Hey im looking at a 2002 s40 185 000 km
Has had timing done at 150000
im trying to learn as much as possible before i buy cause im a single mom working pt

Monthly maintenance cost?
Anyone own anything similar?
Whats exspensive about repairs?? Cost of parts or labour? Or both?

Any advice is welcome. Thanks

 

google for the factory maintenance book so you can see repair intervals. My son's 2000 S40 has been in our family since new and now has about 120K miles. Typical maintenance is things like oil changes (I use synthetic to keep the VVT system clean), check for brake pad wear, inspect for chassis parts failing.

Common problem areas - suspension - for some reason these cars like to break their springs. Not an expensive part but annoying. Rear brakes - I've found the rotors tend to rust up and wear unevenly. Downpipe - there's a flex pipe in the exhaust which can break and create an exhaust leak. Dealer part is expensive but a muffler shop may be able to find an after market or weld in a replacement flex pipe. VVT gear - the variable valve timing gear uses oil pressure and a solenoid to actuate. Over time the valve ports can get gummed up and may start leaking oil over the front of the engine. I've gone to synthentic but others use products like Seafoam to clean out the tarnish to help keep the ports clean before the part fails. Radiator hoses - the upper hose will fail. Not expense part but something to consider before it leaks. Shift lock and PNP switches. Odd things like getting the key stuck in the ignition or odd gear changes can be caused by a stuck shift release button or a dirty PNP switch (the park-neutral position sensor tells the car where the shifter lever is). I tend to do a periodic "shifter row" to keep the contacts clean and I've sprayed lube into the shifter's release button to keep it free.

 

Thank you!! Thats alot of good info.
Much appreciated!!!!