Safe, reliable car
Right front directional signal lens fell off.
This is a very reliable car. High mileage does not affect this car's performance, just keep it maintained. This is a solid built car. Safety is one of the reasons I picked this car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th October, 2002
Boxy, but safe and comfy!
The only real problem I really had was I had to replace the timing belt and.
The fuel injector, but that is about it.
This car is very comfy and it is plenty big.
It’s not very fast, but it gets the job done.
Very, very durable, it was hit by a truck and the only damage that sustained was on the front turn signal.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th May, 2002
A reliable family car that has never let me down
The car was in an accident and the back door was destroyed. A friend of the family who is a mechanic purchased it in this condition, fixed it and sold it to us. There have been no major problems since.
Passenger seat warmer no longer works.
Drivers side back door power lock does not work, must be locked on it's own.
Great car, was in outdoor storage for about two years, and has survived Canadian winters with only one small rust spot on the original paint.
Very comfortable and safe.
Handles quite well for a large car.
No engine problems in 12 years and over 300,000 kilometres.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th May, 2002
A trusty ol' gal
It's an old car. I've had to replace the usuals, like tires, a hose, two bearings and the muffler. The only breakdown I've had is when the bolt that attaches the alternator belt fell off. I had to replace the window regulator on the driver side, but that's pretty standard in older cars as well.
I love this car. I have a thing for square, boxy cars and this one definitely falls into that category. It runs well, I've taken it from Lansing, Michigan to New Orleans, Louisiana with little trouble (except a minor oil leak at the cap... and losing my tailpipe in Kentucky).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 10th May, 2002
Just bought it and all it needed was a tune up and an oil change.
We changed the timing belt and three other belts just so our daughter could be on her merry way without concern.
If you want an inexpensive car, buy a Yugo.
Otherwise, you are in for the ride of a life in your Volvo.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 18th April, 2002
A great car for little $$$...beware of high repair costs though!
Front and rear windshield wiper motors burned out.
Driver-side windshield washer nozzle stopped working.
Some clip that holds the exhaust to the bottom of the car broke, so now the exhaust system rattles at idle.
Many interior pieces (mainly dash and door trim pieces) have broken or fallen off.
Both driver and passenger-side lumbar supports broke and are no longer adjustable.
A small amount of black smoke comes out of the exhaust at start-up.
In the 17,000 miles that I have owned this car so far, it has been very reliable for me. No matter how hot or cold it is outside, it always starts right up for me!
It's an incredibly comfortable car for traveling. The seats are very comfy and dash controls are easy to see and reach...yes, even the stereo!
The only major complaints I have with my car are that the interior is very poorly assembled. Pieces on the dash and door panels are loose and rattle, if they haven't already broken or fallen off.
The cost of repairs is quite ridiculous. I accidentally broke the front, left turn-signal light cover and it will cost about $100 to replace. Even if you bring your Volvo to a good independent garage, repairs are still incredibly expensive, so keep that in mind when considering a Volvo.
Another complaint I have is that my Volvo gets very poor fuel economy. I never get more that 21mpg on the highway, with the A/C off. That's terrible for a 4-cylinder powered car! The lowest miles per gallon I got on the highway was 19mpg...terrible! My 4-cylinder powered Plymouth Acclaim on average got 35mpg on the highway and about 20-25mpg in the city. Much better!
My last complaint about my Volvo is that the 4-speed automatic transmission shifts very hard most of the time. It literally bucks into each gear... very annoying! I don't know if the transmission computer is starting to go or what, but it shifts very hard some days, and pretty smooth others.
Overall, I'm very satisfied with the car though. However, my previous car, a 1992 Plymouth Acclaim was also very reliable for me. I was able to put 182,000 miles on it before it was totaled in an accident. I did have to make more serious repairs to my Acclaim as compared to my Volvo, like replacing the radiator, alternator, head, and shocks, but all of these repairs (except for the head, $600) were quite cheap to fix. Replacing the alternator was around $100, replacing the front and rear shocks cost under $150, and the radiator was around $200. All of these repairs were made somewhere between 100,000 and 160,000 miles. They were much cheaper in comparison to repairs on Volvos. A friend of mine had to have the A/C fixed on her Volvo. It cost her around $700! A few months later, the A/C decided to go out again. This time it cost her around $900! Crazy! I'm happy to say that the A/C NEVER stopped working on my Acclaim! I have a feeling that I'll be switching back to another used Acclaim soon, simply because they are much cheaper to own in the long run, and are actually better cars for traveling because they are quieter, more fuel efficient with the 4-cylinder or V-6 engines, and shift a lot smoother!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th June, 2001
15th Nov 2004, 19:28
So what is a car like this worth? Cash.