hey guys, im new here and i havent owned a volvo before, or ever thought of owning one, since i lean more towards acuras.

im going to purchase an '02 S40 with 55k miles on it, and i was wondering how reliable r these cars, and will i be having any major issues soon?

also, any1 know how it compares to acuras? or japanese cars in general?

thanks

 

Lets get out that crystal ball...

That sounds like low miles for an '02. It seems that Volvos are hit and miss. Some have numerous annoying problems, others are trouble free. The troubles are usually nothing major. I have also heard of troublesome Acuras and Toyotas.

That said and not meaning to discourage you, my '02 S40 was troublesome (nothing major), especially after owning a '94 Acura Integra that never gave me a lick of trouble.

For a while I swore I'd never own another Volvo. That was until my S40 got totaled. Traffic stopped on the DC beltway, the driver behind me was accelerating to change lanes, didn't see me and slammed into the back of my S40 at highway speed. The crumple zones, high strength steel safety cage and whiplash protection system worked flawlessly. I didn't even have a backache from it. The trunk was smashed up to the rear glass and the left wheel torn off but the passenger compartment was completely untouched and no broken glass. I knew I had to buy another Volvo and I love it even with the minor annoyances.

BTW, check the whiplash protection ratings. The Japanese claim to have whiplash protection but it is not even close to Europe. When I research this prior to buying my V50, Volvo and Jaguar had the best systems.

For reliability, I'd say the Japanese have the edge. For safety, the environment and human touch; Volvo has the edge.

I hope this helps
Stan

 

u were driving on 495? i hate that damn highway... i used to live in rockville, md and i took that hellway alot.

but thanks for the info. hopefully its not that bad, carfax doesnt seem too full of repair shops visits, so thats a plus.

 

Yep, 495. Hellway is a good name for it.

 

Have a look at this thread:

https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-s40-11/frequently-asked-questions-34712/

That is pretty much an overview of the things that are most commonly known to go wrong.

I agree with Stan, it's hit or miss. Just get it checked out BEFORE you write a check.
Good Luck!

 

What Acura are you considering?
I really liked my '94 Integra a lot. It was very reliable but did leave me stranded once when the clutch blew. Driving normal on I95, one of the springs let loose and tore it up. The other problem was the AC pulley bolt that snapped off while driving to trade the car in. I guess it was getting back at me. One thing that always bothered me was the lack of low end engine torque. I almost never drove with the AC on because of it. The car would really only come to life when pushing to the high RPMs.

The horse power rating for my Integra was similar to the '02 S40. However, the S40 has gobs of low end torque and feels much more drivable. The S40 has full torque at 1800 RPMs and holds it all the way up. The Integra's torque curve would build with RPMs. That is the beauty of the turbo.
Stan

 

One word. Avoid.

Search the S40 forum here, the vast majority are 2001 2002 cars. Tons of minor faults and some pretty expensive ones too.

 

You're wrong again.

The majority are phase 1 (2000) cars. But you can't make a blanket statement like that. Car longevity relies so much on maintenance and care.