IllustrationTHREE 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. *NM
2005 Volvo S40N
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all S40N years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 12 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
6 reportsON 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…
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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. *JB
ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS TOO CLOSE TO BRAKE PEDAL; POSSIBLE INTERFERNCE WHEN WEARING CERTAIN SHOES. *NM
SEPERATION BETWEEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL IS TOO CLOSE. I CONSTANTLY TOUCH THE BRAKE PEDAL AS I ACCELERATE.*AK
I OWN A 2005 VOLVO S40 AND THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. THIS HAS CAUSED AN ISSUE WITH MY FOOT CATCHING THE BRAKE FROM BEHIND AS I MOVE MY FOOT FROM THE GAS TO THE BRAKE. AND IF I NEED TO BRAKE IMMEDIATELY AND MY FOOT HANGS UP THIS COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT.*AK
THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE TUNNEL WAS 5.1 INCHES WHICH DID NOT LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR HIS FOOT TO MANEUVER. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THIS WAS A DESIGN DEFECT. *AK (VOLVO S40 2005) *SC *JB
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.