NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
55,997 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2001 Volvo S40 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2001 Volvo S40 Owner Comments

problem #7

Jul 152020

S40 4-cyl

  • 15,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Me an my husband was driving the car an it started to run hot so we went an got the part to go on the car an when when we got back to my father in law house the car cut off an started to smoke real bad then went into flames an when we first got the car we got everything fix on it an then when you plug the montior to the the car it said we had ten codes up there an they was the same codes that was on the car an we know we had got everything fix on the car an we was still having problems with the car no we out of a car cause it went into flames.

- Wilson, NC, USA

problem #6

Jun 062019

S40

  • 67,000 miles
Ignition key will not turn past position 2 allowing for engine starting. The vehicle with stationary in park.

- Stuarts Draft, VA, USA

problem #5

Jun 152016

S40

  • 190,000 miles
I've contacted Volvo and demanded my money back and they refused, this is my next step before taking them to court for a measily 2,500. This car has caused me a headache unlike any other, the electrical system fails in this car and passes through it malfunctioning one thing after the next, my back window went up and down on its own, heating and cooling systems do whacky things which ruined the car making it overheat even after shops replace sensors and radiators, the main safety concern which Volvo is suppressing is that the electrical ghost also affects the braking system and accelerates, this is a main concern when you're on an expressway especially, it accelerates and you cannot hold the brake down hard enough to slow down, and it'll do it at random, and I know this is a problem with this year Volvo because I have a 1990 when it was Volvo and not bought my an american company and that car is perfect, and a cop talked to me for about an hour just before these bigger issues started happening, he'd owned a dealership and said this year Volvo has nothing but problems, and at that time I knew he was onto something because the air and heat buttons were doing all kinds of strange things, I was even in an accident once, a little fender bender thankfully just on a side street, my car wouldn't slow down and it skidded all T he way to the light and I dented someone's bumper, they let me slide because their car was a jalopy, but I've had this same electrical failure happening on expressways at various speeds

- East Chicago, IN, USA

problem #4

Nov 252011

S40

  • 51,334 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Engine stalled while the car was in a moving motion. A cracked case of the breather sensor damaged idle air control valve and blown the fuse for the engine sensors.this is a very serious problem. Luckily, I was not on high way and running 65 miles a hour. My son and I would be killed. Without warning, one failed sensor blown other engine sensors' fuse that on the same circuit. No doubt there is an electrical designing problem with this kind car.

- Somerville, MA, USA

problem #3

Mar 092006

S40 4-cyl

  • 24,000 miles
A defect has occurred since I purchased the car in 2005. The vehicle is a 2001 Volvo S40. The defect is with a resistor for the heater blower motor that operates erratically. This type of defect was identified as NHTSA recall number 01V169000. The dealer refuses to repair for free. The resistor that is defective and causing the problem. They claim that there are no outstanding recalls on this vehicle. Please clarify if this resistor defect is included under the recall.

- Cary, NC, USA

problem #2

Apr 162004

S40

  • 44,594 miles
When accelerating vehicle would down shift gears. The dealership will be notified. The dealer have not been able to duplicate the problem. The transmission jerking occurred, the engine light would come on. There would be a burning oil smell, the gear shifter would not release and would stick intermittently, the steering wheel squeaked and was unable to be duplicated, the windshield wipers would squeak, and the speaker was erratic. Trhe battery was replaced, the tail lights were out, the windshield was replaced.

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #1

Nov 032000

S40

  • Automatic transmission
  • 52 miles
For months, the service light comes on in the car. I have taken the car in for repair 6 times. Each time, the light comes back on. Volvo engineer came in Friday to supervise the repair of car. Saturday evening the light went on. Two weeks ago, dealer loaned me a 2003 V40 for several days while they worked on car. Surprise! service engine light went on in loaner car. During last visit to dealer, two people in front of me were coming in for service engine light! there is a problem with these cars. I am on a lease, and asking factory to terminate lease.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

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