recall despite notices and even carfax reports).

NHTSA ID

11747706

Incident

Jun 30, 2026

Passenger side map light activates and locks on for no reason. This can be particularly disruptive at night. The only way to switch off the light is by cycling the dome lights disruptive and dangerous at night. Light may still activate and lock on for no reason.

NHTSA ID

11732814

Incident

Apr 21, 2026

Brake system failed. I was NOT in one pedal mode. I have up to date software. After break system failed I was unable to put vehicle in park. Parking break could not be applied. Could not turn car off or lock doors. I was driving on interstate when it occurred. I got multiple warnings on display. I was lucky to pull over and not crash.

NHTSA ID

11727849

Incident

Mar 29, 2026

The contact owned a 2024 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that his wife was entering a parking lot at approximately 10 MPH when she heard the vehicle engine abnormally revving and the vehicle independently accelerated. The vehicle drove through the parking lot and crashed into a tree. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger front air bags deployed, and the front collision avoidance had not engaged. The contact stated that the vehicle crashed into the tree almost at the center of the front bumper and grill. The hood had been crushed, the grill cracked, and the bumper had been torn off. The contact stated that the police arrived on scene but did not write a report since no other vehicles were involved. The contact stated that his wife had scrapes and bruises on both arms and scrapes on her nose and forehead. The wife was not attended to by EMT, but later went to the ER for neck and back pain. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and later declared a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. The contact had contacted the manufacturer, who sent a technician to download information from the vehicle computers. The contact stated that a summary was released by the manufacturer that indicated that the crash was a driver error. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA ID

11723648

Incident

Jan 14, 2025

Mileage

8,000 mi

On two separate occasions, brakes failed completely in snow. Vehicle did not appear to be hydroplaning, and anti-lock function did not kick-in despite the pedal being floored. Pumping had no effect either. Safety sensors around the car should have detected motion even if the wheels were locked-up and should initiate anti-lock procedures as well. Distance traveled (at low speed due to snow and heavy traffic) was well over 100 feet. Emergency stopping feature finally engaged anti-lock brakes about 1/2 second before impact. To avoid a second crash (someone two vehicles ahead caused a pileup) a year later, driver had the wherewithal (and space) to leave the roadway when brakes failed to even slow the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11718226

Incident

Jan 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Volvo XC40. The contact stated while in reverse (R) and backing up at approximately 2 MPH, the vehicle rear view camera proximity warning lights had failed. The contact described the proximity warning as dots that show a visual progression of how close the rear bumper was to objects, yellow, orange, and red. The contact stated that the red dot signaled to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the colored dots had been working as she was adjusting the vehicle to allow her to open the trunk, however when she had again shifted to reverse (R) to park the vehicle, the warning dots had disappeared from the display panel, and the contact crashed into some shelving located behind the vehicle. The contact stated that a shelf at the level of the rear windshield had shattered the windshield. The contact had not yet taken the vehicle to a glass shop or to a dealer. The contact stated that she had only called the dealer for information and was advised to bring the vehicle to the dealer's repair shop. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact reported that in 2025, she had had a recall, NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V282000 (Back Over Prevention), completed, but was not sure if the current failure was related. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

NHTSA ID

11710865

Incident

Jan 10, 2026

Mileage

12,000 mi

My Volvo XC40 front sunroof cracked wavy crack across front in internal glass. There was frozen ice on top of car which I left alone because of the glass roof underneath. When driving home today from work a huge chunk of ice lifted off top of car and the sunroof cracked internally across the front glass. I heard it crack. I am reporting this because apparently this is not an isolated issue. Many others I've discovered have had their panoramic sunroofs cracked and fail with no inciting incident on XC40Forum.com and apparently Volvo is not admitting to failure but telling owners there must have been something that hit the roof which hasn't been owners' experiences. If the sunroof is cracked and fails it can break off glass ultimately and cause others harm on the road.

NHTSA ID

11707391

Incident

Dec 28, 2025

The complaint is for Software Update 7.3 and the previous update for the 2024 Volvo XC40. Those updates modified the rear backup camera view, directing the camera downward. This is a critical problem when backing out of diagonal parking, where an adjacent vehicle blocks the backup view. The revised backup camera setting directs the view downward toward the pavement directly behind the car. The critical view area is in the upper right-hand corner of the lower camera view and occupies a very small area. This format causes two flaws. First, the small area requires a greater focus, which takes the driver's eyes off the exterior surrounding events. Second, the rear view should be positioned above the overhead view, making it easier to check the camera view and double-check for pedestrians and vehicles that are outside the camera's field of view. I contacted the dealer and checked Volvo online, but there is no reporting method for this problem, and no fix to redirect the camera upward. Note the red box in the photo to see the difficulty in early awareness of approaching vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11690630

Incident

Sep 30, 2025

2024 Volvo xc40 with 10,000 miles suddenly became completely disabled on the express lane of a highway. The flashers were inoperable. The windows could not be opened. Road ranger was called. Nothing was wrong with the battery. Car was towed to a safe spot. Car was taken to Volvo dealership. Volvo determine that serpentine belt came apart and the tensioner was the cause - a manufacturer defect. This was very dangerous situation for the driver and unusual for a car with such low miles to have such a break in the serpentine belt. Fortunately there was an accident ahead and cars were traveling slowly in the express lane.

NHTSA ID

11688879

Incident

Sep 12, 2025

I pulled over right side of street to park behind a parked vehicle to a visit house across the street. Was too far out from curb so I backed up about 12-15 feet or so. Put car in drive and slowly started to drive toward curb when car suddenly accelerated very hard. I turned steering to left to avoid hitting the car in front, straightened car out but could not stop it until it stopped about 20-30 feet down the road. Brake was not stopping my car. The acceleration was something like being on a ramp to get on highway and pressing pedal down to get to highway speed. It was a very hard acceleration. Very frightening. I got an appointment tomorrow for volvo service to look at this. Drove the car after this happened and today without any incident. I bought the car new in Mar 2024 and have NEVER experience this.

NHTSA ID

11679819

Incident

Aug 9, 2025

am writing to formally report a serious issue involving the sale of a Certified Pre-Owned Volvo by a franchised Volvo dealership in Pennsylvania that I believe violates consumer protection standards and certified vehicle regulations. On [XXX], I purchased a 2024 Volvo XC40 from Volvo Cars Fort Washington, represented and sold to me as a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle. However, I have since discovered that this vehicle had an active safety recall as of May 1, 2025, prior to the sale. The recall was related to a malfunction in the safety camera system, which could potentially lead to severe accidents and endanger the driver and passengers. Despite this open recall, the vehicle was still certified and sold to me without any disclosure of the safety issue. I only learned about the recall after experiencing a problem with the camera system and independently seeking service. This violates the core standards of manufacturer-backed CPO programs, which clearly state that no certified vehicle may be sold with an unresolved safety recall. I believe this sale represents a misrepresentation of the vehicle’s condition, a failure of duty to disclose, and a potential violation of consumer protection laws in the state of Pennsylvania. I am requesting that this matter be investigated and that appropriate action be taken against the dealership for selling a vehicle as “certified” when it did not meet the required safety and certification standards. Details: •Dealer Name: Volvo Cars Fort Washington •Vehicle: 2024 Volvo XC40 •VIN: [XXX] •Purchase Date: [XXX] •Recall Issue Date: May 1, 2025 •Nature of Recall: Safety camera malfunction that could lead to accidents •Consumer: [XXX] •Address: [XXX] •Email: [XXX] •Phone: [XXX] I am happy to provide additional documentation, including sales contracts, service records, and communications with the dealer, upon request INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11677425

Incident

Jul 7, 2025

Volvo xc40 recharge back up camera views Front, Left and right side, rear Views don’t show any video view. Instead I get a black screen with 4 yellow circles with a camera in the center of the circle and a diagonal line through the circle…signifying an inoperative camera

NHTSA ID

11673678

Incident

Jul 15, 2025

The Infotainment system in this automobile freezes frequently denying access to critical auto controls such as, one pedal EV driving, air conditioning/heating controls and many other controls. I have received a message that the, "Camera is Unavailable" and the screen goes dark. The dealer has attempted to reload the software and update the software multiple times all without any remedy.

NHTSA ID

11666908

Incident

Apr 4, 2025

Brake failure. I was slowing to stop at traffic light when “brake failure” warning came on. I then stepped on the brake and it was not working. I turned on a side street just bf the traffic light and coasted to a stop amd turned car off. Airbag not operative light came on and seatbelts were tightening then loosening. I could have hit cars stopped at the light.

NHTSA ID

11665414

Incident

Jun 5, 2025

Car suddenly accelerated/stuck accelerator in the parking lot hitting several vehicles. Issues: sudden acceleration AND the car did not apply the emergency braking system.

NHTSA ID

11655323

Incident

Apr 17, 2025

Trunk does not fully open when you less the open button. It partially opens maybe 75%. My husband and I have both hit our heads - my forehead was cut and now I have scar. This malfunction has happened 3-4 times. No pattern discernible.

NHTSA ID

11626306

Incident

Nov 2, 2024

This issue has happened multiple times while owning this vehicle. Sometimes the car does engage into Park after pushing the park button. Sometimes we have to push the Park button 2-3 times just for it to move from Drive to Park. We have been into some close calls with the car not engaging in Park and coming close to crashing into either light pole or another vehicle. Could cause injury even anyone was present in front of the vehicle

NHTSA ID

11620826

Incident

Aug 29, 2024

I am a new leasee of a Volvo XC40 Recharge (leased September 13, 2024). When starting my car from a decline on my driveway, or in a parking spot on a decline, after putting the car in reverse, the car immediately surges forward 20 inches before I have to hit the brakes again to make it stop from hitting a car in front of me. The same behavior occurs if I am parked on an incline and put the car in drive - it immediately surges backwards and I have to hit the brakes to make the car stop. This issue puts my and other cars parked in front or behind me at risk of being hit when trying to leave a parking spot. This issue was confirmed by the dealer (see attachment) and replicated on another XC40 Recharge that the dealer tested it on. The service rep stated that "As far as Volvo is concerned at this time the vehicle is working as designed and this is a normal characteristic of the vehicle." I am not sure why they would say this as a car should not surge forward when it reverse or backward when in drive. No other car in the history of my driving cars has ever done this.

NHTSA ID

11619951

Incident

Sep 14, 2024

My wife pulled into a neighbor's driveway and put the car in Park. The car stopped. She reached over to the passenger's seat to pick up an item and the car lurched forward, crashing into the closed garage door before she could stop it. There were no warning lights alerting her that this would happen. She later told me, though, there had been previous instances of the car "bucking" after she had put it into park. The incident clearly posed a safety risk to my wife and others. Had someone been standing in front of the car when this happened, they could have been seriously injured or killed. Had the car not stopped after hitting the garage door, my wife, too, could have been seriously injured or killed. Had this happened in an area such as a parking lot, others also might have been injured. Volvo advised me not to file a police report at this time. The vehicle was inspected at Wallace Volvo in Stuart, Florida, and would be available for additional inspection. Volvo claims to have found liquid on internal parts. The larger, and more important question, though, is how the vehicle’s design could have allowed that to happen. Facts clearly point to a design flaw. The vehicle design clearly allows liquid to reach the parts in question and create the problem we experienced. If Volvo had designed the vehicle with a “tight” interior – a design that would have protected internal parts and not left them vulnerable – no amount of liquid in any amount from any source under any circumstance would have ended up in the vehicle’s internal parts. In my claim to Volvo, I asked that they make repairs to assure that this never happens again. They conceded that they did perform "repairs" to the vehicle but called it a "one-time good will gesture." I also asked Volvo to pay for the body damage to my vehicle and the damage ($2,364) caused to my neighbor's garage door by the malfunctioning vehicle. Volvo has refused to compensate me for the damage caused by their malfunctioning vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11614571

Incident

Aug 7, 2024

The reverse lights are not bright enough when backing up at night. When using the backup camera, the driver is unable to see anything behind the car, as the lights do not shine bright enough to illuminate the area of the camera. There is no way to adjust the brightness of the camera or the lights.

NHTSA ID

11611252

Incident

Apr 8, 2024

There have been several times when slowly backing up when monitoring the mirrors and backup camera that the car had a very violent stop. I wasn't going fast at all and was within two feet of objects that I'm very familiar with. My old car handled backing up fine and didn't stop so violently. The warning on the old car got quicker as I got closer. This Volvo does have an increasingly rapid beep too but as you monitor the space it jerks so hard before it's really close enough to hit. This week I was backing up in a parking lot with NOTHING around me. I was still going slowly but the backup camera picked up an asphalt strip in between two cement pads and jerked so hard I have had whiplash like symptoms right after and ever since. The car stopped so hard my neck snapped back and I hit my head on the headrest. This incident was the most violent but there have been others that are too harsh for the slow moving conditions and insignificance of the objects.

NHTSA ID

11581246

Incident

Apr 2, 2024