2001 VOLVO S40 Complaints

CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE TWO REAR BRAKE PADS AFTER 10230. IN ADDITION, HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. POWER STEERING WHEEL SHAFT. PH

FOR MONTHS, THE SERVICE LIGHT COMES ON IN THE CAR. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR 6 TIMES. EACH TIME, THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON. VOLVO ENGINEER CAME IN FRIDAY TO SUPERVISE THE REPAIR OF CAR. SATURDAY EVENING THE LIGHT WENT ON. TWO WEEKS AGO, DEALER LOANED ME A 2003 V40 FOR SEVERAL DAYS WHILE THEY WORKED ON CAR. SURPRISE! SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON IN LOANER CAR. DURING LAST VISIT TO DEALER, TWO PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME WERE COMING IN FOR SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT! THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. I AM ON A LEASE, AND ASKING FACTORY TO TERMINATE LEASE.

THE VOLVO DEALER TOLD ME I NEED NEW REAR BRAKES WHEN I HAD JUST UNDER 14,000 ON MY CAR AND I WOULD BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE. THEY SAID THIS IS "NORMAL" FOR THE S40. ISN'T THIS VERY UNUSUAL? I FEEL IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND NEEDED TO BE REPORTED. THANK YOU. DT

THE REAR BRAKE PADS ARE WEARING PREMATURELY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 12500 MILES. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS TYPICAL OF THIS MODEL, AND THAT THEY ARE TO SMALL. IT COSTS $135 EACH TIME THESE HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE REAR BRAKE PADS COULD FAIL MUCH AT RELATIVLY LOW MILEAGE.*AK

I AM REPORTING THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS FULLY DEPLOYED WHEN THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE CAR AND RIGHT FRONT TIRE STRUCK PAVEMENT AT APPROX. 45 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR DID NOT STOP, AND THE DRIVER HAD TO MANUALLY BEAT THE AIRBAGS BACK WITH HIS HANDS TO SEE AND BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO VOLVO USA, THEY REMOVED THE SENSORS FOR INVESTIGATION, THEN REPORTED BACK TO ME IN WRITING THAT THEY OPERATED NORMALLY, AND THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT IMPACT TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE TO CAUSE DEPLOYMENT. I DISAGREE, AND FEEL THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. EITHER THE DESIGN OF THE S40 OR IT'S SENSORS ARE DEFECTIVE. EVERYONE THAT SAW THE CAR AFTER THE INCIDENT WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT ALL, SINCE THERE WAS NO COLLISION INVOLVED -- DAMAGE TO THE OUTSIDE BODY OF THE CAR WAS MINOR. ALL DAMAGE WAS TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND INTERIOR (DUE TO THE AIRBAGS). HAD THERE BEEN ANY CARS TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, VERY SERIOUS INJURY WOULD HAVE RESULTED SINCE THE DRIVER WAS BLINDED AND WOULD HAVE ONLY HAD THE PROTECTION OF ALREADY DEFLATING AIRBAGS HAD A HEAD ON COLLISION OCCURED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION REPORTED TO VOLVO, AND THEIR WRITTEN RESPONSE.*AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE SUNROOF CAME LOOSE AND FELL INTO THE PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, GLASS SHATTERED AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT, DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND WAS MAKING NECESSARY REPAIRS. *AK. CONSUMER STATES THAT VOLVO PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BACK FROM HIM. *YD

ABOUT 2 OR 3 WEEKS AGO I NOTICED SOMETHING THAT WAS HANGING FROM THE FRONT PART OF THE CAR. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME IT WAS AN ENGINE COVERED, SINCE I AM LEASING THE CAR I REQUESTED TO BE REPAIRED. THE DEALER INFORMED ME IT WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY ME. HE ALSO TOLD ME VOVOS ARE TOO LOW IN THE FRONT AND IF YOU PUSHED AGAINST A CAR BUMPER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IT WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE COVER TO FALL. AS FAR AS KNOW THIS IS NOT IN THE MANUAL AND WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THIS VOVOS PROBLEMS. THEY CHARGED ME $151.06 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE COVERED. *AK

FUEL GAUGE REPORTS INACCURATE FUEL LEVEL READINGS. RATE AT WHICH GAUGE DEPLETES IS TOO RAPID SUCH THAT WHEN GAUGE REGISTERS 1/2 TANK, 3/4 TANK OF FUEL EXISTS, WHEN GAUGE REGISTERS 1/4 TANK, 1/2 TANK EXISTS, AND SO ON. GAUGE REGISTERS 3-4 GALLONS LESS THAN WHAT IS IN THE FUEL TANK (CAPACITY: 16 GALLONS). PROBLEM REPORTED TO DEALERSIP TWICE. DEALER ADVISES THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS ISSUE-- STATES THAT VOLVO NORTH AMERICA DOES NOT HAVE A FIX CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT. PROBLEM BEGAN TO OCCUR APPROX 3 TO 4 MONTHS AFTER NEW VEHICLE PURCHASE.*AK

WITH THE LOW BEAMS ON, NIGHT TIME VISIBILITY IS POOR AND TREACHEROUS. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY VOLVO 960 WHICH THE SERVICEMAN STATES CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED ANY BETTER. I HIT A DEER LAST WEEK IN THE S40 AND I STRONGLY BELIEVE IT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE HEADLIGHTS WERE EFFECTIVE. I HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN SEVERAL CARS BEFORE INCLUDING A MAZDA MIATA AND A FORD EXPLORER RECENTLY AND BOTH VEHICLES HAVE EXCELLENT NIGHT TIME HEADLAMP VISIBILITY. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS IS A VOLVO DESIGN PROBLEM. THERE IS GREATER VSIBILITY TO THE SIDE THAN TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT.

HEADLIGHTS DO NOT THROW A BEAM BUT RATHER A SPRAY OF DISPERSED LIGHT THAT LIGHTS MORE OF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAN IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY ON NARROW DARK BACKROADS (WHICH I HAVE TO TRAVEL FREQUENTLY). DEALER SAID THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THEY CAN.*AK