1999 S70 Did I just get ripped off?

jonk1086 · Post by **jonk1086** » 11 Feb 2015, 08:05

I just bought a 1999 Volvo S70 with 5-speed manual. It only had 70,000 kms (44,000 mi.) on it, and I paid $5,800 CAD ($4,640 USD).
Did I get ripped off with this deal? The car is like new.
Also, what are the common problem areas with this car?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 11 Feb 2015, 08:16

That is at the upper end of the price range but then again the mileage is exceedingly low. Is this a turbo?

As far as typical problems go the big one is the electronic throttle module but in your case the first thing I would do is to see if the timing belt has ever been changed. The car has not reached the service interval to change it in terms of miles (km) but it is well past due in terms of time. If the timing belt breaks it is a big deal.

...Lee

Post by **cn90** » 11 Feb 2015, 08:41

I'd pay the same $ amount for 5-sp and 44K miles vehicle.
So, in my opinion, you are OK.

However, as Ozark Lee said, do a search on ETM for your new toy.

Post by **rspi** » 11 Feb 2015, 08:52

jonk1086 · Post by **jonk1086** » 11 Feb 2015, 09:25

Ozark Lee wrote:That is at the upper end of the price range but then again the mileage is exceedingly low. Is this a turbo?

As far as typical problems go the big one is the electronic throttle module but in your case the first thing I would do is to see if the timing belt has ever been changed. The car has not reached the service interval to change it in terms of miles (km) but it is well past due in terms of time. If the timing belt breaks it is a big deal.

...Lee

No, it's not a turbo. 5-speed manual, heated leather, dual climate control, sunroof....accident free. 70 yr old man drove it from new till now, so its been babied.

Post by **850 LPT** » 11 Feb 2015, 12:02

Congrats on your purchase, what a find.

As mentioned above, if the timing belt has never been replaced, put that on top of your list.

Post by **rspi** » 11 Feb 2015, 13:53

I really don't like those cars, low mileage gently driven. Run some fuel injector cleaner through the.gas tank ASAP.

Post by **matthew1** » 11 Feb 2015, 14:50

Ok price. Very rare car with those miles.

configsys · Post by **configsys** » 11 Feb 2015, 15:48

Why do you think you got ripped off, are you regretting your purchase? The price sounds reasonable considering the mileage. If it brings a smile to your face when you drive it, then it was worth it.

Post by **northernlights** » 11 Feb 2015, 15:50

jonk1086 wrote:I just bought a 1999 Volvo S70 with 5-speed manual. It only had 70,000 kms (44,000 mi.) on it, and I paid $5,800 CAD ($4,640 USD).
Did I get ripped off with this deal? The car is like new.
Also, what are the common problem areas with this car?

MSRP on that car was probably $28k USD, and those did not seem to be made up numbers, at least on the 850's, i.e. you got something for your money.

To me that seems like a decent price for a low mileage clean car. Think about how much less car you would get if you spent $2000 on a S70. It doesn't scale.

My main concern on a car like that would be if the coolant was not changed on some regular basis, and to a lesser degree the brake fluid. Leaving old coolant in an engine indefinitely is bad, and can cause all sorts of future corrosion and chemical attack issues on hard and soft parts alike.

There are so many types of coolant out there that using the OEM spec (Glysantin G48 on the 850's!) seems wise unless one has unusual experience with coolant, like working for BASF or writing a thesis.