2021 Volvo XC40 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2021 Volvo XC40 holds 0 complaints after 6 years, a rate of 0 per year. XC40 years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 0 complaints per year. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Back-over prevention, software, Engine, and Retractor.

2019 Volvo XC40 — Photo by Mr.choppers, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 XC40 has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2022 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2020. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Volvo XC40. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (5)

Recall back-over prevention, software 2025-12-23 · NHTSA campaign 25V908000

Summary 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."

Remedy The software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 24, 2026. Owners may contact Volvo Car’s customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10333. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 16, 2026. This recall replaces previous NHTSA recall number 25V282. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 25V282 will need to have the new remedy performed.

Recall back-over prevention, software 2025-05-08 · NHTSA campaign 25V282000

Summary 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."

Remedy The software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10320.

Recall Engine 2021-11-12 · NHTSA campaign 21V881000

Summary Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2021 XC40 BEV vehicles. A bolt that secures the cross-member bracket for the electrical motor in the engine compartment may be loose or missing.

Remedy Dealers will replace the cross-member bracket and install new bracket bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10128.

Recall seat belts, front, retractor 2021-09-01 · NHTSA campaign 21V682000

Summary Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021 XC40, XC 40 Recharge, V60CC, V90, V90CC, XC90, and 2021-2022 V60, XC60, S60 vehicles. The seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 13, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10111.

Recall electrical system, propulsion system, traction battery, battery management system, software 2021-02-24 · NHTSA campaign 21V109000

Summary Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021-2022 XC40 Recharge vehicles. The Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) microprocessor may reset and cause the high voltage system to disconnect.

Remedy Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10078.

Complaints by component (0 total)

No complaints on file with NHTSA for this model year.

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge SUV AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge SUV FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2021 Volvo XC40 T4 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	Not rated	4 stars
2021 Volvo XC40 T4 SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2021 Volvo XC40 T5 SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
XC40 all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	30	25 MPG	$3200
XC40 all-wheel drive BEV	—	Automatic (1-speed)	All-wheel drive	85	72	79 MPG / 208 mi range	$950
XC40 front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Front-wheel drive	23	32	26 MPG	$2500

Specs and fitment

First generation (CMA), 2019–present

Body styles SUV

Oil 0W-20 (2.0L gasoline) , 5.9 qt capacity

Tire size 235/55R18, 235/50R19, 245/45R20, 245/40R21 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 18V535000 covers certain 2019 XC40 vehicles. Rear seats may lack rear seat-back lock strikers, allowing the seat back to move forward during hard braking or a crash. Recall 18V554000 covers certain 2019 XC40 vehicles where brake pedals may not have been correctly riveted, allowing the pedal to move out of position and possibly reducing braking performance. Recall 20V144000 covers certain 2019-2020 XC40 vehicles (among other Volvo models) where Automatic Emergency Brake may not detect obstacles due to a software/hardware incompatibility. Recall 21V109000 covers certain 2021-2022 XC40 Recharge vehicles where the Battery Energy Control Module microprocessor may reset and disconnect the high-voltage system, which can cause a loss of drive power.

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See every Volvo XC40 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Volvo XC40 reliable?

Is the 2021 Volvo XC40 more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2021 Volvo XC40 been recalled?

The 2021 Volvo XC40 has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Volvo XC40?

Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 2021 Volvo XC40 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Volvo XC40 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Volvo XC40 is 43.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a US Volvo XC40 use?

0W-20 (2.0L gasoline) With filter, about 5.9 qt is commonly listed for this generation—confirm in the owner manual.

What tire sizes fit a US Volvo XC40?

Published US specs commonly list front 235/55R18, 235/50R19, 245/45R20, 245/40R21 (trim-dependent) and rear 235/55R18, 235/50R19, 245/45R20, 245/40R21 (trim-dependent); confirm on the door jamb placard for your trim.

What NHTSA recalls affect the US Volvo XC40?