Faults:

3 headlight bulbs, but I solved that problem by turning off the daytime running lights and haven't had to replace one since.

Flex pipe @ 90k miles, engine mounts were fine I just managed to break it. The dealership said it was a common problem and my only complaint was that the flex pipe and 1st cat are one piece so the part was alittle expensive.

Starting problem from the day I bought the car, but that was fixed by replacing my fuel pump regulator @ 92k miles. $650 for the fuel pump regulator, a new thermostat, coolant, labor and diagnosage charge.

Camshaft positions sensor @ 92k miles. My engine light keeps on turning on because of my camshaft position sensor detects an over-advance on my exhaust cam timing. Its been the the dealership twice in one week for this problem, hopefully it will be fixed when I get it back. $350 for the sensor, labor, oil purge, oil change and new filter.

General Comments:

I do love the car it feels like its build like a tank and that's what I was looking for after I totaled my acura integra.

The 1.9L turbo engine is a lot of fun and it can get the car moving and still give you good gas mileage. I average 24-26mpg on premium when doing mixed driving.

Winter driving mode and Dynamic Stability Assist make winter or bad weather driving a breeze.

The car doesn't handle that great, but it also weights 4000lbs and that's a lot of weight to be throwing around. The car is great for long drives and road trips the seats a very comfortable and the ride is smooth.

The car has been expensive to fix, but its mostly because the work has been done though a dealership. Its key to find a good mechanic that knows his way around a volvo, I'm still looking for one in Rhode Island.

All round it's a great car, I picked mine up for $7000 with 72k miles. Repairs have been alittle costly, but not all of them were needed, the camshaft sensor could have been left, but the engine light was bugging me, but I am getting the feeling that this car like many ford products will have an engine light that is always on after 100k miles.

As for buying another volvo I would think about it...

The new s40 are sexy and about $5k cheaper than similar small luxury cars.

Faults:

New tires at 78000 miles.

Engine coolant temp sensor failed at 79000 miles; diagnostic and repair cost $330 (USD) at a Volvo dealership.

Power antenna mast damaged; $25 for new mast, work done on my own.

General Comments:

I have had to replace one head light bulb twice within the first year owning the car. I turned of the daytime running lamps to help prolong the replacement of bulbs.

The car handles very well especially since I put the new tires on. Steering is solid and very accurate.

The car accelerates very quickly for a 1.9 liter engine thanks to the factory turbo. There is never a problem getting on to the highway. This is especially true with the transmissions sport mode turned on.

The brakes are excellent and stop when you need to stop.

Excellent fuel economy; an average week I get 25 mpg. On a Trip from Boston, MA to Rochester, NY and back (6.5 Hours and 410 miles one way) I got 30 mpg with cruise control on at 74 mph.

Very comfortable car for any extended driving. Again, after driving 12+ hours, I was very comfortable and only had minor soreness of the lower back towards the end of the trip. But that is expected at that distance and time with minimal rest.

However, the car does not come cheap. Any parts from a dealership can cost a lot of money and that is about the only place you can get parts. Insurance is high due to my location and age.