What Do You Think Of A Used Volvo, Quality

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
9,808
Location
New Jersey
What does everyone think of a used volvo and which ones have the most problems...I know someone looking for a Volvo under $2500.00 and volvo's seem to be pretty cheap and safe he is a big person 6ft. 6in. and in college and his father does not want to spend more than that..
 
I would highly, highly, recommend that you DO NOT purchase a used Volvo. We had a 1990 240 and a 1991 740 that spent more time in the shop than in our driveway. We sat down and added up our receipts and they came to more than $10,000 spent in four years! We always joked that Volvo's are the safest cars on the road because if you can't get them started they are indeed very safe from accidents! Instead look for a used Honda or Toyota, they will provide much more reliable transportation and far less aggravation.
 
stay with RWD. Preferably the 240 series.

There seem to be a LOT of 1996ish 5 cyl FWD wagons for sale out there. There was never a glut of production, and I'm naturally suspicious as to why there are so many for sale now.

They could be perfectly fine... and they're selling in $500-600 territory. Scary... I am also curious as to why.

Maybe the economy is so bad daddy isn't buying a used volvo for their kids, drying up that part of the circle of life?
 
850 or a V70,S70 are great used cars. Swaybar links die off, $15.

Upper motor mount too. Flush the fluids and they are great cars.

Simple and robust. 1998 was the last year w distributor ignition and dino fluids.
 
Volvos are SUPER common in my area. When i've looked for used ones i find TONS of one owner, always dealer serviced w/ records Volvos. [censored] some of them still are under warranty if new enough. Obviously not in that price range. But still.

In my opinion you cant go wrong with that.

Volvo often attracts people who are...... paranoid. =D [joking]. But, in reality they are often taken very well care of.

If you can find something that has had all its scheduled services and the owner talks about how great the car is and they are just getting a new one. I would jump on it personally.
 
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
850 or a V70,S70 are great used cars. Swaybar links die off, $15.

Upper motor mount too. Flush the fluids and they are great cars.

Simple and robust. 1998 was the last year w distributor ignition and dino fluids.




You couldnt give me an S70! they were junk.
 
I would pass on it. Just the price of parts and repairs alone would steer me clear. Then the looks of them are awful, too. I would buy a nice American (or even Japanese car if you must) that you can easily get parts for cheap at the autozone or pepboys. A Cavalier will do you well for under $2500 and can fix most anything cheap.
 
Originally Posted By: lairdwd
inflammatory comment removed

If you want people to respect your extremely rude comments opinions; you should get your facts straight. Volvo Car was a Swedish company until Ford acquired it. Now some Chinese company named Geely or something owns it. Volvo was never a 'German Engineered' vehicle.

Volvo cars have the second longest life of any car on the road next to Mercedes. That's its good cars and bad cars averaged. Not just one good model.

Isn't tiny 'ol Porsch the most successful automaker? And isn't VW formerly VAG the largest automaker?

So the next time you want to go bashing European vehicles, you should take a look at my 89 VW Fox that was sold for 1k with 350k on it, and not one part except the water pump replaced. Or my current '94 Jetta with 220k on it. Then after that we can go look at my first car which was bought brand new; a Mitsubishi Galant who's tranny [supplied by Chrysler] died at 40k. Or my girlfriend's old prelude that only lasted 120k. or her current Civic that is sitting at the shop w/ 140k waiting for the head gasket to be rebuilt.

These are just SOME of my person experiences with Euro trash vehicles.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think volvo HAD a reputation for longevity , but from what i've seen lately its gone. My bil's 850 was not a reliable car. Terrible brakes.
 
Originally Posted By: lairdwd
inflammatory comment removed

Wha?? You don't know what you are talking about. You are just saying stuff.....

My Volvos? I can't kill them.

RWD Volvo = easy to work on. Parts can be had.
FWD/AWD Volvo some bits are easy, some tough.

Some stupid stuff breaks on Volvos, but stupid stuff breaks on all cars. I have heard people say 850's have brake issues, mine has 150K and not a brake issue to speak of. I wonder if people use lousy rotors or something??

Decently cared for, they last. You can find them for cheap, sometimes they need serious dollars, other times a few DIY fixes and bob's your Volvo.

I bought a 262C for $900 and sold it for $5000.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We traded our 850 in with 340,000 miles. The biggest problems were that I needed to re-gap the AC compressor, replace the steering rack, and replace the rear main seal. Overall, not bad for the miles.

It still ran better and had felt FAR better than most of the 40,000 mile American cars on the used lot. The attitude that "all that Euro [censored] is junk" is exactly why the Big 3 failed.

That said, I'd go with pre-1998. Once Ford really got involved, the quality went downhill. The early 2000s C cars seem like a Taurus... not in any kind of a good way.

I'd suggest spending $1500 on the car and set aside $1000 for maintenance. ANY used car is going to need roughly the same things: tires, brakes, struts, fluids, etc.

The upside of this kind of car is that they can be very tough, fun to drive, and VERY safe. I would much sooner put my kid in one of these cars than something that might be a little easier to fix but has been on a Dateline segment of unsafe cars.
 
Man, there's so much information in this thread I don't know where to start... I do wonder besides a very few posters how many people have actually owned the cars they're badmouthing??

I had a 740 and two V70's. The 740 was easy to work on, but did require a little more care and feeding. It was also >200K when I bought it, and it's still going at >400K.

Most of my experience is with the FWD cars, and that's where the misinformation seems the strongest. The "Ford made the quality suck" thing is a ridiculous sentiment. Ford had almost no input into Volvo's engineering, manufacturing or production--outside of borrowing Volvo's engineering for it's own platforms. The cars were still made in Belgium and Sweden, still engineered there (for good or bad) and even the distribution network was basically unchanged. People commenting otherwise are simply ignorant.

They did go to electronic throttle in'99, which is one problem area. Besides that, the engine, transmissions and most of the electrical system (ABS modules aside) are extremely robust. There are a few common issues, with pretty simple fixes.

Overall, I found the FWD Volvos easy to work on for the most part, and extremely reliable. If you consider having to install new brake pads every two years or 50K miles a flaw, then you should buy something else--the car has a heavier rear brake bias, so it goes through pads faster than some. The door jamb at the driver's hinge is almost guaranteed to crack (there's an easy fix for it). The turbos need periodic turbo seal replacements (easy on FWD).

The AWD cars are more maintenance, for sure. Overall, I think a FWD 96-98 S70 or 850 is an awesome choice in the $2,500 range.
 
Originally Posted By: lairdwd
inflammatory comment removed

True story.

Had a customer come in for brake service on an older Saab 9000. The local part supplier didn't stock the rear brakes. I asked her if she could leave her car overnight because we wouldn't get the parts in until the first delivery of the morning.
"Why?"
I replied that sometimes some parts for Swedish cars aren't stocked at our supplier.
"Swedish? That car's not Swedish! That car's European! I'm taking my car to someone who know what they doing."
21.gif
I didn't even try to argue.

I've said it before and I will say it many more times. The Volvo 244 (w/composite headlamps) is one of the most beautiful and most reliable cars of all time (in my humble opinion)

The interior plastics may be similar to various German makes but the colors and designs are distinctly Scandanavian in genuine Saabs and Volvos. Particularly Volvos.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Originally Posted By: JOD
Man, there's so much information in this thread I don't know where to start... I do wonder besides a very few posters how many people have actually owned the cars they're badmouthing??

I had a 740 and two V70's. The 740 was easy to work on, but did require a little more care and feeding. It was also >200K when I bought it, and it's still going at >400K.

Most of my experience is with the FWD cars, and that's where the misinformation seems the strongest. The "Ford made the quality suck" thing is a ridiculous sentiment. Ford had almost no input into Volvo's engineering, manufacturing or production--outside of borrowing Volvo's engineering for it's own platforms. The cars were still made in Belgium and Sweden, still engineered there (for good or bad) and even the distribution network was basically unchanged. People commenting otherwise are simply ignorant.

They did go to electronic throttle in'99, which is one problem area. Besides that, the engine, transmissions and most of the electrical system (ABS modules aside) are extremely robust. There are a few common issues, with pretty simple fixes.

Overall, I found the FWD Volvos easy to work on for the most part, and extremely reliable. If you consider having to install new brake pads every two years or 50K miles a flaw, then you should buy something else--the car has a heavier rear brake bias, so it goes through pads faster than some. The door jamb at the driver's hinge is almost guaranteed to crack (there's an easy fix for it). The turbos need periodic turbo seal replacements (easy on FWD).

The AWD cars are more maintenance, for sure. Overall, I think a FWD 96-98 S70 or 850 is an awesome choice in the $2,500 range.


01.gif


I believe this literally couldn't have been said better.
 
Last edited:
There are very good Volvos, and extremely bad Volvos.

It seems like a lot of the older ones, especially RWD one owner cars, have the ability to last forever.

On the other hand, I've known a few people with late 90s Volvo sedans who HATED their cars with a passion. Apparently the cars were constantly in need of some kind of repair, and would often have the same issues over and over again. These were not dealer or indy shop serviced cars though, more like Midas, so maybe that played a role.
 
Hmm. . you didn't specify yr or model.

I have a 98 V70 T5 FWD wagon with 172,000mi on her. I bought it gently used from a dealer with 11,000 mi.

It would take a lot of time to outline everything I've done over the years. A lot depends on how well the car is cared for. I've done a lot of work on it myself, but I also have a good indy to back me up who knows Volvos. I take care of things when they come up.

My car has a distributor, wired throttle, and is the older body style. The newer cars are quite different, have throttle by wire, etc.

Annoyances: ABS controller, Emissions air pump, AC evaporator leak, Heater core leak, steering rack went out ~ 70kmi, alternator, radiator replaced, rear washer pump failed early, leather hasn't held up well (despite care), some annoying rattles, at times frustrating to work on.

Plus': very stable at speed, ~30mpg on freeway, comfortable on long trips, cargo capacity, handles well, turbo, Dynaudio speaker system, no auto trans problems, engine compression is still 175psi in all five cylinders, will carry 5 adults comfortably (I'm 6'4". My 6'8" friend even has room), AC blows ice cubes in hot, humid weather.

Note that the later S-series cars are a very different animal. So is the SUV. Very little in common with my 1998. I'd be hesitant to buy a 'newer' one without a thorough going over. Much more to go wrong and very crowded engine compartment.

I plan on keeping mine a very long time. It's a known quantity, and I'm satisfied with it.
 
The old RWD volvos were indestructible, but they are getting old now.

The newer ones are a lot more fun, especially the R versions, but they don't seem to be as solid.

I think for $2,500 it will be a challenge to find a reliable and safe car for a young driver, and the newer small ones may not be any safer than the Ford/Mazda/(suburu?) counterparts which might be less expensive for a similar platform.
 
My ($750) 850 wagon is awesome. Although, I did a ton of work on it that would have cost maybe $2500 at the shop (timing belt, heater core, stereo, brake pads, shocks, ignition components, and more - about $750 in parts). But now I have a cheap car that I feel is very reliable, I can drive two little kids and a dog around in it, and I like driving it. It has an impressive list of features too, sunroof, traction control, dual climate heating, heated seats...most of the stuff even works!
 
My experience with my daughter's '99 S70 is that if you're not mechanically inclined and have a code scanner handy, you'll either get used to the CEL being on, or you'll be at AutoZone or the shop having the codes pulled. So far, the car has been relatively dependable for 160K miles. The only major repair since we bought it for $2,300 with 120K on it was a AC compressor. However, it will throw a code for every little niggling emissions system hiccup, so a code scanner is essential.
 
I've owned a 1989 740 turbo wagon for almost 7yrs. The reputation "seems" to be Volvo's are durable but not reliable. Mine has been reliable, although I don't think I'd recommend it to others because of the high repair/parts cost. In my area (Vancouver BC), the used parts guys seem to think Volvo owners are an endless supply of cash - this can be overcome by good retailers like fcpgroton.com, but it's a pain. The bodies on the 740's are VERY well-built. Motors are basic and tough.

For $2,500 I'd be inclined to go for the mid-nineties 940 - they were a more refined 740 but still rear wheel drive. I don't have experience with front wheel drive.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top