2001 V70 2.4T Failed Massachusetts inspection for steering play

[chris11211]

I’m not quite so concerned. There is a lot of structural redundance built into a rack. Are you sure the wheel is being held tight while that play is being exercised? If I push pull on my tie rods on a P80 the steering wheel moves, that’s isn’t play

So my s60 has steering rack play for years. Apparently no one can align the car with the steering wheel straight, but if it's "aligned" to the computer then the car does drive straight but with a crooked wheel. Should i really bother changing it? Too much for a cheap car.

[vtl]

So my s60 has steering rack play for years. Apparently no one can align the car with the steering wheel straight, but if it's "aligned" to the computer then the car does drive straight but with a crooked wheel. Should i really bother changing it? Too much for a cheap car.

Yeah, that's why I went ahead and invested into a manual 4WD alignment rack (SharkEye). 15 minutes and it drives straight, with steering wheel straight.

[br0dy519]

It seems like the P2's had a near 100% failure rate on the steering rack. Is this common across other manufacturers?

[abscate]

After reading all this I am getting a little concerned about my older daughter. She lives in Boston (loves it), and based on my recommendation she just bought a super clean 03' V70 2.4T in December. A one owner car, purchased and serviced at Boston Village Volvo for most of it's life.

The car failed inspection due to worn tie rods. No big deal, I replaced them, and she just had the alignment done. Now she has to get the inspection done again.
I so hope this doesn't become a financial nightmare for her with these tough inspections. Are these good for one year only?

Thanks, Dirk

I kept Caitlin’s car registered in NY while she worked in MA and extended the inspection one year. Out of state plates aren’t too much of a hassle in MA. Let it run the course , and remember Dad shop is only two hours away!

[vtl]

It seems like the P2's had a near 100% failure rate on the steering rack. Is this common across other manufacturers?

I think all of them eventually wear steering racks out.

[volvolugnut]

Hum. Time to find an early, well kept P2 parts car for my future use?
volvolugnut

[vtl]

Hum. Time to find an early, well kept P2 parts car for my future use?
volvolugnut

Makes no sense.

I have half of XC70 leftovers from swapping the guts into the donor body. Doubt will ever use them. Had even more, but threw out most of if while we had a rented dumpster, after keeping it all in garage for 3 or 4 years.

Heck, I still have NEW parts for 2002 V70 and 2016 XC60 I sold long ago.

You never know what happens next in a year or two. Maybe it will be totaled by a smartphone zombie. Maybe you'll get weary of it falling apart constantly (it happens to all P2s I've owned or knew of). Maybe your interests shift 180 degrees, and a small road-only passenger car does not fit your new needs and wants.

Best you can do is save cash for your future needs, whatever they happen to be.

[volvolugnut]

vtl, see my fleet list below. I tend to have parts cars for all my vehicles. Volvos are rare in my local salvage yards when I need something. I also tend to keep my fleet on the road a decade or more and then park them. I also have lots of parking space.
The economics may not be sound, but it is my method. This will not work very well for most people.
volvolugnut

[prwood]

Update: I took the car down to our local trusted garage (not Volvo-specific, but generally trusted by everyone in the neighborhood for being honest, competent, and no-nonsense) to get a diagnosis and estimate for repairs. Their diagnosis was that the play is coming from within the steering rack and it needed to be replaced. Their estimate was $1,350.16: $568.23 for the part, $11.36 for shop supplies, $600 for 5 hours labor, $119.95 for alignment, $14.40 for hazmat, $36.22 tax.

I really don't feel like this is a job I want to do myself. I have done other long, complicated jobs, but most of them have not been under the car. It's also not an ideal time of year for working outdoors, considering I would need to get it fixed in the next 60 days.

Now I need to do a cost/benefit analysis of paying for the repair on this car versus ditching it and getting another used car. Overall it is a great car to drive and it runs relatively well for its age and for the amount of things I know should be fixed but haven't. I know it's going to need a new set of tires soon, and I also just discovered that the driver's side CV axle needs to be replaced. There's also some electrical gremlins that make the engine run rough in cold weather. I just don't know what else might fail in the next few years.

[vtl]

It takes less than 5 hours to DIY steering rack w/o car lift, but, anyways, this is not a dependable car in 2024.