NHTSA — Engine Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
84,675 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.

2008 Volvo S40 engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Volvo S40 Owner Comments

problem #4

Aug 032021

S40 5-cyl

  • miles

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

After buying the vehicle on 7/9/21, the car started having problems with the cooling system. I took it to a repair shop and they said the cooling system was overfilled. The air problem continued. I took it back to the dealership who said they fixed it but it continued. I contacted the prior Manufactuer service center who informed me the computer chip was recommended to be replaced when the dealer had it serviced but they declined, causing all the electrical and cooling issues. I called the dealer and they said they had the alarm disconnected also which was why the computer system wasn't working. The alarm system doesn't work and I have had to replace the key fob 3 times. I took it to another repair shop who diagnosed the following as permanent failure codes: 6 CEM codes, 1 ECM code, 6 SRS codes, 2 DIM codes, 11 CEM-HS codes, passenger and driver door codes, 4 climate control codes, 1EPS code, 4 SWM codes, DD11, all of which are safety hazards.

- Saint Paul, MN, USA

problem #3

Aug 032018

S40

  • 191,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Volvo S40. While driving 60 mph, the vehicle overheated and stalled. In addition, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 191,000.

- Fairview Park, OH, USA

problem #2

Jul 272015

S40

  • 77,800 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Volvo S40. The contact stated that the oil trap and ventilation hose were damaged. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated, the vehicle made an abnormal noise, and there was an oil leak in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and it was confirmed the failure was in the oil trap and ventilation hose in the engine that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. There was a technical service bulletin rtj-19745 (engine and engine cooling), which extended the warranty for affected vehicles; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 77,800.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #1

Jun 202014

S40 5-cyl

  • 69,900 miles
My serpentine belt broke on 6/6/2014 and was replaced. On 6/20/2014 I was driving about 60mph on the interstate in Chicago, il when my vehicle stopped accelerating and eventually stopped. This nearly caused an accident on the interstate, but I was able to pull to the left shoulder before being struck. I had to have the vehicle towed to a shop where it was determined that when the serpentine belt broke, shards of that belt went in to the timing belt area. This is due to a flawed design on my make of Volvo. The timing cover is not sealed, allowing particles to enter this area causing severe damage and nearly causing an accident. I have 20 bent valves that now need to be replaced due to this design flaw. There is no technician service bulletin that would have notified mechanics to be aware of this potential problem when a serpentine belt breaks, so my mechanic would not have known to look for this, which would have prevented the almost $3,000 worth of damage. This caused my car to completely shut down in the middle of traffic, which could have resulted in not only my death, but potentially other fatalities. I have requested Volvo correct what has occurred due to their design flaw, and lack of public notification but they have not agreed to do so. This is a known concern at the local Volvo dealership level, as my mechanic contacted a local Volvo dealership in orland park, il and was advised by the mechanic that they are seeing this issue on not only my model, but other Volvo models as well. This problem, if it is not known to mechanics, can and did cause a complete loss of power in the vehicle. This increases the risk of a crash or potential fatality. As you can tell, I have few miles on my vehicle for it being 6 years old, so there is no reason for having to replace 20 valves in the engine, other than due to the design flaw. Thank you so much for your time.

- Chicago, IL, USA

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