Faults:

ABS sensors, airbag warning light, driveshafts, boot motor, rocker gasket leak, power steering pump, plus all the usual wear and tear. I kept the car serviced on time.

Bodywork surprisingly unmarked for age and miles - no rust whatsoever or anything nasty.

General Comments:

A smart looking little saloon, this S40 felt very modern for a 2007 car. Stunning in black metallic.

Mine was the most basic "S" model, but was still well equipped, lots of electric features. The car had climate control, alloys, comfy supportive seats, the lot. Unheard of in a basic car back in the day. Storage space and dash was laid out very well. Annoying blind spot sometimes though when emerging from junctions, a little dangerous - surprising from Volvo.

Very good to drive, nice gear change and ride was smooth and refined. 1.6 petrol was nothing special though, not very powerful and only did 36 - 40 mpg at best.

Didn't feel as well built as Volvo of old, but it was durable enough, I sold it last year with over 150K on it and it was still going strong.

Overall a pretty good little car, some expensive repairs aside, I enjoyed most of my time with it.

Faults:

Power steering leak, driveshafts, wheel bearing, ABS sensors.

Boot jammed. Real pain to fix.

Airbag warning light illuminated, expensive to fix.

The rest was just wear and tear.

General Comments:

For a 2007 car, this Volvo S40 still felt as good as new. Very premium feel, I liked being in this car.

Even this basic S model had all electrics and heated seats. Nice looking alloy wheels as well. Very good looking car inside and out.

Nice to drive, could do with more power but the 1.6 petrol did a solid 40 mpg, can't argue with that for petrol.

Volvo dealers were pretty uninterested and expensive, I had to look out trusted independents, but the car was still expensive to run for services and repairs.

Scrapped recently (not worth much and too many things to fix at MOT time), but it was 16 years old and higher mileage. A classic Volvo, reliable and dependable. Some repairs were expensive during the time I had it, but it is worth it if you like the car. I'd imagine a higher spec model with a more powerful engine would be very nice, but it is hard to find any on the used market in good condition with any reasonable mileage, they stopped making this car in 2012.

Faults:

Couldn't get the boot open - faulty motor - renewed. Leaky rocker cover gasket, repaired for a small amount at a service. Not much else other than general wear and tear, exhaust, brakes, oil changes and so on.

General Comments:

Didn't know what to expect with this one when I bought it 2 years ago - with already 90K on it I knew Volvos were reliable and took a chance on this one, it had patchy service history. When I drove it I was well impressed however, it drove like new, still felt tight and the driving position is great and everything is ergonomically perfect as if I had designed the interior myself, and the interior is the best thing about this car - very comfortable and stylish, and you get a lot of equipment on even this most basic "S" model. Go for an "R-design" if you want leather and more stuff though, however I find electric windows all round and climate control enough, and just as equipped as my basic old 1999 C-class Mercedes that was traded in for this car. The Mercedes was a good car; just getting old and time to move on.

The Volvo looks good in black, is very stylish, and gets good comments from friends - most small saloons are usually ugly, but this one is the exception.

The car is a bit small to compete with the compact exec sector some say (Audi A4, BMW 3 series, Merc C-class, etc), however I find it every bit as capable a car in that regard; apparently it's based on the Ford Focus chassis though, which is fine as that is a sharp car to drive and so is this. The downside however is the 1.6 petrol engine is weak, performance is no more than adequate. Do yourself a favour and get the 1.8 petrol - avoid the diesels, they are plagued with problems as most modern diesels are.

To sum up, this is a great little Volvo that I can't believe is nearly 9 years old; it feels very modern. They are at rock bottom prices now so grab a used bargain; make sure it's got history though. I suppose the real test will come in the next year or two as the mileage rises, but if this car is anything like Volvos of the past, it should handle it no problem. Family had a few 740 and 940 saloons back in the 80s and 90s and they lasted for many years and miles no problem - hope this one proves to be the same; will try to remember to update my review, but at 9 years old and 120K - so far so good.

Faults:

Boot lid refused to open when nearly new. Even today it still gives problems after a main dealer fix.

The seals on the 4 injectors failed, alternator failed, alternator pulley failed, replaced air flow meter, replaced DPF (service item €550 at 120k), rebuilt turbo, replaced DPF sensors and hoses. The car is in and out of the garage for the last 2 years. As I type this, the car is in the garage. I would have the car sold, but it is never fixed long enough to sell it.

It is all engine problems. I think the problems are only with the 1.6 diesel.

General Comments:

The car is very well screwed together and finished to a high spec..

It is a joy to drive, and the suspension is flawless, even over bad roads and fully loaded.