Faults:
Electrical problems, this car eats light bulbs for lunch.
Suspension problems, creaks constantly.
Interior and accessory problems.
Engine problems runs rough in comparison to other cars.
Power steering problems.
Brake problems.
Volvo does not provide loaner car services like other high end makes - some dealers have them, some don't.
Too many others to list, the car has been into the shop at least 30 times while under the "factory" warranty.
General Comments:
Car has had a number of problems since I have owned it. There are simply too many to list.
Volvo and the multiple dealerships I have taken the car to have been very unsympathetic to the problems and have done very little to try and correct a bad situation. The warranty fails to cover a huge amount of defects with the car and the dealerships and Volvo are waiting with open hands ready to collect my money for repairs.
Vehicle was a "Certified Preowned" with a "Volvo Factory Warranty". This was misrepresented to me by the dealer. The vehicle's warranty is not handled by Volvo at all and is almost like a managed health plan for a used vehicle. Volvo Increased Protection is a completely separate company that sells warranty services to almost any used car dealer that can dial their 800 number. This is Volvo's normal warranty for their certified program cars.
Very comfortable with a well designed interior and body.
Great road feel and handling.
Plenty of power in the base model with a manual transmission.
Shockingly bad resale value.
Shockingly bad dealer service.
A great car if you have the time, patience and money to repair it.
Free coffee and danish while you wait in the customer waiting area for your car.
16th Jun 2007, 11:05
The S70 is known for having stupid electrical problems. Light bulbs burn out constantly in these cars. It shouldn't be, but It's the norm with these cars. From what I gather, the master control power window switch is also a common failure on the S70. It's also common for "check engine" lights to come on. The good thing about all of this is they are very minor problems. Just an annoyance more than anything. There are cars of this class and price that are plagued with engine or transmission problems, so comparably, it's a dependable car. The S70 was nothing more than an updated version of the '93-'97 850. It wasn't plagued by quite so many electrical issues, but it had it's fair share too. It's common for the interior door skin to release from the door panel itself on the S70. It has to do with the glue Volvo used. On the 850, it's commonplace for the passenger airbag cover to warp and peel away from the dash. Overall though, they are still long lasting and dependable cars (the engine and transmission) compared to most. Considering they can be had for low prices compared to the competition, they are a bargain.