First off, I know nothing about Volvo.. Besides it's reputation for safety innovations that is. This 2002 Volvo seems to be safer than most newer GMs.
That being said, I am going to go look at a V40 wagon (with 91000kms) tomorrow and I am wondering 2 things.
1) what can I expect to fail/need to replace in the next couple of years?
2) are repairs/parts a lot more expensive than domestic? I am replacing an old Dodge Dakota with relatively inexpensive repair bills and I don't want to buy something with unreasonable costs to keep on the road.
3) will a Saint Bernard fit in the hatch in a pinch (I would normally use my truck, but would like to have the option on my secondary vehicle as well)

Thank you for any and all feedback! Have a great day

 

Personally I wouldn't go for the V40. I drove one once and it drove like a Cavalier. HORRIBLE and the whole layout was awful IMO.

If you want a wagon try to find a 1995-1997 850, 850 Turbo, 850T5, 850T5R, 850R. Or a 1998 V70, V70 T5, V70R.

I personally think you'd be much happier with one of those models above then a V40.

 

Those are some pretty good recommendations for models, even with their almost guaranteed evaporator leaks.

I'd stay away from V40s. The interior isn't great, I think they are the bastard children of Volvo.

 

Thanks for the feedback.
If I didn't live in the great white north I would go for an older model. The older the car, the more rust to deal with.
This is for a second vehicle to be used as a people mover and save on gas over my jacked up F150.
Compared to the 2003 Saturn LW200 (one of the only other wagons in town for sale at a low price) I think the interior would be a lot nicer. It is upsetting to hear about the poor handling though.
I am going to test drive one on the weekend, so we'll see.

 

(There is a V40 forum BTW ) If the V40 is exactly like the S40 then I can tell you about my experience with a 2001 S40. Overall I'm very happy with the car. It does have it's design flaws but they are well known and manageable. Preventive maintenance goes a long way. My car has 160k miles now.

Headlights seem to burn out quick. No big deal just be careful when replacing the bulb as the headlight housing is very brittle. I've managed to crack both sides but repaired them with JB Weld. The reflective coating is peeling also.

The brake rotors are very soft. Mine had deep grooves with only 35k miles on the car. I've replaced all 4 rotors over the years.

The Fuel Pressure Regulator failed once. Symptoms are very long cranking times. You have to crack the throttle to get it to start quickly.

I've replaced all 4 motor mounts. Fairly easy if you have the tools. One was cracked and the car vibrated quite a bit.

The timing belt must be replaced no later than 105k miles. You replace the water pump at this time because it's run by the timing belt. I replaced mine at 100k miles. Expensive if someone else does it. Most of the cost is labor.

Replaced both coils at about 100k miles. Engine starting missing. Coils tested fine too. They are not overly expensive from the auto parts store at $40 each.

Other issues, replaced the top O2 sensor. It was due though. Replaced the thermostat twice. You will get an error code that is somewhat confusing. Easy fix though. Replaced the blower fan resistor. A clogged interior cabin filter contributed to it's early demise. Symptoms are the fan only works on high. (Just like the old 240 resistor problem) Replaced both sway bar bushings. One side failed which caused the other side to fail later. Symptoms are a loud banging over a bump. PITA to reach. Cost was about $25 per side.

Heard but not experienced: Cam sensor fault. I use Shell Rotella T 5W-40 oil and throw in a pint of auto trans fluid right before an oil change to clean out any built up sludge.

 

ITS A MITSUBISHI, made in the Netherlands.

 

Wow, you all are pretty hard on the S/V40. I had a 2002 S40 and they are not that bad. I had a few annoying but minor problems with mine but I'd still recommend the car. I have known others who have had zero problems.

However, if you can find a good deal, you might want to consider a V50. I looked for a V40 after my S40 was totaled (by the way, excellent protection. I can tell you about it if interested). I found that the V50 really is quite a step up from the previous S/V40 in every way. If you are looking for a little more room then look at the V70 which is another excellent ride.

The Volvo Certified Pre-Owned cars are a good option too. They come with a 6 year/100K mile warranty with no deductible so reliability is not much of an issue. They can really be a great deal.
Stan

 

Whoops, I must have been up late when I posted, I though this was a V40 forum.
Hudini, thanks for going into so much detail. I appreciate it!
A new scheme I have hatched is to sell both my new truck and old one and put the money into a '07 XC90 V8 sport! Does that vehicle get more approvals than the poor V40?
I am going to head over to that forum now and do a little reading.
Thanks folks! And glad you are safe AutoNaut

 

volvo lied about there safety in the commercial when the car drives off the overpass and were caught putting in a wooden roll cage in . how safe is car that always has electrical problems? or is constantly being repaired ?

 

Sorry you got a bad one. Even Toyota and Honda make a few. Despite the joint venture between Volvo and Mitsubishi, the S40/V40 is a worthy car. They actually share very few components with Mitsubishi. Maybe they should have shared more.

As far as crash worthiness, I'll tell my story.
I travel the Washington DC belt way every day. One day in December, dry roads by the way, while heading home from work in my 2002 S40, the traffic in front of me came to a stop as I did too. I looked in my rear view mirror in time to see a mini-van closing in at highway speed and they aren't stopping. I found out later they were accelerating to change lanes and not watching in front of them. I stood on the brake pedal. The van rear-ended me and pushed me into the car in front of me. The impact was loud but I thought it would feel much worse. It was worse. When I got out of the it looked like an explosion. My driver side rear wheel was torn off, the trunk completely crushed. However, the rear glass was not even cracked, the passenger compartment was not even touched. The car was declared totaled.

When I looked at the car in the daylight, I realized that the crumple zone, the "high strength steel" safety cage and the WHIPS all worked flawlessly in concert. I walked away without even a backache.

I have seen many wrecked Volvos and this is not uncommon. The car may be trashed but the occupants are safe. My car was totaled, I was not. I bought another Volvo.
Stan

 

hello glad your alive , its not one bad one ,every volvo i have owned has been a nitemare and mitsubisi is one of the biggest piles of garbage ever made ! motors, trans . now once you mentioned MITSU . now i see why the volvo has gone down hill . cheapest parts with a premium price tag ! i will NEVER own another volvo . bought a jeep ,much better and i now have money in my pocket !

 

P.S was the wooden roll cage also in your car ? thats the one they showed driving off the bridge and were busted lieing about the safty factor ?

 

Wood? Where did you hear that?

The attachments are of my car and a picture from the brochure showing the reinforced safety cage. Sorry the labels did not copy but you can see them in a brochure. Notice that the trunk crushed right up to but no further than where the cage begins.

No wood found in my S40 in any safety reinforcement areas. There was a plywood floor panel in the cargo area of my '98 V70. I thought it was cool though. The V70 also had some annoying but not serious problems (ie. evap valve). Most of the problem was the stealership where I was having it serviced. Once I went to a different Volvo dealer, it was good.

The S/V40 really only shared the basic chassis an floor pan with Mitsubishi Charisma that sold in Europe and some other parts of the world. The US spec engine is Volvo. The transmission may have been Mitsubishi but I don't remember. The suspensions are similar but very few components were interchangeable. The radio may also be Mitsubishi or Matsuhsita (Panasonic).

I have found that if you want a ultra reliable car, buy a Honda or Toyota. Though my Sienna likes to slam on the brakes by itself for some reason (that's safe ). The dealer won't do anything about it since it doesn't store a code and they couldn't repeat it. For a safety and environmental friendliness, buy a Volvo. What European automobiles lack in reliability, they gain in character and human touch.
Stan

 

Don't buy it, you will have check light problems forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Almost all people who own volvos that I know have check light problems, including myself.
I even had this car (2000 s40) for two days at the Keystone Volvo Dealer and they couldn't figure out what is the problem. It could be the catalytic converter, it could be the airflow meter, and at the end they told me that it could be the computer but something is wrong with it and they couldn't upload the software update. To replace it would cost me $1500. They even said that the design of the air intake is not corect because goes through the battery and sucks all acid fumes into the engine ( wonder if this i true )
So after 2 days and $700 lighter wallet they passed State Inspection ( wonder How ) the light came up couple days later. Car runs without any problems but every time I have to do the inspection, I have to use the magician mechanic who knows how to pass it with the check light on for extra couple $$

Jus for your info before it went to the dealer: air flow meter replaced, one of the ignition coils replaced, both oxygen sensors replaced light always comes back on. After the visit catalytic converter was replaced and light is back on. Car runs without any problems.

 

I can honestly say that in over 84K miles my CEL never came on. The only engine problem that I had was when I first bought the car new, a crank case vent hose was kinked and made horrible noises.

The problems I had were more BS stuff like the passenger seat head rest clips installed wrong, bad front strut, a bad wheel rim or tire (dealer swapped out all 4), HVAC fan speed transistor, and the SRS controller. The later was by far the most serious problem. The great thing is that none of these problems cost me a dime since they were under warranty.

Stan