Thinkingng of buying a 2005 s40, i had read some reviews online noticed there were some problems with the a/c, engine motor mount, is there any major concerns i should be know about such as transmission, head gasget, etc. Thanks

 

Sometimes problem areas carry over from model to model even though suppliers and designs change :-( I'd discount some of that reading and suggest a focus more on the due diligence for buying any used car: 1) is the maintenance history available? 2) is the car clean (implication is, if somebody doesn't car about the interior or exterior of their car, how much attention will they give to the mechanicals?) 3) do all features work as expected? 4) are big ticket maintenance items due? (ie timing belt, battery, brakes, tires) 5) was a full mechanical inspection done? (checking bushings/mounts etc) 6) does it drive right - any odd vibrations/noises etc? There are some problem areas several of which tie back to proper maintenance - VVT components and PCV system failures often tie in with lack of regular oil changes (and benefit from synthetic oils). There are some common failures in electrical components - most are in the annoying but not catastrophic area. Head gaskets can fail but that often ties to lack of maintenance - ie keeping up with oil/coolant changes, periodic refresh of the thermostat etc. You are still buying a 10 year old car so there will be repairs to deal with and maintenance requirements. Most on this board are DIY types so its a matter of getting tips on diagnostics for a problem and best practices or procedures for a specific repair. But if well kept, these cars are good for 200K+ miles (I own a 95 950T with 200K+ miles and a '00 S40 with 100K... )

 

Agree with mt6127 on his insights, especially the timing belt. This can be costly if done by a shop.