I purchased the XC40 R-Design back in May 2019 when it first came out. I loved some of the unique features and styling of this vehicle and had high hopes getting into this SUV. However, after 2 1/2 years, I'm done.
The quality control of this vehicle has been atrocious. Long story short, my vehicle has 43,000KM's on it and already the following has been done:
- Driver side heated seat elements replaced
- Front brakes/rotors at 12,000KM's due to grinding/vibrations
- Rear brakes/rotors at 37,000KM
- Rear axle tie rod/axle, it leaked oil all over my driveway at 22,000KM
- Driver side window rattles, they refuse to acknowledge it and sometimes when opening the window, almost sounds like it's going to crack
- Arm rest squeaks when resting elbow on it, only fix was to put some pads under the lid where it closes
- There's now a creak/rattle in the front right axle
In addition to the above issues, there are other annoyances with this vehicle such as:
- Constant notifications of updates only to find out its related to a map update
- Memory seats have a mind of their own, no matter what I try
- Rain sensing wipers are abysmal
- What's with the slow moving power windows? Couldn't find a better motor?
- Engine whines when slightly pressing the gas, they say it's due to the Turbo but I've owned 3 different Audi's with turbo engines, never had this issue
Best parts of this vehicle were:
- Trunk organization, being able to lift and compartmentalize the trunk was great
- Heated steering wheel was among the best I've had
- Seats were super comfortable for long periods of time
- Simplicity of the steering wheel controls, everything was just easy to execute
Despite these positives, I can't in my right mind keep this vehicle. The quality control astounds me. Not to mention Volvo service itself is the worst I've had from any of the car manufacturers. They never have parts for anything and when they do order parts sometimes they order the wrong ones. For instanace, it took them almost 2 weeks to get brake pads for my vehicle. Huh? Seriously? The driver seat heating element had the wrong part number on it, a bug they had to report to Sweden head office. Like come on. It's a complete sh*t show!
Never again will I buy a Volvo. I gave them a good try and thought maybe this will be my next favourite car manufacturer but no chance. Ironically, a friend of mine who owned the Volvo XC90 warned me not to buy one, he had similar experiences. Turns out he was right. Just thought I'd share my experience not to bitch about it but just to say it was a complete let down. I can't imagine anyone wanting to own this vehicle long-term beyond the warranty period.
Goodbye Volvo XC40
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Deleted User 1286
Oh and I forgot to mention the ever annoying knocking noises coming from the vents when I change the temperature setting in my car. They said it's normal. Are you kidding me? It sounds like someone is hammering inside the vents of my car.
Wow - my experience is quite the opposite - going on two years now with my 2019 XC40 R-Design T5. So far - nothing has gone wrong - nothing at all. Solid, no creaks groan or knocks, rides great smooth quiet etc. No issues with climate controls or odd behavior, rain sensing windshield wipers work fine, as well as the memory seats with adjustments being automatic between my wife's key fob and mine. The brakes are very powerful without any shakes etc.. As far as window speed - I have not noted any issues - windows go up and down quietly without noises and not slow at all. Overall I am very happy with the car in every way. Compared to the Subaru we had prior this, our Volvo has been superior in every way. By this same time in our Subaru ownership we were on our second complete engine. I can't really talk good or bad about our dealer as the car has only been there for two oil changes.
Given forums such as these are magnets for people complaining about something...there is really only a small number of people complaining about issues with the XC40. Unfortunate for those that have a reason to complain but potential buyers need a balanced view and I've nothing but praise for mine.
T4 Auto AWD R Design March 2019
Couldn’t agree more. There’s also a survey backing up how reliable the car is: “The XC40 comes in a highly creditable 14th place overall in Driver Power 2020 but it has some outstanding scores in certain areas - including safety, infotainment and, yes, reliability. A brilliant 98% reliability score is enough to put it in top spot making it our most reliable car to buy in 2020 but it also topped the build quality rankings with 95.7%. As usual for cars that score well for reliability, most of the faults that were reported by the 15.9% of owners who had one were electrical.”blastpipe wrote: ↑Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:55 am Given forums such as these are magnets for people complaining about something...there is really only a small number of people complaining about issues with the XC40. Unfortunate for those that have a reason to complain but potential buyers need a balanced view and I've nothing but praise for mine.
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars ... uy-in-2020
I’ve had my car since March 2018 having ordered it unseen apart from magazine articles and the brochure.
I’ve had none of the issues that others have had.
At the 12 month service the starter battery sensor failed as I drove away from the dealers. The car was booked in a couple of days later and although the part was not in stock, I drove the car away that afternoon fully fixed.
The rear brake pads were changed at the 24 month service and apart from that I’ve had no issues.
Maybe I’m lucky as I had 3 Subaru’s over a 19 year period one Impreza turbo and two Legacy’s. All from new and had no issues with these either. The last one was with me for 13 years. Unlike bdalameda’s experience above.
My daughter has a 6 month old £40k BMW which has now been back to the dealers 5 times to try and fix a problem with a slow speed vibration. Currently the car has been in for a week while they replace brake disks and pads. Unfortunately she was not taken seriously until the service manager spoke to her partner and implied that my daughter being female did not know what she was talking to. He got a suitable reply. She also told them that she was now going to reject the car unless they sorted it. BMW head office are finally involved in the case.
Clearly it’s a matter of luck as to wether you get a good experience or not, and how the dealer deals with any related issues.
I’ve had none of the issues that others have had.
At the 12 month service the starter battery sensor failed as I drove away from the dealers. The car was booked in a couple of days later and although the part was not in stock, I drove the car away that afternoon fully fixed.
The rear brake pads were changed at the 24 month service and apart from that I’ve had no issues.
Maybe I’m lucky as I had 3 Subaru’s over a 19 year period one Impreza turbo and two Legacy’s. All from new and had no issues with these either. The last one was with me for 13 years. Unlike bdalameda’s experience above.
My daughter has a 6 month old £40k BMW which has now been back to the dealers 5 times to try and fix a problem with a slow speed vibration. Currently the car has been in for a week while they replace brake disks and pads. Unfortunately she was not taken seriously until the service manager spoke to her partner and implied that my daughter being female did not know what she was talking to. He got a suitable reply. She also told them that she was now going to reject the car unless they sorted it. BMW head office are finally involved in the case.
Clearly it’s a matter of luck as to wether you get a good experience or not, and how the dealer deals with any related issues.
XC40 T5 First Edition|Bursting Blue |delivered end of March 2018
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Deleted User 1286
I completely agree, there is a tendency for most reviews online to be negative because I find people are more compelled to write something when they've had a bad experience. Having said that, I can honestly say this has been one of the worst vehicle's I've owned. It's had nothing but issues. I escalated this all the way up to Volvo Canada head office, all they could do for me was provide a $1,000 credit towards service for the next 12 months. Not much good it did me as I don't drive many KM's and probably won't even require service in those 12 months.blastpipe wrote: ↑Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:55 am Given forums such as these are magnets for people complaining about something...there is really only a small number of people complaining about issues with the XC40. Unfortunate for those that have a reason to complain but potential buyers need a balanced view and I've nothing but praise for mine.
This car has been a lemon and unfortunately has put a bad taste in my mouth towards Volvo. It also doesn't help that the dealership in my area is a complete disaster. Never anyone at the service counter, no parts in stock for things that you would think they should carry and the list goes on.
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Deleted User 1286
Btw, it's insane to me that this car needed to have its brakes replaced so soon in its life. The explanation I received from the dealer was, "Sir, if you're familiar with European cars, they use softer brake pads which unfortunately wears a lot more quickly." that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I've owned BMW's and Audi's and never had to replace my brake pads and rotors this early in a car's life. It's just simply unacceptable.
