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Volvo S40
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Comments
This car is not worth 28+ thousand dollars. I leased this car because of Volvo's reputation, good thing they have such high saftey standards, who knows what will happen next time my brakes stop working.
Thanks.
The clicking in the steering column is not in your head. It is a problem that many of us have. I have chosen to ignore it for fear of the masterminds at my dealership completely screwing up my steering column.
You are also not imagining that your brakes completely suck the first 5-15 minutes of drive time. This is another problem. AND the service bulletin most likely will not fix this issue, so don't get fed the line about the fuses.
When your BRAKE light goes on and your dealer just tops off your fluid, BEWARE!!!!!! Brakes are failing even after your fluid is topped off. I have read this several times! Let's get serious now, do you honestly think that your fluid should get low in your first 15,000 miles?? I believe that I lost fluid due to malfunctioning rear callipers. I believe that my rear brakes have been dragging... and if the dealer would have maybe checked them instead of just topping off the fluid, my "high performance" pads (which by the way will not be the same ones that your pads will be replaced with. The new ones are harder...hmmmm.)my rotor would not need to be replaced. Yep, I know there are 2 rotors in the back... passenger side wears more... a hydraulics problem? Maybe? Maybe not, but I am a girl so I must not know anything about cars.
Oh, but after scaring the dealer they replace my entire rear brake system... BUT I had to wait for them to fly another rotor in because the over 12 area Volvo dealers did not have a single rotor in stock for this car. Gee, maybe because we all need them!!!!
Oh, by the way, if you gas mileage sucks, it could be your spark plugs that suck, or perhaps it's those rear brakes dragging. I get 16.7 MPG, used to get 21. Drive the SAME drive each and every day to and from work. I would consider it city driving even though I am on the expressway... only for about 8 minutes.
I used to have a 91 Taurus... 6 cyl better gas mileage than my poor S40. And, I do not drive like a jerk either.
Oh, and yep, the headlight bulbs will go out quite frequently, but once your dealer works thru old crap stock you will get longer life bulbs that will last.
The buzzing fuel pump... another Volvo secret, last I heard they were still trying to figure this one out. A new fuel pump was manufactured.
Other problems you may have that (knock on wood) I have not experienced:
Stereo bad reception
Alarm malfunctioning
Truck lock forever frozen
Plastic wheel inserts falling off
Air Conditioner working only for the first hour or so of a long trip
Fuel injectors dumping into cyl
vacuum valve on the brakes
Hard starts (engine should not crank 6 times to start)
Alignment off initially
gas odor inside of car
I would LOVE to hear from all of you.. even those who are going to say "I love my car, it's spectacular" I would love to hear what your gas mileage is since my dealer told me there was nothing else he could do. I would love to hear from anyone with any advice. I have gotten wonderful advice on the brickboard! Diehards are a wealth of information and I truly appreciate all of it! Any information brought forth only helps others!
I would also like to let you know a few things... I am not a new Volvo owner, I am not a Volvo hater. I deal with Volvo body parts all day. I talk to thousands of Volvo owners every month. Since I am dealing with replacement body parts, I am not hearing from S40 owners, as we are all new people. I love Volvos, in fact, although my car makes me want to throw up on most days, I still love my car. You know, you own a Volvo and it becomes a person. You name it... well, I did. Anyway I also have an 850 which is Mahvelous. However if I could do it all over again I would have save a few more grand and bought a BMW, or I would have went to out to find the nice Mexican family that bought "Rusty" the trusty 240 wagon from my youth. Plaid seat and all. If you have a 240, 740, 850, for the love of God, keep it, don't upgrade to this (not that it would be an UPgrade for any of them technically) Wait until Volvo straightens their act out. You will be glad you did!!! If you are looking into purchasing this car used, you need to think about this: Why is a car that has only been owned for 20 months or less for sale? Test car? Maybe. Probably not.
For those of you who have a wonderful 2000 S40 congratulations, I am jealous. BEWARE.
Feel free to post to the board or directly to my email: volvolights@aol.com
Owner of Holly the sad S40
Dusan
Thanks,
Janusz
Does anyone reading this board have experience with the S40 (or any other Volvos, for that matter) in rough, cold climates? Does the car hold up well, not just in maneuvering hazardous conditions, but also in resisting rust damage (both on the paint and in the undercarriage).
Your thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks!
No rust!! 4 years old
Besides, I believe the question was rgarding today Volvo's not yesterdays.
I'm afraid some of it applies to the 2001. So far, I've had to visit the dealer for a recall, a broken power door lock, rattle, seat back that won't recline, stalling problem, and now my rear brakes are shot after only 16,000km!
Hope you have better luck than I do.
But, on the other hand, it's still a nice car to drive.
I also just bought a 2001 S40. I was assured by the dealer that they were very dependable cars but am incredibly depressed to read all of these posts.
I got an incredible deal and thats why I purchased it. They told me that when/if I had problems with the car I would get a service loaner. Have other people at least got that when they have problems? Robert? How long are the brakes under warranty? I do stop-go commute every day in LA.
If everyone is having problems then we need to insist that the dealership fix them. is it that they can't find them or are trying to tell everyone that its just them? I had a lemon Saturn with recurring problems and can't deal with it if the Volvo is the same. Life is too full to spend time at the dealers.
Bough mine at the end of January and now have 8500 flawless miles. A joy to drive, comfortable (even for a 6'3" guy like myself). Have to take it in for an oil change at the dealer (Did the first one myself at 4000 miles). Get compliments everywhere I go and has plenty of Horsepower. (97 octane is currently $1.30 here in Florida)
Just got notice of a recall (replace a diode on the fan... big deal !).
Glad I made this choice
Well, a few more weeks and I go to pick it up. I'll let you know if I'm enjoying the ride or kicking myself everyday.
I was told by the dealer's service dept. that there is no such thing as warranty on brakes because it's a "wear & tear" item. I have, however, read on other forums that some people have been sucesfull in having Volvo pay for at least part of the repair cost. I have an appointment this Friday so... we'll see.
As far as a loaner goes, I do get one from my local dealer, although it usually takes up to a week's notice. Another dealer closer to Toronto will charge $10/day for a car but also has a free shuttle to and from the subway (which I prefer anyway).
Would you think that by the 2002 MY these issues would be worked out? My understanding is that this car has been around since 96 in Europe and I'm surprised to see that there are still so many issues.
Would you estimate that the V40 would have the same reliability problems as well?
Almost immediately I began having problems with the car. It went back to the dealer within days because of flaws and spider cracks in the windshield. I noticed tiny blue paint spots all over the white paint the first time I washed it (but the dealer refused to do anything about it.) Headlights have been replaced numerous times. Front right headlight sucks water in when it rains (dealer won't fix because they can not duplicate even though you can see the watermarks on the inside of the light.) I've experienced 2 "campaigns" (recalls) for a defective oil filler grate and driver side seat dampers. Rear sway bar replaced. Hard starts/grinding noises coming from engine when started. Plastic wheel inserts falling off. Rattles and squeaks from roof liner, dash board and rear seat on passenger side. Faulty gas gauge that has never been accurate. Drivers window makes grinding noise. Rear brake pads were replaced after only 26K. At 33K front and rear brakes had 50% remaining which seemed unusual wear especially since I live in a fairly rural area and my driving is mostly highway. However most intriguing and scary is the car was in the shop for more problems (new and recurring) at 40K miles (yes, I do a lot of driving) and my front brakes miraculously had 90% remaining and rear 80%. At 45K front brakes 30% and rear 60%. Now how does that happened?? Dealer is "looking" into this but I no longer trust their opinion or the car. The only thing that tickles my funny bone at this point is the Bag o'Parts I carry in the car to collect items that have fallen off. Unfortunately the dealer and Volvo N.A. find nothing amusing about this and can never seem to find where the parts are coming from to replace them. Nevertheless, each time the car is taken in the Bag o'Parts is delivered with what ever items have fallen off that week.
Needless to say I am very DISAPPOINTED with this vehicle and would caution anyone interested in purchasing an S40 to seriously think twice about their decision. Since discovering this page and reading the numerous service bulletins at www.nhtsa.dot.gov I am convinced that Volvo's quality and workmanship have taken a turn for the worse. By the way don't be fooled into thinking the 2001 or 2002 models are/will be any better. The word I hear is that they are not.
I hope to trade my little piece of work in on the Lexus AS 300 I originally had my eye on. My greatest fear is that they won't take it or I will take it in the shorts. Regardless, I will spend the money and it will be a pleasure to drive the 2 hours for service. At least they are friendly, open on Saturdays, will provide a loaner car for as long as needed, and will even let you pick up your serviced car on Sundays. He, real customer service... what a great concept. Had I known the past 22 months owning this car would have been this frustrating and time consuming I would not have sold my reliable, trouble-free '89 Honda Accord LXi with 230,000 miles on it. If anyone is curious the couple who bought my Honda still have it and have not had a single problem. In fact--they love it! Boy, did I make a HUGE mistake!
Just got it back after driving a S80 loaner for a week. The stain hadn't been completely taken off and I had to watch them do it again. Also there was a tiny scratch on the side, they left the car messy from installing the sunroof, forgot to put back the clip for my sunvisor and there is a vibration in the roof when I drive with the sunroof open. Is this normal? I've never had a car with a sunroof but I've driven with friends and don't remember a big vibration noise. I did have to added after-market but I basically can't stand the noise it makes above 30m. Anyone with a sunroof have this problem? Makes the sunroof pretty useless. Also, idle doesn't seem stable - rpm doesn't really change but the engine sounds different. Took me 10 mintes to defrost the back so I sat and listened to the engine. Never really settled down. Any recommendations?
The only problems I have had was a slight pull to the right and some interior rattling. The dealer performed a frontend alignment under warranty. As for the rattle, I found that the right storage tray vibrates, especially when I turn up the volume on the stereo. I took the interior panel off the door and sprayed some dry type lubricant on the seams and it is very quiet now.
My only complaint with the car is the amount of torque steer is has. I'm not accustomed to it but have heard it is normal.
I like the car for it's power, handling, safety, and sports car feel. The other cars in the class are good too - Acura TL and Audi A4. Only time will tell, but having fun.
- Sunroof quiet.
- Car pretty quiet in general. I'm coming from a Jeep Wrangler so that's a relative statement.
- No "check engine" or any other lights flashing.
- It's spirited for a four cylinder. Feels peppier htan my 97 Honda Accord EX V6 which I think was 170 hp but heavier.
-Good seats
- I think it is very stylish.
- The stereo (HU-615) does sound pretty good.
Overall I like it. It is fairly utilitarian in trim for a "luxury sedan" and could use a few features and refinements IMHO.
- Cupholders (sorry non-americans). Come on. One cupholder up front in the middle of the HVAC and stereo controls? Not good thinking.
- Memory seats/mirrors for more than one passenger
- A compass. The "Info Center" has many good stats available but no compass. Seems odd.
- Quiet down the door locks. Sounds like you're closing the shuttle door when you lock them.
- The upgraded stereo (HU-615) has some wierd logic. With CDs, no track time is displayed when CD playing, although if you rewind or fast forward the time is displayed. No random shuffle. No repeat track. The price for it the "upgrade" is outrageous.
- The price for the 10 disk CD change is REALLY outrageous. A joke.
Happy Driving
(Wish we had the T5 in the USA)
I'm sure you realize most people on forums like these are more likely to complain than praise their autos. Nobody comes onto a forum and says "hey, my heater's working great!"
I would recommend the S40 thus far.
FYI: A large delivery truck slammed into the right rear area of my S40 a couple days ago. The S40 felt very solid on impact. No injuries but car is out two weeks. Bummer.
I'll be fair and reserve final judgement until I see the 2002 or even 2003 models. The 2003 is supposed to share the same platform as the Ford Focus, though, so I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. See www.swedespeed.com or www.volvospy.com for more info. The S60 seems like a nice alternative, but it's obviously more expensive.
I hope all of the S40 owners out there having problems are getting their situations dealt with fairly. Hang in there!
I believe that the pads on the 2001 S40's were designed to be a little harder than the ones found on the 2000 S40's, so they're supposed to last a little longer, too.
If you read through this whole thread from the first message forward, I believe there's some other info on the brake pad issue. Good luck.
P.S. I'm glad people are happy with their A4s. I'm happy with my S40.
A-C-T-I-O-N? Any lawyers out there want to take the case. I would say us abused volvo owners are collectively due millions!! I can write a five page letter with my complaints.
I purchased a new S40 in October 1999. My S40 proved to be a nightmare on wheels. So what could be so bad about the S40? Let me tell you my experience....
-Total BRAKE FAILURE at 6K: Aside from being extremely scary for me, I thought Volvo was known for their safety! Wrong again! (It is important to note I had brake problems upon delivery and had the car in twice for brake service prior to the failure. Not until after I had brake failure could they fully diagnose and service the problem.)
-Stalling: The car would stall on me whenever I stopped at red lights, stop lights, etc.
-Starting: The car would not start on most first attempts.
-Turn signals: They stopped working.
-A/C: It stopped working.
-Driver's side window: It made a loud popping noise every time I opened and closed it.
-Blue spots on exterior paint (very noticeable since my car was white)
-Paint runs in the door jams
-Cuts in the exterior paint
-Defects in the fabric
-Rattles from the dash, the headliner, doors, seatbelt mount, etc.
-Numerous headlight bulb replacments
-New brake pads at 25K
-Small surface rust spots after 2 winters in the New England area
Needless to say, for my sanity (and safety), I decided to sell this car. After a month long battle with the dealership and Volvo Corporation without favorable results, I finally sold my car to another dealership. The depreciation was unbelievable; however, the thought of keeping the car was more unbeliveable so I took the depreciation hit and celebrated that evening with margaritas!
Unless you are prepared to accept the poor quality and craftsmanship of the S40, the headaches and frustration of dealing with Volvo Corporation, huge depeciation, and lots of your valuable time wasted waiting in a service department for your car (not to mention the big service bills after the warranty expires), do not buy this car. Personally, I would never (and that is a long time) buy another Volvo --- any model --- after my S40 nightmare. Please spread the word about Volvo!
P.S. I am happily driving a 1969 Camaro SS.