What you must keep in mind is that 1999 is the first year Volvo made the S80. There are kinks that haven't been worked out. The Turbo version, which you have, often have more problems... the more you have, the more there is to go wrong. Volvo's in general are known for their mechanical reliability overall, but not their electronic. You would be better off with a 2000 or 2001, where the problems have been taken care of.

BTW--I happen to own a non-turbo 1999 Volvo S80, and so far, at 37,000 miles, I have had a failed O2 sensor, and, more importantly, my alternator blew. (350 dollar repair). When you think about it, yes, Volvo's are expensive to take care of, But You will have more of the inexpensive repairs, rather than the 3000 dollar transmission problems. Generally, you can have codes reset in the Volvo S80 by a dealership, if all you have is an error on the message screen, but no other noticeable problems (IE, an O2 sensor computer code needing resetting because of a "Emission System Service Required" error. If you take out the battery and then reconnect it within ten minutes of shutting off your car, this is more than possible.) I hope I have been of SOME help.

We purchased a brand new Volvo S80 from a Volvo dealer in May, 1999. We have had the following problems with the car.

1. At about 10,000 miles, the right front wheel bearing failed. It was replaced under warranty.

2. Just before the conclusion of the warranty (30,000 miles) the engine started to miss fire and run rough. The car was serviced under warranty, (a coil was replaced) but the car had to be returned for further service because the problem reoccurred. The service performed was the replacement of an injector.. The problem resurfaced a few hundred miles later and the warranty had expired. Because the problem was a preexisting one, the dealer agreed to continue working to solve the problem. After about three days, the car was returned to us and the engine has been performing well. The repair was to move the cables in the ignition harness. The car was in the shop a total of 5 days to resolve this problem.

3. At about 40,000 miles, a severe thumping sound developed when the car was riding on a bumpy surface. Various suspension parts had failed and replaced at a cost of over $800.

4. An ABS warning light comes on occasionally. The service manager advised us that this indication was for a failure in the ABS system and would not affect normal braking. He suggested that, unless the warning appeared frequently, we should not undertake any repair because the replacement of the ABS unit would be very expensive.

5. At about 50,800 miles the turn signals stopped operating. The steering wheel module had to be replaced at a cost of $340.