2021 Volvo XC40 problems & reliability
52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Volvo XC40, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 22, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 14 | 27% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 10 | 19% |
| Back Over Prevention | 8 | 15% |
| Unknown / Other | 7 | 13% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 6 | 12% |
| Power Train | 5 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 10% |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 8% |
| Engine | 3 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Vehicle is starting up in the middle of the night. Not plugged in. Not updating! Has occurred at least twice that I know of. Checking the app shows no remote start. No activity! I am concerned about fire danger! Checking the app the vehicle software has not been updated since June/26.”
Unknown / Other · filed Sep 15, 2026
“I own a 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge (pure electric). At 49,030 miles, while slowly driving in a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly began shuddering and jerking as if driving over rumble strips. A warning message appeared stating “Propulsion System Failure” and indicated the vehicle would reduce speed. The vehicle lost…”
Electrical System · filed Jul 3, 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that the liftgate was consistently making loud sounds while opening or closing. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was…”
Structure · filed Jun 9, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
283 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Volvo XC40. The 10 most recent:
This is a TJ - Text plus two .mov attachments - If the customer is experiencing a frozen Sirius Radio banner, meaning in the app view the title of the song and station name will stay on the previous selected station…
37839.1.1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 23, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 1 .jpg attachment - If remote control key is not detected by the car and shows message in DIM "Car key not found" or if functions such as lock/unlock are not working, please follow…
33031.6.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 23, 2026
This is a TJ - Text plus two .mov attachments - If the customer is experiencing a frozen Sirius Radio banner, meaning in the app view the title of the song and station name will stay on the previous selected station…
37839.1.1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 20, 2026
This is a TJ - Text plus 1 mp4 file - If, an iCup model year 2026 vehicle equipped with Sound System defined by VDN K501 or K502, experiencing the symptom where the audible turn-indicator sound is out of sync and may…
37813.2.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 20, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Intermittent knocking noise during acceleration. If the sound corresponds to attached sound file, change front drive shafts to the below part numbers.
36496.10.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 7, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Headlamp condensation inside lens - information/leak test. If the result is not ok (air leak), it is ok to replace the headlamp
34521.11.1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 7, 2026
This is a TJ - Text Plus 1 .mp4 file - When using the CSD for seat adjustments mode for example lumbar support and seat Cushing, the visualization does not match the selected part for adjustment. Do not fault trace for…
37814.1.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 29, 2026
This is a TJ - Text plus 1 mp4 file - If, an iCup model year 2026 vehicle equipped with Sound System defined by VDN K501 or K502, experiencing the symptom where the audible turn-indicator sound is out of sync and may…
37813.2.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 28, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 2 PDFs and 1 .PNG Oil Consumption test. Perform the test. Follow service procedure Description and Service sections updated to clarify that vehicle reports are not…
35526.1.8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 2026
This is a TJ. Text only no attachments - If a customer complains it is not possible to download third-party apps (only ICUP MY2026 cars affected) follow advice under "Service". Workaround is to perform a "IHU factory…
37514.6.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 18, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Volvo XC40 has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Volvo XC40?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.