Faults:

New tires at 78000 miles.

Engine coolant temp sensor failed at 79000 miles; diagnostic and repair cost $330 (USD) at a Volvo dealership.

Power antenna mast damaged; $25 for new mast, work done on my own.

General Comments:

I have had to replace one head light bulb twice within the first year owning the car. I turned of the daytime running lamps to help prolong the replacement of bulbs.

The car handles very well especially since I put the new tires on. Steering is solid and very accurate.

The car accelerates very quickly for a 1.9 liter engine thanks to the factory turbo. There is never a problem getting on to the highway. This is especially true with the transmissions sport mode turned on.

The brakes are excellent and stop when you need to stop.

Excellent fuel economy; an average week I get 25 mpg. On a Trip from Boston, MA to Rochester, NY and back (6.5 Hours and 410 miles one way) I got 30 mpg with cruise control on at 74 mph.

Very comfortable car for any extended driving. Again, after driving 12+ hours, I was very comfortable and only had minor soreness of the lower back towards the end of the trip. But that is expected at that distance and time with minimal rest.

However, the car does not come cheap. Any parts from a dealership can cost a lot of money and that is about the only place you can get parts. Insurance is high due to my location and age.

Faults:

Brake rotors gone at about 40,000 miles. Excessive brake work during the life of the car. Brakes never worked well.

Frequent replacement of light bulbs, including headlight bulbs.

Electrical problems.

Climate control does not work; no heating.

Numerous panel lights in need of replacement.

Catalytic converter needs to be replaced.

Struts need to be replaced.

Water pump needs to be replaced.

Timing belt needs to be replaced.

Original battery died at around 40,000 miles.

AM/FM radio: indicator lights are gone. Cannot be serviced.

Hood latch malfunctioned, preventing replacement of windshield washer fluid when it was badly needed.

General Comments:

This car is a real lemon. Expensive, poor overal quality, requires frequent and expensive maintenance.

The car has gone through all the steps listed in the preventive maintenance menu, but it is now basically worthless at 84,000 miles. It requires $4,000 worth of maintenance and has a market value of only $5,000. I paid $24,000 for it in May 2000.

A $24,000 Volvo should last a lot more than 6 yrs 10 months.

Faults:

The car has an Electrical problem. Replaced many head light bulbs. Sometimes by directionals won't work, but if you hit the hazards on for a second, then the directions will work.

Heated seats don't work. Replaced the fuse and it burnt out within seconds.

The car shakes over 60 mph. Brought it back to the dealer, but they just rotated the tires. No help.

The sunroof leaks when it rains. I live in New England.

Both rear coils split in half.

Drive side window button does not work in center console, but works on the door.

Front highlight wiper gets stuck.

Check engine lights comes on. Brought it to the dealership, and they don't know what's wrong.

General Comments:

This car is very comfortable to drive.

There are a lot of problems with the car, and it is very expensive t fix it at the dealership.

Faults:

When I bought the car it had about 50k miles and I had to replace the brake pedals and rotors asap. I would assume it was the fault of the previous owner.

I do hate some features of the interior design, the way they designed the cup holder and the cigarette lighter. Whenever you use the cup holder you have trouble with using the CD player. And the sigarette lighter interferes with the shift lever. But I prefer avoiding using those, especially the cup holder.

General Comments:

It's the best value for the price. Luxury vehicle for a reasonable price.

I had 10k to waste for a vehicle and couldn't even imagine to get a fully loaded car in perfect condition for a even lower price then intended. This car swept me off my feet.

I heard over and over again from Volvo owners how they survived terrible car accidents. And you can't get that anywhere else for the price that Volvo offers.

I would only use synthetic oil and premium level of gas, that guarantees a better performance and a better longevity. Plus you wouldn't want to treat a turbo charged engine otherwise.

It certainly does not feel like a 4 cylinder and that's the whole fun of it.

This car is very comfortable and extremely fun to drive, great acceleration with a nice fuel efficiency. Very sharp and expensive look.