Opinions on the 2001 Volvo V40? (Appears to be a very uncommon car?)

[Mojoed]

I searched for V40, and got nothing but HP printers. You guys have never let me down, so here goes.

An acquaintance of mine has a 2001 automatic Volvo V40 1.9 Turbo wagon for sale with 88k miles. He's an older guy recently retired from Volvo and is asking $5,000 firm(ish). Below are some additional specifics:

- 4 brand new tires with less than 10 miles.
- Timing belt & water pump just changed.
- Sway bar bushings changed due to a slight squeak.
- Transmission fluid just changed.
- Oil changes every ~3k miles.
- He will include (in writing) a $600 credit towards future maintenance. (His partner owns a Volvo dealership)
- He claims the car is in "perfect" condition and he'd just rather sell it to someone he knows than get rid of it via auction.

I guess my questions are as follows:

Any major issues I should know about this car? It almost sounds too good to be true. Should I run away fast with my tail between my legs? I know nothing about this particular model Volvo and I do not have the liberty to research this due to internet restrictions at work and no internet at home.

Any information would be appreciated!

 

[PhoKingGuy]

I dunno what happened to brblx but he used to be a former Volvo Master tech. Maybe Marlin can point you in the right direction.

 

[Mojoed]

Thanks Mang!

I'll see if I can contact him.

 

[Arkaign]

Our resident Garage lord ZV is also a Swedish Brick master.

FWIW, that sounds like a decent deal, even if ~10 year old Euro cars make me a little nervous over the long haul. How long would you plan to try to drive this thing years/mileage wise?

 

[Mojoed]

Our resident Garage lord ZV is also a Swedish Brick master.

FWIW, that sounds like a decent deal, even if ~10 year old Euro cars make me a little nervous over the long haul. How long would you plan to try to drive this thing years/mileage wise?

I would love to just ride it into the ground. I'm a no-frills kind of guy. My 1993 Ford Escort has 422k on it (170k on engine, original transmission!) and still running very strong. Though extremely reliable, I'm a Dad now though and this Escort is not very safe at all.

I'd love to get at LEAST an additional 150k out of this Volvo if at all possible. I drive 25-30k per year, so 5-6 years would be would I'd shoot for.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

our resident garage lord zv is also a swedish brick master.

Fwiw, that sounds like a decent deal, even if ~10 year old euro cars make me a little nervous over the long haul. How long would you plan to try to drive this thing years/mileage wise?

lol

 

[Arkaign]

I would love to just ride it into the ground. I'm a no-frills kind of guy. My 1993 Ford Escort has 422k on it (170k on engine, original transmission!) and still running very strong. Though extremely reliable, I'm a Dad now though and this Escort is not very safe at all.

I'd love to get at LEAST an additional 150k out of this Volvo if at all possible. I drive 25-30k per year, so 5-6 years would be would I'd shoot for.

Hmm. I'd wait for more knowledgeable Volvo folks to chime in, but that would be expecting over 200k miles on it, which may be pushing things into the area of expensive maintenance to keep it going. I could easily say 150k miles at least with excellent maintenance and moderate driving habits, but beyond that I just wouldn't have unlimited confidence.

422k miles on a car is a bit more of the exception than the rule, though some of that is lazy maintenance habits, abuse, and the lack of inclination to do things like put new motors into Ford Escorts.

 

[SearchMaster]

Autos.msn.com (http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year=2001&make=Volvo&model=V40&trimid=-1) shows it as a pretty reliable vehicle, only reported problem was a pretty minor one. User reviews were also generally positive, but there were a few electrical problems reported. The biggest complaint was that the back seat is cramped, which is probably not an issue for you if you've been driving a 17 year old Escort.

I assume you're a DIYer to get that many miles out of that car, just realize that parts are going to be more expensive for the Volvo than you're used to.

 

[Vette73]

Yea the V40 was either new or right after my Tech days so i don;t remember much about them. I know Zen has a Volvo and keeps up with them more then I do.

The 01 is a First Gen but was several years into its lines life so not a first year type thing.
I did see a lot of people complain about the rear brakes wearing out fast but if you are a DIY it should to cost too much to do them yourself. But my SiLs Audi, and I have heard some newer Hondas, wear the rear pads out faster so seems more common today. I know on my SiLs Audi they wear real fast through the first 1/3 or so then slow down.

But if it has been taken care of just have someone look at it real good like suspension, brakes, etc... and go from there. With turbo cars just make sure there is no sludge in the top of the motor/oil cap. If you see it there then the turbo could have problems. Also when you test drive make sure to get the turbo to spool up and listen for any rattling/clanging. Could be a sign of turbo problems. And if you get it use Syn oil. Turbos can be hard on the oil and its one of the few places where a syn oil can help.

 

[Mojoed]

Thanks Marlin ^, that's exactly the type of information I'm looking for!

Speaking of Turbos, anyone know the useful lifespan of a typical turbo and how much it would cost to replace? Is 10 years a long time for a turbo to last?

 

[Vette73]

Thanks Marlin ^, that's exactly the type of information I'm looking for!

Speaking of Turbos, anyone know the useful lifespan of a typical turbo and how much it would cost to replace? Is 10 years a long time for a turbo to last?

Turbos can last a long time now that most (all?) are water cooled and oil lubed.
They usually don't completly break they just wear the seals out and you start to use a little oil. I had to do a full rebuild in the turbo that was in my Saab and it was not to hard to rebuild. So again, like the brakes, if you are a DIY/Handy person its not to hard. But to pay someone it can get costly. Most problems are due to not changign the oil. So a name brand syn oil helps with turbo cars.
If the oil and coolant have been serviced and you don;t see any smoke out the exhust when the start the car cold, then its probable ok. But make sure you get a chance to start the car after sitting for at least 6hours or longer. Never buy a used car without startign it compltley cold. When a car is warm it can cover up many little problems.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Marlin's got it covered well, as usual.

I'm not a huge fan of the 1st generation S40/V40 cars; they were pre-Ford, but not pure Volvo like the 850/S70/V70 cars were. The first generation (1995-early 2004) S40/V40 were based on a shared platform with the Mitsubishi Charisma and while there aren't any huge red flags that I know of, they also don't have the reputation of indestructibility that the earlier cars enjoy. This isn't to say that they're "bad", they're just average.

ZV

 

[Cienja]

I have a 2007 S40 - for what it's worth, it's a great handling, fast, decent gas mileage, comfortable car. BUT, damn expensive to get any repairs.

 

[Zenmervolt]

I have a 2007 S40 - for what it's worth, it's a great handling, fast, decent gas mileage, comfortable car. BUT, damn expensive to get any repairs.

Entirely different car from the 2001 models. Different platform, different everything.

ZV