2003 Volvo S40 Leather, Winter Package review from North America

Check engine light for thermostat error appears every two weeks. I had the dealer replace my thermostat twice, my ECU (computer) once, upgrade to my ecu twice, and a thermostat sensor once. After a year of headaches (the light does not affect performance) I just bought an reader and read and erase the Check Engine Light when it appears.

Took the car for an oil change at the dealer, the dealer "forgot" to drain the old oil and simply added new one, which resulted in my engine being overfilled with oil. After a few hours of driving like that and the car heavily smoking, I brought it back to the dealer, who initially was reluctant do to so, but after I showed him how dark the oil was after a few hours of driving, he agreed to do it again and gave me a free oil change. The customer service will be notified.

The paint begins to have "cancer" spots - those little cracks that are grouped. I have four of them - the dealer will not do anything about it.

I hit a curb and bent my control arm. I replaced it myself, and after a proper realignment the car was as good as new.

New brakes squeal, even though grease was used.

My wheel stud broke off.

I bent my three different alloys 3 times (very soft material)

Cylinder misfire due to Iridium plugs (could be my fault)

Overall the car is very comfortable with a lot of potential. The leather seats are nice, the position behind the wheel is superb. The only thing that bothers me are those little things that keep happening. Whether it's the constant Check Engine Light or broken pieces or bad paint - it all adds up.

The car is very fast, although the turbo lag is noticeable. An Electronic Control Unit tune is recommended to eliminate that and to provide better shifts. I also installed a performance intake which made the car feel more responsive. I will also be upgrading the turbo, which seems to be too weak for this model sometimes.