Faults:

Radiator sprung a leak after one month of ownership. Re-cored at a cost of £75 and fitted myself with the aid the the trusty Haynes Manual.

Brake Pads recently wore out. Not a problem in itself, but when it came to bleeding the system after replacing them the nipples on the front calipers were rusted solid and sheered off. Pair of "new" calipers from a scrap-yard set me back £15 (plus £25 for the new pads)

Engine will sometimes run on after switching off the ignition. I have tried adjusting the idle speed settings, but have yet to find a cure (any ideas?)

Sub-standard Renault derived gearbox is a bit agricultural. Synchro-mesh has pretty much worn out on first gear and the bushes have worn out, meaning the car is a bit noisy at high speeds (I'm told this is a common problem with high mileage boxes and doesn't affect the cars usability)

Fair amount of rust around the rear wheels arches and along the door sills. Spoils the look of the car, but that's about it. Hasn't got any worse since I bought it.

General Comments:

Despite the faults listed above I firmly believe this car is fantastic and great value for money. I paid £250 for mine, but £500 will get you a low mileage one with no problems if you shop around.

The car is quick off the lights, corners well and being a Volvo is nice and cheap to insure, particularly for a young driver (I first insured mine when I was 19, with Norwich Union it cost £880 third party fire and theft as a first time driver. This has gone down to £623 with one years no claims)

I use my Volvo on a daily basis and the car has been very dependable, always starting, whatever the weather. And of course on cold days those heated seats are a god-send.

Would I buy another one? definitely, although next time round I think I might look for a turbo :)

Faults:

There are occasionally problems starting the car after it has been for a long run (one hour or more). It does start after a few turns though.

The radiator top hose became fractured due to friction against the engine. I tried 3 scrap yards before finding a suitable replacement hose and have now placed a pad between the hose and the engine.

Still on the cooling system, it also has a slow leak which I haven't yet located.

Minor intermittent electrical faults like electric mirrors not always working.

General Comments:

The cabin is adequate considering the cars age. Grey interior is a bit gloomy, but functional.

Heated seats are a luxury in the winter, and do actually heat up quickly.

The car doesn't look out of place parked next to newer cars as the bodywork is still very nice.

Faults:

Throttle-control motor failed - lost idle speed and rev-limiting - cheap replacement.

Hatchback support-arms frequently shear off - slight design modification now implemented on replacement struts.

Clutch cable broke (but clutch still going at 157000miles...)

General Comments:

This car is a wolf in a very boring, box-shaped sheep's clothing.

Apart from the strange clutch-foot position that doesn't allow you to rest your foot on the ground (although you can cancel the left-indicator with your knee...), it's extremely comfortable - seats come with lumbar support, heaters and are low, sporty and bucket-like!

The car has stupid amounts of torque at low revs making economical driving easy as it is very possible to drive, never having to go above 2000 RPM (even on steep hills).

It goes amazingly and stunningly fast. Will do 90 in 3rd gear and sounds perfect at 4000+ RPM!