Volvo V40 (2012-2019) review - Reliability and Safety

The Volvo V40 is an extremely safe car. In 2012, Euro NCAP awarded it as the safest car of the year, as it scored a best-ever 98 per cent for adult occupant protection and a 100 per cent score for safety assist.

Clever innovations include a bonnet airbag, a feature that’s standard across the range. It’s this that’s key to the V40’s superb 88 per cent pedestrian protection score. The only relatively poor score is the car’s 75 per cent score for child occupant protection, although rivals still have lower scores than that.

Geely-owned Volvo has been impressing UK motorists for a while now, although it only really ranks in the middle of our Driver Power manufacturer standings. The V40 has occasionally appeared in the survey of cars for sale, but hasn't ranked higher than 16th in its time on sale. One thing that has remained consistent is that owners have rated it highly for seat comfort and running costs, but not so well for ride quality, performance or practicality. 

Warranty

The V40 comes as standard with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, combined with a three-year unlimited mileage paintwork warranty. It also has an eight-year warranty against rust.

Part of the Volvo new car warranty is three years’ Volvo Assistance roadside breakdown cover – for both the UK and Europe. If you have your V40 serviced at a Volvo dealer, it is automatically extended after three years: if you don’t, 12 months’ cover costs around  £100. 

Servicing

Service intervals for the latest range of Volvo engines is annually or every 18,000 miles – this is a boost from the older Ford engines, which had shorter mileage service intervals. Volvo dealers are generally competitive on pricing, and sample quotes can be calculated via a tool on the firm’s website, so you don't have to ring around to chase them.