Picked up a 2005 6-speed S40R. Dropped it off at a Volvo shop to get everything checked. Anything specific to pay attention to with these?

 

Congrats, nice car. How many miles?
Front lower control arm bushings tend to go
Motor mounts
Keep an eye on the upper radiator hose. It has plastic T's which tend to crack and leak.

Most of the issues were with the earlier years (2005) but should have been fixed by now. Many were fixed with software updates. These cars are generally very reliable if cared for well. I am up to 192K miles on my 2005 and it runs great.
Stan

 

Thanks! 156K miles, I dropped it off at a local Volvo shop to have it thoroughly checked over.

 

You nailed it....motor mount and upper radiator hose were among some items that needed repair.

 

timing belts are 10 year/ 100K whichever comes first, so check out when it last done... Should have been done about 50K ago... Having a maintenance history would be a big plus.

 

Yea would have been nice to have all the papers. I did find out the timing belt was completed in 2013 at 121k miles by the local Volvo dealer.

 

+1 on the upper radiator hose. That thing is nuts. Not one but TWO plastic junctions. One to the thermostat housing (which is buried under the intake) and another 4 way junction to the oil cooler. Crazy. Mine was just dribbling a bit of fluid after you shut off the car.