2001 Volvo S40 from North America - Comments

Second week of ownership gages not working properly. Delivered with hood dings. Service failed to correct.

Third week, gages still not working properly. Service failed to correct.

Fifth week, gages still not working properly service failed to correct.

Third month cup holder sticks, dealer changes part instead of lubricating like I requested. Dealer neglects to change woodgrain. I asked them to correct the problem they said it could'nt be done. I fixed it myself by insisting on the original used part to be returned to me and reinstalling the part with a little lubrication. Works like a charm.

Service lights keep coming on dealer fixes, says it was a computer problem. Car leaves dealership and is stalling, returned to dealer next morning, say's a vacume line cracked all be itself, even though the car was running fine when it was dropped off the prior day.

Gauge finally fixed at six month range.

13 months, Paint problems, car needs a lot of wax to keep a shine.

15 months complained about paint, told its normal. No clear coat applied to solid color paints.

18 months, complained formally about paint. Told the paint warranty is only 12 months. Offered me a settlement of $1500.00 to repaint my car.

I assume they think this is a good deal. I spoke with a auto paint representative who confirmed my opinion that this is faulty paint. I am a bodyshop owner that used to own a major auto paint shop. I have painted close to 11,000 cars in my career as a paint shop owner. This paint is poor quality and is defective. I have owned 11 Volvo's and have another three in my imediate family. I will never buy another Volvo in my life. We were looking at the Volvo SUV and were actually planning to buy this car at the end of this year.

I have decided that any settlement less than a complete 100% coverage on this warranty item is not acceptable. I was very surprised that the dealership as well as the customer service reps. at Volvo North America decided that they would take the high ground on this issue and not admit that they have a problem with the paint. I am either returning this car as a lease termination early or I will file a DMV inquiry thru NYS DMV. We will let the state decide what is acceptable. The car is less than two years old and has paint which appears eight year old. I am a professional Auto Restorer that has been in the automotive business for thirty years,and would never expect this sort of treatment from Volvo.

Based on your experience and others I have read on line I have withdrawn my deposit on a new S80. Why would Volvo expect someone to take such a risk when there are many other good choices with excellent service?

Have you filed your complaints with the BBB as well as the NY state attorney general?

I have the same problem with my solid red Volvo. The paint is in bad shape and the car is only two years old. I will be trading soon and to say the least I will never own a Volvo again.

I was looking into buying a s40, but I have changed my mind, after reading these articles. What is Volvo thinking?!

This is a copy of a letter sent to volvo north america. the company responded that "volvo is unable to provide assistance." Nov. 14, 2003.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing as the result of a visit Nov. 11 to my dealer, Hassel Volvo in Huntington Station, Long Island. The clear coat paint has flaked off in several spots on the roof and hood of my 1991 S40. It was purchased from Hassel on April 27, 2001; the VIN is yv1vs29551f706089, and it has about 18,000 miles.

The Volvo representative denied my claim for repair, stating that the spots were caused by tree sap or bird droppings. This is false. Frankly, I was stunned by his opinion. This is not the sort of response I would expect from a manufacturer that aspires to an image of quality. The S40 is my daughter's first car, and she is understandably upset by the way it looks through no fault of ours.

I keep all of my cars clean, and foreign substances of any sort are not allowed to remain on any of them. I have lived at the same residence for 26 years and have owned several makes of cars during that time. Not one of those cars had this flaking problem or any other paint problems. Furthermore, the car is parked virtually all of the time close to my house, away from any tree branches. I took the vehicle to a body shop, which confirmed that the damage could not have come from bird droppings or tree sap. The estimated cost of repair is about $500.

Clearly, the problem is caused by a defect in the clear coat. The underlying paint is not damaged. I understand that the paint warranty has expired. However, a good-will offer to repair the damage is in order. The car is far too new to evidence this kind of problem absent any environmental cause.

Volvo quality died when Ford took over. I love Volvos when they truly were VOLVOS, but I will never buy any front wheel drive Volvo due to the seriously bad overall quality, thanks to Ford's ownership of the company.

It's my understanding the S40 was/is produced in the Netherlands (by DAF, perhaps) and is definitely not a Swedish Volvo. That Ford bought Volvo may have nothing to do with S40 quality issues.

Thanks for the spellcheck, but I didn't mean "DAFFY" rather than "DAF". Really.

The original S40 was a shared platform with the Mitsubishi Charisma (sp?). The new S40 (model 2005), is a shared platform with the Mazda 3 (or 6 - I forgot) and the European Ford Focus.

The new S40 is a great car to drive (tested one two weeks ago) and miles apart from the previous one. Reliability is unknown at this point. Of bigger concern, is how will you be treated at the dealer. Overall, service is uneven and VCNA tends to back the dealer, not the purchaser of the car.

The new S40 and V50 are based on a common platform used by FMC/Mazda/Volvo (Focus/3/S40). The Volvo are built in Volvo's own plant in Belgium. Not as the old 40's which were built at NEDCAR in Holland (mitsubishi/Volvo venture at old DAF facility) A lot of base components and technologies are shared across the three companies. There a lot of new toys in the new Volvo and some technical immaturity. Time will tell, but if you were to a new volvo the overall quality should be better as Focus and Mazda reviews testify. But the dealers are the same... time for them to learn the customer is always right.

I was looking into a New Volvo S40 after seeing their ads in the papers. But thanks to these comments, I will look at some other alternatives.

We also have a red 2000 Volvo S40 with paint problems. The paint is cloudy in most places and especially bad on the hood and truck lid. I had it inspected by a local body shop and was told that there was absolutely no clear coat on the car. I was told that I could polish and wax it, but eventually it would rub down to the bare metal. We are in the process of shopping for a new car and Volvo is not on our shopping list.

I have an S70 which has a clear coat; however, it is bubbling off the rear spoiler.

I own a car without clear coat and have never had a problem. The fact that a car lacks clear coat does not mean that it is destined to look terrible.

I trust that this is a quality problem with the supplier and/or process.

Thanks for all for the comments... I have completely decided to not purchase a Volvo and you have most likely saved me from a lot of future problems. Thanks again.

My 4th Volvo, a red 2000 S40 also has severe paint oxidation problems on the hood. Drying the car after washing results in a red towel. This despite careful maintenance and garage storage when not in use. Additionally: electrical problems, AC problems, lousy dealer service(Kline Volvo), etc,... this will definitely be my last Volvo.

I own a silver 2001 S40. It is the sharpest car I have ever owned. The little 1.9L turbo engine runs smooth and strong. It rides and handles great. The paint is flawless. I bought the car with 39k miles and have put another 30k on it. I have encountered only one problem. The turbo oil return pipe developed a very slow leak and I fixed it with a kit from IPD. (new o-ring and gasket - inexpensive). I have 2 criticisms for the car - too much brake dust and somewhat obstructed visibility from the headrests. The brake dust problem will be fixed when the front pads are replaced with better pads. The visibility problem means I have to be more careful when changing lanes (can't be fixed - design flaw). I am totally delighted with this car. It is my 3rd Volvo.