Reliability
Volvo

C40 (XC40-based)

2022-2025 · Compact EV SUV · 1 engine
40 NHTSA Complaints
6 Recalls
2 Fire Reports
3 Crash Reports
Data covers 3 NHTSA model names
C40 P8 RECHARGEC40 RECHARGEC40 RECHARGE TWIN
Inspection checklist

Reliability Score

7.7 / 10

Reliability score

Fewer owner complaints than similar compact EV SUVs

The class average is 7.0. Based on complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the drive system, battery, charging or electrical system. Electric vehicles are scored against other electric vehicles only, so this score does not compare it with gas or hybrid models. Early evidence: under five years on the road.

Owners filed 14 powertrain complaints. A typical compact EV SUV fleet of this size and age would have drawn about 18.

Scores this high have held: three years on they had moved 0.2 points in the typical case.

Covers the 2022 to 2024 model years only (the generation ran 2022 to 2025).

Breakdown
Complaints overall14 complaints against about 18 for similar vehicles
7.7
Last three years
n/aNot enough data
Engine, transmission or drive unit failed or replaced
n/aNot enough data

Each line scores one view of the same complaints the same way, so the lines overlap. The mark on each bar is the class average. A line needs 20 expected complaints to show a number.

By model year
  • 2022n/a
  • 20237.9
  • 2024n/a

Similar vehicles are others in the same class, compared at the same age and in the same years. The score counts complaints owners filed with NHTSA, per vehicle built, which is different from the share of vehicles that fail. How the score is worked out

On the record

No serious powertrain recall covering 5% or more of this generation and no escalated investigation in NHTSA's files. Warranty extensions and settlements have not been researched.

Complaints by Engine Code

E400V6

402 hp
39 complaints 18.5 per year Electric
2 fire reports
View details

Complaint Breakdown

safety systems
15
electrical
9
transmission
5
other
5
brakes
5
Show 1 additional engine variant with limited data
These engines appear in fewer than 10 owner complaints. A low count can mean a clean record, and it can also be a VIN-decode anomaly in NHTSA's data.

Volvo C40 Unidentified Engine

1 complaint 1.0 per year
View details

Complaint Breakdown

engine
1

Battery & Propulsion Reliability

Battery Electric (BEV)

Battery & propulsion complaint analysis for the 2022-2025 Volvo C40

9 battery-related complaints 4.5 per year 0 battery-related recalls

Too few field reports to rate this generation against peers yet. Most recently launched models accumulate complaints over the first 2-3 years.

What kind of battery complaint?

Among the 9 battery-related complaints, here's the type mix. These percentages describe what the complaints are about — not how reliable the vehicle is overall.

Regenerative Braking 8 (89%)

Regen brake feel, one-pedal driving, B-mode complaints.

Electric Propulsion 1 (11%)

Loss of power, drive unit, inverter, traction motor, DC-DC converter.

High-Voltage Battery 1 (11%)

Propulsion battery defects, capacity loss, BMS faults, replacement claims.

Sample complaint excerpts
Regenerative Braking
  • [2022] This vehicle is an electric vehicle and driven primarily in one pedal drive. When stopped, without any input to the accelerator, it will sometimes start moving forward. This has happened at least fifty times in the 2.5 years I have owned this vehicle. I have been fortunate enough to not strike another car (or pedestrian) at a stop light when the car will suddenly start moving forward, but there ha
  • [2022] I drive in the standard one pedal driving mode which allows for the car to brake and come to a complete stop using the regen system by simply releasing the accelerator. The issue is that I had come to a stop behind another car at traffic lights with my foot of the accelerator. In one pedal driving there is no need to hold the brake pedal as the car should so this itself. After a few seconds of
  • [2022] I exclusively use one pedal drive (OPD) for my 2022 Volvo C40 EV. I have a log of about a dozen incidents in 2.5yrs where OPD has malfunctioned. Sometimes failing at speed, other times lurching quickly forward after stopping. I have contacted Volvo and they installed a flight data recorder. I can provide a description of all my events upon request. I'll detail just the most dangerous incident her
Electric Propulsion
  • [2023] Under acceleration, there is a knocking/loud rattling sound from both front axles and constant velocity joints. I am a former master technician and this is clearly a serious issue with these axles as they cannot tolerate the huge torque output from the electric motor. This is also a mechanical safety issue as if this issue is not rectified by Volvo, the axles could disintegrate leading to loss of
High-Voltage Battery
  • [2023] 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 ou

Source: classified from NHTSA complaint and recall data. "Battery-related" includes high-voltage propulsion battery, charging system, hybrid drivetrain, electric propulsion, regenerative braking, 12V auxiliary battery, and thermal-event complaints. Other complaints (suspension, steering, brakes, infotainment) appear in the engine and vehicle-level sections. Rates are absolute counts, not normalized per-VIN — high-volume models naturally produce more raw complaints than low-volume ones. Self-reported death and injury counts are capped per complaint to limit form abuse.

Battery: Volvo / Polestar CMA pack (78 kWh, LG cells)

NMC (ratio not published) · LG Energy Solution (cells and modules) · 27 modules, 400-volt class
View full pack reference →
▼ You're looking at: C40 C40 Recharge 2022-2023; Recharge Twin only for 2024 (2022-2024)
EPA range 226-297 mi ·MPGe combined 87-107
EPA figures span the trims and model years this entry covers.
About the pack
Capacity
75 kWh
usable · 78 total
Fast charge
155 kW
peak
Warranty floor
70%
capacity floor at 8 yr / 100k mi

Pack overview

ChemistryNMC (ratio not published)
Cell supplierLG Energy Solution (cells and modules)
Cell formatNot published
Voltage (nominal)396 V
CoolingLiquid
Architecture27 modules, 400-volt class
Warranty 8 yr / 100k mi
Capacity floor70%

Known issues

High
NHTSA 21V-110 (February 2021) covers certain 2021-2022 Polestar 2 vehicles. The Battery Energy Control Module's microprocessor may reset and disconnect the high-voltage system. The software is updated by a dealer or over the air, free of charge.
High
NHTSA 21V-109 (February 2021) covers 2,278 XC40 Recharge vehicles from 2021-2022. The Battery Energy Control Module's microprocessor may reset and disconnect the high-voltage system. Dealers install a software update free of charge.
Low
Two packs share these model names in 2024. Volvo's EPA filing puts this 78 kWh LG pack (75 kWh usable) in the dual-motor Polestar 2 and the XC40 and C40 Recharge Twin, and an 82 kWh CATL pack in the single-motor cars. Polestar lists 155 kW DC charging for this pack against 205 kW for the other.
Low
The heat pump is optional, in the Polestar 2's Plus Pack from the 2022 model year. Polestar says it helps increase real-world driving range by approximately 10% between 20°F and 77°F.
Low
Polestar covers the battery and electric motors for 8 years or 100,000 miles. From the 2025 model year it also covers capacity below 70% of original within that term.

How this pack ages (industry context)

Industry fleet aggregates: 2.3% average annual capacity loss across 22,700 EVs / 21 models (Geotab, 2026), and 95% range retention at 5 years on average across 30,000+ vehicles (Recurrent, 2026).

OEM warranty floor on this pack: 8 yr / 100k mi to 70% capacity.

Public per-pack degradation curves are not available for most models. Individual results vary materially with climate, charging behavior, and DC fast-charge frequency.

Battery: Volvo / Polestar CMA pack (82 kWh, CATL cells)

NMC (ratio not published) · CATL (cells and modules) · 108 cells in 27 modules, 400-volt class
View full pack reference →
▼ You're looking at: C40 C40 Recharge single motor (2024); EC40 (2025) (2024-2025)
EPA range 257-297 mi ·MPGe combined 99-107
EPA figures span the trims and model years this entry covers.
About the pack
Capacity
79 kWh
usable · 82 total
Fast charge
205 kW
peak · about 28 min to 80%
Warranty floor
70%
capacity floor at 8 yr / 100k mi

Pack overview

ChemistryNMC (ratio not published)
Cell supplierCATL (cells and modules)
Cell formatNot published
Voltage (nominal)404 V
CoolingLiquid
Architecture108 cells in 27 modules, 400-volt class
Warranty 8 yr / 100k mi
Capacity floor70%

Known issues

Low
Volvo's EPA filings name CATL for this pack: 82 kWh nominal, 79 kWh usable, 404 volts. It arrived for 2024 in the single-motor Polestar 2, XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, and Polestar lists 205 kW DC charging for it against 155 kW for the 78 kWh pack.
Low
The heat pump is optional, in the Polestar 2's Plus Pack from the 2022 model year. Polestar says it helps increase real-world driving range by approximately 10% between 20°F and 77°F.
Low
Polestar covers the battery and electric motors for 8 years or 100,000 miles. From the 2025 model year it also covers capacity below 70% of original within that term.

How this pack ages (industry context)

Industry fleet aggregates: 2.3% average annual capacity loss across 22,700 EVs / 21 models (Geotab, 2026), and 95% range retention at 5 years on average across 30,000+ vehicles (Recurrent, 2026).

OEM warranty floor on this pack: 8 yr / 100k mi to 70% capacity.

Public per-pack degradation curves are not available for most models. Individual results vary materially with climate, charging behavior, and DC fast-charge frequency.

Owner Complaints by System

Complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Volvo C40, counted across every engine. A complaint can name more than one system.

Safety Systems: 15 owner complaints
Electrical System: 9 owner complaints
Transmission: 5 owner complaints

Recalls (6)

25V908000Dec 23, 2025serious
Back Over Prevention

Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2024 C40BEV, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, XC60, 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, XC90, and 2025 EC40, and EX40 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

25V392000Jun 12, 2025serious
Service Brakes

Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2023 Volvo C40 BEV, 2025 EC40, 2023-2024 XC40 BEV, 2020-2026 XC90 PHEV, 2022-2026 XC60 PHEV, 2023-2025 S60 PHEV, 2024-2025 V60 PHEV, and 2025-2026 EX40 and 2025 S90 PHEV vehicles. In certain driving scenarios while coasting down a hill and using "B" mode or "One Pedal Drive," the vehicle may lose brake function.

25V282000May 8, 2025serious
Back Over Prevention

Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, C40, XC60, 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, XC90, and 2025 EC40 and EX40 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

24V938000Dec 18, 2024serious
Air Bags

Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Volvo C40 vehicles. The clamps may be improperly crimped on the driver's side inner far side air bag module (FSAB), which can cause the air bag to deploy improperly.

23V188000Mar 22, 2023serious
Electrical System

Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2023 S60, V60CC, XC60, XC90, XC40, and C40 vehicles. A diagnostic trouble code (DTC) may be falsely detected for the emergency call system (e-call) and display "e-Call Service Required" in the driver information module (DIM).

Show 1 older recall
23V012000Jan 19, 2023serious
Service Brakes

Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2023 S60, V60, V60CC, V90CC, XC60, XC90, XC40, and C40 vehicles. A diagnostic error in the Brake Control Module 2 (BCM2) may cause a loss of Antilock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), and traction control.

Alternatives in Compact EV SUV

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common 2022-2025 Volvo C40 complaints?

Owners have filed 40 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022-2025 Volvo C40. The systems they name most often are the safety systems, the electrical system and the transmission.

Is the 2022-2025 Volvo C40 a good used car?

That depends on the model year, the mileage and the maintenance history of the car in front of you. Owners have filed 40 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022-2025 Volvo C40. Check which systems they name most often and whether a recall is still open on that car.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2022-2025 Volvo C40 have?

NHTSA has 40 owner complaints on file for the 2022-2025 Volvo C40 as of the latest data pull. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and counts rise with sales.

What recalls affect the 2022-2025 Volvo C40?

NHTSA lists 6 recalls covering some 2022-2025 Volvo C40 vehicles. Which ones apply depends on the VIN: enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see the open campaigns on a specific car.

What should I check before buying a used Volvo C40?

Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm every open recall has been done. Look hardest at the safety systems, the electrical system and the transmission, the systems owners complain about most. Ask for maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the car and run a vehicle history report for prior accidents and title issues.

Does the C40 have NHTSA crash test ratings?

NHTSA has not published crash test ratings for the 2022-2025 Volvo C40. Not all vehicles are tested each year. For the latest NHTSA safety information, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 40 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: moderate. Last updated: 2026-10-12.

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