Hi all,

I have an opportunity to buy a 2008 S40 T5 AWD from a relative and am unsure of what to do. It seems like a terrific car -- with only 15k miles on it --, but I have some reservations. Here they are:

-Warranty -- the factory warranty is only good for one more year. Then I'll be on my own. Are S40s expensive to repair/maintain? Anyone know of a good/affordable extended warranty?

-Gasoline -- I think the car is supposed to take premium or middle-grade fuel, but my relative has been using regular gas for the last three years. Can this cause damage to the engine?

-Gas mileage -- the car only gets 19 to 22 miles per gallon, which isn't so great for a small car. Is this normal? Or will this improve if I use higher octane fuel?

-Expense -- buying the Volvo from my relative will mean higher car payments than I'm making now. I'm hoping I won't get burned on service/maintenance/repairs in addition to paying the higher monthly note.

Any advice? Words of wisdom? Cautionary tales? All are appreciated!

Thanks!

 

Call and check how much your insurance will go up too. Maintenance is expensive and when it's out of warranty it's really bad. This is what the dealer wants to charge us for our 2002 S80 non turbo -- Timing belt and engine seals $1078 - Two bad engine mounts which we have already replace one before $500.00 - Spark Plugs $180.00 - 2 fuel injectors $531.00. Good luck.

 

That is why you don't go to the dealer....
For all the parts, you can get them much cheaper at http://www.fcpgroton.com/ or www.myswedishparts.com or even www.ipdusa.com
Find a good indie mechanic that will work on Volvo's then you're set.

The S40's really aren't that hard or expensive to maintain. Especially if one takes advantage of the forum and forum sponsors.

 

This is what the dealer wants to charge us for our 2002 S80 non turbo -- Timing belt and engine seals $1078 -
Check the sites I listed.

Two bad engine mounts which we have already replace one before $500.00
I dont know what mounts you need,
So Look here...
http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S80-P2/E...-576-767-3322/

And here..
http://volvowholesaleparts.com/partl...layCatalogid=0

Spark Plugs 180.00 -
$23.74 (2.9L 6 Cylinder non-Turbo)
http://www.ipdusa.com/version.asp?st...578&V_ID=11471


2 fuel injectors $531.00.
$143.50 each
http://volvowholesaleparts.com/partl...layCatalogid=0

Most of this you can do yourself or like I said, find an indie Mechanic to do it for you.

 

Thanks for your replies. One thing is for sure -- if I decide to buy the car, I'll likely be a frequent poster on this forum!

 

When I bought my S40 the insurance was only marginally more than for my 1998 Subaru Outback...and I assumed that it was mainly because the car was worth a lot more.

My 2009 S40 is now approaching the time for its 22.5K service and the only major warranty repair was at around 4K for a leaking angle gear. Had some other minor adjustments for interior creaks but I tend to have those with every new car I've bought, regardless of make.

I run my car on 93 octane because I get better performance and slightly better gas mileage, but as far as I know the cars will run perfectly fine on 87 octane. I've accidentally filled it up with 87 a few times without any problems. I get about 24 MPG on highway commutes, and I've seen mileage on strictly highway driving of around 26-27 MPG...but around town the mileage drops off to about 21 MPG.

Main thing I've been told is to use full synthetic for oil changes because it's supposed to be better for the turbo.