Faults:

Faulty cam sensor.

Starting and stalling problems.

General Comments:

I recently bought this car and the day I got it a warning sensor came on. I took it back and the dealership determined it was a faulty cam sensor. This was replaced with no problems.

Later the car developed problems starting and stalling. Changing the battery, plugs and cleaning the distributor cap seem to have solved the problem. Despite these problems I've been more than happy with the response from the Volvo dealership. They've been very helpful.

Now the car is running fine and I must say that it's fantastic. The car is comfortable, safe, quick and not as expensive to run as I might have thought. The car is happy cruising along the motorway as well as country lanes. It really is a joy to drive. No wonder the 850 changed the image of Volvos. If it's good enough for the Police, it'll do me.

Faults:

Engine mount collapsed.

Front upper strut mounting cup cracked.

Driver's side front hub/bearing unit.

There is a slight oil drip. It's nothing substantial and I don't need to add oil to the car.

General Comments:

I originally bought the car because I thought that I was buying into Volvo safety and reliability. I haven't gotten into an accident so I can't vouch for the safety, but the reliability has been quite poor. I have had to put a lot of money into this car in just the 20K miles I've had it.

It does drive well and the interior is extremely comfortable and spacious. The engine is very willing and 0-60 times are about 6.5 seconds.

Faults:

Engine light is nearly always on. Previous owner says it relates to the oxygen sensor, which he already had replaced once and has had no problems with since.

Radio antenna needs to be lubricated once in a while to prevent the motor from failing (generally people are too lazy to do this and would rather complain when it breaks).

There is considerable wind noise with the sunroof completely open or with the windows down.

Light squeak in the rear deck (nothing major, but sort of annoying since the rest of the car is so quiet).

General Comments:

Granted I have only put 5,000 miles on this car, I think this is a spectacular car.

The paint is a glossy and a unique green color (not the trendy forest green of the 1990's).

The wheels are very sporty and easy to clean. Overall, the car is sporty, despite the boxy design. In time, most people will agree this car is beautiful.

Previous owner had all dealer maintenance done on strict schedule and it shows.

Aside from a noisy idle, this engine sounds smooth and quiet. The turbo doesn't kick in unless you give good throttle pressure, so the car can be driven lightly or quite hard. When you want to go fast, particularly from a rolling start or anywhere from 5 to 25 miles per hour, this car flat-out hauls #%$.

The handling is decent for a mid-luxury sedan. Smooth and responsive, minimal body roll thru turns at 25-30 miles per hour.

Auto transmission is a little rough going into 2nd gear, I assume because of all the torque the engine produces, but is wonderful into 3rd and 4th.

The interior is very comfortable with heated, 8-way power leather seats with lumbar support. Heat is generated quickly and the A/C is very cold. The instrumentation is rather plain but also very easy to read. 8-speaker stereo has nice full sound at moderate volume, but is not their top model.

Other personal notes: This was the first car with daytime running lamps and side impact air bags (many cars today still do not have them!). This car is loaded with safety features and creature comforts. The best part is, I got it thru a friend for 50% blue book value.

I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a sedan with a nice balance of performance, safety and comfort. It will drive for years and hold its value as well as any car out there.