Best buy we have ever made
A/C compressor died at 75,000 miles.
This car runs like a tank.
Just bought a 2002 S 80 (31,000 miles) so that my teenager can have the 960.
I hope to be as pleased with the new car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th June, 2006
Best Volvo ever
A/C leak 110,000.
Rear struts 121,000.
Headlight wiper motor 90,000.
Very quiet in-line 6. This car is a pleasure to drive with rear independent suspension. Best Volvo ever; too bad its the last rear drive Volvo. This car rides much better than my 1999 V70 XC Cross Country. Seat heaters still warm the posterior at 121,000 miles. Paint has yet to fade; can't find a reason to upgrade.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 29th October, 2005
Consider purchasing a Toyota
The leather seats have worn terribly. The air conditioner leaked its freon since it was purchased. The drive train shuddered when in low gear. Electronic senors have gone at 57,000 miles.
Though I admire the reputation of a Volvo, I have found that much of it was unwarranted for models post 1985.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 10th March, 2005
I don't think Volvo quality started to go down until they started venturing away from the 4cyl. rear-wheel drive models like 240, 740/760, and 940. The 960 came out in '92 and was just a more luxurious version of the 940 with a failure prone 6cyl. engine and electronic transmission. Then the 850 came out in '93 with all of its electrical and build quality shortcomings. Then Ford bought Volvo and quality took a plunge starting with the new or redesigned '98 models. The general rule of thumb I've learned over the years about Volvos, if it's got a 4cyl. and is rear-wheel drive, it's a great Volvo! I'm talking from having experience with an '85 240DL, an '89 740 Turbo, and '95 940. All extremely dependable cars that lasted a very long time.
A wonderful car if you can afford the maintenance
The air conditioning was an ongoing nightmare. Virtually every possible part had to be replaced.
The engine had to be replaced at 129,000 miles due to the "porous block" syndrome common to the alloy block 2.9L 960 engines.
The Alpine stereo was the best car audio I have ever had, by far.
The 2.9L inline six was incredibly smooth and powerful.
Volvo's leather seats in the 960 are all-day comfortable.
Winter handling in Minnesota without snow tires was absolute purgatory.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 15th February, 2005
The Volvo 960 porous engine block problem is well documented in these links:
http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/960_90Info.html#Porous960B6304Blocks
http://www.swedishbricks.net/700900FAQ/BuyingUsed7xx1.html
Watch for missing coolant that leaks through pinholes into exhaust. A very expensive fix. Best bet is to stay clear of Volvo's 2.9L inline six and the 960.
We have had our 960 for quite a number of years now.
Although the service seems expensive, the dealer always tries do their best and gives my wife a car to use, even though it is well out of warranty.
Because of the lack of problems with this car, my wife and I swear by them and bought two more Volvo's. A XC70 Cross Country and a S80 T6.
The 960 pulls very strong. It gets an average 27.5mpg on the road at 70+ with 91 octane, 24 with 87. We drove it across the country with our two children and it was smooth and quiet. The trunk is roomy enough for all 4 of us.
The front springs started to sag a little at 125,000 miles which is lead to resetting the alignment.
Volvo should never have stopped making it. I prefer the rear wheel drive, even if we had to buy Blizzak tires for the winter. It is awful in the snow without them.
The brakes have lasted longer than any car we have owned in the last 30 years.
I think that those that complain about a 960 have not taken time to appreciate what it really is. It requires very little maintenance.
I have run Mobil 1 since getting the car, and change it at 10,000 miles just as the indicator recommends. I don't cheat on parts. I buy the best I can get. Cars are too expensive to cheat on the small stuff.
22nd Mar 2005, 12:23
I don't know about post 85 Volvo's being suspect...
I would say Volvo's reliability peaked in 1988-90 with it's 740/760 models.
Those years are super reliable as are most 1985-92 240 series.
I do agree, however, that Volvo's quality continued to drop from 1990 to 2001 or so. The 2000 S40 is the biggest hunk of junk they've ever made.
It pays to research the good years and pick a known winner!
I personally recommend the 89/90 760 GLE...reliable luxury at agreat price.