I was one of those who posted that I had no problems and loved the car shortly after I got it.
Well, it has been 9 months now. The car has been in for service once when the check engine light went on (had to replace something to do with rear air filtration--under warranty of course).
Hi! i broke the 20,000 km this week end - without any problem in sight. the "check engine light" did appear a couple of times ...i started using Super (92 octane) and everything is back to normal. reading all the feedback scared me at first but it looks like many of the problems were during the first 10,000 km or such (crossing my fingers)...in the meantime, this is the best car i ever had so far...
My 2000 S-40 stalls every week or so when I come to a stop. It happens under all conditions, but more often when it is hot and the air conditioner is on. On a long hot trip it can stall 10 or 20 times if there is traffic. It always starts up again. Sometimes the radio code will come up on restart if the radio was on (but not always). It sometimes goes for days or weeks without stalling. The dealer says it doesn't happen for them -- and all diagnosis codes are fine. This has been going on for over a year and it is driving me crazy...does anyone have any ideas?
I'm thinking of getting an '02 S40. Does anyone know if the issues have been cleared from prior years? With the negatives i've read about prior years, i'm very apprehensive about getting it. Thanks.
does anyone here know if the majority of the problems is fixed in the 2003 year model (the last model year of production)? Volvo is coming out with a v50 in 2004 as a replacement.
Hi, I am seriously considering buying a 2003 S40. Is there any serious reasons why I should not buy the car? e.g. quality issue, etc.?
I am going to pay cash for it. In Canada, how much discount can I expect?
devil_taz, have you bought your car yet? Where in the country are you located? Interested in negotiating together with the dealers. Last time when I did it, I save a lot on my car.
S40 is fine. 2000 had some teething issues. Overall its a good car good value. Engine uprated to 170hp new steering wheel new instrument cluster new integrated key and remote
NEWS New V50 is a 2005 intro, not 2004 Current S/V40 will be back for 04 model yr
My 2001 S40 has about 4000 miles on it and it has been 9 months since I bought it. Now the service light is one for 2 min after I start the engine. The question is: do I need to do it now? Or should I wait till one year, as stated in the manual?
Check Engine light is a regular visitor. I had the recall s/w patch that was supposed to fix it. Car stalls on occasion. Car downshifts VERY clumsily (CLUNK) when slowing to turn corners at about 35 MPH. Service dept at local Volvo dealer claims to be baffled. I guess they are. Lousy excuse for cup holders. Miserable visibility out the back.
That's probably one of the reasons for the poor resale. I like the car alot, but I see so many people bash it on these boards. I thought it was a snappy little vehicle--maybe a bit small, but still nice. I may still get one.
I drove the car back in 2000, and thought it was pretty nice. I almost bought one actually, then I started reading about all the problems they were coming up with.
The car is not a big seller, there are rebates, and it has a poor reputation. 3 strikes, and you're out as far as resale value.
I have a 2000 S40. Last week on Monday the light on my dial that shows the defrost, heater etc went out and on Wednesday the left side of my push radio buttons went out. I have a 95 Toyota and I have never had any dashboard lights go out. Can I fix this myself or and I going to nailed by Volvo service for this one? Hass
It's probably only one of little LEDs in the dash behind the climate/radio buttons. The same thing happend to my Jetta, but it was under warranty and the dealer repaired it. If you have a S40 service manual, it should be an easy fix.
My husband has a 2000 S40 and he has over 68,000 miles on it. We've had numerous "small issues" over the years including replacement of seven headlights and the "check engine" light issues.
However, now the transmission seems to thud and slip as he accelerates. The local dealer "fixed" a leak in the turbo line for about $300 and of course 2 days later we are experiencing the same problems. Is there anyone out there who has reached this high of mileage yet and had problems? We fear the worst, of course. Thanks!
There is good offer here in Puerto Rico for that car. I want to know if the 2003 model has the same problems as the prior years. I really like the car. Im worried about past reviews. Please someone answer!!
My parents who live in PR are looking at the S40. I was doing some research for them and came across your message. I don't want them to get ripped off since they are retired and elderly. What kind of deal are they offering to you?
Just bought 2003 S40. Never thought I'd go to Volvo for the small car in the family. First, I was really apprehensive about recent deterioration of Volvo cars in reliability department, second I thought Volvo is an expensive brand for the small car. We were to look for a small, but comfy, nimble but safe car. (wife wouldn't drive a boat). We started with loaded 03 Corollas, but couldn't find any with leather. Infinity G20 are phased out. Jetta is out of question - overpriced and overhyped reliability nightmare. Then I stumbled upon Volvo year-end steep discount, and took my chance with S40. Fully Loaded it came to 23K thru CarsDirect, experience with whom was great, by the way. I will never buy a car any other way. For this basement bargain price I think S40 is a terrific deal. If it hold on reliability (big if) I can't be happier with the choice. Very good balance between performance and comfort, and even though ride is a tad stiff, with Volvo's super comfortable seats it doesn't really matter; not a liability at all, rather gives a good road feel. Pleasant surprise - no cutting corners or visible cost cutting gimmicks. Trunk lids without hinges are really welcome after experience with Japanese cost cutting gimmicks. Another surpise is cosmetics - I picked white color for practical not easthetical reasons. (I never liked S40 in white due to black molding and door handles). But in 2003 moldings are color matched (fact I was aware of), and door handles are chrome to match white color (fact I was not aware of). Looks great as "wifey's car". The only negative is limited rearview visibility and spot checking due to big headrests.
I think you will be just fine with the 2003 S40. yes, reliability was a problem when the S40 first came here, but your S40 has been refibed with a fine toothed comb for 2003.
Good luck...the seats and underrated motor will provide many safe miles.
I was told that volvo is getting two kinds of S40 for 2004. One with a same style that they have now on June and different model that has rear lights look like S60 on January 2004. I got this information from one of the dealer. Has anyone heard of this? oh~ and I got 22k+tax, title and license deal for S40 2003. When ppl are saying they got it for 23k, does it include tax+title, license? "22k+tax, title and license" good deal ? bad deal? Please write bac
I am very close to buying a Volvo S40, 2003. Someone please HELP. I started hearing & reading more negative things about the car. Should I listen? I like the car and have been offered a great price for the base model. Any feedback - should I go for it? Also- any specific options I should consider or is base ok since I am price conscious.
carmc, I've had my 2003 for a month and my wife (whom car is for) absolutely loves it (after driving awkward Camry for the last 3 years). Sure, first USA releases of S40 had poor reliability record, but looking at Consumer digest ratings it appears like S40s been improving and 2003 hopefully should be the most bug-free year. Read my older posts how I arrived at ending up buying S40. So, as to your decision-making process, it depends what kind of car you are looking for. If you say, you are price concious, maybe S40 is not what you should be looking at even with its current steep discounts). I think there is no point of taking base S40 - for this kind of car one would expect to have at least leather seats and heated if you are comfort creature. Just think, for the price of loaded S40 you can buy a 6-cylinder Camry or new Accord or even basic Passat or what about Altima. (Stay away from Jetta.) It all comes down to you personal taste. Some may say S40 is cramped, my wife calls it snug. We were looking for small, nimble, comfortably plush and safe car and S40 fit the bill for us. And it looks cute as well by the way.
Is a good car. My parents have a 2002 w/ 15,000 miles. No problems at all. We have alot of satisfied customers with the S40. Some of the early 2000's had some minor issues, but the 02's and 03 's have been very good. IMHO its alot of car for the money. 4 yr warranty, free loaner, Volvo safety. Its quick and responsive. The 03 faclift makes it a much better looking car too. Good Luck!
I don't see logic in your supposition. There are also too many used Camries or Accords available. Does it follow that are all lemons? The more logical conclusion is that if there are lots of used ones that means there were many new ones sold. And the reverse is also true, just because some used cars are rare doesn't mean they are all that good. I didn't see many Ford Pintos in my days.
Another explanation is how cars are sold. If cars tend to be leased, then the life cycle is different, they end up at auctions as fleet vehicles. And if cars more likely to be bought, they are more likely to enter the used car market. I know that a lot of bigger Volvos (60s 80s) ended up as Hertz fleet vehicle. S40 is not part of a typical fleet car.
The new S40 will be introduced at the Frankfurt Autoshow in September. They'll hit the european Showrooms in November. Somebody in this Forum said the US Launch date will be January of 04. That sounds realistic to me. Just in time to replace my 2001 S40 who's lease is up right then. Said S40 has been good and bad. Good: Performace. The 1.9 turbo has better acceleration than the current Audi A4 1.8 Bad: I had lots of smaller problems with the car. Unscheduled trip to the shop so far in two years: 9.
I'm concerned about the new S40 being based on the next generation Ford Focus platform. Although most liekely that's not worse thatn the current S40's Mitsubishi Carisma genes.
The current S40 is not baced on the Carisma, and the future S40 is not based on the Focus. these are very popular misconceptions. The new P1 platform has been in development since before Fords acquistion of Volvo. The next Focus, and Mazda Protege will use a version, decontented of the P1 platform. The current S40 and Carisma have different chassis,engines, trannys etc. They do share things like motor mounts turbos and some electrical components and fittings.
I was curious about just what level of Mitsubishi is in the S40/V40 heritage.
I wouldn't buy a Mitsu...so a rebadged Mitsu/Volvo didn't sound very appealing...
When will Volvo start discounting the 03's? I remember last year when they included the premium packages for free, then added a rebate at the end to move the 02s off the lots...
I am thinking of a V40, but $25-27k is just too much. At that price, too many other nice cars come into play. But if I could get the V40 at Subaru prices...color me interested.
The car isn't selling well, and dealers want to clear their inventories. That's about right. Keep in mind, though, that resale value suffers whem demand drops and discounts come into play. That could be a factor if you trade cars often.
I watched last October as Volvo dropped the bottoms out of their 2002 inventory...about $4k off sticker.
The big reason for the current discounts on S40 is due to the soon to arrive all-new S40. That's my guess. From what I read, Volvo is launching the new S40 late Spring, and bringing the V50 late fall. If true, the price on a V40 should drop in the fall as well...unless they are falling now.
Cheapest price I saw was for a brand-new 2003 S40 from Fort Worth, TX on Ebay...dealer seller, full-warranty, buyout price $18,500...I almost pressed the trigger...but the gold color isn't my flavor.
Anyone here price a V40 while they were at the Volvo Dealers?
Just started reading this board and saw an old post (#316 by jimvolvo) describing the same air conditioner problem I experienced on my 2000 S40. After about 1 hour of driving in the California Central Valley on a hot day, over 100 deg, the air conditioner suddenly stopped cooling and started blowing warm air. After a couple of hours (of very uncomfortable driving) it suddenly started working again. Was the cause of this problem ever determined? Is there a fix I should have my dealer make? Sorry if this has been discussed already, but I did a search and couldn't find a post where the problem was definitively resolved. Thanks for any advice.
Did you mean evaporator freeze-up? I've never seen a condenser ice up but I've seen a lot of evaporators. Also, I had the dealer check it after it happened but they couldn't find anything wrong. Since others had experienced the same problem I was hoping someone had found the cause and come up with a fix. Thanks for your help.
Car is great on snow (and in snow). No comparison with Camry I was leasing before buying S40. The grip is amazing for such a light car. And since it doesn't have a momentum force of a heavier cars, its composure is also quite decent. One Maxima wanted to race me this morning, he was pretty cocky on the straight line, but on the first curve I lost him -). he-he.
I just purchased the S40 and am pretty happy with it. Biggest issues are rear view visibility.
Does anyone feel uneasy about the rear view visibility? It's suppose to be one of the safest vehicles but not if you hit a pedestrian because you can't see out of the rear? I'm hoping I get used to it.
I also like my S40, but I do have to agree that rear visibility or lack of thereof is probably one and main problem S40 has, at least ergonomically. It is not a problem in regular driving, only during backing-out maneuvering. It is somewhat compensated by the fact that S40 has very small turning circle. But yes, you have to be extra careful and slow when backing-out, and try to find optimal sitting position to obtain maximum possible view of the rear.
I leased a s40 for my daughter and at 18,000 miles she was told she needs new brake pads and a new pollen filter. that's the worst I've ever heard of. any similar complaints?
Comments
Well, it has been 9 months now. The car has been in for service once when the check engine light went on (had to replace something to do with rear air filtration--under warranty of course).
I still love the car and would recommend it.
i broke the 20,000 km this week end - without any problem in sight.
the "check engine light" did appear a couple of times ...i started using Super (92 octane) and everything is back to normal.
reading all the feedback scared me at first but it looks like many of the problems were during the first 10,000 km or such (crossing my fingers)...in the meantime, this is the best car i ever had so far...
I come to a stop. It happens under all
conditions, but more often when it is hot
and the air conditioner is on. On a long
hot trip it can stall 10 or 20 times if there
is traffic. It always starts up again.
Sometimes the radio code will come up on
restart if the radio was on (but not always).
It sometimes goes for days or weeks without
stalling. The dealer says it doesn't happen
for them -- and all diagnosis codes are fine.
This has been going on for over a year
and it is driving me crazy...does anyone
have any ideas?
So it's back on the active board -- who wants to talk about the S40?
Go for it! :-)
Pat
Sedans Host
I am going to pay cash for it. In Canada, how much discount can I expect?
devil_taz, have you bought your car yet? Where in the country are you located? Interested in negotiating together with the dealers. Last time when I did it, I save a lot on my car.
2000 had some teething issues.
Overall its a good car good value.
Engine uprated to 170hp
new steering wheel
new instrument cluster
new integrated key and remote
NEWS New V50 is a 2005 intro, not 2004
Current S/V40 will be back for 04 model yr
Thanks!
I think you can wait based on your current mileage.
Car stalls on occasion.
Car downshifts VERY clumsily (CLUNK) when slowing to turn corners at about 35 MPH.
Service dept at local Volvo dealer claims to be baffled. I guess they are.
Lousy excuse for cup holders.
Miserable visibility out the back.
BUT - My wife and I love it! Go figure.
The car is not a big seller, there are rebates, and it has a poor reputation. 3 strikes, and you're out as far as resale value.
Maybe I can get into a base S60?
Hass
However, now the transmission seems to thud and slip as he accelerates. The local dealer "fixed" a leak in the turbo line for about $300 and of course 2 days later we are experiencing the same problems. Is there anyone out there who has reached this high of mileage yet and had problems?
We fear the worst, of course.
Thanks!
Another surpise is cosmetics - I picked white color for practical not easthetical reasons. (I never liked S40 in white due to black molding and door handles). But in 2003 moldings are color matched (fact I was aware of), and door handles are chrome to match white color (fact I was not aware of). Looks great as "wifey's car".
The only negative is limited rearview visibility and spot checking due to big headrests.
Good luck...the seats and underrated motor will provide many safe miles.
23k for s40 2003 with premium package...GOOD BAD?
Please write back
"22k+tax, title and license" good deal ? bad deal? Please write bac
Also- any specific options I should consider or is base ok since I am price conscious.
I've had my 2003 for a month and my wife (whom car is for) absolutely loves it (after driving awkward Camry for the last 3 years).
Sure, first USA releases of S40 had poor reliability record, but looking at Consumer digest ratings it appears like S40s been improving and 2003 hopefully should be the most bug-free year.
Read my older posts how I arrived at ending up buying S40. So, as to your decision-making process, it depends what kind of car you are looking for. If you say, you are price concious, maybe S40 is not what you should be looking at even with its current steep discounts). I think there is no point of taking base S40 - for this kind of car one would expect to have at least leather seats and heated if you are comfort creature. Just think, for the price of loaded S40 you can buy a 6-cylinder Camry or new Accord or even basic Passat or what about Altima. (Stay away from Jetta.)
It all comes down to you personal taste. Some may say S40 is cramped, my wife calls it snug. We were looking for small, nimble, comfortably plush and safe car and S40 fit the bill for us.
And it looks cute as well by the way.
My parents have a 2002 w/ 15,000 miles.
No problems at all.
We have alot of satisfied customers with the S40.
Some of the early 2000's had some minor issues, but the 02's and 03 's have been very good.
IMHO its alot of car for the money.
4 yr warranty, free loaner, Volvo safety.
Its quick and responsive.
The 03 faclift makes it a much better looking car too.
Good Luck!
There are also too many used Camries or Accords available. Does it follow that are all lemons? The more logical conclusion is that if there are lots of used ones that means there were many new ones sold. And the reverse is also true, just because some used cars are rare doesn't mean they are all that good. I didn't see many Ford Pintos in my days.
I know that a lot of bigger Volvos (60s 80s) ended up as Hertz fleet vehicle. S40 is not part of a typical fleet car.
Even the C70 does.
Somebody in this Forum said the US Launch date will be January of 04. That sounds realistic to me. Just in time to replace my 2001 S40 who's lease is up right then.
Said S40 has been good and bad. Good: Performace. The 1.9 turbo has better acceleration than the current Audi A4 1.8
Bad: I had lots of smaller problems with the car. Unscheduled trip to the shop so far in two years: 9.
I'm concerned about the new S40 being based on the next generation Ford Focus platform. Although most liekely that's not worse thatn the current S40's Mitsubishi Carisma genes.
these are very popular misconceptions.
The new P1 platform has been in development since before Fords acquistion of Volvo.
The next Focus, and Mazda Protege will use a version, decontented of the P1 platform.
The current S40 and Carisma have different chassis,engines, trannys etc.
They do share things like motor mounts turbos and some electrical components and fittings.
I was curious about just what level of Mitsubishi is in the S40/V40 heritage.
I wouldn't buy a Mitsu...so a rebadged Mitsu/Volvo didn't sound very appealing...
When will Volvo start discounting the 03's? I remember last year when they included the premium packages for free, then added a rebate at the end to move the 02s off the lots...
I am thinking of a V40, but $25-27k is just too much. At that price, too many other nice cars come into play. But if I could get the V40 at Subaru prices...color me interested.
I thought Scooby-dos were in the mid $20's!
The big reason for the current discounts on S40 is due to the soon to arrive all-new S40. That's my guess. From what I read, Volvo is launching the new S40 late Spring, and bringing the V50 late fall. If true, the price on a V40 should drop in the fall as well...unless they are falling now.
Cheapest price I saw was for a brand-new 2003 S40 from Fort Worth, TX on Ebay...dealer seller, full-warranty, buyout price $18,500...I almost pressed the trigger...but the gold color isn't my flavor.
Anyone here price a V40 while they were at the Volvo Dealers?
Time to start finding a lender and put the BMW up for sale.
Does anyone feel uneasy about the rear view visibility? It's suppose to be one of the safest vehicles but not if you hit a pedestrian because you can't see out of the rear? I'm hoping I get used to it.
It is not a problem in regular driving, only during backing-out maneuvering. It is somewhat compensated by the fact that S40 has very small turning circle. But yes, you have to be extra careful and slow when backing-out, and try to find optimal sitting position to obtain maximum possible view of the rear.