[Jagtec1]

I am considering buying a V70 (98-04) FWD. I don't need my Avalanche any longer, but would like a wagon that will seat 7. I am not interested in AWD.

Anyone own a Volvo?? What do you like/dislike about it? Problem areas? Are they decent cars??

Thanks!!

[69f bird]

Darin,

Give me a call on my cell. I bought a 2000 V70-XC for Benjamin for his 16th birthday. He still has it.

Shelly

[Rustie]

KYFlier here on the board works at a Volve dealership. He could answer a BUNCH about them.

[Bjorn]

My dad was the original Volvo distributor in the US...I`ve owned a bunch of them and also ran his dealership 83-90....owned quite a few over the years, new and used....currently I drive a 2000 C70....love it!
my daughter loves her S40

[Old Blue 66]

First off.....I just got rid of an 01 S60 2.4t which like the V70 is considered a P2 car. The V7 and the S60 are made on the same platform and share quite bit.

Transmissions are junk. Nothing but trouble from the one I had and I even paid for software upgrades that the dealer even admitted should have been a Volvo recall. The trans still didn't feel right after $250. Many Volvos suffer from trans problems.

I wont go into the long laundry list, but I had many problems with this car right when it hit 100K. At 122k I spent at least $2000 in repairs (about a year for me) and the ice breaker was the ABS control module leaking brake fluid ($1000) and found the rack leaking in two places (more than likely $2000 to replace). At that point I gave up realizing the carwas beyond repair and bought something more mainstream.

Volvos of today are not what they were years ago. Reliability is poor. Too many "Volvo only" parts which means trips to the dealer anf big bucks.

Heres the best forum on the web.

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...754a66b8b027a7

I simply would recomend that you look at another car.

Ive talked with KYFlier and he's a very knowledgeable guy even though he lives in Canada. He helped me with one of the many check engine light problems I had.

[NoMoCEO]

7 Passenger in a V70 is tough. You will need to find one with a third row seat, which is very small and faces rearward, Foot room is limited to the depth of the little under floor storage area.

[Jagtec1]

Originally Posted by NoMoCEO

7 Passenger in a V70 is tough. You will need to find one with a third row seat, which is very small and faces rearward, Foot room is limited to the depth of the little under floor storage area.

Yup, I know....just need it to cart the occasional extra kids around.

[Al T.]

We had a 99 XC70. Car drove nice and had good power with the 5 cylinder turbo........... but..........the electrical issues drove me insane. Eventually sold it for a song. If you search the web, the electrical issues are fairly well documented. That and replacing the sending unit in the fuel tank required about 10 hours labor as the rear diff needed to be dropped to get the tank out that straddled the driveshaft.... but you wouldn't have that probelm with a FWD. As stated previoulsy though, I'd look for a different car.

[Coach]

I just bought my youngest son a '94(?) Turbo Volvo wagon and I have to admit I am really, really impressed with it. It has over 180k miles and EVERYTHING still works on it, the sun roof does not leak, and there isn't a spot of rust to be found.

I have only owned a couple of foreign cars in my life and have not been impressed with any of them ( ok, the '59 TR3A was cool as was the '54 Austin Healey ). But this Volvo surprised me enough that I will look at a new one whenever my wife is ready to move out of her Bonny.

The only downside is I was told that I really do need to go to a dealer for a major tuneup. I was told that the software and tools are propriatary and most ( all ) non-dealer shops do not have access to it. ( Anyone know for fact on this one? )

Good luck, -Harry

PS: I would love to buy your Avalanche, just don't have the dough at the moment. It is my next vehical.

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by Coach

I just bought my youngest son a '94(?) Turbo Volvo wagon and I have to admit I am really, really impressed with it. It has over 180k miles and EVERYTHING still works on it, the sun roof does not leak, and there isn't a spot of rust to be found.

I have only owned a couple of foreign cars in my life and have not been impressed with any of them ( ok, the '59 TR3A was cool as was the '54 Austin Healey ). But this Volvo surprised me enough that I will look at a new one whenever my wife is ready to move out of her Bonny.

The only downside is I was told that I really do need to go to a dealer for a major tuneup. I was told that the software and tools are propriatary and most ( all ) non-dealer shops do not have access to it. ( Anyone know for fact on this one? )

Good luck, -Harry

PS: I would love to buy your Avalanche, just don't have the dough at the moment. It is my next vehical.

Another well documented issue with Volvo's. Too many dealer only items.

[Jagtec1]

A buddy of mine is a tech at a local Volvo dealer. Just wanted to see what people had to say that were owners. Keep em coming!

[71GP76TA]

I have an '01 V70-T5 with 91,000 milesthat I purchased for my car lot. The car had a known hard shifting when I purchased the car. I have since installed a reman valve body and the problem is better but still present. Another guy I talked to said that the case may be worn... which is somewhat of a common problem according to him. I am leary of installing a used trans as the ones availible to me have about the same mileage. I will probably end up sending it to the wholesale dealers auction.

[Bjorn]

Originally Posted by Coach

I just bought my youngest son a '94(?) Turbo Volvo wagon and I have to admit I am really, really impressed with it. It has over 180k miles and EVERYTHING still works on it, the sun roof does not leak, and there isn't a spot of rust to be found.

I have only owned a couple of foreign cars in my life and have not been impressed with any of them ( ok, the '59 TR3A was cool as was the '54 Austin Healey ). But this Volvo surprised me enough that I will look at a new one whenever my wife is ready to move out of her Bonny.

The only downside is I was told that I really do need to go to a dealer for a major tuneup. I was told that the software and tools are propriatary and most ( all ) non-dealer shops do not have access to it. ( Anyone know for fact on this one? )

Good luck, -Harry

PS: I would love to buy your Avalanche, just don't have the dough at the moment. It is my next vehical.

no, other shops can do major tune ups....I havent been to a dealership since I ran one 20 yrs ago.
My buddy who used to work for me when I was a Volvo dealer ,now has his own shop, his nephew has another....yes, you can access it..I heard him saying he would call up and they would hook up over his computer to get the software...not sure if they bought it or just accessed it though.

so far , I have only owned Volvos since 1972 and if I can help it I wont buy anything else for a driver...had a Ford Taunus in Europe for a year in 77, two Oldsmobiles,that 94 Eldorado for 4 yrs it was a nice car ,but had more problems , like head bolts pulling out and over heat.....I dont even know how many Volvos I have had, but I bet the 2000 C70 I drive now (it has 97,000 on it) wont be my last.


and...if you talk to mechanics , of any brand they can tell you bad stories , most mechanics only see the bad ones....the good ones dont come in for much service except for oil changes....I bought this one used ( I never buy new cars!) at 61,000 mi....have not had any problems with the exception of a cracked rim after I hit a pothole and a front strut bumper stop...and I drive my cars the way the Volvo ads read in the 60s`..."drive it like you hate it"!

[rcrahn]

Jagtec,
Surely there is a Volvo forum that will provide the information you're looking for on the V70.
I had 2 Volvo 850 wagons, a 1994 (purchased brand new) and a 1997. The '94 was fine for 5 years and I sold it before going overseas. The '97 I purchased when I returned.
Performing all the scheduled maintenance was pricey, even at an independent shop.
One event changed my mind forever against Volvo. Driving back from Santa Barbara on the Cuesta grade North (steep 7% grade from SLO to Atascadero) the car overheated, belched coolant all over the road. I ended up having to leave it a Volvo Dealer in SLO and renting a car (Lincoln towncar) to get home. The repair bill came to $800 for installing some funky plastic water fitting located in the firewall behind the engine. The dealer screwed me despite my complaint about the high cost. I even later wrote a letter the the President of Volvo North America located in NJ. His admin sent me a reply, saying basically too bad, they have no control over dealers. I reviewed it with my local mechanic and he agreed I had been gouged.
I later traded that 850 in for a 2004 Toyota Rav4 for my daugther. BTW, she has driven it ~70K miles without a single problem.
Lastly, Jagtec, are you aware that Volvo was recently purchased by the Chinese? Yep, the Chinese company is named Geely, which in mandarin means lucky. So, to borrow a dirty Harry line, do you feel lucky????

[Jagtec1]

I am aware that Volvo was recently sold to a Chinese company. That fact has little impact on my decision to look for an early 2000's model.

I will be doing the maintenance, as I am a technician for a living, so no issue with cost there.

Sorry you had such a bad experience at that Volvo dealer.....sounds like they hosed you. It happens along all car lines, sadly.

[Bjorn]

but ,if you want a SAFE car , as in an accident ,Volvo is the one to have...cant even tell you all the stories....

heres one
Volvo wagon rolled 4 turns off the I10 outside Columbus Tx, 5 people inside, nobody hurt...they came to our dealership for estimates at body shop...woman readin book in front seat, a 18 mo baby in baby seat in the middle in the rear...car was totalled, nobody hurt, not a scratch.

[Hurst65]

I have a '99 V70 GLT and I like it a lot. I've had it about 5 yrs now and it's approaching 145k miles. The only real problem I've had out of it was the ABS module. The dealer will try to sell you a new one for major $$$ but, a good Volvo shop can repair them for a lot less. Other than that it's just been routine MX... pads, discs, oil changes, filter changes, the tail gate struts, shocks/struts, and spring seats, etc. I try to do most of the work myself so, that helps.
I think the best advice I can give to anyone with a Volvo or thinking about a Volvo is - to find a good shop that specializes in Volvo's. Avoid the dealer at all cost!!

As far as seating for 7 - maybe if they are little kidos. If they are bigger kids, proly not.. I like it because it's a solid safe feeling car. Something to think about with kids..

I don't have kids so, I don't have to worry about that. I just use it as a daily driver and parts chaser. I've had a complete Pontiac V8 (in pieces) in the back of it before and it drove fine. You'd be suprised what you can fit in the back of one.

Plus, it's no slouch either. It shifts into high gear, with the pedal on the carpet, at 120. I let off at 130 and it was still pulling! No ****!

The V70 T5's are even quicker.

[bradkline]

We have owned six Volvos over the years and own four of them presently. A '96 850 GLT with 125M, a 1998 V70 with 148M, a 2003 S80 with 54M and a 2008 C30 with 11M. My other two had over 200M on the clock and have had very few problems with any of them.

The most important thing above all with these cars is they do not tolerate ignored maintenance. If you want to own a car you can neglect (but boring too) choose a Camry.... My cars all get regular oil changes with full synthetic oil and regular tuneups and filter changes at the prescribed intervals. The majority of the transmission issues are the result of not changing the fluid regularly. Volvo doesn't help things by telling owners the trans fluid is good for the life of the vehicle. This is nonsense.
A few of the years did have ECM and other electrical problems and quite frankly there are a few model years of certain models you want to stay away from. For example the early S 80's while beautiful cars had many new model bugs and threatened to put their owners in the poorhouse. The 1999 through about 2001 for this model was dismal in terms of problems however as Volvo worked out the problems these units got better. Matthews Volvos site as mentioned earlier is an excellent resource that I have used many times.
Another very important step is to find a good independent that knows how to repair Volvos. I have a gem of a person that does the other work on these cars and beside being cheaper than the dealership seems to also understand the soul of these vehicles

I like the safety and the features of these cars. My sister-in-law as well as four of her family members are alive today because of a Volvo that protected them in a head on collision where the two people in the other vehicle lost their lives. The Doctor that treated her family at the time wanted to know what vehicle they were driving that saved their lives. Upon seeing the crash pics indicated he planned to purchase a Volvo for his family.

Brad Kline

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by bradkline

We have owned six Volvos over the years and own four of them presently. A '96 850 GLT with 125M, a 1998 V70 with 148M, a 2003 S80 with 54M and a 2008 C30 with 11M. My other two had over 200M on the clock and have had very few problems with any of them.

The most important thing above all with these cars is they do not tolerate ignored maintenance. If you want to own a car you can neglect (but boring too) choose a Camry.... My cars all get regular oil changes with full synthetic oil and regular tuneups and filter changes at the prescribed intervals. The majority of the transmission issues are the result of not changing the fluid regularly. Volvo doesn't help things by telling owners the trans fluid is good for the life of the vehicle. This is nonsense.
A few of the years did have ECM and other electrical problems and quite frankly there are a few model years of certain models you want to stay away from. For example the early S 80's while beautiful cars had many new model bugs and threatened to put their owners in the poorhouse. The 1999 through about 2001 for this model was dismal in terms of problems however as Volvo worked out the problems these units got better. Matthews Volvos site as mentioned earlier is an excellent resource that I have used many times.
Another very important step is to find a good independent that knows how to repair Volvos. I have a gem of a person that does the other work on these cars and beside being cheaper than the dealership seems to also understand the soul of these vehicles

I like the safety and the features of these cars. My sister-in-law as well as four of her family members are alive today because of a Volvo that protected them in a head on collision where the two people in the other vehicle lost their lives. The Doctor that treated her family at the time wanted to know what vehicle they were driving that saved their lives. Upon seeing the crash pics indicated he planned to purchase a Volvo for his family.

Brad Kline

And your slamming a Camry? Either way you look at it, these cars are expensive to own in maintenance and the repairs. Been there done that. That car cost me a fortune and was deemed DOA at 120K.

Ive been there withe the dumb ass dealers who tell you that the trans fluid is life time for the car. Complete BS. But they will be happy to charge you $200 for a trans software upgrade that will be a temp fix before the trans fails because you listened to them and didn't change the Mobil 3099 ATF at $8 per qt.

My Camry, which you deemed as boring (you obviously don't know the whole Camry line) has a well documented reliability history and well known to be as trouble free as a car can get. The Volvo on the other hand has the exact opposite and is well documented on Mathews site as unreliable.

Ill use the money I would have spent on repairs on the Volvo and take a really nice vacation.

[Cobrabill]

THere is a Volvo boneyard here in Tucson called the "ReVolvestore".