Hi, this may seem like a stupid question, but... how are the V40s as far as reliability goes? i used to have a 240 wagon that felt like it would never die... it didn't, but it rusted away. i'm wondering if volvos have the same quality after ford bought the company. any advice? what is the most miles anyone has on a v40? i'm mostly curious because i see a lot of them for sale for not much money, and they seem like a relatively fuel efficient wagon, which is what i'm looking for in a car. thanks for any info, stories, ideas...
ben

 

My V40 is at 120,000 miles, thats it just running in so still going very strong, a friend of mine in london has a 1999 v40 that has done just under 1,250,000 miles

Just keep it serviced

 

highly reliable but replacement parts can be expensive. watch for cold starts too (altho it may happen to other cars). mine is 118,800km, 2001 Canadian spec 1.9T. considered it low mileage.

 

My 97 2.0l SE Auto V40 has done 157,000 and honestly drives like a new car. Always look after the engine by changing oil every 5k miles with good quality engine oil, the lifeblood of ensuring a happy and content power unit.

 

I just traded in my V40 2000 with 132000. The main reason why I got rid off it was that there were issues with mine. Every two weeks or so the check engine light came on. P0014. I replaced the solenoid and flushed the engine but still no improvement. Front suspension started to make noises. Replaced tie rods, sway bar bushings but still more noises. Every now and then it wouldn't start. Wait 5 minutes and it would start. Talking about reliability. When you turned on the turn signal all the dash displays would flicker / dim. It needed new rotors and pads, the exhaust was ready to fail. I liked the mileage 25 mpg average but with all the issues and all the known issues that were coming I decided to buy a XC90.

 

I can see why you traded your in. What a nightmare it must have been for you. 25 mpg is simply terrible. I rarely get less than 30mpg and usually it is 33mpg, so you obviously had some major problems with that engine. There is always going to be good and bad in everything and normally only these extreme cases are reported. I hope that you have a better time with your XC90. Using a good motor factor, rather than a main dealer, can save a lot, with the parts normally being sourced from the original manufacturers equivalent or actual supplier.