Finally back on the road! time to buy - Volvo C30?

[Bendolfc]

There a few weak spots, wheel bearings can be an issue but if replaced with a genuine part won't be a problem. The alternators may fail but generally pretty reliable. I've just changed the battery on mine, was the original from new, not too bad at 12 years and 186K. Original clutch still fine on mine too.

[GrahamBrown1]

Originally Posted by Volvo2002

Definitely.

What I'd like to know is how reliable are these MK2s in comparison to the MK1? I used to have a 2002 S40 which was pretty solid! Reliability is important for me.

Love the floating console in these cars as well

The Mk1 S/V40 take some beating on reliability. Much more reliable than any of the mark2 ford era stuff. The smaller petrol engines ain’t to bad but again not a patch on the Volvo engine in the Mk1. Obviously the T5 and 2.4i are Volvo engines also in the MK2

[domhart10]

Originally Posted by Volvo2002

Definitely.

What I'd like to know is how reliable are these MK2s in comparison to the MK1? I used to have a 2002 S40 which was pretty solid! Reliability is important for me.

Love the floating console in these cars as well

I am on my second mk2 s40 here, prevoius one was a 2.0d and was a bag of problems and went it was fine I just loved the car. Love the car so much when I saw a T5 appear in the colour / condition / mileage an service / manual that I wanted, I snapped it up in a heart beat without even looking at the car and just put a deposit down.

With my current one it has to be the most reliable car I have had not requiring much work to look after, which I guess has allow me to mod him. very solid car and doing absolutely tonnes of driving with him.

I bought mine at 45k and its now 115k in 3 years and it is still going strong, just requiring a timing belt change but it does go for services regularly.

Just to add I have had a small list of things from the dealer on my car post, but even so these arent really a big deal at all at the moment.

[ITSv40]

The Mk2 is much more complicated electronically than the Mk1 - hence much more to go wrong.

I had a Phase1 V40 and it was still going strong at 370,000mls - let me down once with a collapsed aux belt tensioner, other than that bombproof. My current V40 is utterly reliable. My son had a V50 T5 and when he bought it at 90,000mls had a whole series of minor electrical niggles, the worst was when it had to be trailered to an independent specialist and they scratched their heads for a week before getting the engine running as it should. It then settled down and periodically would throw a wobbly with some electrical gremlin. It finally split the head at 140,000mls - the consensus being the hairline crack was a casting flaw. Son has replaced that with another V50 T5 and that one is behaving as it should with no problems so far. Although the S40/V50 s are nice cars to drive, I have never felt the need to 'upgrade' my V40 to a newer model.