What 23 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge

I purchased a used 2023 Volvo C40 that was represented as Certified Pre-Owned. Shortly after purchase, the vehicle developed persistent grinding noises during braking, vibration, and mechanical noises that occur even after normal driving. The vehicle has been returned to the selling Volvo dealer multiple times for diagnosis and repair. Dealer service records state that brake rust was “cleaned” and that the issue was resolved; however, the grinding noise persisted immediately upon pickup. Multiple dealership employees acknowledged hearing the noise. The dealer drove the vehicle over 140 miles attempting to replicate the issue, but no permanent repair was made. I later observed significant corrosion and deterioration on brake and suspension-related components. In addition, the vehicle produces a loud thumping noise from the air conditioning system, which was documented via video and heard by dealership management, but the dealer stated they could not replicate the issue. Despite repeated service visits, the braking noise and mechanical concerns remain unresolved. I am concerned these conditions may affect braking performance, vehicle stability, and overall vehicle safety.

NHTSA ODI 11712259

The contact owns a 2023 Volvo C40 BEV. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle lunge forward. The contact also stated that the steering wheel became inoperable with several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while driving to and arriving at the residence, the contact was unable to shut off the vehicle. The contact attempted to turn off the vehicle with the key fob and instrument panel, but the vehicle failed to shut off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was able to shut off the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,100.

NHTSA ODI 11680589

I am writing to bring to your attention a potentially catastrophic accident involving our leased C40 vehicle that happened on [XXX], 3:30pm. (ID [XXX] ) On the above mentioned date, my husband, [XXX] , was parking the C40 in a school parking lot to pick up our grandchild. He experienced an alarming episode of unintended acceleration. Despite his efforts to control the vehicle, the car lurched out of the parking space and rapidly accelerated, veered onto a snowy embankment, ran over a metal post, and stopped only after it rammed into a minivan parked in the school pick-up zone with enough force to push the minivan up on the curb. Regrettably, this accident resulted in injuries to the individual in the minivan who waiting to pick up her preschoolers and required emergency medical attention after the accident. She is presently pursuing legal action against our insurance company for both personal injury and vehicle damage. This accident could have caused far worse injuries since preschoolers were being picked up at this time in the area where the accident occurred. Our C 40 was in one-pedal mode, and during the accident, none of the alarms activated nor did the front emergency braking system work, and the airbag did not deploy even though the car was probably traveling at speeds greater than 10-15 miles/hour upon impact. Disturbingly, upon further investigation, we have uncovered numerous reports indicating similar incidents of unintended acceleration associated with the C40 series. This raises serious concerns about the safety and reliability of this vehicle, not only for us but for all individuals operating or coming into contact with these vehicles. Our insurance company determined that our car was completely totaled, since the EV battery was destroyed by running over the metal post. The driver of the car suffered a concussion and is still suffering from post concussion syndrome 2 months after the accident. She is unable to drive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11579426

After ota software update, the vehicles braking systems (abs, traction control) and driver assistance systems(lane assistance, adaptive cruise control, one pedal driving mode) no longer functioned normally. The vehicle displayed warning information that read “stop safely, brake failure”; on the instrument cluster. This put my family and others at risk by changing the cars behavior by no longer operating in a one pedal mode and disabling common safety features like abs, traction control as well as the more advanced collision avoidance systems. If I had attempted to operate the pilot assistance it could have easily turned into an incident. The car is now at the dealership, and it sounds like a recent ota “failed to sequence properly” which might have damaged the hardware, or possibly just the software needs to be reflashed, but the technician made it sound commonplace from the last update. The vehicle is not available for inspection it is being remedied at the dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11526704