2004 Volvo V40 Consumer Reviews

Low Reliability, High Maintenance!

Written by: rgmurphy on 09/23/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

Second set of brakes being replaced after only 89000 KMS (55000 miles). Rear brake pads and discs failed after 24000 miles, replacement of pads and discs= brake job. Now front brakes, pads and discs have failed with rear breaks @ 40%. Typical service is no maintenance but diagonistics with simple oil change costing minimum of $200 and full service around $400. Break jobs are $1000 (CDN) Brakes are not warranteed items and no wonder why. New brake pads and disc on back order in Ottawa and require special delivery and no wonder why. Volvo for life sentence or 15000 miles which ever is less. Never again Volvo. Switching to Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Nissan.

Favorite Features

Nice to drive but..... very high maintenance costs, poor warrantee, difficult to get service dates (1 month in Ottawa).

Suggested Improvements

New V50 fixes issues with offer of standard transmission. Problem is related to substandard brakes for North American driving conditions and Automatic transmission.

3 out 5 people found this review helpful

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My Volvo V40 Experience

Written by: silver bullet on 06/12/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 LSE 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

This is absolutely the smoothest driving automobile ever. I've driven them all. It is my wife's car. She loves the size since it is easy to park. The miliage is very good. Interior comfort is excellent.

Favorite Features

Smooth driving. Responsive braking. Steady on the road. Firm ride but not hard. Sound system. Heating/air conditioning system.

Suggested Improvements

Radio controls more standard and comparable with other cars.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Great Car

Written by: Rabbit Volvo on 06/11/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

I bought this car to replace a perfectly good honda civic as a reward for quitting smoking. I picked this car out of the beetle, element, and audi wagon because it has versitility, styling, and is great to drive. I can have kids, get a dog, and still keep this car, yet I am single and my friends want to ride with me when we go backpacking. The price was only a bit more than the rather poorly finished element with the $4000 off invoice.

Favorite Features

It gets 23 MPG around town and 33 MPG on the highway and still has lots of go. Better than my civic, though it does require premium gas.

Suggested Improvements

Bigger side pockets on doors. I need a place to put my purse. Have ignition key up higher as dangling keys hit my knees now.

6 out 7 people found this review helpful

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Superb Compact Wagon

Written by: rachmaninov1 on 06/09/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 LSE 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

The car is great for families with small children who want an entry-level luxury car. Seats: In both short trips and hundred mile journeys, the driver and passenger front seats are extremely comfortable. However, a rear seat with integrated booster can feel awkard at first. Leather is beautiful, rugged, and cleans easily. Handling: Extremely responsive, though steering is tighter than I had expected. Acceleration: 170hp w/ Turbo provides a smooth, powerful push. Braking: Very strong; have not had problems with pads. Stereo: Takes a while to get used to knob-only control. Rich sound. No satellite option.

Favorite Features

Layout: Incredible comfort and room in the front seats for a compact car. Style: Classic, simple, and tasteful interior and gauges--unlike Passat and some others.

Suggested Improvements

1) Tougher paint: A paint bubble formed on hood. 2) Rear Leg Room: With the front seats all-the-way back, only a few inches separate the back of the front seat from the front end of the rear seat, although the long rear bench gives occupant more room than it appears.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Great car

Written by: VVolvo on 05/30/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

This is one fun car to drive. It is small but capable of handling large loads. The steering is tight and responsive. Sleek and solid.

Favorite Features

Size and responsiveness.

Suggested Improvements

Better storage inside.

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Buy a BMW or Audi instead

Written by: George M on 05/17/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 LSE 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

We purchased this car recently...back brake pads needed to be replaced, it is a common problem according to the service people at the dealer but they refused to cover under warranty. The paint on the car is very soft and scratches very easily. Overall is an okay car, not worth the money. It is our fist and last Volvo, customer service is a joke! Don't buy this car, the BMW is going to be our next mini wagon, a much more solid car that only costs a few thousand dollars more.

Favorite Features

it is small enough and has good gas mileage.

Suggested Improvements

paint, brakes, interior isn't very comfortable on long trips.

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My first Wagon

Written by: arness on 05/12/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

I recently purchased a new V40 and so far, I was quite impressed with the features that it came with for the money. The seats are comfortable as well as the ride without eliminating the road feel (I have 16” wheels with 50 series tires). The V40 is a perfect family car and perfectly fits my needs of hauling family and groceries without the gas mileage of an SUV and most of all; it is a very SAFE car. I like the quality of fit and finish of my Audi A4 better but I would say I get more value on the V40 for the money I paid for it. It is definitely a better choice than any other common SUV since it is not only practical but it looks good on my driveway.

Favorite Features

Cargo Room, Safety, Road Feel and Gas Mileage and good looks specially with the fron chin spoiler with black inlays.

Suggested Improvements

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Outstanding Quality

Written by: johnnie on 05/08/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

This vehicle is extremely comfortable and has an incredible ride. I highly recommend it for singles, married couples, and couples with young children, as the rear seating area (leg room)is a little snug.

Favorite Features

My favorite feature is the drive performance. It is wonderful!

Suggested Improvements

If I had to improve anything, it would be the amount of leg room in the rear. Otherwise, it's perfect.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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New to Volvo

Written by: jsb1970 on 04/27/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

This is my first Volvo and I love it. The design inside and out is fabulous. The turbo engine is very smooth and the power and torque are very good. I was pleasantly surprised by the kick that this engine has (way more than the Toyota Camry I traded in)! The seats are great and were designed by an orthopedist (find your "sweet spot" and you'll never want to get out of the car).

Favorite Features

Free service: all scheduled maintenence (oil changes, service, etc) are covered by Volvo for the first 3 years. The performance: great combo of power and gas mileage. The seats: Ergonomically superior. The price!

Suggested Improvements

The only thing I can think of would be slightly more backseat legroom (although my children are comfortable it is tight for adults).

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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V40

Written by: fjpost on 04/08/2004

Vehicle

2004 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

It's really a great car, though it is a bit tight. The new model promises to be bigger. It's a wonderful drive and basically, bought off lease, the same price as a Honda Accord or new Civic. It has more style and zoom however, and a really excellent warrantly (100,000).

Favorite Features

Good handling. Love the turbo as I live in the city. Also, it has wonderful features for bad weather that make it a real value. Excellent workmanship. Peppy engine...and mine has the smaller one.

Suggested Improvements

Fuel economy is awful and you have to use premium gas. In this day and age, that is just silly. Please keep the middle class in mind. We want value without having to resort to a Toyota or Honda.

0 out 1 people found this review helpful

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