Hi guys,

I hope I'm not in the wrong section. If so, apologies for that.

I am a total noob in terms of cars, but I need to buy one. I had 2 cars in the past, but never had any problems, so never had the chance really to educate about cars.

I know Volvos are supposed to last forever and I saw this ad on Gumtree for a V40:
2003 Volvo V40 | Cars, Vans & Utes | Gumtree Australia Marrickville Area - Petersham | 1136552109

I went to see and try it today, the paint is chipping, the lining on the roof has to be changed, etc. But only aesthetics stuff really. It seems to be running well, I drove it for 10 minutes, no funny noises, seems solid.
It runs on petrol, the guy told me he was always between 6.5-7.5L/100km.

What I am afraid of is maintaining it. Since this is a UK import, am I going to have problems finding parts?
Because for the price, it seems like a pretty good deal to me, but maybe I am missing something.

What do you guys think?

Don't hesitate to ask me questions if you feel I forgot to give you information to judge.

Thanks for the advises !

 

Volvos can last a good long time but don't expect them to be trouble free. Things like suspension components tend to wear out. That generation of V40, you may need to replace things like the fuel pressure regulator. Usually all fixable stuff but it also depends on how well the car was maintained.

My 2005 V50 was almost up to 200K miles and running fantastic until a suicidal deer jumped in front of me on the highway and the car was totaled. I liked the car so much that I bought another 2005 V50 but with half the miles.