2000 S80, Looking to buy

proracer · Post by **proracer** » 27 Nov 2010, 07:20

Hello everyone, I have a local used car dealer selling a 2000 S80 with 109K miles. The car is in good shape and runs well.

Are there any major concerns that I need to know about on this car?

Are the engines and transmissions as good as I have read about? How about the engine computer?

Thanks for any help that you can provide......

Jim

jimgrames62 · Post by **jimgrames62** » 27 Nov 2010, 08:36

as long as theres no check engine light or the dreaded orange triangle? get them to do a tranny and radiator flush and you should be good?

neworleans · Post by **neworleans** » 27 Nov 2010, 17:13

I am a 2000 S80 T6 driver and take advantage of my experience.

Before you buy it, either put it on the ramp and look under the car for any leaks or get it checked. There is a splash guard under the car 5 or 6 bolts (12mm) holding it, screw them off and check it out if everything is clean.

Check the ETM sticker right under manifold if it is yellow or white, if it is yellow you should be ok.

I have been driving my car for about 2 years and have had some troubles with it. Thankfully i Know a mechanic works at the volvo service they didn't cost me too much.

I would not recommend to buy this vehicle.
I think it is one of the most unreliable models of volvo, i hate to admit this being a volvo lover but it is what it is...
Get S60 with a newer model less than 80K mileage.

neworleans · Post by **neworleans** » 27 Nov 2010, 21:04

Also, make sure that the timing belt and pulleys have been replaced. They were due at 105K.
I bought mine at 116K, replaced radiator fan, air mess meter, rear cam seal, now transmission is leaking.
the rpm fluctuates at 2000 and no idea why it is doing it, could be the ETM.

dtropnevad05 · Post by **dtropnevad05** » 04 Dec 2010, 19:00

We have a 2001 S-80 got it for my Daughter to get her through 5 years collage. Had the timing belt, pulleys and water pump replaced new battery and other then the dreaded front end clunking it's been a great car. Not sure why the one poster says they have reliability issues but I have not seen it. She has been driving it for a little over a year now and it has not let her down and she has put about 20K on it. She did take out a wheel bearing (hit a curb) and that started the clunking noises in the front end. I can say with that many miles I would want the trans serviced, timing belt/water pump replaced and coolant flushed or about $1,500 knocked off the price min.

"Check the ETM sticker right under manifold if it is yellow or white, if it is yellow you should be ok." What do you mean be this? What would the color of the sticker mean?

Don

Post by **precopster** » 05 Dec 2010, 00:59

Take a look at www.carsurvey.org Then drill down for the Volvo S80 2000 reviews. Compare this with other models/makes.

They were formidable extremely well appointed cars with enough safety to ward off a herd of elephants, but they have their fair share of disappointed users.

They won a host of awards like The European Design Award in 1999 and others.

There is a 1999 model with 150K miles selling here in Melbourne (RHD) for starting bid $3,900...tempting.....

Post by **Matty Moo** » 09 Dec 2010, 19:49

dtropnevad05 wrote: Not sure why the one poster says they have reliability issues but I have not seen it.
Don

Because they do. Granted, you could get lucky, but for the most part they are extremely unreliable.

Post by **boosted5cyl** » 10 Dec 2010, 08:07

I'm renaming my '99 T6 "Medusa". I love the car, very comfortable and handles decent for its weight and class and the T6 offers good power along with driviability. This comes at the price, they are complicated. If your budget is for a '00 and dont plan doing repairs yourself this is probably not the car for you. Also, I wouldnt bother asking the dealer to do a tranny flush, they'll most likely put in the cheapest junk fluid they can find. Best to do it yourself or a mechanic you trust that knows Volvos. Timing belt is important and of course if/when it lets go its often terminal. The pulleys, water pump and tensioner dampener should be changed.

The ETM issues affect all\most volvos that have them of that era. Yellow sticker means it has been replaced as part of the recall. Its a flawed design and really magnetti marelli should be replacing them IMO, but thats another debate.Checkout the repair database and look for ETM stuff. Give it a good rev in P and see how the revs fall, if it fluctuates on the way down, the ETM might be on the way out.

You didnt mention if it was a T6 or not.. Ill relay my T6 "knowledge" anyway:
The transmission in the T6 is not suited to the torque that it puts out. They fail often and are expensive to repair, but what tranny isnt?. The tranny in the T6 It's a bastarized version of the tranny that you find in a '00 Impala with a 3800. The T6 puts out peak torque from 2000RPM up and its at the very limit of what this tranny was designed to take.
PCV system needs to be kept an eye on, again not exclusive to the S80 but another expense.
The S80 has something of the order of 20 computers, everything a controlled by a computer somewhere. Right down to the turn signal stalk and climate control. I speak computer, and even for me the S80 has more electronic wizardry that I would like. More computers makes makes troubleshooting more complex and also most likely added expense too.

The early S80s are a really nice but very quirky and the statistics reflect this. For sure get it up on a ramp as someone pointed out. You dont want to see any leaks because they can be more expensive to remedy than you might think. They often leak oil from the PCV oil trap. The replacement part is $7, but the labor might be as much as $300!

Any used car is a gamble and the S80 is a particulary risky one. Hedge your bet against its condition and history and ask yourself is the reward for the risk worth it? For me I think it is, but I reserve the right to change my stance