Learning's from trying to buy an XC90

[cn90]

I have a 2005 XC90 2.5T with about 110,000 miles and I like the ride, coming from a 1998 S70 etc.

- Tires are tires, every car needs new tires every ___ miles
- Weeping RMS, clean the are and check it again after 500-1000 miles.
- The PCV pipe from the oil trap to top of engine: this part costs about $20 (Volvo switched back from plastic to rubber). I posted a quick DIY in forum, no need to remove manifold. Just reach your hand in there and replace it.

- Missing service info for the last 20K miles is really not a big deal, as long as you catch up with it.
- I bought this car at 80K miles, now it is at 110K miles.
- With some care and preventive maintenance, this 2.5T car will get you to 200K miles. Since you come from Volvo 850, fixing the XC90 2.5T is not that different.

- For this particular car, I think CAD $6000 is fair price.

[oragex]

- Missing service info for the last 20K miles is really not a big deal, as long as you catch up with it.

That is where you'd want to be careful. I too got mine with the last two years without service papers - the seller had the car for two years. Turns out, the guy didn't replace the oil filter during this period, surely because his garage didn't had the filter key. I had issues with gummed up piston rings and hydraulic lifters. The first owner had the car serviced at Volvo, while the 2nd owner - the seller - didn't put any money on it.

Most of these cars are sold by the first owner at the 100k mark before the timing belt. Then the second or third owner go from there: that's exactly the period where most attention must be paid because that's when all suspension parts, PCV, belts and pulleys need replaced. If the 2nd and/or 3rd owner show paperwork with parts being replaced with Volvo/Lemforder/Sachs components, it becomes an attractive purchase. If there is lack of papers or no repairs during this period, I'd skip that sale.

[scot850]

And that is the problem I find with not just XC90's but all Volvos around here. Perhaps the first owner cares for them, but any subsequent owners don't care. Volvos can drive with a multitude of issues and because they do people keep driving them and by the time I look at them they are beyond financial suicide. Volvo here recommend a timing belt change at 72,000km for the first one and then every 8 years or 170,000km beyond that. Many are passed that first one and at or well passed the 2nd one. No transmission changes get done, and in the case of the 06 2.5T the first owner serviced it at the dealer but sold it to an unsuspecting 2nd owner forgetting to mention the rod knock in the engine. I fins many first owners sell the cars once they get a warning from the dealer about pending larger repairs and they make it into the 2nd hand market with the repairs declined. I looked at a V8 a while back at the dealer before they inspected it. The sales guys did not see the last service report high-lighting an RMS leak, a failing starter motor and I can't recall what the other issue was (it might of been leaking oil from up the top of the engine which ran down into the starter), but big $$$$ in repairs and it only had 110,000km on it. They did not retail is funnily enough!

The dealers here (sorry if I have gone over this before) have the craziest/stupidest sales process. They advertise a vehicle before they have looked at the records or have even cleaned it (I'm ok with the non-cleaning as you see how it has been cared for) or had it inspected. I have been to see 3 now and none ended up being retailed due to too many repairs needed. All had dealer histories!

I'm beginning to think maybe of looking at a Toyota 4Runner instead!

Well thanks again for the advice and encouragement guys. Now off to swap the weeping axle seal on the V70 base.

Neil.

[cn90]

Don't lose your patience. If you wait long enough, there will be a decent XC90 2.5T coming along.
Or go to the US and look for decent one with low mileage and bring it back to Canada.

You can try autotrader.com.

[scot850]

I am not really in a rush, but I'm not also the most patient person either. There are possible cars out there, but typically the best ones seem to come up in Edmonton about 200 miles north of here. Here in Calgary it seems to be mostly junk. The other more minor issue is that recently if you want an XC90 it has to be black. Dealer in town has 2 (over-priced) examples, 3 came op for sale, all black, and the Edmonton dealer also has one in (you guessed it) black! I'm not a fan of black as around here black cars are always looking dirty. I would like any other color (2 nice red ones in Edmonton) but at the moment the ones for sale are ropey old things.

I'll keep looking for a while longer.

Neil.

[scot850]

Well, still been looking but all that are coming up are crap or low miles 03-04 T6 models or beige interiors. I thought I had found one up at the Volvo dealer in Edmonton. Only had 94,000km on it and an 06 XC90 2.5T AWD. Black (seems that is the only color available here). They were checking it over and found a crack in cylinder #3. Never heard of that on a 5 cylinder engine, and apparently neither had Volvo. They told the dealer to pull the motor and ship it back. They then decided to fit a used engine from a 07 S60 2.5T AWD. Engine had more K's on it at 133,000km but was supposed to be a good known engine. For some reason they did not complete the inspection, and fitted the engine (eventually) to find it leaking oil from somewhere they couldn't find. They then pushed the car to the side due to 'Winter tire season' starting. I kept in touch with the sales guy every week and he kept saying they had not got back to it but he would get back to me when something changed. Oh, and if I wanted to put a $500 deposit on the car to hold it (even though they had not inspected it or determined they were going to actually retail it). I said no. 6 weeks later, after weekly contact I ask what was happening to find they had sold it! Bastards!!!

Now decided I will not buy from a dealer as fed up dealing with their stupidity and bad business practices (Actually that would suggest they knew how to conduct business and deal with customers).

Now looking at a Toyota 4Runner or possibly a Highlander. Boss and I have agreed we will now wait until next year when she retires and maybe trade the 2015 Kia Sportage or sell it, and buy 1 larger SUV. Local dealer has a really nice young sales guy who is an enthusiast for 4Runners and runs a beautiful 03 V8. They had sold the one I went to see (24 hours after advertising it). Very apologetic, but offered to take me for a run in his own car. 360,000km and it drove like new. Nice to drive also.

Only thing is I like the 03-09 4Runner as the driver's seat is better than the current model. Apparently the Highlander has a good seat too. My neighbor has one and has offered for us to take it for a good run to see what we think. It also looks like it has a bigger load area compared to an XC90. Other bonus is the depreciation up here on Toyota SUV's is tiny compared to other brands. So Bye,Bye Volvo and hello Toyota (possibly) here we come....!

Neil.

[June]

Well, still been looking but all that are coming up are crap or low miles 03-04 T6 models or beige interiors. I thought I had found one up at the Volvo dealer in Edmonton. Only had 94,000km on it and an 06 XC90 2.5T AWD. Black (seems that is the only color available here). They were checking it over and found a crack in cylinder #3. Never heard of that on a 5 cylinder engine, and apparently neither had Volvo. They told the dealer to pull the motor and ship it back. They then decided to fit a used engine from a 07 S60 2.5T AWD. Engine had more K's on it at 133,000km but was supposed to be a good known engine. For some reason they did not complete the inspection, and fitted the engine (eventually) to find it leaking oil from somewhere they couldn't find. They then pushed the car to the side due to 'Winter tire season' starting. I kept in touch with the sales guy every week and he kept saying they had not got back to it but he would get back to me when something changed. Oh, and if I wanted to put a $500 deposit on the car to hold it (even though they had not inspected it or determined they were going to actually retail it). I said no. 6 weeks later, after weekly contact I ask what was happening to find they had sold it! Bastards!!!

Now decided I will not buy from a dealer as fed up dealing with their stupidity and bad business practices (Actually that would suggest they knew how to conduct business and deal with customers).

Now looking at a Toyota 4Runner or possibly a Highlander. Boss and I have agreed we will now wait until next year when she retires and maybe trade the 2015 Kia Sportage or sell it, and buy 1 larger SUV. Local dealer has a really nice young sales guy who is an enthusiast for 4Runners and runs a beautiful 03 V8. They had sold the one I went to see (24 hours after advertising it). Very apologetic, but offered to take me for a run in his own car. 360,000km and it drove like new. Nice to drive also.

Only thing is I like the 03-09 4Runner as the driver's seat is better than the current model. Apparently the Highlander has a good seat too. My neighbor has one and has offered for us to take it for a good run to see what we think. It also looks like it has a bigger load area compared to an XC90. Other bonus is the depreciation up here on Toyota SUV's is tiny compared to other brands. So Bye,Bye Volvo and hello Toyota (possibly) here we come....!

Neil.

How sad! Why not just buy a new XC90? June

[oragex]

Maybe name here that dealership, for curiosity. From your experiences with them, that place sounds more like a junkyardship than a Volvo dealership.

Maybe scroll a little around BC for one? Something from the Victoria/Vancouver area that haven't seen harsh winter weather.

[scot850]

Problem with BC is that it is Vancouver is 1000km away and it used to be somewhere I would have looked as they used to have an annual inspection on their vehicles. We in Alberta have none what so ever other than if you bring a vehicle from another Province. It is a basic mechanical test, no emissions.

Why not buy a new one? Well quite simply I don't have $100,000+ to buy one. Add to that I typically only do about 5000km a year so buying a new vehicle in terms of depreciation v's return/usage makes no sense.

My wife and I have just had a discussion on car plan moving forward and she plans to retire next year. We are now considering keeping the 'R' as a back up and only having one slightly larger SUV over her Kia Sportage. So a car hunt is on hold, but a Volvo still does feature in the plans going forward. When they go back to building reliable affordable vehicles that you can get 4 adults into with 4 sets of golf clubs, then maybe they might come back on the radar.

Neil.

[June]

Wow! Canadians sure get scre÷÷d on cars. A new XC90 is $55,000 for a T5. Earlier this year I went on Volvo's website to see about ordering a V90 2018 and completely loaded it was only $58,xxx. The only thing that heald me from buying the car was in order to get FWD T5 was the only option. If T6 is ordered AWD is forced. That was enough for me to decide Volvo can keep it. I will not buy a AWD and I don't want the T5. So for me I'll keep on driving my old S80 T6 which still drives like a dream and no hardship. June