What to look for in a second hand V70

[alilkkanyil]

I recently had my car break down and I don't have that many second-hand dealers here. Craigslist or online sources of people selling their own cars are not very reliable here and I came across 2 Volvos here that seemed good enough. I never had a Volvo before so I was hoping this forum would be a good place to learn. What should I look for in a 2003 V70? Is it worth getting? It has 130.000 miles on it but the dealer claims they give warranty and all the scheduled maintenance has been done with the paperwork. Is it worth it? It's priced at 2350 USD. Would it be a better option than a 2007 S80 with 190k miles on it?

[Georgeandkira]

Either vehicle could be good or bad. Surely a V70 (capacious wagon) and an S80 (posh sedan) differ fundamentally.
Pick-up truck vs. a Smart Car....slight exaggeration.

Which of these are turbocharged? Maybe all S80's are turbo. I don't know.

Trusting a dealer is a biggie. The '03's maint. would have to include the timing belt due to time and miles.

The shockers are likely originals.

See if the brakes have been turned to look new or replaced.

Get the transmission fully warmed up and feel for choppy shifting or "double bumping" into D from P or N. Fluid maintenance has been known to work wonders. However, there are times when "the damage has been done".

Work the bright lights several times (cold then warmed up) and see if the blue icon comes up. No blue "brights" light likely means the DIM (cluster) is on the road to needing service.

See if the hand-brake holds.

Check for smooth idle.

A/C works? Feel for strong blowing to indicated the CAF is not clogged.

Power steering should be solid and smooth. Quivering / balky steering is a NOGO.

If you can handle a little catch-up maint. a rattle or two from the front end mightn't be a hugely bad thing.

When you first turn the ignition on make sure you see the CEL light. Foiling the CEL isn't as far fetched as you might think.

If the dealer is the type who installs new tires see if they're at least average. Most turbocharged cars should have V rated tires. Those tend to be better tires.

Where in the "USA" are you? We like to adjust our help climatologically.

[Rattnalle]

I'd start with: Do you need a wagon? If not the S80 has a posher and more comfortable interior - quieter too.

Personally I'd go for a newer car with more miles on it as a general rule but both cars are old enough for the specifics of each car to be more important.

A 2003 without turbo should still have the old ETM that's likely to wear out if it hasn't been changed. Other than that the front suspension has some bits that like to rattle but are quite easy to fix. Volvos insistence that the transmission is filled for life certainly doesn't help there so check whether it's been flushed or make sure it drives well then flush it. Check the PCV with a glove both on the filler cap and the dip stick.

[alilkkanyil]

I'd start with: Do you need a wagon? If not the S80 has a posher and more comfortable interior - quieter too.

Personally I'd go for a newer car with more miles on it as a general rule but both cars are old enough for the specifics of each car to be more important.

A 2003 without turbo should still have the old ETM that's likely to wear out if it hasn't been changed. Other than that the front suspension has some bits that like to rattle but are quite easy to fix. Volvos insistence that the transmission is filled for life certainly doesn't help there so check whether it's been flushed or make sure it drives well then flush it. Check the PCV with a glove both on the filler cap and the dip stick.

I thought about S80 but S80 is from owner, not a dealer and it's priced pretty cheap for it's age and claimed state. I can't shake the feeling that there's something off with it, I made a thread about what to look for on a S80 as well so I'll be checking out both of them soon. Thank you for the suggestion!!

[alilkkanyil]

Either vehicle could be good or bad. Surely a V70 (capacious wagon) and an S80 (posh sedan) differ fundamentally.
Pick-up truck vs. a Smart Car....slight exaggeration.

Which of these are turbocharged? Maybe all S80's are turbo. I don't know.

Trusting a dealer is a biggie. The '03's maint. would have to include the timing belt due to time and miles.

The shockers are likely originals.

See if the brakes have been turned to look new or replaced.

Get the transmission fully warmed up and feel for choppy shifting or "double bumping" into D from P or N. Fluid maintenance has been known to work wonders. However, there are times when "the damage has been done".

Work the bright lights several times (cold then warmed up) and see if the blue icon comes up. No blue "brights" light likely means the DIM (cluster) is on the road to needing service.

See if the hand-brake holds.

Check for smooth idle.

A/C works? Feel for strong blowing to indicated the CAF is not clogged.

Power steering should be solid and smooth. Quivering / balky steering is a NOGO.

If you can handle a little catch-up maint. a rattle or two from the front end mightn't be a hugely bad thing.

When you first turn the ignition on make sure you see the CEL light. Foiling the CEL isn't as far fetched as you might think.

If the dealer is the type who installs new tires see if they're at least average. Most turbocharged cars should have V rated tires. Those tend to be better tires.

Where in the "USA" are you? We like to adjust our help climatologically.

I'm in the south, Alabama. It's gets pretty hot and humid here. Thank you for all the tips and info, I'll make sure to check them! I've made a post asking what to look for on a S80 as well, S80 is turbocharged. I'm a student and I also do uber driving so something that'd get me to classes and has 4 doors, that won't break easily is what I'm looking for so I don't mind the car being a sedan or a wagon too much, although the S80 is newer and I'd rather if it was that. But as I said on my previous comment, S80 I found is priced pretty low for it's age so I get the feeling it has something wrong with it. I'll be seeing that one tomorrow, and I wanted to know about the V70 as a plan B if I end up being correct.

[Rattnalle]

I'd start with: Do you need a wagon? If not the S80 has a posher and more comfortable interior - quieter too.

Personally I'd go for a newer car with more miles on it as a general rule but both cars are old enough for the specifics of each car to be more important.

A 2003 without turbo should still have the old ETM that's likely to wear out if it hasn't been changed. Other than that the front suspension has some bits that like to rattle but are quite easy to fix. Volvos insistence that the transmission is filled for life certainly doesn't help there so check whether it's been flushed or make sure it drives well then flush it. Check the PCV with a glove both on the filler cap and the dip stick.

I thought about S80 but S80 is from owner, not a dealer and it's priced pretty cheap for it's age and claimed state. I can't shake the feeling that there's something off with it, I made a thread about what to look for on a S80 as well so I'll be checking out both of them soon. Thank you for the suggestion!!

Is the S80 the 2nd generation S80? If so it's not quite as posh as the old one unfortunately - the new one is more similar to a same generation V70 while the old one is quite different interior wise compared to a V70. Still a solid car though and especially the chassis is improved when it comes to durability and likelyhood of rattling suspension components. I'd check the S80 out to see if it's a good deal or not, perhaps try to get an independent look at it from someone if you're unsure. It's a ten year newer design after all.

[alilkkanyil]

I'd start with: Do you need a wagon? If not the S80 has a posher and more comfortable interior - quieter too.

Personally I'd go for a newer car with more miles on it as a general rule but both cars are old enough for the specifics of each car to be more important.

A 2003 without turbo should still have the old ETM that's likely to wear out if it hasn't been changed. Other than that the front suspension has some bits that like to rattle but are quite easy to fix. Volvos insistence that the transmission is filled for life certainly doesn't help there so check whether it's been flushed or make sure it drives well then flush it. Check the PCV with a glove both on the filler cap and the dip stick.

I thought about S80 but S80 is from owner, not a dealer and it's priced pretty cheap for it's age and claimed state. I can't shake the feeling that there's something off with it, I made a thread about what to look for on a S80 as well so I'll be checking out both of them soon. Thank you for the suggestion!!

Is the S80 the 2nd generation S80? If so it's not quite as posh as the old one unfortunately - the new one is more similar to a same generation V70 while the old one is quite different interior wise compared to a V70. Still a solid car though and especially the chassis is improved when it comes to durability and likelyhood of rattling suspension components. I'd check the S80 out to see if it's a good deal or not, perhaps try to get an independent look at it from someone if you're unsure. It's a ten year newer design after all.

I'm not sure about the generations of Volvos, never had one so I'll have to check with the owner tomorrow. I know that it's a 2007 3.2 S80 though, if that helps. The V70 is 2003 model though so there's a good age difference between them, so if it's in good condition, I'll be going for the S80

[abscate]

Doesn't Uber cut you off at 2005? Or is that regional ?

[cn90]

- 2007 S80 is probably 3.2L Ford engine, stay away from it, search "R.E.E.D." issues.

- The V70 platform, stick to 2.5T but early models such as 2001, 2002, ? 2003 have ETM issue.
Your best bet is 2004-2006 V70 2.5T.

- Of course do a PPI and check the records. If you can find one with 100K, then it is better than 130K.

- Don't overlook autotrader dot com etc.

[abscate]

The 2003 will have a Bosch throttle body. It’s solid