NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
49 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Feb 8, 2002
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
REAR LEFT BRAKE PADS WORN THROUGH AT 26,000 MILES. I HAVE ALSO BEEN INFORMED THIS SITUATION IS NORMAL ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT PADS CAN BE WORN ON CARS THIS QUICKLY. I HAVE FOLLOWED THEIR MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS ALSO. IN ADDITION, I LIVE OVER 100 MILES FROM MY NEAREST DEALER AND REPLACEMENT PADS ARE NOT AVAILAB…
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REAR LEFT BRAKE PADS WORN THROUGH AT 26,000 MILES. I HAVE ALSO BEEN INFORMED THIS SITUATION IS NORMAL ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT PADS CAN BE WORN ON CARS THIS QUICKLY. I HAVE FOLLOWED THEIR MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS ALSO. IN ADDITION, I LIVE OVER 100 MILES FROM MY NEAREST DEALER AND REPLACEMENT PADS ARE NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH AUTOMOTIVE PARTS STORES.*AK
NHTSA ODI #757996
Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 40 MPH APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKE PEDAL IN AN EFFORT TO STOP VEHICLE, BUT BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED TO RESPOND FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 TO 7 SECONDS. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE AND REPLACED REAR DISCS AND BRAKE PADS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK
NHTSA ODI #898399
Mileage unknown · Sep 19, 2001
Electrical SystemService Brakes, Hydraulic
BOTH HEADLIGHTS ALMOST SIMUTANEOUSLY WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND MADE REPAIRS. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH BULBS,AT 16766 THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED, THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT SINCE ASBESTOS HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM BRAKE PADS THAT THE BRAKE LIFE IS SHORTER. NLM CONSUMER SUGGEST THAT MANUFACTURER DESIGN A BACK UP…
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BOTH HEADLIGHTS ALMOST SIMUTANEOUSLY WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND MADE REPAIRS. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH BULBS,AT 16766 THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED, THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT SINCE ASBESTOS HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM BRAKE PADS THAT THE BRAKE LIFE IS SHORTER. NLM CONSUMER SUGGEST THAT MANUFACTURER DESIGN A BACK UP LIGHTING SYSTEM IN CASE OF HEADLIGHT FAILURE. *TT
NHTSA ODI #896504
Mileage unknown · Sep 19, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
REAR BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 16,000 MILES OF WEAR. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND REPAIRS WERE MADE. *AK NLM LETTER REGARDING VOLVO'S RESPONSE ATTACHED. *TT
NHTSA ODI #896502
Mileage unknown · Aug 27, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
AFTER 3 MONTHS, BRAKES FELT ROUGH, HARD, AND DEVELOPED NOISE WHEN GOING SLOW, THEN CONSTANT SQUEAK. *AK
NHTSA ODI #751173
Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
WE PURCHASED THIS VOLVO S 40 ON JUNE 22, 2000 AND HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS ALTHOUGH THE VEHICHLE HAS LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON IT. THE REAR ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL DUE TO THE REAR PADS WEARING OUT COMPLETELY IN APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BRAKE PADS ON MOST…
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WE PURCHASED THIS VOLVO S 40 ON JUNE 22, 2000 AND HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS ALTHOUGH THE VEHICHLE HAS LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON IT. THE REAR ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL DUE TO THE REAR PADS WEARING OUT COMPLETELY IN APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BRAKE PADS ON MOST VEHICLES LAST APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES OR MORE. WHEN WE COMPLAINED, WE WERE TOLD BY UNION PARK MAINTENANCE AND SALES THAT THE BRAKE PADS ON THE VOLVO S 40 ARE NOT EXPECTED TO LAST MORE THAN 15,000 TO 20,000 MILES. MY HUSBAND AND I CONSIDER THIS PREMATURE BRAKE PAD DEGREDATION TO BE BUILT-IN OBSOLENCE AND EXPECT BETTER FROM VOLVO. WHEN WE ADDRESSED OUR COMPLAINT TO A SALES MANAGER AT UNION PARK WE WERE TOLD TO "GET IN LINE" WITH OTHER S 40 OWNERS, LEADING US TO BELIEVE THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. TO DATE, VOLVO HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM OR OUR COMPLAINT.*AK
NHTSA ODI #749844
Mileage unknown · Jul 31, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES ABRUPTLY AND GEARED THE TRANSMISSION DOWN TO LOW, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS HARD INDICATING A LOSS OF VACUUM, THERE WAS NO SHOULDER FOR THE CONSUMER TO GET ONTO THEREFORE THE CONSUMER HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. NLM
NHTSA ODI #562281
Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
CRUNCHING NOISES ON APPLYING THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING. CLANKING NOISE ON BACKING UP. DRAGGING AND TUGGING FEELING WHILE DRIVING. ALL 4 BRAKE LININGS WERE WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED VERY EARLY. MAINLY PERFORM LOCAL DRIVING. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE WARNING THAT BRAKES WERE WEARING PREMATURELY.
NHTSA ODI #9003503
Mileage unknown · Jul 14, 2001
Engine And Engine CoolingSeat BeltsService Brakes, Hydraulic
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
NHTSA ODI #748454
Mileage unknown · Jul 14, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
REAR BRAKES GO ON AVERAGE AT 8,000-16,000 MILES, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE. I ALSO HAVE CONITINUOUS PROBLEMS STOPPING MY CAR, WHICH THE DEALER SAYS THE CANNOT DUPLICATE. THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT RELATED TO THE REAR BRAKES NEEDING REPLACEMENT. I BELIEVE IT IS MORE A HYDRAULICS PROBLEM. THERE IS A BULLETIN OUT THERE FOR THE PROBLEM, …
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REAR BRAKES GO ON AVERAGE AT 8,000-16,000 MILES, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE. I ALSO HAVE CONITINUOUS PROBLEMS STOPPING MY CAR, WHICH THE DEALER SAYS THE CANNOT DUPLICATE. THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT RELATED TO THE REAR BRAKES NEEDING REPLACEMENT. I BELIEVE IT IS MORE A HYDRAULICS PROBLEM. THERE IS A BULLETIN OUT THERE FOR THE PROBLEM, BUT DEALER STATES DOES NOT APPLY TO MY CAR. I HAVE FOUND AVER 50 OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I WILL REFER TO THIS SITE. AS FOR GAS CONSUMPTION, IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE A SAFETLY ISSUE. MILEAGE WAS 21 MPG, DROPPED TO 16.5. DEALER MESSED WITH TRIP COMPUTER TO MAKE ME THINK MY MILEAGE IMPROVED, HOWEVER UPON MY DIVISION SKILLS IT IS STILL THE SAME AS WHEN I TOOK IT IN. THIS DECEPTIVE PRACTICE DOESN'T MAKE ME VERY HAPPY THAT THEY JUST REPAIRED MY REAR BRAKES. *AK
NHTSA ODI #748448
NHTSA investigations
2EA02026 · Volvo S40/V40 My 2000-2001
Opened Sep 10, 2002 · Closed Nov 21, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
IN A NOVEMBER 6, 2003 SAFETY DEFECT REPORT, VOLVO INDICATED THAT THEY WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT RECALL OF THE 2000 MODEL YEAR (MY) SUBJECT VEHICLES (ABOUT 36,000 VEHICLES).VOLVO WILL ALSO CONDUCT A SERVICE CAMPAIGN OF ABOUT 31,000 2001 MY SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI INVESTIGATED BOTH THE 2000 AND 2001 MY VEHICLES AND DETERMINED THAT THE 2001 MY VEHICLES EXPERIENCED SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER RATES OF FAILURES BASED ON THE NUMBER OF OWNER REPORTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS SUBMITTED TO ODI.ODI BELIEVES THAT THE PROPOSED ACTION IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THIS INVESTIGATION'S SAFETY ISSUES. FOR THE CRASHES, IN ADDITION TO THE 22 SUBMITTED BY VOLVO, ODI FOUND 10 ADDITIONAL CRASH ALLEGATIONS IN THE OWNER REPORTS, FIELD REPORTS, AND WARRANTY CLAIMS SUBMITTED BY VOLVO.OF THESE 32 CRASHES, ODI BELIEVES THAT 10 ARE CLEARLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT, AND 5 APPEAR TO BE RELATED.OF THE 17 REMAINING CASES, TWO DID NOT INVOLVE A CRASH AND THE OTHER 15 COULD NOT BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.ODI WILL SUPPLEMENT THIS RESUME WITH A CLOSING REPORT AND ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL DETAILS CONCERNING THE DEFECT.
PE02009 · Brake POWER-ASSIST
Opened Jan 29, 2002 · Closed Sep 10, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
No summary supplied.
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