by "dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
Published 06/13/2017 at 20:39
by "dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
Published 06/13/2017 at 20:39
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STARS: 0
Fixing your car vs buying another cheap car. How is the 01-04 Volvo S40/V40 in terms of reliability?
I have a 4th gen Maxima (I30) that needs a bunch of work. I have a lot of parts that I haven’t installed yet, plus a new radiator support that will have to be done by a local body shop (about $600 labor, and a very common issue on these cars).
The other parts I have that need to be installed are three quick struts, three rotors, pads, a caliper, a TPS, a radiator, and the upper and lower hoses (the rad and hoses can probably be done when the support is replaced, since it has to be removed anyway). I already installed one rotor, one caliper, and one quick strut.
And now, my key broke off in the door lock (at least it didn’t get stuck in the ignition!) and I’m now stuck using the valet key. Can a locksmith make me a new (master) key and extract the old one?
The Volvo wagon I’m considering seems to only need brakes right now (a wear item, and not the most difficult thing to do). However, my biggest concern is that it uses a timing belt (the I30 has a chain), and of course it might not be as reliable as a Japanese car.
The pluses about the Volvo include being a 4-cylinder engine for better mpg (and not as hard to work on as a transverse V6), a wagon for more utility, and it has a cabin filter. All the features my car has now, but in a more efficient package. And also, the screws might not be soft and strip so easily (Nissan is famous for its soft-metal screws and keys). And it’s almost definitely nowhere near as rusty as my car!
But there’s always that thought in the back of my mind that a cheap, not-very-common Volvo could actually be worse, or at least no better, than my car. And that three digits won’t buy a car that’s any better than what I have now.
What are your thoughts?
"facw" (facw)
06/13/2017 at 21:21, STARS: 1
I have a first-gen S40, and have been pretty happy with it. It did have some issues with the cam position sensor and the cam adjustment solenoid. I get the sense that these issues were common (my Volvo shop expected a check engine when dealing with the S40). However, if it was going to happen, I’d expect it to have gone already (in which case it seems fixed). I just had the one set of issues a decade ago.
I’m often tempted when I see a cheap V40, feeling like I could have both a wagon and a sedan for not much money.
Timing belt is not a big issue. I think it is an interference engine, but if you do the maintenance you should be fine. Unless the previous owner has records of it being changed, I’d recommend doing it though. The Haynes manual lists the difficulty as 3/5 wrenches which doesn’t sound bad, though frankly it looks like a bigger pain than that to me. Not too expensive to have a shop do it either.
"BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind" (briangriffinsprius)
06/13/2017 at 21:22, STARS: 1
The S40s are still fairly common. They require decent maintenance because turbo, but they hold up okay. If cheap enough (sub-$4k), its worth it.
"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
06/13/2017 at 22:01, STARS: 1
I had a friend that bought one of these new around 2001. My main memory was that it was tiny and cramped inside. He had it for around 2 years before getting an S60 because it was too small. You might want to make sure you are OK with the space, especially coming from a Maxima, before getting serious about looking for one.
"Sovande" (sovande)
06/13/2017 at 22:14, STARS: 1
It’s a Mitsubishi!
"facw" (facw)
06/14/2017 at 00:04, STARS: 1
A Dutch Mitsubishi! Though honestly, the interior and engine components are Volvo, as is the exterior design. Mitsubishi is mostly responsible for the suspension components IIRC.
"Sovande" (sovande)
06/14/2017 at 07:10, STARS: 1
Shared chassis maybe?
"facw" (facw)
06/14/2017 at 07:16, STARS: 1
I’d assume so, though I’m always amazed at how much worse Mitsubishi made theirs look. A baby Galant would have been more more attractive, and closer to what the Volvo design looked like.