Selling a junk Volvo S40
Any S40 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Volvo S40
NHTSA has 677 owner complaints on file for the Volvo S40, model years 2000 to 2011, the 350th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are brakes (114, 17%), electrical system (103, 15%), engine and cooling (52, 8%). 65 complaints involved a crash, 18 a fire, and 8 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 71,000 miles. The 2000 model year has the most complaints (166). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is brakes, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to deciding whether to repair or junk: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Volvo S40 by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 166 | Brakes | 16 | 1 | 1 | 65,875 |
| 2001 | 112 | Brakes | 16 | 6 | 2 | 67,000 |
| 2002 | 34 | Brakes | 5 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2003 | 23 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 2004 | 75 | Electrical system | 7 | 2 | 6 | 52,500 |
| 2005 | 91 | Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 3 | 73,000 |
| 2006 | 81 | Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 3 | 75,000 |
| 2007 | 36 | Brakes | 5 | 1 | 2 | 65,000 |
| 2008 | 27 | Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 2 | 73,000 |
| 2009 | 14 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 2010 | 11 | Body and structure | 2 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2011 | 7 | Electrical system | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Volvo S40 recalls
NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for brakes (3), equipment (3), fuel system (3). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2011 model year, body and structure (campaign 11V186000, Mar 2011): VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 S40 PASSENGER VEHICLES. A CRACK ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE SUPPORT MEMBER IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT MAY HAVE DEVELOPED DURING THE FORMING PROCESS IN COMPONENT PRODUCT…
- 2009 model year, seats (campaign 10V591000, Nov 2010): VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER FRONT PASSENGER SEATS. THE FRONT SEAT RAIL'S DETECTION SYSTEM WAS MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY AND MAY PERMIT THE PASSENGER TO FORWARD THE SEAT BEYOND THE INT…
- 2004 model year, equipment (campaign 10V566000, Nov 2010): VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.
- 2008 model year, steering (campaign 08V329000, Jul 2008): VOLVO IS RECALLING MY 2008-2009 VEHICLES. A SECTION OF THE POWER STEERING RETURN LINE HOSE WAS NOT PROPERLY VULCANIZED (CURED) AND DOES NOT MEET SPECIFICATIONS. IF THE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE FAILS, A SUDDEN RUPTURE O…
- 2007 model year, brakes (campaign 08V101000, Mar 2008): VOLVO IS RECALLING 1,114 MY 2007 C30, C70, S40, AND V50 PASSENGER VEHICLES. A SOFT ANODIZED LAYER IN THE MASTER CYLINDER MAY TRIGGER EARLY WEAR ON A RUBBER SEAL THAT CAN RESULT IN INTERNAL LEAKAGE OF BRAKE FLUID. IF AFFE…
What a Volvo S40 is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk S40 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
Should you junk or repair your car? 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Volvo models
- Volvo XC90 2,121
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- Volvo XC60 794
- Volvo S70 781
- Volvo 850 528
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Questions people ask
- What is a junk Volvo S40 worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same S40 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Volvo S40 that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Volvo S40?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Volvo S40 numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.