Faults:

One headlight windshield wiper motor went at 40,000 klicks.

General Comments:

Very surprised at the negative reviews here as regards reliability/service issues.

Maybe I am just lucky, but I have had no significant problems. In fact, no problems, just maintenance.

Drive heavy urban traffic daily, sometimes highway, always use premium gas.

Fast, good in snow even without snow tires, and also looks quite slick IMHO ;-)

General Comments:

I recently test-drove an S40 while looking for a vehicle for my sixteen year old daughter. Of course, I was attracted to the Volvo brand, because of their safety reputation. When my local used vehicle dealer told me he had an S40, I was very excited. I drove it yesterday.

The dealer told me that the "check engine" light was on, but that he'd be doing a timing belt job on it, and then that would "be OK". I noticed that the trim around the doors was very oxidized, and that the paint was less than "shiny", it is silver, and overall looked OK, but there were a lot of little scratches and just "dull" spots.

I found the car pretty peppy and responsive, and was really excited about the side impact airbags and curtain... this is my baby I'm buying it for! However... after coming home and reading all the reviews, I can surmise that the "check engine" light problem won't be going away any time soon, and that the overall maintenance issues will just be a giant headache.

I've owned only Subarus for the past 20 years, and have never had a roadside breakdown, check engine light, paint problem, etc... I am not crazy about the sightly loud interior noises, wind noise on the highways... but overall, these cars have been exceptional in their reliability and drivability. I can get out of my driveway even when there is 12+" of snow, thanks to the AWD, and when I tried like heck to get it to skid on a parking lot of shear ice last winter, (to teach my daughter how to handle that), I couldn't put it into a skid!!!

I'll go back to shopping with Subaru, which I believe holds second place to Volvo for safety.

Faults:

Only real problem at all in 5+ years of ownership... one headlight wiper motor broke, fixed under warranty.

General Comments:

I am a huge fan of this car, a real pocket rocket that in my experience can blow off any competitor in its class (and many bigger) from a standing start or in a passing situation.

It has absolutely minimal lag and an amazing sound on the turbo, and you can flick this car around almost just by thinking it.

Some think it looks a bit boring, but I like the understated Eurosedan style myself.

My only real gripe would be the tight rear leg room...

Faults:

This has been a great car. Cup holder is a problem and I keep hitting deer with it.

General Comments:

I wish I had purchased a S60 or S80, as the S40 is pretty basic - I like a fancy car.

Faults:

Cruise control replaced.

CD player replaced.

A few minor "plastic issues" - cup holder sticking, for example, etc.

Otherwise fine.

All items were replaced free, as they were under warranty at the time.

General Comments:

I understand many of the comments here. If truth be told, there are good Volvos and bad Volvos. (Not all Volvos, for some reason, are created equal). This car, purchased from a dealer's pre-certified lot, has served us well. In short, it is the reason I'm alive today to write this. I once hit a deer straight on at 65 mph and the car simply knocked the deer out of the way and kept on going. In fact I drove it the next 400 miles home. MY daughter, sitting next to me reading a book when I hit the deer (thus not seeing me hit it) simply asked what happened, and didn't believe it was a deer. She said it felt like, maybe, a squirrel.

Volvos may not be everybody's wet dream mechanically or whatever, but they are sturdy workhorses nonetheless, and while this S40 suffers in the luxury dept and probably costs half again to fix what other "lesser expensive" models cost, it makes up for its shortcomings in that if you take care of it properly, more likely than not it will take care of you when you need it most.