2011 Volvo S40 1.6d SE

Hi, im thinking of buying a volvo S40 1.6d, ive never owned one and i don't know anything about them..reliability issues, common faults etc. i have a 2006 Audi a4, which never gave any real problems but its showing its age. its a toss up between the volvo and a 2011 passat. but i prefer the look of the volvo. Any advice would be welcome thanks

bazz26

The S40 is smaller than the A4 and Passat as the S40 is based on the Ford Focus. The boot on the S40 is also narrow. Parts can be expensive too especially if you have to source them from Volvo. 1.6d engine is made by Peugeot/Citroen, 2.0d is way nicer though. On the plus side the S40 is well built and generously equipped. Make sure to go for one with leather seats though as they are way more comfortable than the cloth ones.

If going for the Passat then the 2.0 TDi is way better than the 1.6 litre which is underpowered. Fuel economy is similar on both.

Thanks for the advice but i suppose what i am getting at is are there 2 or 3 things i should look out for when buying. Are they notorious for anything?

bazz26

That model is around since 2004 so by 2011 I'd imagine most of the issues would have been ironed out.

Make sure you get two keys as only a Volvo dealer can replace it and it will cost upwards of €200 for one.

ABS module can give problems on them too. The stereo has been known to fail also.

declan123

Owned an 11 S40 R-Design D2 for 2 years

Good points:
- looks good
- fantastic handling
- Nice gear box
- solid and well built

Bad points:
- Boot isn't big and slightly small inside
- Interior is a bit dated, more or less the same since model was launched in 2004
- Slightly underpowered on motorways

road_high

Just google Volvo S40 1.6d engine problems and you will find loads. Perhaps by 2011 these were hopefully ironed out, but having owned one I'd be very apprehensive.

9935452

I had a volvo as a hire car at one stage an s80 i think.
2012 1.6diesel automatic.
It made up my mind re volvos.
I didnt like it. main thing was the diesel engine. No power , absolutely dead.
It was a big car to be fair.
Driving it on it averaged 25mpg.
The car was very comfortable though

Those 1.6 diesels had a bad reputation for reliability, turbo issues and so on

mullingar

9935452 wrote: »

Those 1.6 diesels had a bad reputation for reliability if not serviced correctly, turbo issues and so on

FYP


The 1.6 is a great engine, the only flaw with it is it simply does not tolerate poor/incorrect servicing. If its gets the right oil every 10k miles its very reliable.

kirving

9935452 wrote: »

I had a volvo as a hire car at one stage an s80 i think.
2012 1.6diesel automatic.
It made up my mind re volvos.
I didnt like it. main thing was the diesel engine. No power , absolutely dead.
It was a big car to be fair.
Driving it on it averaged 25mpg.
The car was very comfortable though

Those 1.6 diesels had a bad reputation for reliability, turbo issues and so on

C'mon, what did you expect from a 1.6 diesel auto? Not really a fair representation of the brand.

OP, I've owned an '08 1.8F for the past year or so. Been reliable so far, and very well equipped for the price. Get an SE Lux if at all possible, has Xenons, leather, heated seats, drivers electric memory seats, and lots of other nice touches.

Clutch release bearing feels strange, but that could be to do with how it's driven. Also a possible issue with a throttle position sensor, unconfirmed yet, but hasn't been an actual problem so far.

Very comfortable, but not as good to drive versus the Focus on which it's based.

9935452

Kevin Irving wrote: »

C'mon, what did you expect from a 1.6 diesel auto? Not really a fair representation of the brand.

OP, I've owned an '08 1.8F for the past year or so. Been reliable so far, and very well equipped for the price. Get an SE Lux if at all possible, has Xenons, leather, heated seats, drivers electric memory seats, and lots of other nice touches.

Clutch release bearing feels strange, but that could be to do with how it's driven. Also a possible issue with a throttle position sensor, unconfirmed yet, but hasn't been an actual problem so far.

Very comfortable, but not as good to drive versus the Focus on which it's based.

Well that was my exoerience of the brand. i mention a 1.6 diesel because the op has said he is looking at a 1.6diesel not a 1.8.
A mates girlfriend bought one second hand 06 i think s40 and had no end of trouble with it. i cant remember all the details but i believe he said turbo went and started leaking oil all over the engine which caused more damage,
I know the other poster said they are grand when serviced correctly but 3 mechanics i know say stay well clear of the 1.6 diesel engine in the volvos and fords. 1.8 ford engine is way superior

I also drove a 141 1.6 diesel ford focus 95hp. which was dead too .

TitianGerm

9935452 wrote: »

I had a volvo as a hire car at one stage an s80 i think.
2012 1.6diesel automatic.
It made up my mind re volvos.
I didnt like it. main thing was the diesel engine. No power , absolutely dead.
It was a big car to be fair.
Driving it on it averaged 25mpg.
The car was very comfortable though

Those 1.6 diesels had a bad reputation for reliability, turbo issues and so on

How would you expect a 1.6 diesel to be lively or economial in a car the size of an S80?

9935452

emmetkenny wrote: »

How would you expect a 1.6 diesel to be lively or economial in a car the size of an S80?

True . when i collected the car i expected a 2.0 diesel . I still cant believe that Volvo would put a 1.6diesel in a car of that size.
As i said above i have driven a 141 ford focus 1.6 95hp and found it dead.
And i was used to a 1.4 petrol golf,

TitianGerm

9935452 wrote: »

True . when i collected the car i expected a 2.0 diesel . I still cant believe that Volvo would put a 1.6diesel in a car of that size.
As i said above i have driven a 141 ford focus 1.6 95hp and found it dead.
And i was used to a 1.4 petrol golf,

My girlfriend has a 2012 focus with that engine and she loves the car. I've driven it a few times and I thought it was ok but I'd prefer the one with 112bhp(not sure if that's it but its somewhere around there) I will be changing car some time this year hopefully so will be following all these threads to see peoples opinions on all the cars

9935452

emmetkenny wrote: »

My girlfriend has a 2012 focus with that engine and she loves the car. I've driven it a few times and I thought it was ok but I'd prefer the one with 112bhp(not sure if that's it but its somewhere around there) I will be changing car some time this year hopefully so will be following all these threads to see peoples opinions on all the cars

Each to their own.
Is hers the eco version which cuts out in traffic with the 6 speed gearbox?
I found it tiring to drive that car in traffic. it was geared to have you in 6th by 65kmph. An aweful lot of clutching.
Accelerating in it i found i the turbo lag never really disappeared
i think the next one is 115bhp

TitianGerm

9935452 wrote: »

Each to their own.
Is hers the eco version which cuts out in traffic with the 6 speed gearbox?
I found it tiring to drive that car in traffic. it was geared to have you in 6th by 65kmph. An aweful lot of clutching.
Accelerating in it i found i the turbo lag never really disappeared

No hers is just the standard 1.6d. Its been perfect except water got into the engine. She filled up at a petrol station after the floods. Drove down home and the car cut out on the way. Turned out the garage had been flooded the day before and there was water in the tanks/hose at the pump. Luckily they covered the cost of all the repairs.

9935452

emmetkenny wrote: »

No hers is just the standard 1.6d. Its been perfect except water got into the engine. She filled up at a petrol station after the floods. Drove down home and the car cut out on the way. Turned out the garage had been flooded the day before and there was water in the tanks/hose at the pump. Luckily they covered the cost of all the repairs.

Unlucky it happened . lucky they covered it . Most stations would deny point blank they sold petrol/diesel that had problems

TitianGerm

9935452 wrote: »

Unlucky it happened . lucky they covered it . Most stations would deny point blank they sold petrol/diesel that had problems

They tried that but gave in in the end.