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2002 Volvo S40

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 S40.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 5-spd

The 2002 Volvo S40 is a compact passenger car equipped here with a 5-speed automatic transmission and a 5.7-quart oil capacity serviced by 5W-30, 10W-30, or 15W-40 API oil, returning EPA figures of 19 city, 27 highway, and 22 combined mpg. With 30 total owner complaints and a single recall on record, the 2002 model year represents a significant comedown from the 134 complaints logged during the 2000 launch year, suggesting early teething problems were largely addressed by this point. The dominant complaint area—hydraulic service brakes—warrants attention, but the broader trajectory toward just 5 complaints by 2011 indicates the platform was steadily maturing in reliability through the 2002 model year, making it a reasonable middle-ground choice for a researcher weighing proven fixes against lingering concerns.

Model year2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2002

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 economy19/27/22 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 Note the factory battery and front wiper blades are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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

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	31369415 alt 31369416

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	19 / 27 / 22 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) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 45,000 mi	PCV Hose (inspect) · PCV Valve (inspect)
At 60,000 mi	Engine Breather Filter (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
At 105,000 mi	Drive Belt (replace) · Fuel Filter (replace) · PCV Hose (inspect) · PCV Valve (inspect) · 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 2002 Volvo S40 marks a distinct turning point in this generation's federal record, representing a steep decline in reported issues compared to the earlier models. While the 2000 and 2001 models accumulated 134 and 86 complaints respectively alongside multiple federal investigations, the 2002 model saw complaints drop to just 30 with zero investigations and only one recall. This downward complaint trend reached its lowest point in 2003 before a sharp spike to 50 complaints and 6 recalls in 2004, placing the 2002 model in a favorable sweet spot within the generation's reliability arc. For the 2002 model specifically, the data points to the hydraulic service brakes and the electrical system as the primary areas of concern with 5 and 4 complaints respectively, though the root causes for these issues are not specified in the record. With just 4 crash complaints, zero fire complaints, and a strong statistical positioning relative to the problematic early and later years, the 2002 S40 is an excellent used purchase within this generation.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

157

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

4 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

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 30 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic5

Electrical System4

Engine & Engine Cooling4

Suspension2

Exterior Lighting2

Vehicle Speed Control2

Fuel/Propulsion System1

Service Brakes1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 157 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
35526.1.8	2026-04-23	Engine	This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 2 PDFs and 1 .PNG Oil Consumption test. Perform…
37809.1.1	2026-04-07	Unknown Or Other	This is a TJ text only - The purpose of this TJ is to be a master reference list to…
19245	2025-12-06	Unknown Or Other	This is a Technical Journal. Vehicle type and platform identification.
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…

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 2002 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 2002 S40 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the S40 get?

EPA figures are 19 city / 27 highway / 22 combined mpg.