12 of the 75 complaints about the 2004 Volvo S40 are about the braking system — 16% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 42,000 miles.
12
Complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
SERVICE BRAKES
BRAKE PEDAL IS TOO CLOSE TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHENEVER I OPERATE THE GAS PEDAL, THE SIDE OF MY SHOE ALSO ACTIVATES THE BRAKE. THE PROBLEM IS AGGRAVATED BY THE CENTER TUNNEL CARPET INTRUDING ON THE MINIMAL ACCELERATOR PEDAL SPACE.
NHTSA complaint #10908871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
I GOT NEW CAR IN NOV 2003 OF THE YEAR 2004 MODEL. IT FEELS LIKE ONE HAS TO PUT FOOT ON BRAKES ALL THE WAY TO APPLY. IT IS PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. IN DEC 2005, WHILE EXISTING FROM HIGHWAY WE MEET AN ACCIDENT AS IT DID NOT STOP WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSE TO STOP. VOLVO DEALER TOP THE BREAK FLUID DURING MAINTENANCE. BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE GOT NEW BRAKE PADS FROM VOLVO DEALER AND CHANGED ALONG WITH BRAKE DISCS IN 2009. BUT, IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IN THE MORNING, IT WILL NOT BREAK UNLESS ONE HAS TO PUT FOOT ON PEDAL FEW TIMES. AGAIN IN 2015 WE GOT BRAKE PADS FROM OTHER AUTO PART SHOP OF HIGH QUALITY BUT IT DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, I SMELL GAS BUT COULD NOT LOCATE ANY LEAK OF FUEL. ALSO, STEERING WHEEL IS VERY HARD AND WE TOOK TO VOLVO FEW TIMES BUT IT IS THE SAME.
NHTSA complaint #10794522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO S40. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE PEDALS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS INADVERTENTLY DEPRESSED WHEN APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10681587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
FOR THE PAST TWO MORNINGS MY CAR HAS NO BRAKES WHEN I FIRST START MY CAR, ONCE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR A FEW MINUTES IT'S OKAY, BUT FIRST THING THE PAST TWO MORNINGS I HAVEN'T HAD BRAKES!
NHTSA complaint #10641123 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO S40. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE WHILE BRAKING ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V493000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.
NHTSA complaint #10448990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I AM WRITING TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOU OF A PROBLEM THAT CONTINUES TO NEED TO BE REPLACED ON MY 2004 S40. I HAVE OWED THE CAR SINCE 2006 AND AM ABOUT TO BRING IT IN FOR THE FORTH (4) TIME TO HAVE THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE VALVE PUMP AND HOSES REPLACED. ONLY THIS TIME IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE I HAVE 65K MILES ON THE CAR. SO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS UNWILLINGLY. THE BRAKES LOCK AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO SLIDE. I HAVE HAD ONE MINI-FENDER BENDER DUE TO THIS ISSUE, BUT MY INSURANCE WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE CAR. SINCE I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SO MANY TIMES, I KNOW WHEN THE PROBLEM ARISES.
NHTSA complaint #10310851 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
THE EVENT LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE IS SIMPLY A DEFECTIVE PART AFTER SOME USAGE DUE TO A POOR WELDING JOB AT MANUFACTURE. VOLVO HAS ONLY RECALLED ONE VEHICLE TO MY KNOWLEDGE BUT THEY NEEDED TO RECALL ALL VEHICLES DURING THAT YEAR. THE FAILURE IS THE CAR HAS A HARD TIME STOPPING WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE CARE CONTINUES TO MOVE AND ROUGH ENGINE IDLE. THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED WERE THE VACUUM PUMP AND VALVE AT BRAKE BOOSTER, HOSES, LINES AND FITTINGS. REPAIR COST $840. THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS CONTINUED TO COME ON/OFF SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR. IT IS DEFECTIVE. THE DRIVERS SIDE SIPS BAG NEEDS REPLACING TOTAL COST $801.
NHTSA complaint #10284231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO S40. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HAD A DIFFICULT TIME PULLING THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE BEHIND HER NOTIFIED HER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. FLAMES APPEARED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL OVER THE VEHICLE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HER RESIDENCE AND THEN TO THE VOLVO DEALER. THE TIRES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT WERE DAMAGED BY THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 65,000.
NHTSA complaint #10253229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
MY 2004 VOLVO S40 OCCASIONALLY DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY HYDRAULIC BRAKE ASSISTANCE WHEN IT IS FIRST STARTED IN THE MORNING. THIS WAS VERY OCCASIONAL STARTING A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. ON MONDAY, I HAD TO RESTART THE CAR 5 TIMES BEFORE THE BRAKES FELT "NORMAL".
NHTSA complaint #10212989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
DURING A FRONTAL DRIVERS SIDE CRASH THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING INJURY TO THE DRIVER. HOWEVER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DID DEPLOY, BUT NO PASSENGERS WERE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH WAS MOSTLY DRIVERS SIDE. I ALSO BELIEVE THE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED SINCE MY CAR FAILED TO SLOW LIKE A CAR SHOULD DURING BRAKING.
NHTSA complaint #10130085 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN BRAKE WAS APPLIED. A RECALL WAS ISSUED, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB. THERE WERE FIVE INCIDENTS WHEN VEHICLE ACCELERATED APON APPLICATION OF BRAKES. INITIALLY TOOK VEHICLE TO VOLVO ON 11/11/2004. THEY RAN ALL TESTS AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. SINCE THEN, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, AND CONSUMER WILL AGAIN REQUEST VOLVO TO CHECK IT.
NHTSA complaint #10113582 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING ON GOING PROBLEMS WITH APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE CONDITION CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THE VEHICLE MEETS NHTSA SPECIFICATION .
NHTSA complaint #10113589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.