Faults:

Both wheels fell off!

Starter broke.

Lots of maintenance required.

General Comments:

Yes, both wheels fell off my car. The first time I was driving slowly through a parking lot and the wheel just fell off the axle. I had it repaired, but shortly after heard a suspicious noise so I took it in to be looked at and when the mechanic was test driving it, the other wheel fell off. This by far, was the worst of my troubles but definitely not the only problem.

I had leaks in the head gasket and the starter went out at 80K.

I spent thousands on repairs for this car.

Faults:

Nothing yet. I just purchased it and my mechanic said it was in amazing shape for a 1999 with 120k.

General Comments:

This car is so amazing. I had a 2000 old Intrigue and this is so much better. Leather still looks new and all features still work. I have not had in in for service yet so I cannot comment on that.

Everything under the hood is easily to get to and not obscured. Timing and serpentine belt are right on the side. The twin turbo engine is so quiet and powerful. I work for Audi and this car feel better than some Audi's (A4, A6). The paint is immaculate. The only real thing that needed to be fixed was some condensation in the headlights, easily done.

I had the car up to 120 and it still felt like I was going 60.

Seats are amazing! I wish I could rip them out and used them as office furniture.

Hopefully I will have this car a long time. My only real gripe is that I can't find a service manual for the car. Only in DVD form, not book... oh well...

Faults:

Check engine light came on often. Mostly electronics or engine related issues.

Half of automatic dimming rear view mirror once turned black. As it was still under warranty, even the dealer gulped at the replacement cost.

General Comments:

Wow, I loved this car. It was comfortable, fast (dual turbos were fun on highway), and great looking.

We maintained it very well, but unfortunately every few weeks the check engine light would come on. Dealer fixed most issues under warranty. When warranty expired, frequent CEL fixes became too expensive.

So disappointed, this was our first luxury car, and we bought a Volvo thinking we could keep it for years. This '99 style design was relatively new, I felt we were the guinea pigs for the redesign.

Faults:

Torn engine mount at 30000 miles.

ABS MFI module, shock absorber replaced.

Right upper spring seat and right side front sway bar link replaced.

Turbo oil drain lines leaked, high labor cost to replace.

Torn engine mount (same as above) replaced.

Front stabilizer bar link, several bushings, upper spring seat of front shock replaced.

Transmission urgent service message, Volvo Service said a new transmission is needed, cost: approx. $4,300!

Several plastic parts are falling apart, I assume due to UV exposure which was not factored into the material choices.

General Comments:

The S80-T6 1999 is comfortable, the engine delivers ample power, and the torque at low RPM is good.

The interior design lacks totally in refinement, radio controls are bad, and during daylight, it is impossible to read the messages on the dashboard.

Reliability is the worst enemy of this model, indicating that Volvo does not have what it takes to produce a reliable car.

This is my first and last Volvo.

Faults:

Electrical faults: 'emission service required', 'hi engine temp stop safely ASAP'

Temperature gauge reading hi.

These are some of the warnings that have appeared, but are all false. I know this because I have had the car checked by an independent mechanic. I am a mechanic also, but have never worked for Volvo.

The car did cut out once, but not while moving. The reason for this is that the ECU thinks the car is overheating, and therefore cuts out to protect the engine from any damage. You can continue driving, but the risk is that you wouldn't know if and when the engine was actually overheating.

I was advised that the problem was with the relays in the main fuse box in the engine compartment.

I myself removed the relays, cleaned the contacts and sprayed the fuse box with wd40; this is to keep away moisture. This is only a temporary solution until I can replace the fuse box, but it worked instantly and I have had no more warnings from the ECU (ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT)

This is not to say that the problem has been permanently fixed and I would advise anyone who encounters similar problems to take the car immediately to a qualified mechanic or a Volvo dealership. But you will pay more at the dealership.

General Comments:

The Volvo S80 is a great car, minus the electrical faults explained.

But this hasn't put me off.

The steering is very responsive and smooth as is the gearbox.

The traction control is excellent, especially because you have the option of turning it off.

Mechanically the engine is sound and has been built with high mileage in mind.

If you travel long distances regularly, this car is ideal for you.

My car is 10 years old and has traveled 136000 miles, so you have to expect some minor problems with high mileage cars.

Above all, the safety features in this car are ahead of its time.

If only they made aircraft as safe as this.