07 V70 Rough ride? Think ball joints.

[OliPhant]

Hi All,
This post is for anyone with a V70/XC70 contending with rough ride quality. I bought my 07 V70 at 75K and was puzzled by a rough, truck like, fractious ride (no knocks or rattles….) at slowish speeds on roads with normal irregularities. Over time several mechanics, including dealer, looked at front end for various reasons and said "no issues". At 100K I started hearing intermittent knocking under footwell at slow speeds. Again dealer said "no issues". Finally went to an indy who said “worn lower ball joint; other one’s ok”. Replaced one ball joint “Eureka!” knocking gone and a rubbery, supple, balanced feeling was restored. So good I immediately replaced the other ball joint. V70 now rides like a new car. Moral is - based solely on my experience - even marginally worn lower ball joints on these cars can result in noticeable deterioration in ride quality. Cheers!