Volvo V40 - Review and owner stories

[Sloth in a bowl]

As a long time driver of this variant of 21^st century autoshite I thought it polite to pass on my experience to others that may be curious about this particular brand of cheap and unfashionable motoring.

 

Driving

 

The V40 engines come in a range of gutless (1.6 and 1.8 ), sort of ok (2.0) and turbo nutter fragile (1.9T and 2.0T). I have a 2.0 and it is basically the proper Volvo 2.5l 5-cyl with a cylinder knocked off. It’s good for 136hp, over 120mph (in Germany honest gov) and spinning a wheel when pulling away from any junction as the traction is pants. It does about 35mpg over a tank and not quite 40mpg if you drive like grandma, for a typical range of 450 milesish.

Mashing the throttle gets you a surprisingly smooth though not peppy engine from 1500rpm, 4^th gear, 30mpg urban crawl to the 6500 red line thanks to it having VVT. The steering is light about town and ok but not involving on the fast stuff. The brakes work well enough, though the ABS cuts in a bit more than I think it needs to. If you want entertainment, get decent tyres on the front, cheap junk on the back and lift off oversteer is possible and easily controlled.

 

Practicality

 

The seats and sound are well set up for comfortable long distance cruising and a long day in the seat is not something to be feared. For the full effect, the Radio should be tuned into Radio 4 and there should be a selection of Inspector Frost books on tape in the glove compartment.

 

You can fit 5 adults in the car with no hassle and the rear seats get enough legroom for long distance journeys. The boot is a bit over 400 litres with the rear seats up which good enough for a lot of wine on the continental trips and with them down I can bung a couple of mountain bikes in there without having to remove the wheels from frames.  The roof has proper screw points for mounting roof racks for those of an extreme cargo carrying bent.

 

Reliability

 

I’ve owned mine from 60,000 to 140,000 miles over 8 years and with the exception of service parts (servicing every year/12,000 miles) have had the following issues.

·         Rear springs broken (too much wine? Maybe)

·         Bonnet release catch broken (a common issue as it collects crud from underneath)

·         Anti-roll bar link broke (more common on turbo than NA cars)

·         2 replaced brake callipers, one rear one front. The rear brakes were still on the original discs and pads with plenty of life at 132,000 miles when the calliper failed.

 

The cam belt has an 8 year / 96,000 mile life and replacement parts when required are not stupidly expensive, though not Ford cheap either. Generally everything is solid and I am still on the original battery and exhaust. The weakest points on the engine are the jubilee clips on the radiator hoses (they rust through) and the VVT belt, neither of which are expensive items to fix/replace. The UK Volvo forums have lots of knowledgeable people to point new owners to standard fixes.

 

Overall the car is turn the key and go reliable with as rust proof a body as you will find on anything on the road and not a squeak or rattle from any of the trim. Even the air con blows cold and it has not been re-gassed from new. Electrical issues are that the MW radio reception has recently gone pants and the back light on the aircon switch has failed, big deal.

 

Summing up

 

To the public, the V40 has suffered by being not a proper big Volvo, which puts it solidly in autoshite unfashionable bargain territory. In 10 years’ time when they are still cheap but all on moon mileage, you will be wondering why you didn’t give it a go. My biggest complaint with owning a V40 is that it has been so hassle free that I haven’t replaced it with anything interesting for the last 8 years (but that’s why I also have the Datsun).

 

Overall for typically £500 to £800 you can by a well-built family car that can see you to the far side of 200,000 miles in comfort without having huge running costs, what more do you need.

 

 

Now I given you a run down of my autoshite wagon, I would be interested in others views of their long term keepers or pointers to old threads that have such tails.

 

Thanks

 

Julian

[r.welfare]

Nice write up.

 

A penny wise, pound foolish friend of mine had one of these, 2 litre with the nice leather. Paid 950 quid and got 2 MOTs out of it only because she didn't maintain it properly. IIRC, the rear calipers give a load of gyp if you want the handbrake to work consistently. She ended up bridging it rather than spending the 300 quid needed to keep it on the road for another year, the daft bat.

[dollywobbler]

I give your report 8/10. Pics will take it up to a full 10/10. I rarely own a car long enough to write a long-term report...

[Shep Shepherd]

I expect that my next Volvo will be a V40 of some type, as I really enjoyed driving my friend's 2-litre turbo automatic example in the States last month

 

[r.welfare]

Oh, on the subject of reliability.

 

2000 Honda Accord 1.8 auto. Bought 2003, 18000 miles. Now on 185000.

 

Three sets of spark plugs, three transmission fluid changes, one set of discs all round, one set of rear pads, two sets of front pads, four sets of tyres, two cambelt changes, one pair of front shocks, a battery. two exhaust downpipes and twenty oil and filter changes. One K&N, reoiled twice.

 

One of the dash bulbs is bust, mind.

[Bucketeer]

A friend has had an 'S' reg S40 2.0T (lpt) for about 6 years and absolutely loves it.

Having driven it numerous times, I wholeheartedly agree on the over-ABS'd brakes. The heated leather chairs are very pleasant and although most of the trim feels like it's made of papier-mache, it's all still there and functioning properly. Also, not one sign of rust.

[Lord Sterling]

Hey, welcome! As said before, wed like to see some pics of your ride.

 

FATHA_Sterling now owns a Volvo V40. I think its a 1.8 or 1.9 Diesel of some sort (well, its a diesel anyway) its a left-hand drive being as he resides in Brussels. I've driven a few times myself and I must say, its not a bad car as it goes. It drives well, nice and tight, though slightly wollowy around corners. Being a European spec, its a bit strange, leccy windows a front, windy-one at back, but it does have a full leather interior. The radio is pretty good, its a 2004 car so has the later gadget ridden stereo with all the bells and whilstles.

 

FATHA_Sterlings car has rather strange looking alloys that look like they dont go with the car, but they are original OEM Volvo V40 alloys as I have seen them on many other V40s, its just thier look. The boot is practical, which is one of the main reasons FATHA bought it in the first place.

 

Anyway, here are some pics, y'all:

 

 

I, however, have dedicated myself to a life of driving Rover 800s, for we must all make some sort of sacrifices Do you really wanna see my thread? Its a bit long, but click the picture of my current form of "transport" below to see the so-called "fleet" (of non-working) 800s I currently own.

 

Oh yes, I note you are in Birmingham, where abouts? As I too am in Birmingham. at the moment.

[Sloth in a bowl]

Thanks for all the nice replies, good to see that people here seem to like a bit of car chat rather than blind opinion.

 

I will take some pictures of the V40 and post them soon (to get that 10/10)

 

Lord Stirling - I live in the north end of Edgbaston , near the reservoir. Which part of town are you in?

[Lord Sterling]

Julien. I live not far from you, near Weoley Castle. Keep an eye for my Grey Rover Sterling. Your V40 is Red isn't it? I'm pretty sure I've seen a Red V40 around and about.

[nacho man]

 

I owned one for a while a 2.0 na was quite high spec but I just never got on with it.

 

Nothing stood out for good or bad, would probably have another though.

[Sloth in a bowl]

Julien. I live not far from you, near Weoley Castle. Keep an eye for my Grey Rover Sterling. Your V40 is Red isn't it? I'm pretty sure I've seen a Red V40 around and about.

 

It is red (as in my deliberately dodgy signature picture) and has been to Weoley Castle on a regular basis (mainly Monday nights) for years as a group of us meet up for gaming off Woodcock Lane (phnar, phnar).

[The Moog]

I have had two of these for my sins. One 1.6 and one 2.0. Both capable but forgettable. Not very mpg friendly but okish with being special.

 

Only reason for getting another one was my missus loved them. Have no clue why:rolleyes:

 

First one bought for £400 and after 3 months someone went into side of me got £1000 insurance payout. Then bought Maxpowers one and that lasted about 6 months before someone clouted the back and that was written off again for about a grand.

 

She still talks about getting another one...

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Good idea this, a sort of shite 'road test/buyers guide' thing for cars you know well. More of this sort of shiz please, better than threads on old carrier bags etc.

 

These seem really nice cars to me, they're even quite a looker IMO. The only thing slightly off-putting about them is their Mitsubishi Carisma DNA and the fact that the diesel one I used to drive sometimes was absurdly slow and rough (my own car was a maestro diesel van at the time)

[Jim Bell]

I had a ph1 s40 T4.

Very nice drive, no traction under power.

 

Probably the best car I've ever had.

If best is judged by power, equipment, condition and reliability.

[rml2345]

Nice write up! My uncle had an S40 (1.8 pez auto) for ages and he preferred it to the second gen S40 he bought to replace it. The first one ate it's own ECU though. Apart from regular servicing  I don't think it gave much grief otherwise and was reasonably comfortable in the back. 

Can only offer write ups on the 2003 Toyota Yaris or another thread on living with a Volvo 740, which just about every shiter seems to have experienced at some stage. 

[cort16]

When I worked in the Mill back in 1997 the Financial director got a 2.0 estate as his new company car. They'd just came out and I was bursting to have a shot so came up with some shit excuse why I needed to go and get something and got to take it out for a spin. I loved the looks and really liked the dash (very modern for 1997). I also found the 2.0 pretty quick although I did have a Volvo3 60 at the time. The only thing I didn't like about it was I felt it had really light steering. Like way overly light.

[UmBongo]

Oh, on the subject of reliability.

 

2000 Honda Accord 1.8 auto. Bought 2003, 18000 miles. Now on 185000.

 

Three sets of spark plugs, three transmission fluid changes, one set of discs all round, one set of rear pads, two sets of front pads, four sets of tyres, two cambelt changes, one pair of front shocks, a battery. two exhaust downpipes and twenty oil and filter changes. One K&N, reoiled twice....and a partridge in a pear tree!

 

One of the dash bulbs is bust, mind....

[UmBongo]

Good idea this, a sort of shite 'road test/buyers guide' thing for cars you know well. More of this sort of shiz please, better than threads on old carrier bags etc.

 

These seem really nice cars to me, they're even quite a looker IMO. The only thing slightly off-putting about them is their Mitsubishi Carisma DNA and the fact that the diesel one I used to drive sometimes was absurdly slow and rough (my own car was a maestro diesel van at the time)

 

I have an old carrier bag full of car reviews if you're interested...

[RichL]

Good cars these. Just as well made, equipped and reliable as the bigger Volvo's. Avoid the GDI 'Gasoline Direct Injection' Mitsubishi engine. Utter shit, luckily not many left. VVT cam pulleys on the proper engines get noisey and ain't cheap but seem to carry on regardless. Rear calipers are a common fail. 2003 on cars look the best and most are top spec.

[worldofceri]

I've had an S40 T4 for nearly three years now.  Easily the quickest, comfiest, most reliable car I've ever had.  But that's not saying much.

 

Makes a pretty good Q-car.  The chassis and gearbox can't really make the most of the power, but it'll surprise a few folk by by keeping up with much newer, flashier stuff.

 

It's getting to the stage where a lot of little bits and pieces have broken and it looks shit on account of some bar steward driving into the side of it.  Latest thing is the dipstick broke.  Annoying, and the cheapest on Ebay is about fifteen quid!

 

2010:

 

 

2013:

 

[Waderider]

I bought a 1.6 V40 nearly five years ago. It's slow as feck, but I drive like a pensioner, so that's okay. As I type all that is wrong with it is a broken ashtray spring. It's a run out model, a 'Classic', so loaded with all the extras. It keeps needing refurbed rear calipers, but has never failed to get me from A to B. Best car I have owned, and I've owned some Joe Bloggs might appreciate more. It just does the transport thing...... may not be pure Volvo DNA, but for cost per mile it has been outstanding.

 

Have to say though, I've always regarded it as autoshit rather than autoshite, which is why I haven't started my own 'love' V40 thread. I am quite attached to it though.

 

[Sloth in a bowl]

Of course after praising the V40 for being reliable I had to fix 3 issues this morning.

 

First off was the headlamp bulb failure, that's easy as I had a spare bulb and takes 3 minutes.

 

As the bonnet was up I decided to check the oil level and found this...

I thought it had sounded a bit loud on start up recently, but it's still quiet compared to anything else I've owned

 

One trip to Halfords later (in the Z), it looked like this

Now I'll check the oil level every tank full and see how much I'm losing as up till now, I've never had low oil on this car.

 

Also the bonnet catch was not locking down so I unbolted the mech from the frame to find the cable was fine but the springs and metalwork were coated in grime.

 

5 minutes later after a clean with water, WD40 and brake cleaner we had...

Note that I put teflon grease on the cable (top left) and replaced the spring protector cover (top right)

 

Catch now fixed and back in place

 

I just had to put the Z back to bed

[inconsistant]

Great idea for a thread, and nice intro v40ish, welcome. Here's my tuppence worth…

 

Overview

We've got a late model v40 diesel 'Sport'. Sport being a trim level rather than a hint of its ability. The later models had leather and that sort of thing as standard across the whole range. There's a big jump in values from the last v40s to the earliest v50s. The last v40s are now almost 10 years old.

 

The mushroom dashboard and mushroom leather seems to divide option amongst those that can be bothered to care, but it's much, much more lovely than you might think, and I really like it. The alloy wheels look nice but they're a pain in the arse to clean, so I tend not to, which makes them look less nice.

 

I like the look of it more in estate form than saloon. The back end is gorgeous, the front more than anything dates the design to the 90s when all manufactures were adding prominent grills. Could easily be a Honda, Rover, Toyota etc of that era from the front. Door handles appear to be the only shared visible component with the Charisma.

 

Inside it's simple, relaxing, nothing is overcomplicated, no unnecessary gadgets or fluff, just a sense that there's everything you need, logically arranged. I reckon this is a car that quietly grows on you, rather than shouting 'buy me, I do fun things'.

 

 We've got the 1.9td. Think it's a Renault engine, which feels pretty lively for 115bhp. One-up driving nicely I get 50mpg, 3-up, full boot, roofbox and bikes on back, 42mpg. We've done Surrey to Inverness (600miles) comfortably on a tankful.

 

Driving

Biggest flaw for the enthusiastic driver is the steering - there's a poor turn in, which doesn't inspire much cornering confidence. I've driven much, much worse though. Tend to waft rather than cane the tits off of it.

 

Poor rear visibility when reversing, mainly due to massive head restraints all round.

Build quality is not what I was expecting. Feels a lot more flimsy and less well constructed than previous Aldi A6, but way better made than the 58 reg Focus estate it replaced. We had both cars for a couple of months and I always preferred to be in the v40.

 

Faults

Turbo hose split on motorway, needed towing to get fixed.

 

The bonnet catch stopped working due to build up of crap, so the bonnet won't close fully, it only shuts onto safety catch. Very common fault. Driven since April with flappy bonnet and a bungie cord around tow hook as there are no bonnet catches in the UK (or Sweden). Got a date of 1st Nov for next new consignment into UK. Pretty piss poor really for a known fault, on a car with a reputation for safety.

 

Rear right brake calliper was sticking, another very common fault, and handbrake action has never been very positive, so we tend to park it in gear.

 

Rear parcel shelf fixing stud snapped off, and although I glued it back it's come of again. Kind of sums up the poorer detailing and flappiness of some of the trim.  We have a rattling & creaky dashboard, which is another 'fault' with these. They come and go, and are more of a distraction than an annoyance.

 

 It's unexciting in a good way. We'll be keeping it for as long as we can.

 

 

And now, the gallery...

 

 

 

 

 

[trigger]

I really like those late spec V40's, I looked into them a while back but got put off by stories of them being a bit gutless.

[Lord Sterling]

Yo sis-tant. I ♡ your V40. I kind of wish FATHA_Sterlings car looked as attractive. I suppose though, a change of wheels and and some added roof bars would do wonders.

 

Whilst we're on the subject, I'm after a set of roof bars for my Dads Volvo V40 if anyone has a set for sale.

[Shep Shepherd]

I really like those late spec V40's, I looked into them a while back but got put off by stories of them being a bit gutless.

 

The 2-litre low-pressure turbo version really shifts

[trigger]

I should have added the diesel models being gutless, Now a T4 would be nice!

[inconsistant]

Thanks Lord S.

Trigger, I think the perceived wisdom is not to bother with unturboed diesels, I don't think there's much in it economy wise either between d & td.

The td is as torquey as I need it to be, and I think because it's an oldish engine no OMGDPF nonsense to worry about. 

 

It is known as a fairly noisy engine, especially on startup, and very noticeable compared with more modern diesels. 

 

Also headlamp wipers FTW!

[Sloth in a bowl]

 

The bonnet catch stopped working due to build up of crap, so the bonnet won't close fully, it only shuts onto safety catch. Very common fault. Driven since April with flappy bonnet and a bungie cord around tow hook as there are no bonnet catches in the UK (or Sweden). Got a date of 1st Nov for next new consignment into UK. Pretty piss poor really for a known fault, on a car with a reputation for safety.

 

Rear right brake calliper was sticking, another very common fault, and handbrake action has never been very positive, so we tend to park it in gear.

 

 

 

My bonnet catch fix is detailed above, get out your 10mm socket and have a look. It may only need a clean up and de-cruding.

Undo the 3 bolts then twist the catch mech top out bottom towards radiator and have a look. Don't pull too hard as the release cable comes in from the drivers side and the bonnet closed detection wires from the passengers. Give it a good clean (water, WD40 and a scouring pad) then put some bike chain lube into the mech and on the release cable, then bolt back in place and see it it holds. It took me under 15 mins to fix from start to finish.

 

If the brake calliper is giving grief then QuikShit* did mine for not much over £100 (I know, but I needed the car running the next day). Worth doing sooner rather than later as the fuel economy tanks with a dragging brake and it will trash the pad and disk.

 

*Other places that can get you a rebuilt calliper do exist

[RichL]

I wasn't aware of the bonnet catch problem - will pass this info on to my mate who has a 54 plate 1.8SE pez. His has had 2 calipers and a driveshaft oil seal in the last couple of years. Don't know much about the diesels. The later dervs were mostly the 115 bhp 1.9D D4192T3 in SE and Sport spec, and the rare base model 75 brake (I think) D4192T4.