There are 1 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2002 Volvo S40in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THERE IS A DANGEROUS REFLECTION OF THE TAUPE DASH OFF THE WINDSHIELD OF MY NEW VOLVO, WHICH THE COMPANY HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE. OTHERS HAVE NOTICED THIS AS WELL: SEE WWW.VOLVOSPY.COM. THIS CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN DAYLIGHT, SO MUCH SO THAT THE GLARE IN DAYLIGHT, PRESENT WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING AND EVEN ON AN OVERCAST DAY, PREVENTS ONE FROM AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW. THE COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINT WAS OUR VEHICLES MEET OR EXCEED ALL UNITED STATES SPECIFICATIONS FOR SAFETY BRFORE THEY ARE RELEASED TO CUSTOMERS IS THERE A SPECIFICATION FOR THE AMOUNT OF GLARE ALLOWED? FURTHER, THEY SAY THAT THEY CAN NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHEN AND THE WAY I DRIVE, BUT WITH ALL DUE RESPECT. I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO DRIVES IN DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE DEALER SUGGESTS THAT I COVER THE DASH WITH A DARK COLORED MATERIAL, WHICH DOES, INDEED, CUT THE GLARE; OTHERS HAVE SUGGESTED WEARING POLARIZED SUNGLASSES, WHICH ALSO WORKS. BUT NEITHER OF THESE SUGGESTIONS IS SATISFACTORY, ESPECIALLY IN A NEW CAR. ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM? AND DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? THIS IS NOT A TRIVIAL PROBLEM. THE GLARE IS ALMOST BLINDING AT TIMES. CHECK IT OUT AND SEE WHAT I MEAN. DT
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026