Volvo S40 Volvo S40

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Volvo S40 repairs by problem area

Engine (30%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (8%)

Brakes and Traction Control (7%)

Suspension and Steering (16%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (27%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (6%)

Other (5%)

Chart based on 497 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the Volvo S40.

Volvo S40 engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (4%)

$1000 - $2499 (8%)

$500 - $999 (20%)

$100 - $499 (30%)

< $100 (39%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 132 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2011 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

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

27900 mi

C $840
Replaced turbo fan 

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2011 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 113hp 1.6L I4 Diesel 6-speed manual FWD

2170 mi Reprogramming again 
3100 mi Rattle in door fixed, A/C cleaned (bad smell), 2 CPU replaced, new program uploaded, wiper washer replaced 

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2009 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

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

120044 mi

US $167
Replaced coolant reservoir 

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2008 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

168-horsepower 2.4L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

58200 mi

US $600
Check Engine Light was going on/off. CAN-OBD2 scanner indicated P00089 - Fuel Pressure Regulator Performance. Expected cause was faulty fuel injection pressure sensor - common problem on S40s. Shop updated software with Volvo download. 
60300 mi

US $900
Check engine light on with trouble codes. AC also stopped working at same time. Difficult for shop to troubleshoot. Suspected leak detection pump or ECM. Problem was a shorted sensor in oil pan. 

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2007 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 6-speed manual AWD

56920 mi

C $70
Compressor Bypass Valve (CBV) had torn diaphragm. Replaced. 
60300 mi Parking brake was stuck. Cable was siezed. Greased cable and worked it back and forth several times, resolved. 
62000 mi

C $100
Failed passenger side engine mount. Mount replaced. 
73360 mi PCV failure. Replaced under extended PCV warranty. 
83700 mi Leaking crank seal/valve seals 
80000 mi

US $5
Air intake (vacuum line) after the throttle body to the intake manifold had split causing an engine code. I got a code reader, looked it up myself, went on line and quarried the forums and found the problem. Replaced a flexible line with one from Autozone with new clamps and this solved the problem. Gas mileage increased 2 mpg. 

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2007 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

73100 mi

US $1400
Replaced PCV box 
80000 mi

US $285
Replace front motor mount 
80000 mi

US $612
engine service urgent light on. Dealer changed fuel pressure switch and spark plugs. 
80000 mi

US $899
Engine light on, replaced leak detection pump 

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2007 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

106300 mi

US $500
Previous owner's exhaust repairs without proper pipe alignment contributed to premature flex pipe failure at the manifold. Replaced flex pipe, repaired hangers, and realigned exhaust. Allowed mechanic flexible lift time between smaller jobs to save cost. 
123000 mi

US $40
Fuel rail pressure sensor erratic. Replaced. 
126000 mi

US $1900
Replace failed PCV system. Replace leaking camshaft seals. 
129000 mi

US $900
Replaced rusted/patched factory cat-back exhaust with SS system. 
117000 mi

US $615
replaced upper and lower radiator hoses as well as coolant reservoir. 
152000 mi

US $500
PCV system required replacement. Of note, this had been completed by prior owner at ~60,000 miles and occurred again during my ownership. May have been associated with switch from regular to synthetic oil. 
70000 mi Intermittent non-starting. Had to insist the RAC towed to garage eventually so that fault was present on investigation. Fault recurred 4 times over 6 months. Garage said it was throttle valve assembly, which was replaced. 

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2007 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 177hp 2.4L I5 Diesel 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

44000 mi dash warning - engine system service required. Told that oil pressure sensor needed replacing and replaced. One week later same dash warning appeared. Now ongoing 
50000 mi 'Engine system service required' message display. Solved by replacing oil level sensor and reduction in oil level - dpf regeneration issue, though dealer did not admit. Dealer did put sticker on engine cover denoting new, lower oil level! 

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2007 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

168-horsepower 2.4L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

47500 mi

US $100
Fuel pressure sensor failing. Replaced under extended warranty. 
49000 mi Breather box replaced at no charge. Volvo has issued an extended warranty for this piece due to numerous problems. Our S40 had the same problem at the same mileage. 
65000 mi

US $232
Warning light. One item was under a recall / warranty. The second, an update that was due, cost $231.70. 
59000 mi

US $1400
coolant water bottle replaced. 
95500 mi

US $1100
replace air box assembly. I was unable to remove the size 6 torq bolts the were striped and the inlet hose was deteriorated, it was unrepairable. replaced motor mount due to vibration at idle. 
69380 mi

C $330
PCV valve stuck open and a split hose 
93000 mi

C $600
replace starter 
75000 mi Engine making a loud noise when accelerating, almost sounded like an exhaust leak, but also noticed that the engine power was reduced when making this noise 

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2007 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

168-horsepower 2.4L I5 5-speed manual FWD

4000 mi Software update to fix start shudder stall issue. 
92500 mi

US $300
Upper radiator hose leaking. Labor rate high for accessing hose. Many parts needed removal. 
99000 mi

US $200
Another radiator hose replacement 
104000 mi

US $30
Replaced PCV hose to engine filter. 
118000 mi

US $30
Fuel pressure sensor on intake manifold failed, causing CEL. Sensor replaced. 
128000 mi

US $200
PCV system /oil filter housing failed, causing CEL. Part replaced 
129000 mi

US $300
Poor acceleration. Engine knock sensor replaced 

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2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 6-speed manual AWD

105000 mi

US $250
One engine mount was completely ruptured. 
123000 mi

US $508
I noticed coolant leaking from the front of the car and the A/C would stop working after 20 minutes. Replaced upper radiator hose and recharged A/C. Leak is fixed but may need new A/C compressor. I will wait to replace compressor ($1,100) 
128000 mi

US $185
A very common issue with Volvo's of this vintage is failure of the Fuel Pressure Sensor. My symptoms were a noticeable drop in engine power while cruising. Sensor replaced with updated Volvo part by indy mechanic. Power loss issue solved. 
154000 mi

US $150
The latest problem is bad valve guide seals which require a new engine head. ($2,900) at independent mechanic shop. Still love Volvo cars. 
157000 mi Since the valve guide seal replacement was half the value of the car, I decided to sell. It didn't make sense to spend so much money on a car with 157k miles. Volvo makes great car but needs better resale value. I bought a 2012 Passat. 

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2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

25420 mi Emission system noise. A valve was replaced. 
26660 mi

$200
Emission system noise. A valve was replaced (this is the 2nd time this happens). 

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2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

32000 mi Car would not start. Had to be towed to the dealer. Computer had a code in it. Dealer cleared code. Car started. 
45000 mi Car was brought in and worked on three times. Problem couldn't be found. Computer had no code defaults. Last time in computer had a code. Volvo held the car 'til 2 modules could be replaced. Starter Control and ignition control modules were replaced. 
55000 mi

US $300
Ignition switch became eratically inoperable 
66000 mi

US $38
PCV oil trap vaccuum leak triggered check engine light and made noise, issue was repaired under manufacturer extended warranty PCV oil trap defective...discovered from a check engine light. Volvo extended 100,000 warranty covered 

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2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

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

126000 mi

£292
battery completely flat tryed to start with power pack not enough power then immobiliser see manual warning came on car then made no attempt to start had to take to volvo for reset of the whole ECM system. i did replace the battery first. 
58000 mi

£98
Dpf pressure sensor failed. After much reluctance, selling dealer paid half of costs 

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2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

168-horsepower 2.4L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

155000 mi

US $150
Blown head gasket 
12000 mi

US $200
Check Engine light illuminated. Gas cap needed to be replaced & then mechanic did analysis of car for other maintenance. 
13000 mi

US $1200
Check engine light came on & then it stopped coming on after a few days. Mechanic originally forgot to read the code. Brought car back for code to be read & nothing was found wrong. 
13000 mi

US $1000
Oxygen sensor needed to be replaced per check engine light & diagnostics by mechanic. 
60620 mi

C $500
lack of cabin heat. Replaced thermostat, coolant recovery tank. 
102300 mi accelerator pedal sensor failure 
33000 mi Check engine light came on; TSB had been issued to repair. 

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2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

168-horsepower 2.4L I5 5-speed manual FWD

84700 mi The flame trap needed to be repaired/replaced. It was covered under a warranty extended specifically for that problem. 
157000 mi

US $610
Check Engine light on, had state-required emission test done, had to replace the catalytic converter. 
170000 mi

US $1490
Ignition coil #2 failed, needed to be replaced. $270. During repair service for ignition coil, they noticed my fuel pressure sensor was bad. Oil trap was clogged - technician noticed it while car was in for another repair. $700. 
189000 mi

US $120
Broken engine mount, top, passenger side. Easy. 

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2005 Volvo S40

Engine not specified

80000 mi Software update 

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2005 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 6-speed manual FWD

98000 mi

US $700
Cracked diapragm in the breather box. Breather box replaced. 
49000 mi

US $398
Fuel pressure sensor replaced 
77000 mi Cracked PCV Box 

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2005 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 6-speed manual AWD

58000 mi

US $219
Intermittent Check Engine Light 
111000 mi

US $1400
Cam seal oil leak 
117400 mi

US $400
Engine mount damaged 
127000 mi

US $350
Cracked Coolant Reservoir 
116000 mi

US $51
Harmonic Balance nut worked loose, caused belts to be thrown, quick fix but could of blown my engine. 
149500 mi

US $80
Replace engine torque mount. Shim AC compressor. 
164000 mi

US $220
Replace PCV oil trap. 
169000 mi

US $1200
Replace fuel pump 
38000 mi TSB 205 - PCV Vent box. Dealer did not reconnect dipstick tube to engine in Sep service #1. Dipstick tube fell out of oil pan. When I brought it in, they pop-riveted it back on! This time they replaced the PCV assembly and used a bolt to secure the dipstick tube. After 3 visits! 
47000 mi

US $950
O2 sensor check engine light, dealer replaced battery harness and O2 sensor. 
89000 mi

US $6700
Timing belt tensioner failed 
ac belt and drive belt because of a chirp coming from the engine. 

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2005 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

24000 mi Some vibrations at low and high speeds were repaired under warranty with software update for the transmission and replacement of an axle. Axle could have been damaged from pot hole from hell. All fixed under warranty. 
67000 mi

US $90
Clogged PCV caused a squealing noise.  I replaced the oil filter housing. 
59000 mi

US $125
Coolant reservoir developed a crack and all coolant leaked out 
60000 mi

US $86
When driving, the car gave bucking sensation so severe, it felt like I had been rear-ended by another car. After this, I received the message "Transmission Service Urgent" and odd transmission behavior. Dealer performed TCM software upgrade 
42000 mi

US $400
fuel pressure sensor failure 

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2005 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

86180 mi

C $350
Hole in flex pipe, flex pipe was replaced with a new OEM grade unit 
45880 mi Oil trap box (housing oil filter is attached to) - plugged 

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2005 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

168-horsepower 2.4L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

136000 mi

US $3500
some belt broke and tore my air conditioner lines up. if i kept driving it it would have totaled the car 
40000 mi I needed a software upgrade (ECM Gasoline Up) and the PCV hose from the oil trap to the head failed. 

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2005 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

168-horsepower 2.4L I5 5-speed manual FWD

25000 mi Engine light came on - needed to have carbon deposits removed from intake manifold. 
55000 mi

US $550
one motor mount was degraded and required replacement. This was detected during a normal service interval. 
92900 mi

US $4200
replace engine mount 
39358 mi Loose cable on fuel pump. Loose cable on fuel pump 
129000 mi

US $500
Emissions system check engine light. Throttle cleaned to fix problem in short term. Diagnosis is catalytic converter and will likely need replacing at a cost of $500-$700. 
79000 mi

US $350
Check engine light on. When tested, had error code ECM-2600. Replaced faulty fuel pressure sensor. 
90900 mi

US $3095
Cracked breather hose. Replaced hose and the intake seals. 
113500 mi

US $900
Right motor mount leaking fluid. Replaced. 
127000 mi

US $1971
Intake manifold gasket, oil separator and gasket, spark plugs, air flow sensor. Camshaft and crankshaft seals. 

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2005 Volvo S40 4-door

5-cylinder automatic 2WD

31000 mi There is a rattle noise coming from the engine bay at idle. Originally thought to be a loose hose, dealer tightened hose and the noise still persists. 

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2004.5 Volvo S40

Engine not specified

133920 mi Car would start, then shut off. Car would not start and run without immediately revving the car almost to max after ignition. 
83000 mi

US $4300
Vechicle overheated and they originally thought it needed the head gasket replaced but it turned out that it could not be repaired and needed a whole new engine. Mechanic said that the engine was rare but i don't really believe that. 

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2004.5 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 6-speed manual FWD

117000 mi

US $650
Vehicle would not recognize key. Had to have new switch installed. Check engine light has come on. Again. Some times it goes away, but returns later. Probably a sensor is going. Just going to live with it. Just another repair cost to this vehicle. 

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2004.5 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 218hp 2.5L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

132000 mi

US $175
Car went in to replace timing belt. Successfully changed, no problems. Water pump replaced at the same time that the timing belt was changed as preventative maintenance. Replaced a torn engine mount....fixed successfully the first time. 
177000 mi

US $600
Starter replaced 
216500 mi

US $330
Turbo Control Valve replaced 
224000 mi

US $350
Replaced fuel pressure sensor 
242000 mi

US $400
Replaced heater core 
210500 mi

US $75
Engine coil on cylinder 1 failed and caused check engine light to come on. 
272000 mi

US $700
Coolant hoses split and thermostat housing was leaking 

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2004.5 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

168-horsepower 2.4L I5 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

65000 mi

US $140
Mod went wrong. 
96000 mi ignition went out. 
161000 mi

US $150
Known problem Pcv 
165000 mi

US $600
Head Gasket 
166000 mi Head gasket failure. 

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2004.5 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

123-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

62000 mi

£700
Check engine light illuminated. Fault located to throttle module. Throttle module replaced, fault still present. Next stage is replace wiring harness. Alternator also packed up whilst in the garage. 
76000 mi

£300
Probably coil packs Throttle body communication. Same fault as last year. Minimum £500 repair so car was sold as faulty. 

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2004.5 Volvo S40 4-door

turbocharged 5-cylinder automatic 2WD

47000 mi Fuel pump module needed to be replaced. One oxygen sensor replaced. 
50000 mi An hydraulic engine mount was defective 
52000 mi Engine mount replaced. 

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2002 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 160hp 1.9L I4 5-speed automatic FWD

117000 mi

US $225
Upon visual inspection, noticed that coolant colored leak line from top radiator hose that has molded small hose connection for overflow (special hose from Gates or Volvo). Replaced hose, hose clamps and coolant. Also checked plastic overflow container for leaks, cracks and brittle fitting tubes but was ok (known weakness at over 100k miles and can cause overheat, blown head gasket). Checked condition of lower radiator hose and radiator cap and both were fine. 

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2001 Volvo S40

Engine not specified

124000 mi

C $45
The wire sending signal to one of the spark plugs was corroded. Mechanic figured out the loosed connection and managed to fix it without ordering a new (and expensive) replacement. 

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2001 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 165hp 1.9L I4 5-speed automatic FWD

126000 mi Smell of gasoline in cabin. Sears automotive could not find a leak. No repairs attempted. Continuing problem for months led us to trade the car in on a new car purchase. 
72000 mi

US $1200
long crank time when trying to start, intermittent idle stumble. replaced fuel pressure regulator.  
105400 mi

C $250
problem with flex pipe(?)/catalytic converter had been around a while but car sounded terrible and was reluctant to drive anywhere -- I had parts fixed rather than replaced since I hope to trade the car in during the next month or so... 
150300 mi

US $500
My 2001 S40 would only overheat when I would run the AC. The dealer replaced 3 relays but the problem continued, particularly in traffic. The low speed was not working. The failure was in the fan resistor (P/N 30644121) not the fan itself. 
103000 mi Acceleration lag and check engine light came on. 
128960 mi

C $100
Engine light came on. I went for regular maintenance, technician discovered other problems. Requires two sensors, $1,000. Flushed fuel and transmission fluids, replaced air filter that might have caused error. 
135160 mi

C $532
replaced coil and all spark plugs, changed oil, troubleshooted engine light error but not charged for problem not resolved. going back again on dec 21, 2012 Diagnose engine light error codes(3 of them) and left car overnight. Mechanic was able to troubleshoot two of the codes by replacing an ignition component in the engine. 1 code still remained. Will fix when have more money. 
142540 mi Dealer replaced oil and indicated the following problems: Front Crank, radiator hose leak, gasket leak in transmission, fuel mix problem causing starting issues. 
153760 mi Oil, coolant, and transmission fluid leaks never fixed. Fuel mix problem causing starting issues. 

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2000 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

turbocharged 160hp 1.9L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

19000 mi

US $100
Replace fuel pressure regulator (FPR) due to prolonger crank times. 
96000 mi

US $600
Fuel Pump failure (leak) 
97000 mi Fuel pump got stuck. 

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See TrueDelta's information for all Volvo models.

Volvo S40 Engine 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 S40 problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.