KnownCarProblems2006 Volvo S40 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 58 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Volvo S40, most often about the electrical (41% of complaints, typically around 74,500 miles). It is 4th of 12 S40 model years by number of complaints and has 3 recalls.
Most common 2006 Volvo S40 problems
Electrical
24 complaints · 41%Half of these problems showed up before 74,500 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel, wiring.
2006 Volvo S40, FWD t5: my wife was driving on the interstate around midnight going approx. 75-80 MPH when all of a sudden her car shut off. When I say shut off I mean the headlights, dome lights, engine....anything that was electrical completely shut off. This would include the steering wheel locking up. So imagine…
A design flaw caused flooding within the cabin of this vehicle. The sunroof drainage system is faulty and over time leaks water into the floor pan of the car, sometimes enough where flooding occurs. My car flooded a few months back so badly up to 10 gallons of water was vacuumed out. The flooding caused damage to the…
Engine
9 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 89,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system, cooling system.
The contact owns a 2006 Volvo S40. The contact stated that the sunroof leaked water causing the electrical functions to fail. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the drain hose failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made…
Egr or aka. Oil trap housing, tubing is broken and sucking in air. Improper ventilation is tripping off emission code on dash. Brittle black plastic housing, defective in nature and by design. Potential other issues is the unwanted pressure build up in engine which can cause premature failure of oil cam seals which I…
Body and structure
9 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
Water leaked into my vehicle through the sunroof, destroyed the computer and air airbag system. The carpets are soaked with standing water sitting in the body of the front passenger side of the vehicle. I took my vehicle to the dealership and was told the sunroof drainage tubes where clogged. I was then quoted a price…
A design flaw caused flooding within the cabin of this vehicle. The sunroof drainage system is faulty and over time leaks water into the floor pan of the car, sometimes enough where flooding occurs. My car flooded a few months back so badly up to 10 gallons of water was vacuumed out. The flooding caused damage to the…
Fuel system
9 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Volvo S40. The contact was driving up an incline at approximately 35 MPH, the engine revved excessively and began to buck. Suddenly the engine stalled and restarted. The vehicle resumed for fifteen seconds before the failure recurred. The failure would occur every 100 to 200 miles. The vehicle…
The contact owns a 2006 Volvo S40. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the engine stalled while the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not aware…
Visibility and wipers
7 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 72,500 miles. Parts named most often: sun/moon roof assembly, defroster/defogger/hvac system, windshield.
2006 Volvo S40-2.4i and according to forums about others who have the same heater blower problems that can cause an accident, when cold weather, the heater does not defrost the front windshield or side mirrors, heater stopped working like others reported in the forum, there was an actual recall for 2004 models with…
The contact owns a 2006 Volvo S40. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the sun roof drainage system was clogged and water entered into the vehicle which caused damage to the…
Brakes
4 complaints · 7%Parts named most often: pedals and linkages, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip.
Problem with brakes on 2006 Volvo S40 t5. Severe screaching noise comes from brakes when in reverse. Volvo is aware of the problem yet they have not been able to resolve the issue. My Volvo S40 has had brake parts replaced 4 times. Each time I was told the problem was fixed. One month later, the noise is back. The…
Noticed reduced braking power and brakes squealing. Took vehicle to dealership repair facility for inspection. Brakes were found to be "disengaged" on the passengers side front and "partially functional" on drivers side front. No brake warning light was displayed on dash. Brake pads and assembly replaced by dealership…
Air bags
4 complaints · 7%Parts named most often: on-off switch assembly.
- the contact stated that the air bag off light stayed on when therewas a passenger in the seat. This happensedintermittently, and has been happening since sept 1, 2006. The vehicle currently has 9000 miles. The failure did not happen at any particular speed, it normally occurred when the vehicle was first started.…
A design flaw caused flooding within the cabin of this vehicle. The sunroof drainage system is faulty and over time leaks water into the floor pan of the car, sometimes enough where flooding occurs. My car flooded a few months back so badly up to 10 gallons of water was vacuumed out. The flooding caused damage to the…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2006 Volvo S40 recalls
Equipment: navigational system(global positioning system)
Risk: An overheated battery could lead to a fire.
Fix: Volvo advises owners to please stop using the garmin portable GPS device immediately, and visit the garmin website to determine if their unit is affected. The unit's battery will be replaced with a new battery and a spacer will be inserted on top of the battery next to the pcb. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 18, 2010. Owners may contact garmin at 866-957-1981 or visit garmin's website at www.garmin.com/nuvibatterypcbrecall.
Full defect summary
Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (GPS) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: If this occurs, the check engine light may illuminate. In some cases, the vehicle may fail to start or may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the pem and install it in a new location to prevent corrosion. The recall began on february 20, 2008. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Full defect summary
On certain vehicles sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, reoccurring, long-term exposure to certain environmental conditions such as salty-wet conditions, it is possible for the pump electronic module (pem) to become corroded internally. This can cause a faulty signal to the fuel pump, resulting in low or no fuel pressure to the engine.
Fuel system: fuel system, gasoline
Risk: This may potentially result in fuel line leakage. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will change the fuel line material to teflon free of charge. The recall began on june 5, 2006. Owners may contact volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
Full defect summary
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with t5 turbo engines, the polyamide tube in the fuel line is sensitive to the extreme temperatures that may occur in the area where the turbo/exhaust manifold is located.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2006 Volvo S40
- What are the most common problems with the 2006 Volvo S40?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (24 complaints, typically around 74,500 miles); engine (9 complaints, typically around 89,000 miles); body and structure (9 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2006 Volvo S40 have?
- 3 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from November 8, 2010 (equipment). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2006 a bad year for the Volvo S40?
- It is 4th of 12 S40 model years by number of complaints, with 58 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.