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2005 Volvo S40N problems

The most common problem on the 2005 Volvo S40N is brakes. It has 6.0 times the complaints of a typical S40N model year.

Typical year6.0x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
12
Recalls
0
Service bulletins
22
Worst area
Brakes

The worst 2005 Volvo S40N problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Brakes
    6
  • Acceleration
    4
  • Body
    1
  • Electrical
    1
  • Engine
    1

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Brakes
    6
  • Acceleration
    4
  • Body
    1
  • Electrical
    1
  • Engine
    1
  • Fuel system
    1
  • Transmission
    1
  • Visibility
    1

Recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Technical service bulletins for the 2005 Volvo S40N 22

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 22 bulletins for the 2005 Volvo S40N

What 2005 Volvo S40N owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jan 21, 2006 · Transmission · 12,500 miles · NJ

Started car when parked in parking space, and car went forward when shift lever was in reverse. Moved shift lever through 'gears' to reverse two more times. Three times car moved forward when lever was in reverse. Turned off engine and re-started car, then car would go backwards when in reverse.

Filed Jan 9, 2006 · Electrical · MD

I own the 2005 s40. This is the second time in 2.5 months that my car has just decided not to start. The first time, it had just been serviced and I drove about 20 minutes to a gas station, shut off the engine and then it would not start. After a few tries it decided to start. I took it immediately back to dealer and they kept it for a day and said nothing wrong. In the mean times, a few days before the nst time the car failed to start, I thought I smelled something fire-like smoky, but figured must be my imagination. So the second time, I parked the car after driving about 45 minutes and the car would not restart. I did not continue to try to start it, because I want the dealer to see what it does and had it towed there. They said it could be a key malfunction or something wrong with the starter. I did find a recall on the 2005 s80 that seems to fit the description of my problems. I wonder if the s40 has the same starter problems as the s80. My car has been in repair for 2 days now.

Filed Sep 1, 2005 · Brakes · CA

Three attempts have been made so far to correct a brake problem. We are currently working on having the car services a fourth time in the course of 6 months, my car has been in the shop a total of three weeks.

Filed Aug 22, 2005 · Fuel system · 4,800 miles · VA

Two issues: 1) car stalled on the 495 beltway and check engine light lit and car would not start. A volvo temporary sw fix was applied to the computer to fix 2) oem license plate bolts on the front of car a very sharp and can cause harm to persons and property

Filed Aug 9, 2005 · Brakes · 600 miles · CA

On the 2005 volvo s40 t5 automatic only, the brake pedal is dangerously close to the gas pedal. In fact, a size 9 shoe of medium width will barely fit on the gas pedal while touching the brake pedal. In addition, the brake pedal is about 1.5 inches higher than the gas pedal so many times the foot will be caught under the pedal. This is a highly dangerous design and is a safety issue. Other drivers have reported this but volvo is not willing to retrofit the pedals. Please note that the non-t5 version does not suffer from this bad design nor does the manual transmission. This safety defect, if not corrected, will cause an accident for drivers of this specific car. On july 27, I almost got in an accident because my foot got stuck under the brake pedal. While I was able to avoid a collision with another car and almost crashing onto the sidewalk, I strongly believe that many accidents can be avoided if volvo was to redesign or retrofit the spacing of the gas and brake pedals on the volvo s40 t5 automatic transmissions. Please inspect the spacing of the pedals as they are not in compliance with minimum standards.

Filed Jul 21, 2005 · Engine · 5,600 miles · VA

When attempting to start vehicle in the morning the first try results in loud shaking and shuttering. Sounds like car is not running on all cylinders, or has bad timing. Inital problem is that hood insulator fasteners are comming off which could come in contact with accessory drive belt and casue engine failure. Vehicle has been brought to dealer two times. Dealer said that the problem could not be duplicated. Problem occurs at least once every two days.

Filed Jun 20, 2005 · Body · TX

2005 volvo s40 has a wide metal joint/band abutting the rear glass pane and the roof on either side of the car. This obstructs the driver's view of approaching rear traffic.*mr

Filed Apr 21, 2005 · Acceleration, Brakes · MI

Accelerator pedal is too close to brake pedal; possible interfernce when wearing certain shoes.

Filed Apr 20, 2005 · Acceleration, Brakes · CA

Seperation between accelerator pedal and brake pedal is too close. I constantly touch the brake pedal as I accelerate.

Filed Apr 20, 2005 · Acceleration, Visibility · CA

I own a 2005 volvo s40 2.4i that was purchased in december 2004. The issue is the separation of the accelerator and brake pedals as well as the separation of the brake pedal/arm and the transmission tunnel, which provides overall clearance for the right foot. They are too close together and while driving, my foot tends to hit the brake pedal slighty when I want to push on the accelerator. In addition to this, the windshield is quite easily chipped. I have 4000 miles on my car and there are already 9 chips in the windshield. My parents have more than 150,000 miles on two different cars and only two chips in one of the windshields. This is not a defect but more of a quality issue. Could you look into this as well. Thank you.

Compare the 2005 Volvo S40N

Other model years

200420052006

Questions about the 2005 Volvo S40N

Is the 2005 Volvo S40N reliable?

Owners have filed 12 complaints about the 2005 Volvo S40N, 6.0 times a typical S40N model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2005 Volvo S40N?

Brakes, with 6 complaints. Next is acceleration (4).

How many recalls does the 2005 Volvo S40N have?

No recalls on record.

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