Looking to buy used?
Another informative group of tips and items to check when buying a late 1990s or 2000 model year Volvo V70 or XC70. What to look for with the AWD system, the engine, fluids and service records.
What to Look For When Buying a Volvo V70 or XC70
FlyingVolvo » You’re going to want to take a look at the full service records. I hope they’re available!
These cars can be great, but things do go wrong, and it is very expensive to go to the dealer. Thankfully these forums help with that! Anyway…
-Timing belt + tensioner should have been done at 105K or so. Make sure that the belt was replaced along with the tensioner.
-The AWD system is a weak point on this car. At some point the bevel gear and/or drive shaft may/will fail and those are extremely expensive to fix. Most people (myself included) opt to just remove the drive shaft and run the car FWD only. Saves a few MPG and no more worries about broken AWD parts.
-This car is equipped with an ETM (Electronic Throttle Module) which can be prone to failure. It will cause the car to stall, run erratically, and go into “limp mode”. Take a look under the hood. Find the intake manifold (silver aluminum looking thing with 5 air intake pipes) and look under it from the front of the car. You should be able to see a little box. On that box there will be a sticker, either white or yellow. White means it is original to the car and its useful life may be running out. A yellow sticker means it has been replaced at some point (service records should help), and you will not have to worry for a while.
-After a test drive, with the engine fully warm, go pull out the oil dipstick (while the engine is running, in Park) and look for any smoke coming out. A common issue with these cars is the PCV system getting clogged. Leaving it be like that will eventually blow out all the engine seals. It is a tedious task to replace it yourself, but not too bad. I did it as well as many others, and there are some great write-ups here.
-The transmission in that car is very solid. But having the fluid changed is still very important. If you can’t find any evidence of service, I might skip on the car altogether. If it has been done, plan on doing some drain & fills when you get it.
If you can take it for a drive and note any weird sounds or behaviors. Post them back here and we can certainly help to diagnose! I have a 2000 V70XC and I love it (my first car and all…). Since getting it at 120K, I’ve been doing near-constant repairs. However, they have cost very little because I found this amazing website.
About to buy used 2000 V70 w/148K miles–what to ask
Last Updated on May 1, 2022
