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Volvo S40

1807 messages,  Last post on Jul 01, 2011 at 7:51 AM

You are in the Volvo S40 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volvo S40, Sedan



Messages Page 56 of 182

#543 of 1807 jettaors40 by sandhurst

Jan 09, 2002 (3:37 pm)

I also was attracted to the 40, in my case the V40. The message boards here and at alt.autos.volvo are full of complaints about the 40 series. Even taking into account the fact that unhappy owners are more likely to post than happy ones, the number of complaints is still worrisome. There were a couple of long rounds of S40/V40 discussions at alt.autos.volvo in the past month.
 
 I debated between a loaded V40 or a stripped V70. I decided that if I were going to buy a Volvo I would go for the stripped 2002 V70. (Pre-2001 V70s also generate an unusual number of complaints). The owner of a firm that sells used Volvos told me that he won't even buy used S40s/V40s because there is so little demand for them. He advised spending a little bit more to buy "a real Volvo."
 
I am now leaning against any Volvo, but I do think the 40 series , theV70 and S60 are attractive cars with phenomenal safety equipment. Clearly Volvo needs to work on improving reliability.

#544 of 1807 Addl paychecks vs Insurance... by goolapper

Jan 09, 2002 (4:07 pm)

Jettaors40....a hefty life insurance policy payout is better than a couple addl years of regular
paychex...lump sum, no tax, etc....hmmm....mebbe that has something 2 do w/my wife
steering me towards deathtraps! If U go for the 'Bu then U cud get a nice life policy with the
$1000's saved or "upgrade" your current policy....just an idea!

#545 of 1807 JettaorS40 by stevem327

Jan 09, 2002 (7:55 pm)

If I had to choose between a stripped S60 and a loaded S40 I would choose the S60 IN A SECOND!!!
 
Take a few days and read all of the messages on this board about the S40. Then go to www.volvospy.com and www.swedespeed.com and read the S40 forums there as well. Then, go back and read the S60 messages on all three forums and you'll see that the S60 is way more reliable than the S40. It's also much roomier and will be easier to sell when and if the time comes. It seems that the S40 and S80 have had way more problems than the S60. From what I've read, the S60 is much more reliable and it's also Volvo's biggest selling car.
 
A base S60 has an invoice of only $25,851 with an Edmund's TMV of $27,146. They were selling some 2001's AT INVOICE here in the Washington, DC area in Nov and Dec of last year and you might still be able to find a 2001 somewhere if you shop around.
 
If I were buying a Chevy, I'd get the Impala. I'd avoid the Malibu due to the two-star side rating. If I buy a Volvo for my next car, it will be an S60.
 
It's really a shame that Volvo reliability has gone downhill. I had my heart set on an S40 until I started reading about all of the problems people have had with them. I also spoke to several S40 owners in person who voiced many of the same complaints.
 
My hope is that Volvo will be able to improve the quality and reliability in the coming model years. I would love to own one, but I'm not thrilled about spending close to $30K on a car only to have it sit in the shop for several weeks a year!

#546 of 1807 Cancelled a loaded S40 by holmgren

Jan 15, 2002 (11:27 am)

Yep Jettaors40, stretch a bit for the S60--even stripped. Volvo Overseas delivery can get you into an S60 with a few options for right around $26K. I can't dog the S40 too much since I had one ordered loaded to the gills until I cnx'd for an S60.
 
If you can live without leather and some of the price-bloating option packages, go for the S60. Mucho compliments on the car and people are surprised how little I paid. Although I'll never be able to sell an S60 stick with cloth! Hold up baby! Great car so far with 6000 autobahn miles. Nary a problem. Good luck all S40 owners/buyers. I really want them to be good cars...even more so if they would have offered the S40 T4 stick.
 
Jake
P.S. optional headlight washers make a mess of your Volvo in the winter as they work with the windshield washers...the result is nasty winter sludge sprayed all back along the front hood...and of course nice clean headlights.

#547 of 1807 Seat Adjustment Memory by cheerful

Jan 28, 2002 (3:46 pm)

I was once told by the dealer that the powered seat has memory for different drivers. I could not find this feature in the manual. Does S40 have this feature?
 
thanks!

#548 of 1807 40 or 60 by bo_chung

Jan 28, 2002 (10:27 pm)

Actually, the price difference between the two is significant. Thanks to the low demand for S40, you can get a fully loaded S40 for $24K. Similarly equipped S60 should be at least 5K more. Having said that, if money wasn't such a big issue, I definitely would have gone for the S60. I would recommend leasing if reliability or lack thereof is such a big concern. The deals they have on 40s is hard to believe. My lease payment is about 50 bucks lower than the best offer for a Honda Accord without any of the S40's lux. and safety features.

#549 of 1807 Is there a fix for the S40 stereo fading problem? by 2000jgcowner

Feb 05, 2002 (5:06 am)

I noticed on here where a number of people have had the same problem with the stereo as I'm having...the CD works great but the radio fades in and out occasionally.
 
Does Volvo have a fix for this? Is it covered under warranty? Please let me know if you can help. I'd love to get this fixed but would like to hear your experience before taking it to the dealership. Thanks in advance!

#550 of 1807 S40 "luxury"??? by godeacs

Feb 05, 2002 (4:32 pm)

Not sure there is much to choose between the S40 and Accord. I test drove both and for me the Honda was a better deal, esp when you take into account the S40's lack of reliability. Guess that's why there's a low demand for the S40.

#551 of 1807 How many miles should I go slow on the new card? by cheerful

Feb 20, 2002 (3:05 pm)

I remember somewhere I saw the statement that I should go slow on the new car. But I could not find any information on my new S40. Anyone has the information?
 
Thanks!

#552 of 1807 cheerful... by godeacs

Feb 20, 2002 (3:25 pm)

what does the owner's manual say? Follow it and you can't go wrong....also, ask the Volvo service guys.....

Messages Page 56 of 182

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