Volvo V50

[Alienwho]

I'm looking for either a small crossover or wagon for my wife for under $15k with low miles. I've got a few 2009-2011 V50 2.4i wagons for sale in my area for about $14k. I'm thinking of picking one up for my wife. They all have 70,000 miles on them. Is there any reason I should run away? We'd have the car for probably five years before we'd need a bigger vehicle and we'd put on less than 10k miles per year. Reliability is a big concern.

I'd love an outback but at this price range they all have a million miles on them.

I'm also considering 2008-ish mazda cx-7 with about 70k miles for the same price.

 

[phucheneh]

Get oil change records. The oil trap and the VVT stuff on those engine is pretty sensitive to infrequent oil changes. Otherwise, I can't think of any common problems with them. Good engine, good trans, good platform.

 

[CA19100]

My wife's last car was a lightly-used Volvo S40, and it bled us dry in maintenance costs. Never again.

 

[phucheneh]

My wife's last car was a lightly-used Volvo S40, and it bled us dry in maintenance costs. Never again.

1) What year?

2) What maintenence costs? There's a 105k timing belt change. Everything else, aside from standard fluid changes that any car needs, are more 'neglect costs.'

 

[CA19100]

1) What year?

A 2001; we bought it in 2005 (I believe) with about 50,000 miles on it.

2) What maintenence costs? There's a 105k timing belt change. Everything else, aside from standard fluid changes that any car needs, are more 'neglect costs.'

Heh... I think we had this same conversation six months ago. :biggrin:

No "neglect" here. In no particular order:

• Driver's power window failed at about five years old. That was about $900.
• Flexible exhaust coupling disintegrated at about 60,000 miles. The thing sounded like a kid's Honda with the fart-can exhaust pipe. Another $850.
• The thing went through headlight, tail light, and side marker lamps constantly, because they were always powered. I did those myself, but it still added a couple hundred more to the cost.
• Rear power lock failed at about six years old. Another $500.
• HVAC system wasn't directing the air properly; couldn't get significant airflow anywhere but the face vents. We didn't repair it due to the potential cost of tearing the dash apart, so not sure what that would have cost.
• Went to start it one day downtown at about 75K after stopping to pick someone up, and it wouldn't crank. Dash went completely dark when I tried to start it; lit back up when I released the key. Had to get it towed. Battery was fine; the fuse for the engine computer had blown. "That should never happen," the dealer said. He offered to troubleshoot where the short was, saying it would be about 6 hours of labor. I declined and bought a second fuse to keep in the glove box, which fortunately I never needed. Between the diagnostic, the tow truck and the taxis, that was about a $400 day.
• And of course, the check engine light was constantly on for one reason or another. That went on from the month we bought it until last year when we got rid of it. It meant a trip to the shop and several hundred dollars in repairs every time we had to do the emissions test (to get the plates renewed), and it would invariably come back on within a couple of weeks. That amounted to thousands over the ~7 years we had it.

All told, non-wear maintenance items went well north of $5000. Yes, I know Mitsubishi had its hand deep in this design. Still, it was a Volvo-branded car, and I was dealing with expensive Volvo maintenance way too often. I'm sure it's atypical, but my experience soured me on the brand enough that I won't consider it again.

 

[Jimzz]

A 2001; we bought it in 2005 (I believe) with about 50,000 miles on it.

Heh... I think we had this same conversation six months ago. :biggrin:

No "neglect" here. In no particular order:

• Driver's power window failed at about five years old. That was about $900.
• Flexible exhaust coupling disintegrated at about 60,000 miles. The thing sounded like a kid's Honda with the fart-can exhaust pipe. Another $850.
• The thing went through headlight, tail light, and side marker lamps constantly, because they were always powered. I did those myself, but it still added a couple hundred more to the cost.
• Rear power lock failed at about six years old. Another $500.
• HVAC system wasn't directing the air properly; couldn't get significant airflow anywhere but the face vents. We didn't repair it due to the potential cost of tearing the dash apart, so not sure what that would have cost.
• Went to start it one day downtown at about 75K after stopping to pick someone up, and it wouldn't crank. Dash went completely dark when I tried to start it; lit back up when I released the key. Had to get it towed. Battery was fine; the fuse for the engine computer had blown. "That should never happen," the dealer said. He offered to troubleshoot where the short was, saying it would be about 6 hours of labor. I declined and bought a second fuse to keep in the glove box, which fortunately I never needed. Between the diagnostic, the tow truck and the taxis, that was about a $400 day.
• And of course, the check engine light was constantly on for one reason or another. That went on from the month we bought it until last year when we got rid of it. It meant a trip to the shop and several hundred dollars in repairs every time we had to do the emissions test (to get the plates renewed), and it would invariably come back on within a couple of weeks. That amounted to thousands over the ~7 years we had it.

All told, non-wear maintenance items went well north of $5000. Yes, I know Mitsubishi had its hand deep in this design. Still, it was a Volvo-branded car, and I was dealing with expensive Volvo maintenance way too often. I'm sure it's atypical, but my experience soured me on the brand enough that I won't consider it again.

Mitsubishi? You mean Ford?

But things actually, IMO, got better for Volvo when Ford had them and Saab got better when GM had them. You think they were bad should have seen them before.

But for me I love the way most european cars ride and handle, but if they are not under a factory warranty then better have a good deal of cash and time ready.

 

[Insomniator]

A 2001; we bought it in 2005 (I believe) with about 50,000 miles on it.

Heh... I think we had this same conversation six months ago. :biggrin:

No "neglect" here. In no particular order:

• Driver's power window failed at about five years old. That was about $900.
• Flexible exhaust coupling disintegrated at about 60,000 miles. The thing sounded like a kid's Honda with the fart-can exhaust pipe. Another $850.
• The thing went through headlight, tail light, and side marker lamps constantly, because they were always powered. I did those myself, but it still added a couple hundred more to the cost.
• Rear power lock failed at about six years old. Another $500.
• HVAC system wasn't directing the air properly; couldn't get significant airflow anywhere but the face vents. We didn't repair it due to the potential cost of tearing the dash apart, so not sure what that would have cost.
• Went to start it one day downtown at about 75K after stopping to pick someone up, and it wouldn't crank. Dash went completely dark when I tried to start it; lit back up when I released the key. Had to get it towed. Battery was fine; the fuse for the engine computer had blown. "That should never happen," the dealer said. He offered to troubleshoot where the short was, saying it would be about 6 hours of labor. I declined and bought a second fuse to keep in the glove box, which fortunately I never needed. Between the diagnostic, the tow truck and the taxis, that was about a $400 day.
• And of course, the check engine light was constantly on for one reason or another. That went on from the month we bought it until last year when we got rid of it. It meant a trip to the shop and several hundred dollars in repairs every time we had to do the emissions test (to get the plates renewed), and it would invariably come back on within a couple of weeks. That amounted to thousands over the ~7 years we had it.

All told, non-wear maintenance items went well north of $5000. Yes, I know Mitsubishi had its hand deep in this design. Still, it was a Volvo-branded car, and I was dealing with expensive Volvo maintenance way too often. I'm sure it's atypical, but my experience soured me on the brand enough that I won't consider it again.

You paid $900 for a window motor?

Don't go to dealers.......

 

[Zap]

A 2001; we bought it in 2005 (I believe) with about 50,000 miles on it.
...

• And of course, the check engine light was constantly on for one reason or another. That went on from the month we bought it until last year when we got rid of it. It meant a trip to the shop and several hundred dollars in repairs every time we had to do the emissions test (to get the plates renewed), and it would invariably come back on within a couple of weeks. That amounted to thousands over the ~7 years we had it.

All told, non-wear maintenance items went well north of $5000.

My mom had a similar S40, maybe year 2000 model or something like that. It was kind of 3rd hand. My sister purchased it from the original owner, then gave it to mom when she (sister) moved to NYC. I recall the S40 as being fairly reliable EXCEPT yes it too had the ever present CEL. Mom spent a few thousand trying to get that fixed. Never was, for more than a couple weeks.

 

[CA19100]

You paid $900 for a window motor?

Don't go to dealers.......

My wife did it. I was out of town or I would have shopped around. In Seattle, though, it's pretty important to be able to seal the rain out!

 

[franksta]

It's not so bad. My wife and I bought a new S40 with only 6 miles on it. It's up at 101,000 right now. I just replaced the timing belt at 100k and did the water pump just for fun while I had the thing apart. It's been relatively trouble free. There was a problem with something related to the fuel pressure but I forget the details. It was handled under warranty as the car was really new at that point.

It's the T5 turbo motor with an automatic FWD trans.

Lots of info at the Swedespeed forums.

 

[phucheneh]

A 2001

End post. Not relevant.

And yes, he means Mitsu, not Ford. That car shares precisely nothing with a 2004.5+ S40.

 

[phucheneh]

My mom had a similar S40, maybe year 2000 model or something like that. It was kind of 3rd hand. My sister purchased it from the original owner, then gave it to mom when she (sister) moved to NYC. I recall the S40 as being fairly reliable EXCEPT yes it too had the ever present CEL. Mom spent a few thousand trying to get that fixed. Never was, for more than a couple weeks.

'O2 integrator' code. Would bet cash on it. Find a better mechanic.

The old S40's weren't that bad, either; they just had some quirks that people spent about 10x the needed money trying to fix.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Mitsubishi? You mean Ford?

No, he means Mitsubishi. The first-generation S40 was built as a joint-venture between Volvo and Mitsubishi (the deal had been inked before Ford bought Volvo). The same platform was used for the Mitsubishi Charisma.

The S40 did not become a Ford design until the 2004.5 models that used the P1 platform.

ZV

 

[CA19100]

End post. Not relevant.

In your opinion. It was a rolling POS, and I dissuade anyone who asks about a Volvo because of my experience with it.

 

[Jimzz]

No, he means Mitsubishi. The first-generation S40 was built as a joint-venture between Volvo and Mitsubishi (the deal had been inked before Ford bought Volvo). The same platform was used for the Mitsubishi Charisma.

The S40 did not become a Ford design until the 2004.5 models that used the P1 platform.

ZV

Ah good to know. I knew Mitsubishi and chrysler were deep together, back in the day, but did not know about Volvo.
I'm guessing this was a short lived union after Ford came into the picture.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Ah good to know. I knew Mitsubishi and chrysler were deep together, back in the day, but did not know about Volvo.
I'm guessing this was a short lived union after Ford came into the picture.

IIRC it was really only ever intended to be for that one car.

Basically, back in the early 1970's Volvo took over DAF, a car manufacturer based in the Netherlands. By the late 1980's/early 1990's Volvo was looking to shut the old DAF plant down, and the Dutch government, together with Mitsubishi, bought into Volvo's ownership of the plant. Later on, the Dutch government sold its shares to Volvo and Mitsubishi, leaving them 50/50 joint owners of the plant. Then in 2001 Mitsubishi bought the remainder of Volvo's shares and simply continued producing the 1st-generation S/V40 under contract.

Basically, the first generation S/V40 is an oddball. It's the only car Volvo designed with Mitsubishi as a partner and the only car Volvo ever sold in the US that was made in that manufacturing facility.

That's why you really can't compare the first-generation S/V40 to anything afterwards. There just aren't any commonalities between them.

ZV