what to look for when purchasing a used Volvo

terry007 · Post by **terry007** » 06 Apr 2009, 22:33

thank you so much
so an s70 or v70 99-00 and deal with the ETM
any thing else i should be aware of?
OR
buy 02 s60 or v70
these are ok ?
i was told by many that the s60 or s80 is not a good buy?

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 07 Apr 2009, 04:40

I would avoid the S80 until '03 or '04. The S60 should be fine.
Unless you really need it, stay away from the AWD's on any car until '03-'04. They were problematic unless meticulously maintained.

terry007 · Post by **terry007** » 07 Apr 2009, 10:22

thank you
thats a lot of cars to stay away from...
you guys said
no 99-01 s70 and v70
no s80 01--03
no s60 01
i thought Volvos were built like tanks what happened.I remember my dad saying they were the best cars in the world.. that was hum! 20 years ago

dan2286 · Post by **dan2286** » 07 Apr 2009, 14:08

terry007 wrote:i thought Volvos were built like tanks what happened.I remember my dad saying they were the best cars in the world.. that was hum! 20 years ago

Car companies seem to be cheaping out on a lot of things these days. Sometimes it seems like they dont want cars to make it to 200,000 miles without tons of repairs so people will buy new cars quicker. I thought Toyota was supposed to be reliable, but I just heard of someone who had the rear end blow out in less than 30,000 miles with normal driving. G.M. got rid of the extremely reliable 3800, Jeep no longer has the bullet proof 4.0 straight 6 engine, it even seems like Honda has been going to different engines in the new cars. I think its getting harder and harder to find any car that is built like a tank anymore, I think I will stay with the older cars.

C@lvin · Post by **C@lvin** » 07 Apr 2009, 14:57

I would avoid the S80 until '03 or '04. The S60 should be fine.
Unless you really need it, stay away from the AWD's on any car until '03-'04. They were problematic unless meticulously maintained.

Per quote from MIJ above, I agree with him. This still leaves a lot of good choices of used Volvos. Look at what MIJ lists as his "fleet". Last year I think it was, the S60 made it on Consumer Reports "best bets" in used cars list. In spite of the warnings above, you will find numerous happy owners of most all the Volvos (except maybe 99 and 00 S80s)

Volvos are solid and safe. Look them up on crashtest.com.

All newer cars from all makes are not going to feel or be as solid as older cars but in general will be safer. Everything's a trade off. More electronics allows safety features like Air Bags, ABS, Traction Control, Stability Control, etc., while the trade off is you have more things to break. Less solid, but carefully engineered crumple zones lead to more passenger safety but "feel" less solidly built and more likely that cars will be totaled in a crash.

Volvo remains at the front of the pack when it comes to safety. Two things that contribute significantly to safety that are present in newer Volvos are stability control and side air curtains. If I remember correctly, side air curtains are standard equipment on all 2001 and later Volvos.

Any car is going to be expensive to maintain when you have to pay someone to do the work. Of course Toyota and Honda cars are relatively more reliable. My wife's 00 Honda Odsyssey (162K) has been rock solid reliable and inexpensive to maintain UNTIL the transmission died.

I encourage you to continue to consider a Volvo.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 07 Apr 2009, 15:22

I have been staying out of this since all of my cars are older than the vehicles being considered. That said, no matter what car you decide on, service records are a critical part of the purchasing decision. Properly serviced these cars will run forever, with neglected service they will drain your wallet in a nanosecond.

my 2¢,

...Lee

Post by **matthew1** » 07 Apr 2009, 15:48

I can't leave this thread alone! I keep reading all the very insightful comments, and I have to add one more thing: despite the Vast Cornucopia of Volvo Knowledge & Help™ you'll find here, if Reliability is #1, the average Toyota/Honda is going to be more reliable than the average Volvo.

Buy 100 Toyotas and buy 100 Volvos, I betcha the Toyotas are going to have fewer problems, in aggregate.

Now choosing the right sample (any one specific car) can bend those odds into Volvo's favor, certainly. Do your homework (you are, since you're here asking), choose wisely (maint. records like Lee said), and follow our advice post-purchase, and maybe the reliability will be better than a Toyota.

Post by **confused_al** » 07 Apr 2009, 15:54

In the state of New Jersey, all the Volvo dealers (stealers) charge $125/hr labor, as compare to Mercedes($110/hr) and Toyota($105/hr). I dont know how much you need pay yours but labor aint cheap for Volvo's!

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 07 Apr 2009, 16:38

I dont know how much you need pay yours but labor aint cheap for Volvo's!

$41.37 per 1.75 liters + Band Aids.

...Lee

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 07 Apr 2009, 17:12

Exactly!
Labor is dirt cheap if you read what is in this forum and learn to do the work yourself. Actually, working on a Volvo is fairly simple...well at least for those models that aren't the latest.

what to look for when purchasing a used Volvo

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