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2020 Volvo XC40

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 2 of 12 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

4 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 19, 2026
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

The cooling system cracked, malfunctioned and caused a domino effect of multiple repair issues costing at least $5,200. My car is currently at a Volvo dealer. My Safety: The possibility of the hot engine and hot wires could have resulted in a fire. This problem HAS been reproduced and confirmed by a Volvo dealer. The vehicle ove…

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The cooling system cracked, malfunctioned and caused a domino effect of multiple repair issues costing at least $5,200. My car is currently at a Volvo dealer. My Safety: The possibility of the hot engine and hot wires could have resulted in a fire. This problem HAS been reproduced and confirmed by a Volvo dealer. The vehicle overheating was witnessed by the Fire Department and local police.. As far as sufficient Warning Lights or dashboard indications, the ONLY messages I received were 1} About 5 p.m. EST Battery indicator (at which point I pulled over immediately into Batteries Plus who said the battery wasn't fully charged- so they charged it and the light went off and they did not mention or report any other problems; About 9 p.m., 2 blocks from home, the "High Temperature" indicator went "ON" and so I pulled over into my driveway immediately. At 3 a.m. the car security alarm sounded and the hood was smoking at all angles so the Fire Department arrived in 5 minutes and disconnected the battery and stabilized the car within an hour and a half. The car was towed first thing in the morning. I am shocked that a 2020 Volvo would do this to me.

NHTSA ODI #11757999

Mileage unknown · Apr 9, 2024
Electrical SystemExterior LightingVisibility/wiper

During night rainstorm, front and rear wipers, turn signals and high beams all failed. This was the result of a design defect that allows water from panoramic moonroof to drain into the floor where it compromises electrical connections and modules. In addition to potentially catastrophic safety component (wipers, high beams an…

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During night rainstorm, front and rear wipers, turn signals and high beams all failed. This was the result of a design defect that allows water from panoramic moonroof to drain into the floor where it compromises electrical connections and modules. In addition to potentially catastrophic safety component (wipers, high beams and turn signals) failures, the water damage compromised the seat belts, as well, which also required repairs. Insurance adjuster confided that this is a frequent, common problem. Repairs took 10 days and cost $8700! Both the insurance adjuster and the dealer stated that there is no maintenance procedure an owner can do to avoid this problem.

NHTSA ODI #11581906

30,453 miles · Mar 27, 2023
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2020 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the speedometer and the infotainment system screen turned blank. The vehicle then lost motive power. The electronic stability program (ESP) warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife veered to the side of the ro…

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The contact owns a 2020 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the speedometer and the infotainment system screen turned blank. The vehicle then lost motive power. The electronic stability program (ESP) warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife veered to the side of the road, and the contact arrived at the scene. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the software control module and SRS air bags malfunction, which caused the vehicle to believe it was involved in a crash and to shut off automatically. The dealer determined there were no signs of a crash and performed a software update; however, the failure recurred while his wife was driving. The message "12V Battery Low Charge" was displayed. The contact's wife pulled into a parking lot and was able to restart the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,453.

NHTSA ODI #11513931

Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 2022
Electrical System

The electrical system on my car apparently failed, which rendered the car unable to start and drive. Park Place Volvo claims that there is water, that penetrated the seals, from underneath the car. Although there were no visible signs of water, Volvo claims that the rain caused this issue. Volvo has refused to honor a warrant…

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The electrical system on my car apparently failed, which rendered the car unable to start and drive. Park Place Volvo claims that there is water, that penetrated the seals, from underneath the car. Although there were no visible signs of water, Volvo claims that the rain caused this issue. Volvo has refused to honor a warranty for the alleged defective seals, and sent my car to its collision center.

NHTSA ODI #11481319

Official recalls

1

20V144000 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking; Forward Collision Avoidance:software:pedestrian/cyclist/object/obstacle/ Recognition

Mar 12, 2020

Volvo Cars USA LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2019-2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. Due to a software/hardware incompatibility, the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the automatic emergency braking system does not engage as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29998.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking

Volvo Cars USA LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2019-2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. Due to a software/hardware incompatibility, the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.

Consequence: If the automatic emergency braking system does not engage as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29998.

Forward Collision Avoidance:software:pedestrian/cyclist/object/obstacle/ Recognition

Volvo Cars USA LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2019-2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. Due to a software/hardware incompatibility, the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.

Consequence: If the automatic emergency braking system does not engage as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29998.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.