Bluntly asked, "am I buying a problem?"

A 2001 s-40 with 93,000 mi, new timing belt and recent brakes, seems like a decent commuter car for my wife and our first Volvo since a 240 wagon over 15 years ago. Is this a decent car or a pos that will drive me to ruin?

 

Welcome to the forum
Moved from "New Member" to the S40 area.

 

Well, they can be. You said it had a new timing belt which is good. However these cars have a huge problem with the VVT gear leaking oil sometime after 100k. The VVT gear is the exhaust cam gear that the timing belt runs on, and is VERY expensive to have fixed, and also the timing belt needs replacing too because it will be covered in oil. And this isn't a 'the VVT gear MIGHT leak', it's a 'the VVT gear WILL leak'. And having someone fix it for you can run $1000+.

Other than that my 2003 S40 has been a decent car. That said I will not be buying another. I owned a 88' 740 for many years, it had 250k+ miles, and ran great. Nothing costly ever happened to it, just cheap easy repairs. The newer Volvo's seem overengineered to me, and when that engineering breaks down it costs $$$ to fix. Not that I blame them too much, that engineering did produce a great, fun to drive car.

So if I were you I would pass on it unless you are getting a really good deal, like less than $2000. I wouldn't pay more for a 13 year old car with 100k miles on it.

 

I'd have to agree with the above. Great car to drive, good power (relatively speaking) and generally reliable. However, I've only been able to keep mine on the road because I've been forced to become a Volvo v40 master mechanic...seriously (timing belt, VVT, PCV, troublesome rear brakes, siezed suspension bolts, erratic climate fan behaviour, strut mounts, etc). Things do go on it and you can find some good deals for the parts online (inlcuding OEM from Tasca Motors) buuuut the labour really adds up.

The engines are solid though - I'm now on almost 150,000 miles.

 

I had to pass on the car, oil leaks at the cam and rear seal and a lot of oil in the exhaust pipe. It seems the people let their 17/18 year old drive the car; I can bet that he was ******* the poor thing. I can not afford to buy a car and end up with a career as a volvo mechanic. ( I have my Trooper for that!!)

Thanks for the info, I am still looking for a car for my wife.

 

From my experience with my s40 you made the best decision to pass this up. I would never advise anyone to buy a s40.

 

The s40 does not age well. The parts cost are obscene.

 

Oh. And the over-engineering. Ridiculous.

 

My view is, you are still buying a 14 year old car so you should expect to put in some repairs. Not sure about the VVT leaks but the typical maintenance areas are rear brakes, exhaust down pipes (flex pipe stuff), and the assorted electrical issues (relays etc). I also disagree about the high cost of repair - unless you insist on Volvo factory/dealer parts. Example - I just had to replace an ABS pump. List is like $500, I found a used part for $75. The good news about these cars is there's always help from some savvy folks on these forums, there's a good selection of car part web sites (check out FCP Euro for example). As with any used car, if you can get a maintenance history (even grab the Carfax which has dealer maintenance entries) you can make a smart decision. If you like the way the car drives, and its priced appropriate to market and your budget, you can always ask for a mechanic's inspection. Note - my 2000 S40 has been in my family since new and I can list on one hand the repairs required - broken rear spring, ABS pump, brake booster vacuum pump switch, CEM (relay board) - an easy swap out. I'm due to replace the down pipe as its starting to make noise - but that's for the spring weather. The rest has been maintenance - oil, tune up, brake pads/rotors as needed.

 

I personally will never let my wife buy a Volvo S40 again. The overengineering, the expensive parts, the seemingly slimy Volvo independents, the stealerships...

Walk away from this car. Please.