'Ello all

I have been reading though the forums, and other 'net sites about Volvos. I am looking at getting 2 '04 S40's for my wife and myself. I have a Dodge Charger that is eating me out of house and home, and my wife has a Nissan Maxima that is pushing 180k... so its about time.

I was looking at the s40s for a few reasons. They look good (IMO) and there are a slew of nice aftermarket addons for it, if I want to play. It seems to get decent gas milage, and they are comfortable.

The two I was looking at are Pre-owned certified from Volvo:

2004 S40 1.9T (14,999) [16k miles]
2003 S40 1.9 (13,999) [30k Miles]

Seeing is you are all more well versed then I am, I would like your opinions on these cars (in general) and what do you think of the prices.

Thanks alot,

- Robert (Soon to own 2 Volvos, I hope)

 

I like my 2001 very much. It took me awhile to figure out the various issues and this forum has helped me allot. I would bet the 2004 is even more refined than mine so you may not see things I've noticed.

Things I've repaired and others have had issues with:
T-stat failing to open quick enough causing check engine light. Fixed with new t-stat.
Soft brake rotors causing deep grooves early in the rotors life. Fixed with Brembo rotors.
Very dusty OEM Volvo pads. Stop great though. Fixed with carbon-metallic pads.
Leaking oil from o-ring on turbo oil return line. Cheap fix. PITA to get my hands in there.
Long crank time before engine starts. Fixed with new fuel pressure regulator.
Engine misfire during acceleration. Fixed with 2 new coil-on-plugs and 2 wires and 4 plugs.
Leaking exhaust manifold. Fixed by tightening bolt on exhaust manifold.
Blower fan failed to work. Fixed with new blower motor resistor and cabin air filter.
Headlights and tail lights burn out far too quickly. Easy fix with new bulbs.

Things not fixed:
Blower motor sometimes goes on and off when climate control is in auto.
Lower light behind fuel gauge works sometimes, other times not.
Gear selector light burnt out. Volvo wants some outrageous amount for it.

Overall, I am pleased with the car. It rides great, has good acceleration and great gas mileage. All the above I consider normal wear and tear on a car driven hard everyday. I do all the work myself so I have saved thousands in labor charges.