Faults:

One of the tail light bulbs burns out frequently.

Top motor mount broke at around 90K miles. (Cheap fix)

General Comments:

After owning and enjoying two Mercedes, I decided to give Volvo a try. I drive a lot. I spend too much time behind the wheel, and really get to know these cars.

The Volvo S70 has been a great car. Good value on the used car market. Good looking car, and amazingly comfortable. I find the car to be roomier and more comfortable than the new Volvos.

The car outperforms the Mercedes and BMWs that I have driven. It's such a subdued looking car, with the safety image, that nobody expects to get their doors blown off by a Volvo! As I did on the Mercedes, I tossed the Michelins, and had Dunlop performance tires installed. The performance improvement is dramatic. At 105K miles, the shocks could use replacing, and the front rotors and pads will be replaced.

The interior and exterior have held up flawlessly. From the paint to the leather, all components are highest quality. I take good care of mine, and it looks no different from new. Why do these cars cost so much less that the other European cars???

One word of warning: be critical in picking your dealership for repair. I have had the very best experience at some, and the very worst experience at others.

Overall, this has been one of the best cars I have owned. I have no regrets and would buy again.

Faults:

The transmission started having trouble shifting down from fourth to third while going down hill. One week and $600 dollars later the dealer found a sensor wrong in the on board trannsmission computer.

Later one of the three a/c sensors went out, nothing major, but cost the dealer nearly $250 dollars.

A few headaches later the windshield wipers suddenly stopped working, three days later the cars was returned and this again costing the dealer around $400 dollars. (Evidentially the entire dash had to be removes).

General Comments:

The car feels great inside, awesome quality, attention to detail, nice acceleration and five star safety.

Overall, though having spent around 3 weeks in the repair shop for a 5 year old car is just unacceptable.

This car would probably be best for someone wanting a safe car that handles well, but does not drive a lot.

Faults:

The 12-volt connections both in front and in back are too weak to support a mobile phone recharger. The front one has broken twice now, in two years.

Individual door locks fail.

Cup holder seems flimsy and has broken.

Rear-view mirror became loose in its housing. The dealer had to remove the headliner to repair - not covered under warranty.

The CD player locked up, and had to be replaced.

The ignition switch wore out after 65,000 miles.

Brake pads wore out after only 20,000 miles.

Coin cup hinges simply broke - made of very thin plastic.

Brake bulbs have had to be replaced several times.

The antenna grinds when it lowers or raises.

The steering wheel creaks in the mornings.

General Comments:

This car is loaded with many unexpected occurrences. I owned a Volvo previously, and did not have the myriad of small problems that I have had with this 1998 Volvo S70.

The engine and transmission perform adequately. They are everything I expected them to be, and continue to do very well.

Visibility is excellent. The left rear is a bit of a challenge to see, but the mirrors compensate well.

The small interior issues have made this car a bust for me. Each one represents a major inconvenience. The rear-view mirror came loose, and was difficult to drive until I paid the Volvo dealership about $100 to repair it. Door locks, ignition switch, brake bulbs make this car a time guzzler.

The dealer has now admitted to me that the S70s produced during the period mine was produced have come with many flaws. But Volvo itself has not offered repair. My current problem, the 12-volt connections that are not strong enough to handle a mobile phone recharger cord, is a big inconvenience for anyone who needs a mobile phone and drives a lot.