2009 Volvo C30 problems
The Volvo C30 is a three-door, front-engine, front-wheel-drive premium compact hatchback, manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars from 2006 to 2013, in a single generation. Powered by inline-four and straight-five engines, the C30 is a variant of the Volvo S40/V50/C70 range, sharing the same Ford C1/Volvo P1 platform. Volvo marketed the C30 as a premium hatchback / sports coupe.
The C30's rear styling and frameless glass rear hatch recall Volvo's earlier P1800 ES and Volvo 480.
Pre-production concepts
Volvo SCC (2001)
The Volvo SCC (Safety Concept Car) is a concept vehicle incorporating the rear hatch design from the Volvo P1800ES and the glass hatch from Volvo 480ES. Its safety features included forward collision warning, blind spot monitor and alert, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, flashing brake lights during hard braking, and headlights that follow the curvature of the road as the car turns. Many of these features would become commonplace years later. The SCC also featured a head-up display and communication with the car via mobile phone.
The SCC was first unveiled at the 2001 Detroit Auto Show, then in autumn 2001 at the Seville International Airport in southern Spain. Research to adapt its safety features for production began in 2002, and it led to development of the C30 which began in 2003.
Social links
Common 2009 Volvo C30 problems
The Volvo C30, a compact premium hatchback produced between 2006 and 2013, is generally known for its reliability. However, there are some common problems and faults that owners have reported.
- Rattling trim and ventilation issues: During test drives, it is advisable to listen for rattling trim and ensure that the ventilation, including the air conditioning, works properly. Older cars may be particularly susceptible to stability control system failure, which can be expensive to fix.
- Engine overheating: Some models of the C30 have been known to overheat, caused by the hose connection between the coolant expansion tank and the bleed hose coming loose. When this happens, it can cause coolant to leak out and air to enter the system, which can cause the engine to overheat.
- Gearbox problems: A recall on the model was announced in 2010 for a known issue with the gear shift mechanism, which over time may become jammed and prevent the driver from changing gears. If you're having problems with your gearbox, it's worth checking if your vehicle was affected by this recall.
- Clutch issues: There have also been reports of faults with the clutch on the Volvo C30. This problem relates to the component connecting the clutch master cylinder and the clutch pedal, which may be prone to breakage on some models of the C30. When this problem occurs, it may not be possible to disengage the clutch, which could present a safety risk if this occurs when driving.
- Brake issues: Due to a fault, the brake assistance may not work effectively in cold start conditions, which can require additional pressure to be applied to the brake pedal in order for them to function as they should. This problem also resulted in a recall on some affected C30 models back in 2009, which required a part of the vacuum pump to be replaced in order to rectify this issue.
- Leaky sunroof: A common problem among C30 owners is a leaky sunroof, which can be frustrating. Despite this issue, many C30 owners still love their cars.
- ABS problems: If there's an ABS problem, it's a good idea to check the ABS module as those have a tendency to go bad and require rebuilding due to internal connection faults.
- PCV system: With all 5 cylinder volvos, it's important to make sure the PCV system has been serviced within the past 100k miles to avoid potential issues.
While these problems may seem concerning, it's important to note that Volvo is known for its reputation for safety, and the C30 managed to achieve a five out of five star safety rating in the most recent crash test carried out by safety experts Euro NCAP. Additionally, many of these issues can be addressed through recalls or regular maintenance.
2009 Volvo C30 car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Volvo C30 problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Power train problems
- Unknown or other problems
- Tires problems
- Steering problems
- Exterior lighting problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 2009 Volvo C30 vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
2009 Volvo C30 complaints
The NHTSA has received 5 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2009 Volvo C30.
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-07-18
- VIN: YV1MK672192
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: The clutch gets stuck on depressing intermittently. I was not able to shift the gear in the middle of the highway at around 80 miles an hour and this was a fatal encounter for me. It could have killed me as well as was a hazard for other cot ravellers around me. This problem reproduces its multiple times but at unpredictable moments. It is difficult to replicate the problem when showing it to the service centre however, Volvo issued a recall for faulty clutch master and slave cylinders in the UK but not in USA. There are absolutely no leaks or problems as the clutch is new.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-05-13
- VIN: YV1MK672592
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: WINDSHIELD WAS NOT PROPERLY SEALED AND SEAL CAME LOOSE, FREEING WINDSHIELD FROM THE BODY OF THE CAR. PROBLEM WAS NOTICED WHEN RAIN CAME IN ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND WET THE DRIVER'S SIDE FOOTWELL. SUNROOF DRAINS WERE CHECKED AND THEY WERE NOT THE PROBLEM. WINDSHIELD HAD BEEN LOOSE AT PIVOT POINT AND COULD BE EASILY PUSHED OUT FROM THE INSIDE. WINDSHIELD HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED SINCE PURCHASE. *TR
TIRES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2016-01-28
- VIN: YV1MK672992
- Components: TIRES
- Summary: RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT VIBRATIONS WHILE DRIVING. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED AT AN INDEPENDENT TIRE SHOP WHO FOUND TWO OUT OF FOUR TIRES (ONE FRONT, ONE REAR) WERE OUT-OF-ROUND BECAUSE OF TREAD SEPARATION OR BELT SLIPPING. I BEGAN TO SUSPECT THAT THIS WAS RELATED TO VIBRATIONS THAT I EXPERIENCED EARLY AFTER BUYING THE CAR USED WITH NEW CONTINENTAL DWS TIRES INSTALLED, FROM A VOLVO DEALER, JUST OVER TWO YEARS AGO. THEN I HAD ASSUMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A SLIGHT IMBALANCE OR POOR WHEEL MOUNTING. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED AT A CONTINENTAL TIRE DEALER TO INITIATE A WARRANTY CLAIM, BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE POSSIBLY UNSAFE TO USE AFTER 2 YEARS AND 18000 MILES (WELL WITHIN THE 6 YEAR WORKMANSHIP, AND 50000 MILE TREADWEAR WARRANTY). THEY FOUND UNEVEN CAMBER WEAR AND CUPPING, BUT NO TREAD SEPARATION, AND THE CARS SUSPENSION AND ALIGNMENT CHECKED OUT. CONTINENTAL REFUSED TO HONOR THE DEFECT IN WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY CLAIMING THAT I HAD NOT MAINTAINED THE TIRES BECAUSE I HAD FOLLOWED THE CARS MANUFACTURES SERVICE RECOMMENDATION OF NOT ROTATING TIRES (SACRIFICING TREADWEAR FOR IMPROVED HANDLING). I RECONTACTED CONTINENTAL WHEN THE LEVEL OF THE VIBRATIONS AND THUMPING NOISES SUBSIDED AGAIN BECAUSE AN INTERMITTENT VIBRATION COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED BY CUPPING AND CAMBER WEAR BECAUSE THEY ARE PERMANENT, THUS SUPPORTING THE INDEPENDENT SHOPS CLAIM THAT THERE IS AN INTERNAL DEFECT IN THE TIRE ALLOWING THE BELTS TO SHIFT. CONTINENTAL HAS DISMISSED THIS AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE AND IS SEEMINGLY IGNORING THE FACT THAT THESE TIRES COULD HAVE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT.
STEERING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2013-08-26
- VIN: YV1MK672592
- Components: STEERING
- Summary: TURN ENGINE ON AND STARTED TO GET OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE AND SUDDENLY NOTICED HESITATION OF MY WHEEL TO TURN LEFT>RIGHT. I CHECKED MY POWER STEERING RESERVOIR AND I CANNOT SEE POWER STEERING FLUID. I CALLED VOLVO AND THEY SAID MY VIN IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I HAVE LOW MILEAGE AND THEY JUST DID A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE PAST SUMMER. *TR
EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2010-10-11
- VIN: YV1MK672782
- Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY CRACKING. TWO PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES (ORIGINAL AND REPLACEMENT) HAVE CRACKED WITH THREE MONTHS WITHOUT SIGN OF EXTERNAL IMPACT. CRACKING IN BOTH ASSEMBLIES HAS BEEN IDENTICAL. A THIRD ASSEMBLY WILL BE INSTALLED THIS WEDNESDAY. CRACKING IS SUBSTANTIAL AND POSES A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR
2009 Volvo C30 recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 2 recalls for different components of the 2009 Volvo C30.
- Manufacturer: VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.
- Components: EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)
- Summary: VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.
- Consequence: AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.
- Remedy: VOLVO ADVISES OWNERS TO PLEASE STOP USING THE GARMIN PORTABLE GPS DEVICE IMMEDIATELY, AND VISIT THE GARMIN WEBSITE TO DETERMINE IF THEIR UNIT IS AFFECTED. THE UNIT'S BATTERY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW BATTERY AND A SPACER WILL BE INSERTED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY NEXT TO THE PCB. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN AT 866-957-1981 OR VISIT GARMIN'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GARMIN.COM/NUVIBATTERYPCBRECALL.
- Manufacturer: VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.
- Components: STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
- Summary: 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 OF THE HOSE CAN OCCUR.
- Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN A RAPID DRAINAGE OF THE POWER STEERING FLUID IN THE SYSTEM AND A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSISTANCE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE STEERING RETURN LINE HOSE ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
Other years of Volvo C30
Are you having problems with your 2009 Volvo C30?
Leave your review of 2009 Volvo C30