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2001 Volvo S40

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2001 S40.

Transmission Automatic 5-spd

The 2001 Volvo S40 is paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission and achieves EPA-rated fuel economy of 20/29/23 mpg. Maintenance calls for 5.7 quarts of oil using 15W-40, 10W-30, or 5W-30 API viscosities. Recording 86 total owner complaints and two recalls, the 2001 model sits between the 2000 peak of 134 complaints and the 2011 low of five throughout the 2000-2011 model history, with hydraulic service brakes cited as the top complaint area.

Model year2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2001

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.7 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type15W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque81 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy20/29/23 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 1275811. Note the factory battery and front wiper blades are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

Tire size195-60HR15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim7-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	1275811
Engine air filter	30850831
Fuel filter	30620512
Battery	9459948 discontinued
Front wiper blades	31276593 discontinued
Serpentine belt	30731808
Thermostat	271664 alt 6842214
Cabin air filter	31369416 alt 31369415

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 5-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	178.7 in
Overall width	67.7 in
Overall height	55.9 in
Wheelbase	100.8 in
Curb weight	2767 lb
Track (front / rear)	57.9 / 57.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	20 / 29 / 23 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	88 cu ft
Cargo volume	13 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the S40 of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.7–8.5 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.70 sec — 2000 Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2000	Sedan 1.9L Turbo I-4	7.70 sec	15.90 sec	160 hp	FWD
2000	Sedan 1.9L Turbo I-4	8.50 sec	16.40 sec	160 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.7 qt of 15W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 81 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 28.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Engine Oil	15W-40 · API · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	5.7 qt
Power Steering Fluid	SYNTHETIC

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	13 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	28.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	7 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

81 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	775 rpm
Spark Plug Gap	0.027-0.031 in
Spark Plug Torque	18.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing	0-15 degrees

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.88 lbs
Oil Type	Volvo Part No. 1161 627-3.
Oil Capacity	6.09 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca

Service checks

Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)	44.0-46.0 Relative to manifold psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	42.0-45.0 At injectors psi
Residual Pressure	58.0-73.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance	13.8 Nippondenso ohms
Engine Compression	159-188 psi
Engine Oil Pressure	14.5 psi @ 800 rpm, 50.80 psi @ 4000 rpm psi

Brakes

Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0016 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.94 in / 0.394 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.94 in / 0.394 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.87 in / 0.35 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.846 in / 0.33 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

15 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

15 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

18 ft. lbs., step 2: 30

18 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	Bolts 1 and 2	15 ft. lbs
2	Bolts 3-10	44 ft. lbs
3	Turn all bolts 130 degrees.	130 degrees

Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

33 ft. lbs., Step 2: 65

33 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi.

Every 7,500 mi	Battery (inspect electrolyte level) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
At 15,000 mi	Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Power Steering System (inspect) · Radio Antenna (clean) · Weatherstrip Seal (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Headlamp (inspect alignment) · Windshield Wiper Blade (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (inspect) · PCV Hose (inspect)
At 60,000 mi	Engine Breather Filter (inspect) · PCV Hose (inspect) · PCV Valve (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Drive Belt (replace)
At 105,000 mi	Fuel Filter (replace) · Timing Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2001 Volvo S40 sits at a transitional point in the model's federal record: complaints dropped substantially from 134 in 2000 to 86 in 2001, the largest year-over-year decline in the generation, though they continued falling to just 30 in 2002. The 2001 model year saw 2 recalls and 1 investigation (down from 2 in 2000), with TSBs also declining from 197 to 185, suggesting the manufacturer addressed early-model issues. However, brake-related complaints dominated the 2001 filing (21 of 86), accounting for roughly a quarter of all reported problems, and there were 12 crash complaints and 4 fire complaints that year. Notably, recall activity spiked to 6 in 2004, indicating that reliability issues accumulated and were addressed in later model years rather than being fully resolved at launch. The 2001 S40 is therefore a better purchase than the 2000 model—which carried the generation's highest complaint load—but it is not as reliable a buy as the 2002–2003 models, which benefited from the sharpest complaint decline and had already passed through the initial problem-resolution cycle.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

185

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

12 involved a crash · 4 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’00’01’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 86 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic21

Engine & Engine Cooling8

Vehicle Speed Control7

Air Bags6

Visibility4

Equipment3

Power Train3

Electrical System3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

03V284000Equipment:Other:LabelsReported 01/08/2003

CERTAIN PASSENGER CARS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." THE SECOND ISOFIX GUIDE WAS NOT INSTALLED IN THESE VEHICLES AND, IN… Remedy: OWNERS WILL RECEIVE A LETTER/PACKAGE CONSISTING OF THE SECOND ISOFIX GUIDE WITH INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS, AND IN CERTAIN CASES, THE CORRECTED OWNER'S MANUAL MAY BE PROVIDED. IF…

01V169000Equipment:Appliance:Air ConditionerReported 21/05/2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SEDAN AND WAGON PASSENGER VEHICLES. A DIODE IN THE ELECTRONIC CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM MAY HAVE A REDUCED SERVICE LIFE. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADAPTER WITH A DIODE FITTED TO THE HEATER FAN MOTOR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 11, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 185 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
8501	2025-04-10	Exterior Lighting	This is a Technical Journal: Remote connection, BOMGAR application. Before joining a…
S10303	2025-02-21	Unknown Or Other	Volvo Cars USA LLC and Volvo Car Canada LTD on behalf of the Volvo Car Corporation has…
S10303	2025-02-13	Unknown Or Other	Volvo Cars USA LLC and Volvo Car Canada LTD on behalf of the Volvo Car Corporation has…
8501	2025-01-16	Exterior Lighting	This is a Technical Journal: Remote connection, BOMGAR application. Before joining a…
37175	2025-01-16	Unknown Or Other	This is a Technical Journal: Vehicle/Connectivity report checklist. To provide timely and…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific S40. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 48 battery Vehicles taking 5.7 qt Engine oil filter 1275811 Engine air filter 30850831 Fuel filter 30620512 Battery 9459948

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2001 S40 take?

5.7 qt of ABOVE 0 degrees F: 15W-40 API, -4 degrees F TO 104 degrees F: 10W-30 API, BELOW 68 degrees F: 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2001 S40 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the S40 get?

EPA figures are 20 city / 29 highway / 23 combined mpg.