Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Volvo S40 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 Volvo S40. The contact stated that the driver was traveling approximately 35 MPH when the brakes were applied but the vehicle would not stop until crashing into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belt failed to retain the driver. A police report was filed and the driver suffered serious injuries. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent repair shop, but the cause of failure was not diagnosed. The failure and current mileage was 114,000. The VIN was unavailable.
I bought a 2001 Volvo S40 in June 2009. I noticed right away that the brakes didn't seem to work properly, as the stopping distance was far too long. They assured me the brakes were brand new. After driving it a few weeks, I became very nervous about the brakes because I had come close to rear ending several people. I brought it back to the dealer where I purchased it and asked them to double check the brakes. They did so and stated that they were fine. So, I drove extra cautiously from then on. Unfortunately, they never gave me any documentation and I never asked for it. They just checked the brakes and sent me on my way, reassuring me there was not a problem. However, on December 28th, 2009, the brakes failed when coming to an intersection. I was just beginning to slow down (not even trying to stop yet) and the brake would not go down further. …
At 19,600 miles the rear brake pads wore out on my wife's 2001 S40 Volvo sedan. We were told by the dealer this is normal and that they have seen some s40s wear the rear brakes out as early as 12,000 miles. Based on a reasonable persons experience this is much too early for brake pads, especially the rear ones to be wearing. This must be a design defect and should be covered under warranty or better quality pads should be installed on the car. Searching the web I have this is a common complaint about s40s. Below is one example I found: 9th May 2002, 14:41just had my Volvo rear brake pads replaced at less than 20,000 miles (at my cost!). At inspection the rear pads had 0% remaining, while the front still had 70%. When I told the dealer that this was unacceptable, they said "this is normal for the Volvo S40". …
I am very concerned about my cars braking distance. It seems to take a long time to stop after applying the brakes. Today I was in a minor traffic incident, I was travelling under 15mph when the car in front of me slammed on her brakes (the car infront of her stopped short). Though it was not good that she had to stop so abruptly, my car should have been able to stop without hitting her bumbper. I was traveling at a safe speed and safe distance. This minor accident should not have occurred and now I am concerned about getting my car back and it's ability to stop at a proper distance. The other car sustained very minor scratches on the bumper. I do not know if this is something regarding my Volvo S40 model (new in the us) or just my particular vehicle. This is my 4th Volvo and I have never had braeks that stopped in such a long distance. …
I have a 2001 Volvo S40 with brake problems. In the mornings when I get in my car and back up I have to almost stand up on the brakes to stop my car. I have almost went out in front of others cars because my brakes will not hardly stop. This occurs daily. If my car sits for a few hours it does it all over again. This to me is a safty issue because one day they are not going to stop and I'll have a wreck. I have two small children in my car. I thought Volvo was suppose to be one of the safest carss one the road but someone didn't do enough research. I have bumped my husbands truck twice because of this problem. And I have also had to use the e-brake to stop more than once. Some one needs to be held responsible for this problem. My car only has 110,000 miles one it. …
I had the brakes serviced on my 2001 Volvo S40 at the Volvo dealer. At only 21,500 miles the rear brakes were grinding loudly. I complained to Volvo consumer services from their web page. They were not only not surprised at the rear brake failure at 21,500 miles, but said that they usually go out between 10K and 20K miles. The rear brakes on that vehicle are poorly designed, creating a potential accident hazard because of consumers' ignorance of their under-engineering. An American car would likely get as much as 80K miles out of the rear brakes, being replaced only the third time the front brakes are service. An American car company that is as obviously aware of a failure of this nature would likely have done a redesign and recall. The rear brake pads on the Volvo S40 are no bigger than those of a motorcycle. This is an unsafe vehicle and Volvo should be forced to recall them.
I had my Volvo S40 into the dealer I bought it from (keystone, pa) 5 times for a squeak in the rear of the car. Each time we were told they couldn't locate the problem but they could hear the squeak. On the 6 visit they gave us a loaner and took the car for a couple of days and then called us and told us they found the problem.... The rear brakes needed to be replaced. All those visits and they just figured out it was the brakes plus the car only has 14,000 miles. What kind of small, light sports car needs rear brakes at 14,000. This car is only driven by my wife to her job that is about 5 miles away. After all this mess I will be trading in my S40 and never recommend or purchase a Volvo again. So much for Volvo's reputation. I read other people's complaints about the brakes on this site and it only strenghthen the consumers case about the brake problems.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Volvo S40. Each morning, the brakes would fail. The contact had to leave the vehicle running for approximately five minutes before the brakes became operational. He took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the pump needed to be replaced and the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 03V474000 (service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum). The current mileage was 67,000 and failure mileage was 60,000.
Brake power assist failed. Dealer notified. The brakes were soft upon cold starts and was disfunctional until the vehicle had warmed up. The brake was depressed multiple times. The dealer attempted on five occasions to correct the problem and replaced the vacuum hose twice. A representative of Volvo recommended new wiring and it seemed to have remedied the problem.
Volvo model S40 vacuum brake failure. My 28 year old daughter was making a low speed turn at intersection and brakes failed and she hit a telephone pole. In 2003 she was coming to a stop behind another car and the same thing happened. Subsequently they replaced the vacuum pump at the 30,000 mile service on 8/14/03. We just read about recall on vehicles made during 2000.
NHTSA investigations
VOLVO S40/V40 MY 2000-2001
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…
Brake complaints in other S40 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2001 Volvo S40?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the brakes of the 2001 Volvo S40, 32% of the model year's 84 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › pads (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Volvo S40 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2001 Volvo S40, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Volvo S40 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.