Volvo C30 Volvo C30

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Volvo C30 repairs by problem area

Engine (19%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)

Brakes and Traction Control (5%)

Suspension and Steering (20%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (26%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (12%)

Other (9%)

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Chart based on 386 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the Volvo C30.

Volvo C30 electrical repair cost distribution

$2500+ (2%)

$1000 - $2499 (7%)

$500 - $999 (4%)

$100 - $499 (29%)

< $100 (58%)

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Chart based on 83 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2012 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

25000 mi Dealer replaced dead battery and reprogrammed sat radio which apparently wasn't turning all the way off. Battery would drain if parked a week or more. 

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2011 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 6-speed manual FWD

4000 mi replaced driver side window motor window motor replaced 
16000 mi last year AC wouldn't cool, but had heat. this time AC works, but no heat. electronic climate control system module reprogrammed. 
40000 mi Dead battery 
14400 mi Car wouldn't start and all electrical systems were dead. Volvo roadside assistance towed it to the dealership where they found it needed a battery replacement. 
38300 mi Battery failed after just one year. 
255440 mi

C $1000
A/C clutch / solenoid not working; best to replace entire compressor.  

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2011 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

358 mi Replaced driver display console due to inoperative temp gauge. 
86800 mi A/C compressor 
6000 mi The dampeners were closing so no air was getting into the vehicle. They recalibrated the dampeners and did a software update. 
7000 mi Air conditioning, heating, and fan are working but air is not getting into the cabin due to dampener door not opening properly. The dampener door issue continued after two software loads and dampener door adjustments. Dealership decided to replace dampener motor which means taking the whole dash out of the car. 
41800 mi Battery drained in 4 days; software updated to fix satellite seeking when vehicle off. 
8000 mi The AC was blowing cold from one center vent while blowing hot from other center vent. The dealer had a software fix that had been used on other vehicles with the same problem. It seems to have been fixed. 
21000 mi An alarm siren module went bad. It was replaced under warranty when I had the 22K mile service done. 
25000 mi The hazard lights would come on intermittently when the car was either sitting unlocked or moving. 
37700 mi iPhone iOS 8 does not allow the car to skip forward a track or back a track with my cars computer. There is no fix, as volvo's software is outdated with no update possible. 
42100 mi DC outlets stopped working - fuse replaced.  
87000 mi

US $100
Battery died, replaced. oil change, engine air filter. 
92500 mi Headlight malfunction caused by bulb out and computer module needing replacement 
56000 mi Factory battery failed. 
41000 mi

US $195
Car slow to start for a week then would not start. 
59000 mi

US $110
HID headlight failed. Replaced both HID headlamp bulbs 
39000 mi

US $220
Sirius satellite radio drains battery when car is left parked for long periods. Dealer installed software update. 
48000 mi

US $2500
Compressor & condenser had to be replaced. 
18000 mi A/C was working intermittently. It was very weak or not working at all on on warm days. The dealer said the compressor clutch was not working. It took 1 day to get the part. It was replaced and the A/C is working fine now. 
22000 mi Ac was weak on hot days. Volvo tested temp to be 42 at center vents. They found a slight leak in the high side valve. They replaced the valve and charged system. It tested at 34f afterwards. 
36100 mi The satellite radio system had a known "parasitic drain" that caused the battery to die. The replaced the faulty part and all is well. 

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2010 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

61500 mi

US $2000
Replace electrical harness and battery 

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2009 Volvo C30

turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel automated manual 2WD

4000 mi Heater motor packed up after 3000 miles, had to be replaced 

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2009 Volvo C30 4-door

5-cylinder automatic 2WD

27280 mi One of the horns wasn't working - replaced. 

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2009 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 6-speed manual FWD

49000 mi Came home from vacation of 7 days and the battery was stone cold dead. Put the car on the charger for 8 hours. Car then ran fine, but reported "Alarm Service Required". This message vanished after a long road trip. 
50000 mi Battery was dead after several times leaving the car for 3 and 7 days. Figured the battery was failing. Reprogrammed the Sirius radio which had a TSB that referred to draining power. No idea if this will work. Need to leave car. 
37000 mi AC was cooling, but not as well as expected. Dealer replaced leaking fill valve & refilled refrigerant 
55000 mi Weight sensor in passanger seat for air bag deployment stopped working, TSB. 
15000 mi Passenger airbag off warning light would not go out when adult of adequate weight sitting in it. 
72000 mi

US $400
Sirius radio computer was draining battery 

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2009 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

29000 mi Radio/CD Player/Bluetooth stopped working. Volvo had to order an entire new unit. 
39000 mi Bluetooth is intermintently working -- looses signal--speakers don't work 
4340 mi

$60
Gear shift rubber sleeve protecting the gear shift from dust sliding under the pedestal was torn. Could not use manual shift i.e + (plus) & - (minus) as the movement into manual shift was hindered. 
3000 mi Stereo 
7000 mi AM radio inop. Did update. 
12000 mi Tow in, dead battery. Replaced battery under wty. 
120000 mi

US $222
kept draining the battery [alternator] 

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2009 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 177hp 2.4L I5 Diesel 6-speed manual FWD

22940 mi Faulty reading on oil sensor light. Reset sensor 

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2009 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

99-horsepower 1.6L I4 5-speed manual FWD

2000 mi Required new door lock mechanism. 

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2009 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

123-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

76260 mi

C $14
Headlight burned out 

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2008 Volvo C30

turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel manual 2WD

33000 mi Air conditioning was ineffective. System regassed and checked for leaks (no leaks found) - under warranty. 

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2008 Volvo C30

Engine not specified

34000 mi Airbag warning light. Seat sensor came loose under front passenger seat. Dealer reconnected and secured sensor. 

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2008 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 6-speed manual FWD

42780 mi

C $3000
Starter/Immobilizer failed 
145000 mi replaced battery under battery warranty 
49000 mi

US $150
They couldn't find the proper xenon headlight. So had to come back the following day. AN just missed the warranty cut off point. So had to pay out of pocket. 
43000 mi

US $500
air conditioner blower was intermittent then it quit working. 
7000 mi Cruise control randomly cut off. Replaced cruise angle sensor. 
89000 mi AC drain hose became clogged, leaving condensate to drain into passenger footwell. Seems to be common. Pulled back carpet, cleaned drain elbow. 
1000 mi Radio did not function. Brand new car. Ordered computer that controls the radio. The computer that control the climate system was faulty, part ordered. 
2000 mi New radio computer installed. New climate control computer installed. 
114000 mi

US $150
AC needed a recharge after 6 years of working fine. 
144000 mi

US $15
Adjusted the clutch on AC Compressor that was engaging inconsistently due to wear (ran fine when car first started, stopped engaging later on). 
151000 mi

US $90
Replaced Alternator which failed (core). Purchased a used alternator from a salvage yard to save on cost ($90 which they later refunded since the connector broke in shipping so FREE.99 ;) ). Heck of a job since you have to move the engine backwards 2 inches to get the alternator out. Would do it again :) 
45880 mi

C $100
Bad A/C fitting. And follow up on AC. The A/C was a bad fitting and the weather is snowing and winter days don't make for good air con checks. 
13000 mi Heater Controller broken. 
13500 mi passenger seat sensor replaced 
43400 mi

€40
Fuse 35 (Engine management) kept blowing all the time. Took it to the repair shop where the fuse no longer blowed. Reason never found. 
100000 mi

US $1200
Replaced compressor Battery replaced 
116500 mi

US $1003
Faulty damper motor module position. Recalibrated 

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2008 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

106600 mi

US $250
needed a switch replaced would not blow very cold air. 
75000 mi

US $150
SRS airbag service light came on. There was a loose wire under the passenger seat, which was repaired. 
105200 mi

US $160
Battery required replacement 
97000 mi

US $184
AC Compressor failed. 
164000 mi

US $1900
Drivers seat airbag and airbag control module were replaced due to shorting out because of a bad wire connection. 
78120 mi

C $450
Passenger seat air bag sensor wires rubbed bare and shorting out disabling the air bag. 
32000 mi AC wasn't blowing cold air. Condenser had a leak. Parts ordered and installed a week later 
45000 mi

US $240
Replaced battery 
15000 mi

US $158
Original battery failed at just under 15,000 miles. I assume this was due to mostly city driving, plus the battery was nearly 5 years old. 
16000 mi

US $100
Very simple recharge - no complications. 
18000 mi Again I had to replace the battery. I assume this is because my driving is very limited due to health problems. Regardless, I think the battery should have lasted longer. 
56000 mi Replace Bluetooth microphone. Replaced under warranty. 
37000 mi right turn signal turns on when the car run over a bump or pothole 
18000 mi AM radio went out 
108500 mi

US $938
Needed a new starter and alternator was starting to fail so I had that replaced too. Hopefully done trowing $ at this C30 for awhile. 
125000 mi

US $1700
Daughter forgot to completely insert dipstick and oil sprayed into the engine compartment and soaked the alternator which then fried out about a week later. 
52000 mi

US $18
Replaced both headlight bulbs. Removed bulbs were original to the car. 
82000 mi

US $25
Replaced both headlight bulbs. 
105000 mi

US $90
Top off Freon, lubricate compressor, test for leaks with dye 
88000 mi

US $100
Heater would not work, AC on all the time. Dash removed and heater blower motor replaced. 

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2008 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 134hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 6-speed manual FWD

50000 mi

£260
jammed starter motor 
63000 mi

£420
replace A/C heat exchange unit 
76500 mi

£300
faulty alternator 

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2008 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

123-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

77500 mi

$200
recharged A/C 

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2007.5 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 6-speed manual FWD

11780 mi Drivers front speaker not working 
23560 mi

C $205
AC flush and charge 

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2007.5 Volvo C30 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 227hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

21700 mi

C $245
Bi-xenon head lamp was replaced. It was out of warranty. 

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2006.5 Volvo C30 4-door

turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel manual 2WD

107260 mi

€900
Airbag control unit died, replaced. 

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Volvo C30 Electrical Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently Volvo C30 problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.