1995 Volvo 850 Turbo from North America

Summary:

Worth every repair cost

Faults:

In addition to normal maintenance such as brake pads, shoes, and rotors, here are a few odds and ends:

Mechanical problems:

Inner CV boot cover crack, (150k miles)

Turbo Drain seal leaks and needs replacing every 15-30k depending on usage If not replaced (like in my friend's '96 850 Turbo), will leak oil into turbo fan and ruin turbo fan and possibly more. ($$$$$)

Electrical problems:

Odometer stopped running. Not expensive to fix, but I've never heard of this before on any car.

Rear Brake light switch failed ($30 at 145k)

Antenna shorted (155K)

Plan on replacing a few bulbs here and there as the car gets older.

Went too fast on a country road, got big speeding ticket. (OK, I know this isn't the car's fault, but I'll put it here anyway.)

General Comments:

Despite the frequent and expensive problems, it is a great car to have- great power, handling, and speed.

I love the look and the feel of driving it!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th January, 2006

24th Jan 2006, 14:30

Where did you get your odometer fixed? I need to get mine done as well. Can you please email me at atifshock@hotmail.com?

29th Jan 2006, 13:10

I also need to have the odometer fixed... is this a frequent problem with volvo 850's? should we be concerned?

12th Mar 2006, 14:38

All Volvo 850 models have the most trouble with odometers breaking. It is a very simple cause. There is a tiny soft-plastic gear (about the size of a pencil eraser) behind the speedometer that gets brittle with age, and causes the teeth on the gear to shear off. The gear no longer turns, and therefore your odometer stops turning. Volvo DOES NOT make a replacement gear, so normally you have to replace the entire instrument cluster ($200+ from a Volvo dealer) OR you can order a replacement gear from odometergears.com for $29 including shipping and handling. It completely fixes the problem. The new gear is made of a much harder plastic, so it shouldn't break again. I ordered the gear, installed it myself, and presto it worked!

Unless you know what you're doing, have a mechanic install it. Replacement requires carefully prying out all of the dash vents, unscrewing the top of the dash pad and prying the driver's side half of the dash pad up just enough so you can disconnect and pull out the instrument cluster. Pulling out the cluster works best with 2 sets of hands; one to hold up the dash, and one to disconnect and pull the cluster out. It can be done alone, but is trickier. Then you just have to carefully disassemble the cluster, locate the tiny gear, and replace the gear. Not too bad. Just a pain. I hope this helps you all!

1995 Volvo 850 Turbo 2.3L turbo from North America

Summary:

Best car for the money

Faults:

Ball joints went bad.

Axles boots broke.

Seats wearing.

General Comments:

I love the car.

It's comfortable and has a lot of get up and go.

The car does have high miles, but I expect it to last much longer.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th December, 2005

1995 Volvo 850 t5 Estate 2.3 turbo from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Safe, fast and way to much fun Never under estimate a VOLVO

Faults:

Air mix, Rear seal on Eng, Tracs and ABS lights on from new ABS modification harness $2500.00 in 97. Air con dash unit and Climate control computer replaced warranty, rear seat belt frozen replaced.

General Comments:

My T5 wagon is a great car I love it, it still blows away most bigger cars on the road. As I am in the Highlands I use the Pass's up an down from the south coast and LOVE it. I have just rebuilt the turbo, it's time to play with the rest of it now.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd October, 2005

1995 Volvo 850 GLT from North America

Summary:

A great car for an unbelievable price.

Faults:

A little bit of rattling noise has occurred.

A couple of the service lights have come on now and then.

The driver's side heated seat is broken.

General Comments:

Our family loves this car and will drive it until it dies.

It has never broken down or not started.

It is very safe and responsive.

It is very roomy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th November, 2004