2000 Volvo S40 consumer reviews

I have currently owned this car for over 6 months and have really enjoyed this 2000 Volvo S40. I purchased it with 98k miles for $2300 and put in some work with the help of my mechanic partner (oil change, replace a fuse in the dash, battery replaced, and timing belt change). It has been so reliable and safe during 2 minor fender benders, with nothing more than a tiny scratch both times! I am a professional nanny so I am always taking the kids around to where they need to be, it's not very spacious for twins in booster seats with and 8 year old in between - and for the purpose that I am needing more space I am going to need to upgrade to a mid size vehicle quickly! I love that this car makes me feel safe, has great handling, and is so dependable!

I bought this car about 2 years ago, and from the moment I bought it it's been a nightmare. There are fuel system problems that mechanics can't even figure out what's wrong. I've heard it could be the fuel pump relay, but no one seems to know where that is and from what I've found it doesn't seem to exist. When I stop the car I have to wait at least 30 minutes to start it again without a fight. This makes getting gas an absolute nightmare, and I've been cussed out by other drivers when getting gas at busy times. To start it again before it's had time to regroup, I have to hold the gas, putting it in WOT. Sometimes when I start the car from cold it surges, other times it sounds like it's struggling to even get going. The drive itself isn't terrible once the car gets going, but if your windows are tinted and you're at all short there are ridiculous blind spots. On the other hand, even if you're short this car is insanely small. I'm 4'11" and hit my head getting out of it all the time. Speaking of small, it can't hold anything. Even small Rubbermaid totes I have to wrestle into the backseat because of the shape of the door opening. The trunk wasn't much better -- that is, before it broke. Thankfully it broke stuck closed instead of open. I found out recently that my stuck-closed trunk also leaks like no other, so that's just fantastic. Overall, this car was terrible enough to put me off of Volvo for a very long time. Sure, it's got over 200,000 miles so it's lived a nice long life, but the quality of life isn't anywhere near good.

This is a great car for someone who either knows a mechanic or knows a good amount of knowledge about cars. I bought my S40 back in 08. It had 94,000 miles on it. It now has 162,000 miles on it. It is very reliable. Never stopped on me but repairs can be very exhausting. Engine mounts tend to go bad, transmission issues can arise, and emissions are a headache. Shocks and struts go bad pretty quickly as well. My favorite features was all of the bells and whistles in the interior. Power seats, power windows, heated seats, sunroof, arm rest, and leather. One thing I hated the most was the location of the cup holder, in the dash under the radio. The worst cup holder I ever seen.

I have a green 2000 Volvo S40. We purchased the car in November of 2009. First problem was the balljoints need to be replaced. second problem-the check engine light kept coming on. Now, I've read a few reviews that say that the check engine light coming on isn't uncommon in any volvo, and at first i thought, maybe it's something to do with the emissions, or a dirty gascap, something like that...but recently(2011), it's been coming on more frequently, and now every once and awhile, the car won't start. I 'googled' this problem and found that it might be the 'Neutral safety switch'. It will be paid off in August, and I was thinking about taking it in for the costly repair work, but my mother said, it turned out to be a lemon, and I should trade it in for a newer car with less miles on it. It has 113,000 miles. Really, if it would atleast start every single time, I wouldn't complain, but when you have a job, and you are dependent on a vehicle... If money is not a problem, than by all means, go for it,But make sure you have a few thousand for repair costs just in case. my first car was a 1997 Toyota tercel, which i'm giving to my younger brother. It has 158,000 miles on it, still runs great (though, its not built for speed or power), and has had NO problems. I That is the IDEAL first car. Its simple. no bells/whistle, and will last FOREVER! very dependable. Volvo has style, but not very reliable. I can admit, I was sold on style.

Purchased it in 2009 with onle 11.000 miles on it from an older lady, now the S40 has 21000 miles on it and drives great. Very economical and reliable, we did not have any problems with this car. Very safe car! The Volvo S40 is comortable enough for long road trips, the automatic transmission is a bit slow, but very smooth. We also have a Volvo V50 and a S60, we love our Volvos.

This is one car I will never recommend. This was my first and last Volvo. Bought it new. Every thing that can fail will do so in that car. You have to keep changing brake pads all the time. According to Volvo, this is normal. You also have to change the light bulbs every other week!!! I am not kidding. I just stopped changing them, so I can only drive that trash by day. At night I am blind. The sensors need also to be changed regularly, and each time you take that car for service, you end up creating another problem. The paint peels off, the visor does not stay put, the car makes noises like if a ghost lived in it. You get the drift... Stay away from Volvos. I talked to a friend of mine who has one too, and he cannot wait to get rid of it.

When we moved from Florida to Geaorgia we used a tank and a half of gas eventhough the car was loaded. We recommend this model. Go for it!

I live in New york My son goe to college in nashville Tn. I drove this car almost 1000 mile in a day . I stop only 3 times for gas when the tank was half full. I was able to pass any tuck if need .I can't beleive how well this car perform going from Ny to Tennasse.

I've only had my S40 for a few months but I love it. The only REALLY annoying thing is that my dad locked the radio on accident and you have to leave the car running for 2 hours before you can try to reset it...and that's nearly impossible. I feel very safe when I'm driving my Volvo and that's the most important thing to me. Sure the insurance is a bit much, but it's totally worth it! I know I'll be able to trust my car for years to come :)

This car looks small from the outside but has a very spacious interior. I'm 5'5" and my husband is 6'4" and we can both drive it comfortably. We bought it as a 3rd car, but it's quickly become the favorite. The trunk is HUGE! I love the fact that the seats fold down to allow for even more versatility. Handling and performance are wonderful, but my kids would argue that the sunroof and heated seats are the car's best features. Even though mine was just purchased, and it's got some years on it, this car is beautiful and still turns heads. I'm ready to replace one of the other cars with a newer model!