New-to-me 2000 S40

[lord volvo]

Soon I'm going to pick up our new-to-us 2000 S40 - one-owner, only 46,000 miles and well-maintained by a dealer. It's my first FWD Volvo and it's for my wife since she wanted a petite Volvo and I couldn't convince her to get a C30. The 240s are too big for her!

I made the mistake of posting my new acquisition on VCOA's Facebook page and got raked over the coals for it. I think Volvo purists don't like the fact that it's a Mitsubishi hybrid (?) of sorts and is a so-called Nedcar. It drove well and only has a few items needing attention such as a non-returning turn signal stalk and a sagging headliner. Also some underbody rust which I plan to address with POR-15.

I have a good Volvo mechanic to address things I can't DIY, but I've never worked on a turbo'd car before. My experience lies with my 240 (1984 with 368,000 miles) and Corolla. I've already ordered a Haynes manual and plan to download the VADIS software.

Any advice or things I should look for with this thing? Thx.

Mike

[alschnertz]

You have what is referred to as a Phase I. It's not much different than a Phase II (2001+) other than interior/exterior trim pieces and a 4sp vs. 5sp transmission.

I bought our '01 (with 148,000 mi) for our daughter 7-8 years ago and admittedly, I was not a fan of the car at all. But it was a deal I couldn't pass up.
The car now has 204,000 miles and I have been using it for the past 2 years. It has grown on me. Yes, it's a little on the small side compared to my 145, but I've got to say that it has been reliable and a decent drive. I think it has more power than I normally use and rides and handles pretty good too - though the seats are a little smaller than what I'm comfortable in. Darn thing returns 29+ mpg in my mixed driving. Bent rims will make it shake like a mixer, but that is true of any car.

My advice? Have the fluids changed and replace the timing belt unless you can verify when it was last changed.
Then just go after what is wrong or breaks. But keep in mind, these cars are only worth $1-2 thousand bucks tops.

[lord volvo]

Thanks for the perspective. I did pay too much for it but my wife really wanted it and it's in really good shape. It is so much more solid than the tin can of a Corolla she was driving. The seats are comfortable which is important since she has scoliosis.

I'm glad to know you're has been reliable. Cars that break down a lot is a huge pet peeve of mine. I did email the shop that previously serviced the car but haven't heard back yet.