Hi Guys ,

Greetings from South Africa.
I'm seriously thinking of buying a used S40 or V40 basically because of the low price for a very high quality car.

Can anyone point me to a posting for potential first time owners with info on weak points of the cars, better years to purchase, and so on ?

I have searched the forum without any luck.

Some years ago I bought my first BMW motorbike and a similar guide helped me avoid problem years and regular issues. I bought an absolute gem which has served me well for 10 years.

Cheers
Malcolm(T)

 

What year? Stay away from the 2000-2004 years. The 2005-2006 are okay except for no connection to the sound system for an iPhone or similar. 2007+ T5 AWD with premium sound is where I'd start looking.

My next Volvo for the wife will be an S60 T6.

 

I found a good noddy guide to buying an S40 / 60 etc.
The majority of cars being sold over here are in the 2000-2004 range, most are absolutely immaculate, hardly a mark on the body and the interior looks almost brand new.
The interior of South Africa has a short rainy season and humidity is very low so cars just don't rust. also there is no need for salt on the roads in winter.

I've found a local repair shop where the owner runs an S60 so they are clued up on whats needed. One good point he mentioned is clutch replacement. They say that is very expensive as the complete engine must be dropped to replaced !!!

Will think carefully about the clutch condition when I start looking at cars.

Cheers
Malcolm ( T)