Volvo C40 / EC40 (Recharge)

DVSA recall entries against the C40 for 2022-24 model years cover a brake control module software error that can cause a temporary loss of braking functionality after coasting downhill with One Pedal Drive selected, with a collision risk in the worst case - the same defect that became an urgent North American recall covering XC40/C40 EVs. The recall remedy is a software update; Volvo’s interim advice was to avoid One Pedal Drive downhill. A used EC40 or C40 with an undischargeable history inherits the fault and the resale headache.

Auto Express’s EC40 review finds you are not short of toys but most of the climate settings live behind the touchscreen, which they call a frustration while driving, and note the system took a long time to set up and a noticeable pause before the sat-nav surfaced addresses even though screen loading is otherwise good. Parkers similarly lists an infotainment that is starting to show its age. None of it stops the car working; it does decide how it feels on a wet, busy run - so drive it through the daily routine before buying.

Volvo Owners Club threads describe C40 Recharge / EC40 cars diagnosed with an AC module fault within the onboard charging unit, where AC charging will not be accepted even though DC charging still works. The OBC module costs roughly £1,600 plus labour, and Volvo Owners Club members cite quality bulletin P10077 and report the fault can recur. There is no eight-year warranty on the charging module unlike the battery, so an unresolved OBC fault is an expensive out-of-warranty liability on a used EC40.