1807 messages,
Last post on Jul 01, 2011 at 7:51 AM
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Volvo S40 Forum.
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Volvo S40, Sedan
#322 of 1807 Crapy Quality Control from Volvo
by srikandi
Aug 27, 2000 (2:46 am)
I just brought a 2001 S40 a week back and now
the VOLVO company is recalling my car siting that the car has a bad body frame. Acording to dealer there were about 100 cars with this defect, and iam the only one who actually got the car, the rest of them were detected at the port. Iam not
totaly satisfied the way Volvo is inspecting the cars. So if anyone is planning to buy one please
make sure the caris checked for any defects so that you people can avoid the ordeal i am going through. After all i am regreting that i have traded in my wonderful ACURA for this relatively unproved product.
Good luck folks.
#323 of 1807 srikandi
by rollie
Aug 27, 2000 (8:55 am)
Regarding post #332:
srikandi, while it certainly bites having any sort of recall, I don't think it is so bad to have the company voluntarily admit and fix a problem before you discover it the hard way (and there are manufacturers who don't do that).
Also, the S40 is pretty proven at this point. Don't forget this car has been out in the rest of the world for years now.
Could you supply more details on the body frame issue for your car? This is the first I've heard of it and would like to learn more even if it only affects a narrow VIN range.
Thanks.
-rdo
rdollie
home.com
#324 of 1807 S40 woes...
by jhannan
Aug 31, 2000 (11:49 pm)
I have a 2000 S40 with 6,000 miles on it. The fit and finish is the worst I have ever experienced. I started taking it to the dealer 2 weeks after the purchase to have squeaks and rattles fixed. After 5 trips (the 6th is scheduled this month) and 2 dealerships, the squeaks continue. What is worse, the the quality of the service I receive is horrible ! Royal Motors in San Francisco routinely returns my car with parts hanging off prompting still more return visits!
I will never ever buy another Volvo and I kick myself for buying this one. I am locked into a lease that Volvo will not let me out of. I even contacted an lawyer regarding CA's lemon law. It doesn't apply to poor build quality, just safety issues.
If you are considering a Volvo S40, don't. Save yourself the money and buy something else. The car is junk.
j.
#325 of 1807 S40 woes...
by jhannan
Aug 31, 2000 (11:52 pm)
I have a 2000 S40 with 6,000 miles on it. The fit and finish is the worst I have ever experienced. I started taking it to the dealer 2 weeks after the purchase to have squeaks and rattles fixed. After 5 trips (the 6th is scheduled this month) and 2 dealerships, the squeaks continue. What is worse, the the quality of the service I receive is horrible ! Royal Motors in San Francisco routinely returns my car with parts hanging off prompting still more return visits!
I will never ever buy another Volvo and I kick myself for buying this one. I am locked into a lease that Volvo will not let me out of. I even contacted an lawyer regarding CA's lemon law. It doesn't apply to poor build quality, just safety issues.
If you are considering a Volvo S40, don't. Save yourself the money and buy something else. The car is junk.
j.
#326 of 1807 Rear Brakes @ 20M miles
by tomsoltis
Sep 03, 2000 (5:56 am)
Have owned to S40 for approx. 11 months. Just brought it in for its 15M/22M service. The car has 20M miles on it. In addition to the scheduled service my car needed rear brakes. Apparently, the pads were near metal to metal. Service dept. suggested that they are finding S40's need rear pads at 20M miles.
In addition, my wheels are routinely spoiled by brake dust. My dealership's service dept. suggested that it was due to Volvo's brake pads being "soft". I'm uncertain if that means non-Volvo pads would be harder and eliminate the dust.
I'll keep you posted. Other than that, after they fixed the minor electrical issues, I think its a good car
#327 of 1807 Backed out
by hrguy2
Sep 04, 2000 (2:25 am)
Went as far as to place a "deposit" (no written commitment) on the S40, then changed my mind. This after hours of research on Edmunds and all the others. I went to drive the S40 again over the weekend and it handled well, looked good, and had the safety features I was looking for - but something was wrong. I can't seem to get over the fact that this car reminds me of a Honda Civic.
No offense to you Civic-lovers out there, but I'm past the time in my life where a Civic-style car fits me. But when you're getting ready to plop down $26,000 for a car, it should NOT remind you of a Civic.
Main complaints on the S40 - cramped inside, limited visibility (especially with the mirrors), and a cupholder that virtually guarantees that your coffee will end up in your stereo and AC controls.
So it came down to a decision to go with the Maxima. I know, I know - very different cars. But very similar price. So instead of an entry level Volvo, I'll have a fully loaded Maxima.
#328 of 1807 2001 S40?
by rmg2
Sep 06, 2000 (7:49 pm)
Has anyone seen/driven the 2001 S40? Any opinions? (My dealer has some in, but doesn't have them prepped yet.) He told me that they have redesigned the control layout for 2001 to address complaints about non-standard placement of controls for windows, etc. Thanks
Sep 10, 2000 (3:29 am)
I too was in the same position as you. I was also considering the S40 vs the Max (yeah, yeah, 2 very different cars.)
Anyway, after much thought, I too went with the Maxima, and must say I LOVE every mile in my car. For $25K, I got a loaded GLE, with sunrf, Bose, leather, heated seats, etc...a wise choice, IMO. Loving the 222 hp...
Good luck with your search...
#330 of 1807 SV40 vs. Infinity G20
by guesswork
Sep 15, 2000 (3:37 pm)
Drove an S40 and really liked it. Went looking to see if there was anything like it in the same price range -- Infinity's G20 looks like an interesting competitor.
It seem that for the same money the advantages of the G20 are:
lower maintenance -- just change the oil and a few filters for the first 100,000 miles,
more comfortable -- better stereo, sunroof, and about 2 extra inches of leg room in the back seat.
better handling -- it just feels more comfortable on the road.
The advantages for the S40 seem to be
Much more powerful engine -- 160 vs 145 HP; 170 vs 136 ft-lbs tourque.
Safer -- but I can't find test results to confirm this. The 2001 S40 has a side curtain while the G20 has side air bags.
Does anyone else see it differently?
#331 of 1807 Check Engine Light/Headlights
by dianeb2
Sep 15, 2000 (10:28 pm)
It's been awhile since I've written, but I'm getting frustrated with the "Check Engine Light" coming on every few weeks. I know it's the emissions problem with the gas cap, but it's a pain to keep going to the dealer to get it fixed. Also, both of my headlights burned out at the same time a few weeks ago. I have 10,000 miles on my 10 month S40 and don't think the lights should burn out that fast. Anyone else have that problem?