posted by
someone claiming to be Nathan
on
Tue Apr 10 05:04 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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I'm gettin a noise coming from the steering wheel. When I turn the wheel I often get a whiring/whining sound coming from the joint. Any clues? Past problem? Thanks.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Mehul Gala
on
Fri Apr 13 10:47 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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I am having the same problem. Anthony led us away from finding a solution a couple months ago as he did again! Does anyone know why this noise is occuring? I have nearly 23k miles.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Anthony
on
Tue Apr 10 07:25 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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I've had that problem for the last year. High pressure in the steering pump lines. Two dealers have tried to fix it with no success. Good luck with it. Yea it's not a safty issue but it's a quality issue to me. This car has been nothing but headaches! It had great potential with it's looks, but that's about it. Poor paint, wimpy tires and rims, low hp in stock form, No stick option, does not take road bumps well, too many noises, many minor problems, Windshield and front head light are too soft and have already shown rock pits, paint scratches and chips too easy. Performance at best will be around mid 6 range 0-60. No option for limited slip diff! I hate one tire peel outs! The Turbo is too small, the octane required for this car is stupid for only 160hp stock. Yes you could chip the car like I did, with exhaust, better intake, filters, free cats, but is 215-220hp worth it? 160hp@5100rpm then with chip peak hp drops to a low 4800rpms? Can we say diesel rev band=slow This car is not a truck, it doesn't need to pull anything. I want high power in the rev band. That's where the small turbo sucks! Buying bigger rims will only put me more into the money pit. If they had this baby built like the older Volvo and add a 4HPT or maybe a T5 somehow with rwheel drive or AWD starting at 240hp up to 300hp with 17inch rims hooked up with a 6speed! That I would buy another Volvo. Oyea the engine really didn't like all that extra horsepower, for the first two weeks this baby was screaming! Felt like 250hp 300tq! Now it feels more like 190-200hp 210tq. Did I mention it needs new rear break pads after 19k? Ever seen the movie money pit? That's what the X40 will do to you! I'm selling this car this Friday! I'll save my $450 dollars + my insurance which isn't bad at all for Volvo cars! I can't imagine how much it would be a month with leather and all the other nick nacks on it. Great car for the first two months.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Arno Griffioen
on
Tue Apr 10 19:25 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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I'm not trying to be offensive, but I would like to make some remarks on this..
> quality issue to me. This car has been nothing but headaches! It had
> great potential with it's looks, but that's about it. Poor paint,
Why poor paint? I've had no problems whatsoever on all S/V40's I have owned. Not any more (or less) chips than on other cars I've driven.
> wimpy tires and rims, low hp in stock form, No stick option,
Umm.. You already knew that from the folder when getting one, right??
And 'low hp'?? 160HP is plenty for such a car IMHO, but my vision may be colored because a 120 hp 1.8 non-turbo is 'normal' and 'enough' here in Europe.
The higher-power versions of cars (any brand) are usually pretty rare here. I only see one other T4 or 2.0T every several weeks or so. The rest are nearly all 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9TD's (the 2.0 non-turbo is not very popular either).
> take road bumps well, too many noises, many minor problems,
Agreed. Suspension is less-than-perfect, but get in any Volvo (perhaps S60 excluded) and you hear the same complaint. Goes with the brand so to speak.
Noises and minor problems: sorry, none for me. Only had the car into the dealer outside scheduled maintenance 2 times in nearly 3 years.
> Windshield and front head light are too soft and have already shown
> rock pits, paint scratches and chips too easy.
Compared to any other other cars here in europe it doesn't do any better or worse in that area. If I compare my car to the VW's, Audi's, BMW's, etc. of the same age here on the company parking lot it's all the same. The VW windshields seem a bit more prone to cracking though as most Golfs and Passats here are on their 2nd or 3rd windshield because of cracks.
> Performance at best will be around mid 6 range 0-60.
Yup. Of course. Even a T4 won't be getting much quicker. Still FWD and not a very light car.
> No option for limited slip diff! I hate one tire peel outs!
Also known beforehand IMHO, so you can hardly blame the car for a choice you made.
> The Turbo is too small, the octane required for this car is stupid for only 160hp stock.
The turbo size is just fine. It's an LPT engine for pete's sake! Anyway, the turbo on the T4 is just as big (also a TD04 turbo), but just has a different trim. That's all.
Octane-rating? What's so strange? The VW 1.8T (comparable engine) needs the same octane rating here in europe, so I assume it's the same in the US too.
> is 215-220hp worth it? 160hp@5100rpm then with chip peak hp drops to
> a low 4800rpms? Can we say diesel rev band=slow
Lower peak hp rpm == more torqe == torque is good!
More get-up-and-go in daily driving and in the middle rev range. All tuners try to get the peak hp lower in the rev range. Only non-turbo tuning (cams, head-work) usually moves the peak HP up the rev range, but this makes it tricky to drive in normal conditions..
> If they had this baby built like
> the older Volvo and add a 4HPT or maybe a T5 somehow with rwheel
> drive or AWD starting at 240hp up to 300hp with 17inch rims hooked up
> with a 6speed!
It's called the S60R and will be here next year or so. It'll cost about twice the price of your S40 though.
But look at the bottom of the message for a possible option..
> baby was screaming! Felt like 250hp 300tq! Now it feels more like
> 190-200hp 210tq.
You get used to it.. My T4 doesn't feel very 'special' or 'fast' anymore, but when I have driven a T4 loaner when mine is being serviced I always have to look under the hood to make sure I really got a T4 (feels slow) and when I get back into my car and immediatey feel the higher power and speed again! Only lasts for about 2 weeks or so though before it feels 'normal' to me again..
> Did I mention it needs new rear break pads after 19k?
Yup, some S/V40's like to eat 'em. But is this really a big deal? brake-pads are cheap and it's only a 15-30 minute job at the dealer. And hopefully if JonhO is right it should be fixed with some adjustment of the handbrake.
Sorry Antony, but all you can convince me of here is that you chose the wrong sort of car (FWD, medium power, automatic) for what you are looking for (RWD/AWD, stick, high-power) and are now trying to make a 'reasonable' story why you want to dump it. Please don't make stories, just sell it if you don't like it. Nobody will blame you.
For the sort of performance and upgrade-ability you are looking for I would suggest taking a long hard look at the Subaru Impreza WRX that's finally coming to the US. That should take care of all your problems: manual trans, 200+HP, 4WD, tuning parts everywhere in Japan, spartan but reasonable build quality, etc.
The Scooby (as they are usually called here) should be tune-able to 300+HP, but that does need some work. Also will start eating parts of the 4WD system by then, but stronger aftermarket parts are available.
Hope you find what you are looking for.
Bye, Arno.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Mike R
on
Wed Apr 11 15:02 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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Arno
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you and well stated !!!
Why is it that when someone makes a mistake in their choice, do they inevitably blame the manufacturer? Admittedly some problems do come from the manufacturer by using cheap parts on a fairly expensive car.
I too own a 2000 S40 and totally enjoy it. BUT I thoroughly researched the car on the net and asked a miriad of questions PRIOR to the purchase. I was not surprised at all with the performance, handling etc. I got what I expected. No surprises.
Mike R
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posted by
someone claiming to be Anthony
on
Thu Apr 12 08:20 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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I never said I didn't do my research on this car. I spent countless hours at work :) looking at all the cars in that price range. Safety, performance, looks, past brand name quality, insurance, features, etc. I still think it's it great deal compared to what's out there for the money. Can't say there much to choose from! I just never expected to be spending every month at the dealer trying to work out bugs that Volvo should of work out a few years ago in Europe. The US X40 is setup to be a family carrying grocery getting car, nothing more nothing less. No T4's, No options, just silly packages like sport package? They should of called it appearance package! Leather steering wheel, Rear Spoiler, Fog Lights. What's that? Make my car heavier & slower package. Sport package should be, HPT Turbo, bigger rims & tires, better sway bars. Something along that line.
Maybe it's just me but that dang low torque fooled me when I was test drove the X40 in Nov. 1999. I don't rag on other people could be cars, nor mine when I got it. So 3k later, doing higher rpm revs was nothing to get exited over. All the power was already seen down low the day I test drove one. Sure it got somewhat better around 12k. Having a mild sedan I expected low maintenance I told myself, dang I spent 14 months fixing problems left and right. If they can't fix the rattles, squealing, ect, why don't I get a little more out of this car to make up for the annoying sounds. You could call it a compromise since I couldn't have a quiet nice car, why not get some excitement from it like a sport car. Most normal sport cars have harsh ride, lots of noises just like my car :0 So thinking the engine was the only thing without problems, why not juice it up some! Already having an IPD exhaust, Free Cat, K&N filter why not get a chip! After running this chip for a few weeks, they engine isn't so perky either. I notice
too much black residue on the muffler. Guess it could either be burning old more or just too rich in gas? A good 40hp to 25hp loss in power from peak. When chipped I would say it has 185hp w/o exhaust 195hp with it. Also non chipped I would say 145hp with or without exhaust. But day one of the chip I would say, 220hp 260tq easy! Felt like driving my father in-laws P Boxter S 6-speed :) OOyea now that's a car!
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posted by
someone claiming to be DavoS40
on
Thu Apr 12 10:32 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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If you realy wanted to get horspower. You should go to eastern aerospace they got parts to easly get more than 100hp. Without any cheep chips! I love my s40 not one single problem.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Rodrigo Martinez
on
Thu Apr 12 10:25 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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Anthony wrote:
>The US X40 is setup to be a family carrying grocery getting car, >nothing more nothing less. No T4's, No options, just silly packages >like sport package? They should of called it appearance package! >Leather steering wheel, Rear Spoiler, Fog Lights. What's that? Make >my car heavier & slower package. Sport package should be, HPT >Turbo, bigger rims & tires, better sway bars. Something along that >line.
That's just American Culture. Not Volvo's fault. As mentioned earlier. When I was living in the US in 2000 I had a hard time finding a Subaru Impressa Turbo (stick) and a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII (stick). Sticks in general. :-(
> But day one of the chip I would say, 220hp 260tq easy! Felt
> like driving my father in-laws P Boxter S 6-speed :) OOyea now
> that's a car!
Of course! A German Car!!! But beware if it were a regular Boxter (non-S). A Volvo T4 leaves it eating dust! True, I benchmarked it on 1/4 mile. The T4 scored 13,7 seconds and the Boxter 13,9. BTW the E34 ///M5 (340hp) does it in 13,5 seconds. You should have seen my buddies face when he saw a 4 door 1,9l SEDAN beating his "sports" convertible...After that we called his Porsche: "toy Porsche". :-))
Regards,
///Martinez
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posted by
someone claiming to be Rodrigo Martinez
on
Wed Apr 11 06:31 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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Arno Griffioen wrote:
> And 'low hp'?? 160HP is plenty for such a car IMHO, but my vision may
> be colored because a 120 hp 1.8 non-turbo is 'normal' and 'enough'
> here in Europe.
I would say that power is diferent for each individual. In my case it's never enough. :-)
> The higher-power versions of cars (any brand) are usually pretty rare
> here. I only see one other T4 or 2.0T every several weeks or so. The
> rest are nearly all 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9TD's (the 2.0 non-turbo is not
> very popular either).
That's not Volvo's fault. I'ts just American culture. When I was living there I needed a car and wanted a Subaru Impresa Turbo our a Mitsubishi Lancer Evulotion (both stick). Guess what: "we don't sell this car...".
> Noises and minor problems: sorry, none for me. Only had the car into
> the dealer outside scheduled maintenance 2 times in nearly 3 years.
Lucky you! Maybe you're car is 1999. Mine was full of noises. Put most were solved, and many are mentioned here @brickboard. Still I wasn't expecting this from a Volvo. Perhaps my level of expectation was too high...
> Also known beforehand IMHO, so you can hardly blame the car for a
> choice you made.
I agree and happilly not living in the US anymore where the choices are limited (mostly non-stick, fewer models, etc.).
> For the sort of performance and upgrade-ability you are looking for I
> would suggest taking a long hard look at the Subaru Impreza WRX
> that's finally coming to the US. That should take care of all your
> problems: manual trans, 200+HP, 4WD, tuning parts everywhere in
> Japan, spartan but reasonable build quality, etc.
> The Scooby (as they are usually called here) should be tune-able to
> 300+HP, but that does need some work. Also will start eating parts of
> the 4WD system by then, but stronger aftermarket parts are available.
This is a great car for rally driving!
Regards,
///Martinez
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posted by
someone claiming to be Arno Griffioen
on
Wed Apr 11 07:18 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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> I would say that power is diferent for each individual. In my case
> it's never enough. :-)
True, but it also depends on the size and weight of the car. The T4 is already pushing the limit of usability (and traction!) on a car the size of the S40. I'm still very, very happy that I installed a limited-slip diff in this car as it has made it much nicer to drive.
I don't find it very strange that VW doesn't use more than 180Hp on FWD cars and switches to one of their 4WD systems when it goes over 200HP.
> Lucky you! Maybe you're car is 1999.
My T4 is a 1998 (first series with all the ECU fixes) and my 2.0T is a 2000. Both are pretty much rattle-free and the T4 even has the Volvo sport suspension and 17" wheels. Even on cobblestone roads it's quiet (apart from the junk I have lying around in the car :-). Never did any rattle-fixes.
The 2.0T sometimes has an odd 'bump' sound coming from the rear, but I'm suspecting the exhaust rubbers there. Have to check. Perhaps one broke/stretched. But it doesn't really bother me either..
That's about it..
> This is a great car for rally driving!
Yup. The scoobies are real fun! Disadvantage is that the 4WD system tends to start making all sorts of odd noises after about a year or so. Mostly whistling/whining sounds.. But as the rest of the car and engine is so noisy you don't notice it very much :-)
Bye, Arno.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Anthony
on
Wed Apr 11 04:14 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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Poor Paint: All I know is Volvo didn't paint my car very well, very thin layers of coat on some places, you can tell by the grainy light color compare to the dark and glossy finish on some other areas. I can wipe the car with a smooth wet rag and some time it might leave scratch marks. My 1995 Kia has way better paint, an that a real cheap car.
Rims: The fact is they didn't offer anything else. I would of thought Volvo knew what they where doing in using 15inch rims, but after having my car broken in, I started to drive harder then notice 15inch wasn't that great for the car, plus the body roll was much more than anything else I have driven.
HP: Most decent cars today have around 190-200hp for a 3000lb sedan like the S40. The little Honda Civic SI make 160hp without a turbo. All I'm saying it give US a 200hp X40 if they are going to use a Auto. Give a stick for the 160hp then. Every 1.8L car I see around the US makes around 140hp+ not much off the 160hp mark of the X40 an lighter to boot.
Octane: All that I'm saying about the Octane rating is, couldn't they of dropped the CR and added more boost for more power for the octane already required? Couldn't they of built a more powerful engine to start with then modify it to handle a turbo? Let say they took a Honda Civic SI engine that can produce 160hp already, then drop a Turbo on it. Yea some things might need changing, but I would think it would still be more powerful that what it is now.
Torque: Sure Torque is good, but only so much of it. All this car need it around 190tq but should have more hp that's for sure. A Semi or a Tractor has a bunch of torque, but it isn't fast!
S60R: I know it's coming out, but I don't like the way it looks, Size, Price, an space ball junk. I've already heard that the S60 is without it's own problem too!
About the Performance: I know I gotten somewhat use to it, but it's like night and day from the first time I added the chip to what it has now. Before the car would light the tire on fire around 2800rpm, now it take 3800rpm to start trying to burn the tire. Still the around the same amount of tread left on the tires. No slicks, No new Tires. I've also put the stock chip back an it feels slower than stock. Also after hitting second gear I could feel the boost spool up again and start flying. Now it's just mild. Also I use to feel the exhaust, it produce way more heat than what it produces now. I.E. less boost or something.
I guess I expect too much for a car maybe? Naw
Current Problems
1. Windows still crack and pop when rolling up and down the front windows
2. Steering wheel is not as tight as it should be, will move 1/2 inch to 1 inch in either direction to start turning car.
3. Steering Pump makes high pitch sound.
4. Stereo clip springs cause rattling in dash
5. Seat does not always click into place correctly
6. Rear passenger door sounds odd when closing
7. Too many suspension noises
8. Radio still have bad reception, tried the 4 thing trick and 3 and 2.
Wear and tear
Head Light burn out too fast
Cabin filter need replacing too often
Break pads wear out too fast
Front head lights have sand pits in them, fog light cracked from small rock. Front Windshield chipped from small rock. I've had cars that last 10+ year with rocks hitting it all the time with out any damage. Maybe my luck? Or just soft glass for safety reason?
Problems that where fixed.
Steering column replaced because of popping noise when turning
Drivers side door pooped and needed arm replaced
Passengers Light lenses was replaced due to faulty installation at factory
Fog light burnt out first day
Drivers seat creaks, it stop due to more use over 1+year period
Annoying Check engine light that comes on for any little reason. Gas cap
I would be dumb to keep this car any find out what it would really cost to upkeep this car a few years from now. Guess parts cost to much to ship from Europe to here? Cost per mile on the X40 is rather high.
I hope every other Volvo X40 is good and I was the only one to get the lemon. :) good luck. I know every car is going to have problem, an it's only man made. But dang so soon into the car life? I would rather of bought a used car for half the price, twice the car, and still have the same mantiance.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Rodrigo Martinez
on
Wed Apr 11 06:45 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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Anthony wrote:
> Rims: The fact is they didn't offer anything else. I would of thought
> Volvo knew what they where doing in using 15inch rims, but after
> having my car broken in, I started to drive harder then notice 15inch
> wasn't that great for the car, plus the body roll was much more than
> anything else I have driven.
Strange? I bought my car here in Brazil and had several rim options. I went with the 16X7 Crater (BBS).
> I guess I expect too much for a car maybe? Naw
Same thing happened to me. I was used to BMW ///M Power cars...
> Current Problems
> 1. Windows still crack and pop when rolling up and down the front
> windows
Strange, never heard of this problem.
> 2. Steering wheel is not as tight as it should be, will move 1/2 inch
> to 1 inch in either direction to start turning car.
It's definetly not an ///M car steering wheel.
> 3. Steering Pump makes high pitch sound.
Same here, I think it's just that way, and nothing can be done. Believe me I gave my dealer a lot of headaches because of this until I finally gave up.
> 4. Stereo clip springs cause rattling in dash
Never noticed...Maybe I hear music to loud. ;-)
> 5. Seat does not always click into place correctly
I guess this is just with manual seats and doesn't apply to electric seats??
> 6. Rear passenger door sounds odd when closing
??
> 7. Too many suspension noises
Agree. But hey...Roads are so bad here that any car would be full of noises.
> 8. Radio still have bad reception, tried the 4 thing trick and 3 and
> 2.
Sao Paulo is the world most edified (building) city in the world. Cell phone's don't work and lot's of other crap. But other than driving on the main avenue (Paulista) where all the towers (TV & Radio) are because of the hight (it's on the "spinal cord" of the city), my radio works fine. Also since it's a Double Din you have lot's of options for much better aftermarket radios. Pay attention to FM sensitivity spec when searching for an aftermarket stereo. The smaller the better (www. crutchfield.com).
> Wear and tear
??
> Head Light burn out too fast
I always drive with my fog lights and low beams on. Reduces in 15% the chance of somebody "closing" your way. Kind of like DRL in Scandinavia.
> Cabin filter need replacing too often
Don't know. But my car has 8000km, I' change it just in case when I reach 15000km and have the car serviced. Here the oil change is every 7500km and the car is serviced every 15000km (retightening, etc...)
> Break pads wear out too fast
I actually think this is probably good. It's like tires. The noisier, the faster they wear, the better grip they have. It's a trade off. This is like Yokohama's. That's why I use Yokohama A520 (upto 17"). And AVS Sport (18"). Yokohama even came out with an A519 for the "market" that doesn't understand the above formula and isn't concerned with safety first, and made this A519 more durable, less noise. BAD! Guess what: probably doesn't have the same grip.
Anyway I always swap my pad's at half life and the rotors with every other pad replacement. SAFETY FIRST!
> Front head lights have sand pits in them, fog light cracked from
> small rock. Front Windshield chipped from small rock. I've had cars
> that last 10+ year with rocks hitting it all the time with out any
> damage. Maybe my luck? Or just soft glass for safety reason?
??
> Problems that where fixed.
> Steering column replaced because of popping noise when turning
Is this popping related to the whining noise?
> Drivers side door pooped and needed arm replaced
Jesus!
> Passengers Light lenses was replaced due to faulty installation at
> factory
Human nature.
> Fog light burnt out first day
Jesus!
> Drivers seat creaks, it stop due to more use over 1+year period
> Annoying Check engine light that comes on for any little reason. Gas
> cap
I think Arno mentioned this in earlier posts.
> I hope every other Volvo X40 is good and I was the only one to get
> the lemon. :) good luck. I know every car is going to have problem,
> an it's only man made. But dang so soon into the car life? I would
> rather of bought a used car for half the price, twice the car, and
> still have the same mantiance.
I know how you feel. I also was "disappointed" with the Volvo. But then learned to live with it and see the good things. Like safety and more of a lower profile (compared to my E34 ///M5). Which is good here in Sao Paulo. Unless you bullet proof your car. :-((
Regards,
///Martinez
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posted by
someone claiming to be scott m
on
Wed Apr 11 14:40 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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Can only really comment on the wheels, in the US and Canada volvo only offers the X40 one way, lower pressure turbo (1.9T), automatic transmission, and 15" wheels. There is no optional transmission, engine, or wheels available (at least not yet, probably not until the next generation (s40/V50) ) So that is what Anthony is complaining about, and why Arno is saying he knew what he was getting. I think Anthony liked the car, but expected more than he got (and it does sound like he got a X40 with more than its fair share of problems). There are however people who have very few problems (or none) and/or knew what they were getting when they bought the car. Of course those in other markets have more options for the X40 as well and are able to equip their cars to better satisfy their needs, which is where volvo really fell down with the X40 in North America in my opinion, thoguh I am still seriuosly considering a V40 to replace the 740 in the near future (though it may be a used V70 (or a new one if I can figure out how to raise the money) (just feeling the need for a wagon :) ). I hope that you continue to enjoy wour car, and that Anthony can find a car that better suits his needs (and will be more reliable for him :) )
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posted by
someone claiming to be Rodrigo Martinez
on
Tue Apr 10 10:09 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
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Anthony,
I understand how you feel, I've felt this way too. I think this is related to the 1997 and 1998 T4s. I think the 1999 T4s have fixed most of the issues. Unfortunately mine is a 1998. :-( I guess if you deal with all those minor issues (time and money) you'll end up with a good car. Specially on the SAFETY side (maximum score on FIAs crast test). Anyway this is just OMHO.
Regards,
///Martinez
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