01-01-0001:
Special plastic electronic 'key' gets stuck in dashboard and in January 2006 Volvo was quoting until May 2006 to supply a replacement, offering customers courtesy cars for that period.
Timing belt tensioners of D5s have been failing, so advisable to change belts and tensioners at 4 years or 60k miles whichever comes first. 2.4D and D5 Inlet manifold swirl flaps prone to breaking off at any time from 3 years old.
Problems with 2.0 diesels include: brake problems, wheel bearing failure, EGR valve failure, aircon issues, software problems and electrical gremlins.
End of plastic dipstick of 1.6 diesel engine can break and drop into sump requiring removal of sump to retrieve it.
ESP warning light can indicate Fault Code "Boost Pressure Sensor G201". This is embedded inside Teves Mk 60 ABS systems and requires replacement of ABS control unit/pump. Seems to be age-related, occurring mainly in 3 - 5 year old cars. Does not necessarily lead to an MoT failure. If car has been Volvo maintained, Volvo will usually meet 70% to 100% of replacement cost. Bosch ABS systems do not have the problem. Only affects cars up to 2007 model year.
01-01-0001:
Dodgy dealers and unscrupulous private vendors are now unplugging the ECU as no warning then shows on the dash. Replace the plug and the light 'ECU off' appears permanently whether you switch it on or off.
2010 TSB related to rising sump oil levels in D5 Diesel engines with a DPF which is caused by excess fuel entering the engine sump via cylinders during DPF regeneration cycles. The solution is to reprogram the engine management software to reduce the volume of fuel used during the regeneration cycle and drain the excess oil back to midway between the min/max levels on the dip stick, then keep an eye on it. Really, any engine that has had its lube oil contaminated by diesel needs a lube oil change.
Volvo dealers quote £1,000 for a new Diesel Particulate Filter for the 2.0 diesel.
04-03-2011:
Volvo says, "Regarding the D2 diesel engine, the software has been improved so that particle filter regeneration is facilitated. As for all modern diesel engines with particle filter, it is still recommended to do some driving at a bit higher loads once in awhile, to ensure cleaning of the particle filter. However, our experience is that the D2 in V50 is really easy to regerarate, so it should work fine also for mostly city-driving. There is one second point concerning the D2: starting from late 2010 in V50, we do a hardware change from an additive particle filter to a catalyzed one. The additive filter type needed to be replaced or cleaned after 120,000 km, which is a costly repair. The new catalyzed solution does not require this, which is an advantage if the customer intends to keep the car for longer time."
25-10-2011:
Timing belt tensioner of 2.5 litre Volvo engine can fail in as little as 50,000 miles, flinging off the belt and wrecking the engine, then landing the owner with a £6,000 bill.
06-01-2012:
'Clunks' reported from the drivetrain of DRIVEe 1.6 D2s, probably from the dual mass flywheel coping with the high gear ratios. Better not to run too low revs in any gear.
16-01-2012:
Turbo problem on 1.6TDCI/1.6HDI DV6 appears to be getting worse: Reader reports 1.6TDCI at 56,000 miles: "Car lost power plus growl/whine indicating turbo trouble - drove gently 3 miles to local garage where tech confirmed - pulled inlet rubber pipe and demonstrated wear in turbo bearings. He is quite clued up and knows a lot about this problem. There is a huge amount of evidence of similar cases in the Backroom forum and others, and there is clearly a serious problem affecting this engine. The cure is not just a new turbo, but new oil pipe, pump, pick-up, etc etc. Ford dealer prices for repairs are £1,200 for parts alone. There was a Ford TSB45/2008 about this. Newer engines (2008+) have modified parts. Apparently you can get a new turbo for £350 plus £120 for a "kit" of modified pipes/pick-up unions etc. from Transitpartsuk (International Parts Ltd) to fit next week. eBay supplier TransitpartsUK
07-09-2012:
A/C condenser is a leaf trap that collects corrosive road salt leading to failure. Volvo is routinely replacing these FoC on cars up to 5 years old.
28-01-2013:
Over-revving of low mileage Feb 2009 reg V50 D5 SE LUX caused by fraying of cables in the engine compartment that eventually blew the EMU. Quoted £3,500 to repair and a month's wait for parts.
03-06-2013:
Refusal to start at embarrassing moments may be due to a known fault in the steering column lock. When trying to start the car, after a pause in a long journey, the warning lights may come on, the radio may works but the engine refuses to turn over. Common up to 2005, then corrected on later models. Mayb be related to early problems with plastic electronic key getting stuck in the dashboard.
02-02-2014:
Powershift transmission problems on 2009/59 Volvo V50 2.0D at 54,500 miles. Last serviced by independent at 49k miles. Transmission fluid and microfilter had not been changed. First symptom delay in engaging drive. Second symptom lost reverse and would on go into 2nd forwards. Happily, changing the fluid and microfilter solved the problem, so this confirms the need for a 40,000 mile ATF and microfilter change on Powershifts.
06-11-2014:
3 failed injectors on 35k mile 2011 Volvo V50 D3 R-Design.
02-06-2015:
Powershift transmission of 2012 Volvo V502.0D failed at 20,000 miles and was replaced under warranty.
18-01-2016:
Many faults reported on 2011 Volvo V-50 DriveE 1.6, bought 2012, by 60,000 miles: S ound system replaced, clutch and mass balance flywheel replaced, alarm system replaced, leaking front suspension replaced, all resolved under warranty. Then filled up with diesel at a well known supermarket and within a mile or two the 'Reduced Engine Performance' light flashed on and the car went into limp mode. Volvo dealer advise that all four injectors needed replacing at a cost of £2,500.
24-01-2016:
Report that local garage maintained 2009 Volvo 1.6d Drive SE now with 90,000 miles has needed repeated replacement turbos (most likely because the tubo bearing oil feed and oil retuen pipes were not replaced at the same time).
11-02-2016:
'Engine System Service Required' kept appearing on dash of Volvo V50 D2 115PS and car would be hesitant and splutter past 3000 rpm. At one point, the car came to a halt but with the engine running normally. Pressing the throttle made no difference to the revs - there was no connection between throttle pedal and engine. Switching off, then back on again reset things. Volvo independent cleaned the connections on the central electronic control unit and this seemed to cure the problem. (Also had also had a new turbo actuator and a new throttle pedal but believe the ECU was the root of the problem.)
24-02-2016:
Report of injector failure on 2010 Volvo V50 D2 at 108k miles. Needs three new injectors and dealer suggests a fourth as well. Had been run on Shell V-Power and BP Ultimate diesel. Same problem that afflicts Fords, Peugeots and Citroens with this engine.
16-07-2016:
Report of 2009 Volvo V50 D5 Sport indicating steering lock service required. Although the steering lock is not activating with the key removed and the steering is moving freely, the car will not start.
08-11-2017:
Volvo S40 2.0D vehicle failed to start and and showed error message: TURN STEERING WHEEL and ATTEMPT RESTART. Owner thinks this is a sympton of a common ECU problem. Volvo dealer replaced steering column lock that was not covered by owners's aftermarket warranty, but an ECU problem would have been. Unable to comment further on owner's speculation. See: 3-6-2013.
01-04-2018:
Report of 2011 Volvo V50 SE Lux DrivE 1.6 diesel failing completely at about 120,000 miles. The engine seized and could not be restarted, and had to be transported to the local Volvo dealer in Havant (Cambridge Garage). They advised that here was oil all over the outside of the engine and little in the sump, and their first suggestion was that it may have been a pipe from the sump to the turbo that had failed, but a visual inspection identified it as intact. The service manager later suggested a turbo failure might have occurred which can cause it to eject all the contents of the sump very quickly - apparently these engines only have a capacity of about 3.5 litres of oil.
January 2004
Estate version of new S40 in UK from early 2004, a couple of months after S40 and built alongside at Ghent in Belgium. 14' 10" (4,514mm) long x 5' 10" (1,770mm) wide. 1,299kg to 1,480kg. (Fractionally shorter than the old V40, slightly taller and 54mm wider.)
Engines at launch included a 125bhp 1.8 chain cam four, Ford/PSA 136bhp 2.0 litre common rail direct injected belt cam diesel, and 2.4 litre belt cam fives with either 170bhp or 220bhp. Transmissions are five or six speed manuals or a five speed auto. Haldex clutched four wheel drive system available on the 220bhp T5. Prices started at £17,500.
December 2005
180bhp 2.4 5-cylinder belt cam V50 D5 announced, available in UK from June 2006. 350Nm torque. 5-speed Geartronic first, manual later. Goes and handles very well.
February 2007
Prices cut and 100PS 1.6 petrol and 110PS 1.6 diesel introduced: £15,995 for 1.6S and from £18,145 for 1.6S diesel
May 2007
Facelifted for 2007 with chunkier look more akin to 2nd generation S80. Production from May with first UK deliveries early July. Tail lights now LED. DPFs optional with 1.6 and 2.0 diesel engines. Without they were EU3. With DPFs they were EU4. DPFs compulsory from January 2008.
‘Floating’ console centre stack has revised controls and is complemented by a multi-function centre tunnel storage area, a more compact handbrake design, and a revised armrest that’s longer and further forward for greater driver comfort. It can also flip through 180 degrees to act as a useful table for rear passengers.
New hard drive-based RTI road traffic information and satnav system and a redesigned remote key fob with Auto Open and Auto Close for all side windows and sunroof. Optional Active Bi-Xenon headlamps that swivel the light beam in continuous sync with steering direction.
Hazards automatically activate if any airbags go off. During emergency braking or when the anti-lock function is activated, the EBL Emergency Brake Lights function flashes all three brake lights five times a second to warn following drivers of the emergency braking manoeuvre. ISOFIX mountings in the rear seats now standard, as is water repellent glass on the front side windows for enhanced visibility in poor weather.
D5 diesel engine finally available with six-speed manual that can can handle the engine’s full 400 Nm of torque, compared to the 350 Nm of the auto. D5 an EU 5 engine. D5 6-speed manual has phenomenal torque from low revs. Will pull cleanly from around 850rpm. (Torque is actually restricted from 400Nm to 350Nm because 400 would be too much for the chassis.) 6th gives 37.5mph/ 1,000rpm. 2007 facelift T5 model has 10 hp increase, taking output to 230PS.
July 2007
The R-DESIGN package was introduced including a range of unique sports inspired and exterior details to the Sport and SE Sport variants. New exterior design includes an R-DESIGN badge in the front grille, colour coordinated body kit, rear roof spoiler, silver matt finish front grille and wing mirrors, unique five spoke 17" alloy wheels for Sport models and 18" alloy wheels for SE Sport. Interior design includes two-tone black and cream upholstery with contrast stitching and embossed R-DESIGN logo, leather trimmed steering wheel with aluminium inlays and with R-DESIGN logo, a unique aluminium R-DESIGN centre stack, blue instrument dials, sports pedals and tufted dark floormats with cream leather seams. Prices from £19,195 for the 1.6. Normal prices start at £15,995.
January 2008
Powershift Automatic sequential six-speed transmission announced. Twin wet clutches (like VW DSG) for fast and smooth changes. Over 47 mpg and less than 160 g/km CO2. Optimised for powerful diesel engines. The new Volvo automatic Powershift transmission will be available to order from late February on the 136PS two-litre turbodiesel versions of the Volvo C30, S40 and V50 with a recommended retail price of £1,250. This new
Powershift six-speed unit features twin wet clutches to provide the gear changing comfort of a fully-automatic
transmission with the performance of a manual gearbox. Operating as two parallel manual gearboxes, Powershift has twin wet clutches that work independently of one another.
The Powershift Automatic offers an impressive combined fuel consumption of 47.1mpg and a CO2 figure of 159g/km in both the Volvo S40 and V50; while it brings the Volvo C30 47.9mpg on a combined cycle and a CO2 figure of 156g/km. Three years servicing up to 37,500 miles, worth around £700 included in the price from March 2008.
May 2008
Volvo S40 and V50 improved. In the S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon, the RTI Navigation System has been updated with a new driver interface, new colours and a refresh to the menus and symbols and is now offered at a reduced recommended retail price of £1,500. The Family Pack now includes the Passenger Airbag Cut Off Switch, and is priced at £260 RRP.
The 2.4i petrol engine is no longer available and prices across both saloon and Sportswagon ranges generally remain stable, with minor amends to the R-DESIGN Sport which increases by up to £200 whilst the R-DESIGN SE Sport decreases by up to £190 OTR.
The S40 range starts at £13,995 OTR for the S40 1.6S and the V50 start price remains unchanged at £15,995 OTR for the 1.6S. Standard equipment on these entry level models includes ECC (Electronic Climate Control) with AQS (Air Quality System) and pollen filter, DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control), power windows, leather steering wheel, 6-speaker radio/CD system and an auxiliary input for MP3 player.
Volvo emblem on the tailgate larger and more wide-spread; enhancing its visibility. Power mirrors with an autofold function now standard1 across the Volvo model range. Mirrors can be set to fold in automatically when the car is locked, and fold out again when the car is unlocked. Communications Pack have also revised and now includes RTI Navigation System, Keyless Drive and Bluetooth Handsfree System.2
Bluetooth handsfree system is also available as an individual option for a RRP of £200 on the Volvo C30, S40, V50 and C70. This handsfree system automatically recognises a Bluetooth compatible mobile phone as it enters the car and seamlessly takes over, allowing the driver to switch freely from the mobile phone to the handsfree system. By simply touching the blue button, the Bluetooth handsfree system will listen to commands and make calls.
A new Homelink option is available across the Volvo range for a RRP of £501 . With buttons integrated in the sun visor, Homelink allows the occupants to operate remote controlled home appliances, such as a garage door, home alarm and exterior lighting, without leaving the car. There are new colour additions with Savile Grey being added to S80, C30, V50 and S40. The new DRIVe range, under 120g/km, launched October 2008 starts at £18,660 for the V50.
February 2009
Volvo V50 Start/Stop 1.6D 109 hp/240 Nm, 107g/km and 70.6 mpg. When the driver puts the gear lever into neutral and releases the clutch while at a standstill, the engine switches off. The next time the driver presses the clutch, the engine starts up again. This technology has reduced fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions by 4-5% in mixed driving conditions. Start/Stop technology is particularly effective in urban traffic, when the saving can be as much as 8%.
When the car is at a standstill and the engine is switched off, some electronic systems such as the air conditioning step down to standby level in order to save fuel. However, Volvo's Start/Stop system continuously monitors the comfort level and automatically reactivates the air conditioning if, for instance, the temperature increases in the passenger compartment. The system does not set any limits for comfort-focused features such as the sound system or other facilities that the occupants will want to maintain.
April 2009
DRIVe technologies combines with sports-inspired R-DESIGN bodykit to offer C30, S40 and V50 models with low levels of emissions and the highest levels of visual appeal. The new DRIVe R-DESIGN models are available to order now with prices starting at £17,240 for the C30 while the S40 and V50 start at £19,095 and £20,595 respectively.
May 2009
2010MY changes announced
The Volvo C30 SportsCoupe, S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon DRIVe models now all feature the intelligent new Start/Stop function which brings CO2 emissions down to 104 g/km and improves fuel consumption up to 72.4 mpg. The sports-inspired R-DESIGN specification and body styling has also
been introduced to the DRIVe range offering CO2 emissions of 119 g/km and up to 62.8 mpg in all three models.
Prices for the C30 range start at £14,995 OTR for the entry level 1.6 S. The 1.6D DRIVe with Start/Stop variants start at £15,745. The S40 and V50 ranges start at £14,745 and £16,495 OTR for the 1.6 S models with the DRIVe with Start/Stop range commencing at £17,495 for the S40 and £18,845 for the V50. Cruise control on the steering wheel.
May 2010
New five-cylinder 2.0-litre turbodiesel from the all-new Volvo S60 made available throughout Volvo Cars' model range and replaces the familiar four-cylinder 136 PS unit in the C30, S40, V50, C70, V70 and S80. All new engines are available to order now.
The new five-cylinder 2.0D diesel is, in principle, the same engine as the well-established 2.4-litre diesel, but its displacement has been reduced with a shorter stroke to optimise fuel consumption. The injection system also has a different type of piezoelectric fuel injector compared with the D5 engine. These injectors minimize fuel consumption with their exceptionally rapid and precise injection pulses under high pressure to promote extremely efficient combustion.
As part of Volvo's new engine nomenclature and to simplify Volvo's engine badging, all new engines, including the new five-cylinder 2.0D, will be badged depending on the power output. For example, the 150 PS version of the new 2.0D in the C30, S40, V50 and C70 is named D3 and an uprated 177 PS version of this same engine is labeled D4.
In its lower state of tune, it produces 150 PS and is badged D3 while an uprated 177 PS version is named D4. Both emit only 134 g/km of CO2 and offer drivers 55.4 mpg in the C30, S40 and V50 and 47.9 mpg and 154 g/km in the C70. The D3 and D4 are available in both manual and automatic transmission across all four models.
The C30, S40 and V50 are also available with a new four cylinder 1.6-litre diesel engine - badged D2. Fuel consumption in all three models is 65.7 mpg, which corresponds to CO2 emissions of only 114 g/km. The engine produces 115 PS and 270 Nm of torque and now comes with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The previous 1.6D 109 PS DRIVe engine with Start/Stop will remain in the C30, S40 and V50 ranges along with the 1.6, 2.0 and range-topping T5 petrol engines. The 2.4i and D5 are no longer available in the C30, S40, V50 and C70 models.
Another facet of Volvo's 2011 Model Year update is a change in the specification hierarchy with the introduction of the ES trim level. The ES replaces the S specification and includes all the features and safety systems you would expect from Volvo.
September 2010
Volvo Car UK has launched revised DRIVe versions of its S40 saloon and V50 estate, complete with Start/Stop technology, that reduces CO2 emissions to just 99g/km. The revisions reduce the CO2 emissions of the S40 and V50 by a further 5g/km and mean they now join the Volvo C30 DRIVe under the 100g/km threshold.
November 2010
DRIVe models with CO2 emissions of 99g/km
Continuing development of Volvo’s DRIVe models has resulted in sub-100g/km versions of the C30 hatchback, S40 saloon and V50 sportswagon, making the V50 the most versatile of any sub-100g/km car on the market today. The changes mean all three are exempt from road tax and return up to 74.3mpg on the combined fuel economy cycle.
In addition, following Volvo Car UK's successful campaign to remove the Alternative Fuel Discount from the London Congestion Charge, all three models are exempt from the Congestion Chargesaving the owner of all three cars up to £2500 in charges. DRIVe models are available in ES, SE and SE Lux trim levels.
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Classy-looking compact estate with very good ride comfort and tidy handling. A fine long-distance cruiser. The UK's most popular Volvo.
Not everyone gets on with the floating dashboard. Boy Racer packages like the expensive R pack not suited to Volvo clientele. Expensive problems with diesels more than three years old.
What is your car like to live with?
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