Faults:

Service engine light is always on... never sure when it will come on again or what will be wrong when it does.

Seems to be a larger problem in the car that the service department can never quite find... and keep experimenting with solutions to the detriment of my wallet.

Air blower fan on heater works intermittently unless it's on setting #5.

Driver's seat doesn't 'lock' into place easily.

Steering wheel squeaks when you turn it.

Engine misfires when idling, making me wonder when it will just stall out.

Engine sometimes refuses to shift 'up' when accelerating until I let off the gas.

Engine sometime stalls out a bit when accelerating from a stop, making it unreliable for passing / merging.

CD player is very touchy, maybe to be expected in a car of this year (?)

General Comments:

It's too bad that this car has been in the shop so many times in the 7 short months I've owned it, as it's a really cute, fun car to drive. The interior is nice for a car of it's age and it's a comfortable ride. It has enough pep to be sporty, and enough cargo space to make it practical. The interior is a little tight in the back legroom area, but it's survivable for a compact sedan.

However, I've grown less confident in whether it will get me from point A to B with all of it's engine problems, stalls, and misfires.

The Volvo dealer keeps trying different things each time the service engine light comes on (once every couple of weeks) and says that it's a different 'code' each time... but I'm getting tired of dropping money into a used car when the problems with the engine don't go away, no matter what the dealer tries.

Don't like having a car with a mysterious illness. Am looking to trade it in for something more reliable.

Faults:

Starter went out at 1000 miles; dealer flatbeded a loaner to where the car was, and fixed it promptly.

Red paint... fading fast.

Check engine light a few times in the first couple of thousand miles.

General Comments:

We were worried the first 10,000 miles, our first foreign car ever... but after that, the car has been a gem; gets 29 or 30 mpg, never broken down or wouldn't start.

Now at 137k it has been in the hands of our lead foot college age daughter for 3 years... gets her home and back every other weekend 350 miles round trip no problem.

So I now drive a 2005 s60 t-5 47k miles, absolutely no problems whatsoever, bought this one certified pre-owned, that's the way to go.

Faults:

My 2001 S40 has under 58K miles on it and the dealer told me that the timing belt needs replacement immediately. Typically timing belt for S40s are replaced at 105K and cost around $450!!!. Anyone else experience the same thing? The car also needs a 2nd new pair or rotors (all four) and brake+plate light bulbs.

Faults:

Recurring problem with airbags.

Transmission began to shift poorly.

Strong gasoline odor which was never diagnosed.

Lights constantly burnt out.

General Comments:

I bought this car as kind of a bridge buy when my old vehicle had problems. I was initialy intrigued by the low price of the vehicle and of course the fact it was a Volvo. Saftey, reliability, status and such. I do have to say I drove the car without sticking any major dollars of my own into it. I commute to work and put on about 60 miles a day and always got great mileage out of it.

Here are the reasons why I got rid of it. The first problem was the transmission. When shifting out of first gear, especially when cold, it would shift very hard and ocassionally "slip" in and out of gear. This made me nervous on long trips.

Secondly was the airbag problem. When I bought the car the airbag light was on, and the dealer replaced the driver side curtain. One subzero Wisconsin morning I started the car and the bag light came on again. I didn't bother having it checked again, but I was told the first time the bags are disabled when the light is on. So much for the saftey thing.

Other problems- Strong gasoline and burnt oil odors at all times, Service light constantly popping on, lights buring out.

I liked the way the car is styled. Mine was silver with a spoiler and I thought it looked pretty sharp, but I do not like the looks of them without a spoiler. The paint did hold up pretty well I thought for being five years old.

The interior in my opinion was very bland. The layout of everything just didn't give a high end feel. The rear seat is extremly cramped for adults.

I got what I needed out of this car. I guess the only thing I can say is if your looking to buy a S40 and drive it for 300m miles you'll be disappointed. Not the same Volvo as other models/years. I moved back to an American vehicle as I've owned many cars and can quite honestly say I've had the best luck with them. I know, not what I would have thought either.