[Yosh]

My XC40 is now 18 months old with 22,000 miles. The other day I was just about out of gas and pulled over to fill up. The fuel filler door wouldn't open leaving me stranded at the pump. I looked inside the rear panel by removing the small cutout on the inside, but didn't see any mechanism to release the door. However, there was a loose wire with a green connector hanging there that didn't seem to belong anywhere. After some repeated pressing on the door it finally opened, but I'm concerned it will happen again.

Is there some safety mechanism that can release the fuel filler door if it fails to unlatch normally?

 

[Jezza]

Are you sure your doors weren’t locked when you were trying? That would also lock the fuel filler door.

 

[Yosh]

The doors were unlocked.

 

[dgstellar]

The same thing happened to me. It is a problem with the XC40 and there is a warranty fix. The gas door would not open for me after trying everything, doors unlocked, locked, engine on, engine off, several attempts to open the door did not work. Called the Volvo dealer shop and they told me to pry it open. I did and it broke the door off. The dealer is fixing it under warranty.

 

[Yosh]

Thanks, dgstellar. I'm not sure what to do about this. Carry a screw driver to pry open the door if it sticks again and hope the dealer will fix it under warranty? Do you know if there is a fix the dealer can do now? Being low on gas with a stuck door while trying to fill up is a vulnerable situation to be in.

 

[dgstellar]

I would contact the dealer. It was a hard door to open (door and heavy bar behind it). Hard to do without scratching the paint on the body. So check with the dealer to see if they will replace it.