Used car safety, rank #41 of 188
Volvo XC40 4WD Safety Rating (2020-23)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2020-23 Volvo XC40 4WD, a small luxury SUV, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2026 edition Β· 2021β2024 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. Read the new release and its limits Β· Browse the older edition. Prices and reliability from older model years have not been carried forward.
The 2020-23 Volvo XC40 4WD has an IIHS driver death rate of 11 per million registered vehicle years against a small luxury SUVs average of 28, which is 61% below the class average. That places it #41 of 188 used vehicles with a safety score of 75.7/100.
What the Volvo XC40 death rate means
At 11 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Volvo XC40 4WD beats the small luxury SUVs average of 28 by 61%. The 95% confidence interval is 0 to 33, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 8 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Volvo XC40. Its 95% confidence interval is 0β24. It is no higher than the Volvo XC40's own driver death rate. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used luxury SUVs
The safest small luxury SUVs in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Volvo XC40 4WD highlighted. It ranks 2 of the 7 shown; the class leader is the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WD at a death rate of 0.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WD | 2020-23 | 0 (0 to 29) | 85.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Volvo XC40 4WD (this page) | 2020-23 | 11 (0 to 33) | 75.7 | n/a | n/a |
| Lincoln Corsair 2WD | 2020-23 | 14 (0 to 34) | 71.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Lincoln Corsair 4WD | 2020-23 | 23 (0 to 53) | 60.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Audi Q3 4WD | 2021-23 | 24 (0 to 51) | 57.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Buick Encore GX 4WD | 2020-23 | 26 (5 to 48) | 53.2 | n/a | n/a |
| Buick Encore GX 2WD | 2020-23 | 76 (38 to 113) | 23.7 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for small luxury SUVs: 28 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The new Volvo XC40
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Volvo XC40 we score IIHS crash tests instead; here is how the latest model years rate on our new-car scale.
| Model year | Model | IIHS award | New-car score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Volvo XC40 | No award | 75.7 (provisional) |
New-car scores use a different scale (crash tests, not death rates) and are not directly comparable with the 75.7 used-car score above.
Safety recalls for the Volvo XC40 4WD
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this nameplate and model year. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for one year. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Volvo XC40 4WD: Common Questions
Is the Volvo XC40 4WD a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 11 per million registered vehicle years for the 2020-23 Volvo XC40 4WD, 61% below the class average (28 for small luxury SUVs). That earns a used-car safety score of 75.7 out of 100 and rank #41 of 188 used vehicles.
What is the Volvo XC40 4WD driver death rate?
11 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 0 to 33. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Volvo XC40 died at a rate of 8 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2020-23 models.
How does the Volvo XC40 4WD compare with other small luxury SUVs?
The small luxury SUVs class averages 28 driver deaths per million; the Volvo XC40 4WD sits at 11. Among the 7 small luxury SUVs compared above it ranks 2 by safety score; the top of that group is the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WD with a death rate of 0.