2001 S40 Longevity Advice

ntmarsh · Post by **ntmarsh** » 20 Sep 2014, 22:13

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forum and fairly new to Volvo ownership, so I was hoping you could give me some advice on what kind of longevity is typical for my Volvo. I have a 2001 S40 1.9t and it just hit 100k miles this week. So far, apart from the flex pipe, I haven't had any real issues with the car in the year I've owned it. Because of its mileage, I have the much dreaded but very necessary timing belt service coming up very soon, and I need to get a handle on whether it's worth putting out the money for or not. In all of your experiences, how does this car hold up over time? I really love the car, but I also need to be at least somewhat practical if there are tons of repairs headed my way. So, is it worth putting out the money for it, or is it better to trade it in and buy a newer vehicle?

mf70 · Post by **mf70** » 22 Sep 2014, 18:35

I'm happy with my 2006. You are WAY OVERDUE on that timing belt change - ok on mileage but 2x over on time. Has it had regular fliuds changes? Turbo's aren't my thing, but if it wasn't abused...

Post by **alschnertz** » 23 Sep 2014, 04:39

If the car is in relatively good shape and you're happy with it, it is most likely worth doing the timing belt. Granted, the car's book value is probably not much more than the timing belt service will cost, but is less than buying something new or used.

Tons of repairs? The car is 13 years old and 100,000 miles. Like any car that age, there will be some repairs required sooner or later. Tons? I doubt it, if it's in good shape.

Our '01 has 183,000 on it now and is still running well. I can't imagine any reason it won't go to at least 250,000 miles. But yes, I've had to repair odds and ends in the 35,000 miles that we've owned it. Mostly to catch up on maintenance items that the previous owner "let go" as the car was getting older.

ntmarsh · Post by **ntmarsh** » 25 Sep 2014, 10:58

Thanks for info guys! It seems to be in pretty good shape, no check engine light or electrical nonsense going on. I know I will probably need to do things like the ignition coils maybe the struts eventually, and that doesn't worry me. I was more concerned about major issues like transmission failure or engine rebuilds etc. It sounds like those components are fairly solid if you are making it past 150k and they are still running strong. I got pretty concerned recently when I asked a mechanic what he thought about the s40s in general. He said they constantly have issues with their AC and transmissions failing, and I was better off selling it while it works and buying a Toyota (having not actually looked at my vehicle).

Post by **oragex** » 25 Sep 2014, 11:11

It's more the S60 of those years that had transmission issues, mainly because Volvo doesn't mention the fluid needs replaced at a certain interval.

At now 14 years old, your timing belt got very stiff. Already read about a few S40/V40 owners who had an unpleasant surprise with their old belts. A quality belt kit off Ebay it's less than $100.

All in all it's a very solid car, it has it's issues mentioned in the posts above, but if well maintained it's worth keeping.

TomWestfield · Post by **TomWestfield** » 09 Nov 2014, 07:21

I have a 2001 s40 purchased new and it now has 105K miles. I replaced the timing belt and fuel filter at 75K. I have also used Techron every 15K (when Volvo serviced it, they used it also). My fuel consumption is about 22mpg but I often go over the speed limit when cruising on the interstate with traffic. The car's heating and air conditioning system seems to be possessed by its own demon, and the antenna hasn't worked in years. This is my 5th Volvo, 245DL, 245, 740, S60 it is comfortable and I know all its idiosyncrasies.

Over the years I have put in about $6000 averaging out to less than 500 per yearor 50 per month. Thus I have no complaints, however I did switch to synthetic oil.