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2006 Volvo S40 repairs by problem area

Engine (28%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (6%)

Brakes and Traction Control (7%)

Suspension and Steering (6%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (39%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (9%)

Other (4%)

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Chart based on 97 repairs.

See TSBs and recalls for the 2006 Volvo S40.

2006 Volvo S40 repair cost distribution

$2500+ (3%)

$1000 - $2499 (13%)

$500 - $999 (9%)

$100 - $499 (32%)

< $100 (44%)

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Chart based on 79 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

See repairs for all Volvo S40 model years.

Volvo S40 in Florida, United States Mar 2006 - Oct 2014
Apr 2008 16000 mi	Erratic operation of power door locks and windows, from both the remote and the interior switches. Diagnosis: on previous dealer visit, new wire harnesses were installed into doors, however the required software flash had not been performed. Faulty driver side headlight washer jet replaced.
Nov 2008 22000 mi	Failure of all dashboard gauges (speedometer, tach, temp, oil pressure). Diagnosis: faulty DIMM. Service tech successfully re-flashed the DIMM but a new DIMM was ordered because testing revealed errors. The car was driveable after this shop visit. New DIMM controlling dashboard installed. Successful repair. Erratic operation of power door locks and windows, from both the remote and the interior switches. On this service visit, the wire harnesses to driver and passenger front doors were replaced, and new gold contacts installed to replace the tin contacts.
Dec 2009 24000 mi	Driver side windshield washer jet was replaced due to blown valve.
Dec 2011 30000 mi US $285	Sunroof drain clog, with 1" water in entire right side of interior (front & back). Carpets removed/dried, drain mechanisms replaced with updated parts, interior damage check, carpets replaced.
Aug 2012 31200 mi US $300	Electro-mechanical trunk lock shorted out and replaced. Long process to also diagnose wiring problem to the unit. Wire harness to trunk replaced.
Feb 2013 32500 mi	Sunroof drain clog, water in entire interior (front & back). Drains cleared, carpets removed, dried and re-installed, interior damage checked. This is a repeat of the problem repaired in December 2011. No charge for this repair.
Jul 2013 35200 mi US $100	A/C drains clogged. Condensation blowing out dashboard vents. Water in passenger compartment, carpets soaked. Repeat of sunroof drain clogs, water in passenger compartment. Dealer states repairs made to drain system. Seats, carpets removed, cleaned, dried, reinstalled. Electronic trunk latch activator handle replaced. This is the second time this problem has been addressed. In the first repair every part except the activator handle was replaced, but the problem reoccurred.
Apr 2014 38200 mi	Another failure of the sunroof drain system with substantial leakage into the interior. Cost covered by dealer 1-year warranty on previous repair.
Aug 2014 39300 mi US $1300	Clogging and corrosion of A/C condenser to the point of failure with extensive water leakage into passenger compartment. Condenser removed, cleaned (extensive presence of mold) and re-installed. Carpets removed, cleaned, treated for mold.

Volvo S40 in Virginia, United States May 2006 - Feb 2007
Dec 2006 4000 mi	Climate Control System was blowing cold air out of the driver's side vents and warm air out of the passenger's side vents even though both sides were set to the same temperature. Climate Control System was still blowing cold air out of the driver's side vents and cold air out of the passenger's side vents upon pickup from the dealer after the original unsuccessful repair. Repair was successful this time via a dealer installed sof

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Volvo S40 in Utah, United States Mar 2013 - Dec 2014
May 2013 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) I noticed a rattle from driver's door area when traveling at speeds excess of 73 mph. I narrowed source to loose trim piece adjacent to door hinge. I used a small hammer to push plastic fastener back in place which resolved the issue.
Jun 2013 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.
Nov 2013 136000 mi	Reversing lights would not turn on when transmission was in reverse. Diagnostics determined there is no fault with reverse switch or bulbs. Tech will need more time to find wiring issue.
Sep 2014 154000 mi US $150	Brief update on past and current problems: Reverse lights fixed by re-securing wiring from fuse box. The latest problem is bad valve guide seals which require a new engine head. ($2,900) at independent mechanic shop. Still love Volvo cars.
Dec 2014 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.

Volvo S40 in Pennsylvania, United States May 2007 - Mar 2013
Sep 2007 32000 mi	Nav screen wouldn't pop up and would retract when accelerating. New screen put in.
Dec 2007 38000 mi	Creaky driver's seat...not able to be duplicated by a different dealer at an earlier date. Possibly caused by Volvo's WHIPS system.
Sep 2011 105000 mi US $250	One engine mount was completely ruptured.
Oct 2012 121200 mi US $1000	New front shocks & struts

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Volvo S40 in Pennsylvania, United States Jun 2014 - Oct 2017
Sep 2014 100000 mi US $100	driveshaft bent, this had been replaced by previous repair with an cheap replacement part and not a volvo part.
Jun 2015 103000 mi	air coinditioning would work for 10 minutes, then blow warm air.
Aug 2015 104200 mi US $915	Needed compressor replaced
Sep 2015 104000 mi US $900	replaced front struts and bushings, etc
Jun 2017 119000 mi US $300	routine rear brake pad replacement to pass state inspection

Volvo S40 in Maryland, United States Jul 2009 - Jan 2011
Aug 2009 51500 mi	Warranty repair, sunroof drain leak.

Volvo S40 in Washington, United States Jun 2007 - Apr 2009
Apr 2008 35000 mi	Passenger airbag sensor.
Oct 2008 43000 mi	Bad electrical connection in door caused malfunction of external temperature gauge

Volvo S40 in Mexico, Mexico May 2008 - Nov 2010
Jan 2009 25420 mi	Emission system noise. A valve was replaced.
Mar 2009 26660 mi $200	Emission system noise. A valve was replaced (this is the 2nd time this happens).
Mar 2010 33480 mi $5000	Transmission

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Volvo S40 in North Carolina, United States Jan 2009 - Jun 2011
Nov 2009 55000 mi US $300	Starter switch irregularly refused to move to start position Ignition switch became eratically inoperable
Mar 2011 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

Volvo S40 in Pennsylvania, United States Dec 2007 - Apr 2011
Jul 2009 32000 mi	Car would not start. Had to be towed to the dealer. Computer had a code in it. Dealer cleared code. Car started.
Sep 2009 37000 mi	ABS light came on, and the auto down function stopped working on the drivers window. Car went in to "crash mode", and shut off the fuel pump! The steering wheel sensor erroneously sensed the car was in a crash with air bag deployment. Volvo dead lined the car and a new wiring harness was ordered and installed.
Jan 2010 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.
Dec 2010 63000 mi US $300	Siren(alarm) module failed, which also killed the battery.

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Volvo S40 in Great Britain Oct 2010 - Oct 2011
Dec 2010 58000 mi £98	Dpf pressure sensor failed. After much reluctance, selling dealer paid half of costs
Jan 2011 59000 mi	Front wheel bearing re-replaced.
Jun 2011 63000 mi £110	Alternator failed - replaced under warranty. Replacement battery also required.

Volvo S40 in Great Britain Jun 2009 - Dec 2012
Oct 2009 96000 mi	Headlight bulb.
Jan 2010 102000 mi	Other headlight bulb.
Sep 2011 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.
Jul 2012 141800 mi £130	Front wishbones near/s/r also off/s/rear had to be replaced failed MOT
Sep 2012 146000 mi £600	dual mass flywheel out of balance replaced clutch and dual mass repair successful

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Volvo S40 in Great Britain Nov 2009 - Mar 2010
Dec 2009 85000 mi £1200	Failed wishbone bushes. Wishbones replaced.

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Volvo S40 in Hawaii, United States Jul 2009 - Dec 2012
Aug 2009 9000 mi US $13000	Trunk prop plastic tip cracked & needed to be replaced--was under warranty & dealer replaced the plastic tip & prop as an entire unit. Wrote about this in initial entry when I signed on. Acquired car. In first few weeks of use, needed to replace left trunk prop at dealer; good service & no cost. Considering purchasing extended warranty having read reviews from other owners. My mechanic also recommends warranty due to expensive parts.
Apr 2010 12000 mi US $200	Check Engine light illuminated. Gas cap needed to be replaced & then mechanic did analysis of car for other maintenance.
Dec 2010 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. Mechanic sprayed special chemical into intake vent to eliminate moldy smell in air conditioner. Was NOT charged extra for this, as we paid for everything else. Was also not charged for diagnosis code for check engine light.
Mar 2011 13000 mi US $1000	Oxygen sensor needed to be replaced per check engine light & diagnostics by mechanic.
Apr 2012 23300 mi	originally told needed to have master cylinder worked on, including replacing leaking valves & likely replacing master cylinder. turned out nothing was wrong, liquid got spilled on it from something else.

Volvo S40 in Georgia, United States Dec 2014 - Apr 2015
Apr 2015 155000 mi US $150	Blown head gasket

Volvo S40 in Pennsylvania, United States Mar 2016 - Jan 2017
Jan 2017	Water in cabin under rear left passenger footwell

Volvo S40 in Ontario, Canada Oct 2009 - Dec 2015
Feb 2011 63240 mi C $272	front sway bar link kits
Oct 2011 70040 mi C $248	trunk lid kept unlocking. trunk switch was replaced.
Jul 2012 78000 mi C $425	A/C seals were leaking & replaced. A/C re-charged
Sep 2012 80600 mi C $1478	Passenger side rear brake squealing on breaking. Rear 80% pad left on drivers side, O% on passenger side - master cylinder issue. Rear pads, rotors and master cylinder replaced.
Feb 2014 91840 mi C $275	Accelerator pedal sensor failure. Pedal & sensor kit was ordered and installed
Jan 2015 92140 mi C $500	lack of cabin heat. Replaced thermostat, coolant recovery tank. battery would not charge - replaced battery
Jul 2015 102300 mi	accelerator pedal sensor failure

Volvo S40 in Florida, United States Jan 2012 - Dec 2012
Apr 2012 91800 mi US $1000	AC clutch was not working properly and needed to be replaced. Cost for this alone was $860. Replaced fuse for the power outlets (ie. cigarette lighters). Cost was $50 bucks for a fuse!!
Nov 2012 100000 mi US $120	rear brake caliper replaced due to poor seal and leaking brake fluid.

Volvo S40 in Missouri, United States Dec 2009 - Apr 2012
Mar 2010 33000 mi	Check engine light came on; TSB had been issued to repair. window and door lock switches on driver's side would intermittently not work, although the rest of the car would.

Volvo S40 in Hawaii, United States Nov 2009 - Jun 2011
Dec 2009 24000 mi	Sun roof switch failed to work in certain settings, Dealer Replaced Switch and Motor Control Unit for Sun Roof
Jan 2010 25000 mi	Right Rear wheel had brake fluid puddle on rim after vehicle sat for several days, Dealer Replaced Right Rear Brake Caliper
Mar 2010 27000 mi	Brake pedal would continue to depress when vehicle was stopped and pedal pressure maintained, brakes were bled afterward dealer determined faulty Brake Master Cylinder and replaced.
Jul 2010 29000 mi	Drivers side door window switches intermittently failed to operate windows. Dealer replaced door harness.
Nov 2010 33000 mi	Head Liner Rattled due to poor installation by repair tech during sun roof motor replacement.
Dec 2010 34000 mi	Fault light appeared on dash for Passenger Airbag. Dealer found Passenger Airbag Sensor fault, sensor replaced and computer reflashed. Fault light appeared on dash for Passenger Airbag. Dealer found Passenger Airbag Sensor fault, sensor replaced and computer reflashed.

Volvo S40 in Pennsylvania, United States Nov 2010 - Dec 2011
Aug 2010 54600 mi	Right rear lock and window operated erratically several months. In and out of the shop. They repaced a sensor in the rear door, but did not fix the problem. A month later they repalced a sensor in the drivers door, fixed.
Dec 2011 61000 mi	Windows and locks inconsistent. This was second time in about 15 months.

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Volvo S40 in Texas, United States Jan 2009 - Jun 2011
Sep 2009 43000 mi US $250	Clutch return spring snapped. Replaced by self after learning that dealership charges approx. $250.

Volvo S40 in Utah, United States Dec 2010 - Jun 2022
Apr 2011 84700 mi	The flame trap needed to be repaired/replaced. It was covered under a warranty extended specifically for that problem.
Dec 2011 95000 mi US $500	Shifter cables needed to be replaced. The coupling broke while shifting from first to second gear.
Mar 2015 147000 mi US $248	Battery was slowly failing after ten years (it was the original battery)
Nov 2015 157000 mi US $610	Check Engine light on, had state-required emission test done, had to replace the catalytic converter.
Jan 2016 91200 mi US $1074	CV boots were torn on both sides - replaced all four.
Aug 2016 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.
Apr 2018 189000 mi US $120	Broken engine mount, top, passenger side. Easy.

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2006 Volvo S40 repairs by problem area

2006 Volvo S40 repair cost distribution

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2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

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2006 Volvo S40 4dr Sedan

2006 Volvo S40 Repair Histories