13th Oct 2003, 06:47

I own a 1999 S-80T6 with 71,000 miles and I must say that I have not had any major problems. All I can say is learn your car and keep up with your maintenance.

Texas.

11th Nov 2003, 22:44

As I type, my 2000 S80 is parked at a dealership being repaired. It seems the Trolley unit is out. The cost, of course, is a whooping $800.00. Now I have just owned it 5 months. I got a call from the repairman telling me I have only about 1,000 miles left on the brakes. They too will have to be worked on. Another $200.00. The car makes funny sounds which makes me think there is more repairs up ahead. Just as soon as I get it back, I am trading it for a another car. I will do my homework more extensively next time. These cars aren't built well enough for the huge price tags they carry. Safety is their best quality.

Rita.

9th Dec 2003, 11:59

3 service visits in 5 weeks - all for different items! This is on a 2000 S80 T6 with 48000 miles. At one time I called this car the "Volvo Valdez", since it leaked oil so badly. Almost every seal in the oil system was replaced, after 3 trips to the dealer. The ABS module was replaced about 2 weeks ago, front strut mounting were replaced, etc... etc... etc...

And the dealers don't have a clue about service. Volvo of Dallas is closer to my house, but after terrible experiences, I won't go there. Point West is much better, but it's a 35 mile drive. Overall, I get better service from my local Ford dealer.

The sad thing is my wife loves this car. It's been her favorite car. But with the warranty about to expire, we can't afford to keep it running. So I'm shopping for a replacement. Anyone want a Volvo?

22nd Feb 2004, 17:23

Hi.

Am am the owner of a 1999 S80-T6. Literally quite from the day we purchased it, it has been a horrible vehicle. Its greatest assets are the safety (never tested, thankfully) and strength of the structure (doors, etc). After all these years the doors still shut nice. The upgraded stereo is probably the best I've ever heard.

However, build quality is abysmal. If I were to list everything broken, repaired (or not) it would probably get this email denied due to size :)

We've had every possible thing break. Electric seats, radio, center channel speaker, interior trim, roof trim, windows, window trim, suspension front and rear, dashboard pieces, exterior gas door fell off, etc., etc... The engine has had serious problems, oil leaks, turbo problems, throttle body replaced multiple times. The tranny has had problems (many, but never caused it to be changed) and I understand this tranny is updated in the newer models (more gears, etc).

The car has left us stranded in the middle of nowhere multiple times. The dealership suffers from a perpetual inability to either diagnose and resolve problems, or simply the attention to detail to implement fixes either correctly or without causing other problems.

These are, but a short list. While we remain attracted to the design (as above), I think we're idiots for continuing our ownership of this car. Compared to an Audi A6 or BMW 530 (equivalent prices), this car's resale is way out of whack. Additionally, (and where we went wrong) don't fall in love with this car without driving others. It has tremendous torque steer, sloppy suspension, etc. A6 and 530 (and I'm sure Lexus) drive circles around it.

I purchased this car coming from a family where we owned generation after generation of Volvo. I'm done. This single car has destroyed any owner loyalty I had. I've had many storybook-horrible dealer experiences. I will never, ever, purchase a Volvo again and seriously recommend you research your purchase before committing to this brand. They are NOT the same manufacturer that they used to be.

4th Mar 2004, 07:22

Very interesting thread. I'm the unhappy owner of a 1999 T6, with only 93,000 km (approx. 58,000 miles) and while I haven't (thankfully) suffered some of the problems I see listed here, I can certainly verify the existence of ONGOING FRONT-END PROBLEMS:

At approx. 59,000 km, replaced two front link rods.

At approx. 65,000 km, replaced power steering pump.

At approx. 78,000 km, replaced two front shock absorbers.

At approx. 83,000 km, replaced link rod, inner tie-rod end, engine mounts.

At approx. 92,000 km, replaced lower right front ball joint.

And today, about 1,000 km later, the steering is making the sorts of noises that tell me it's time to take it back in for another look-see! At this point, I only hope that nothing catastrophic occurs while I'm at speed: Not, I suspect, the kind of thoughts that Volvo would like going through its owners' heads!

Add a battery replacement at 24,000 km, a new ABS module at 60,000 km, a new power-steering fluid reservoir, and the fact that I've basically given up on the AM radio reception in any city...

... and you've got someone who's going back to an Acura or Toyota product as soon as my extended warranty expires! Previous to this one Volvo experience, I had an Acura and - before that - 4 Toyotas... all of which ran, basically without any major problems, until their bodies rusted out!

I tell people if they're going to buy a Ford-made Volvo, they need to buy two, so one's always available while the other is being puzzled over at the shop!

24th Mar 2004, 14:50

Wow! Reading all of these comments has really been an eye-opener since I was beginning to wonder if I was being overly sensitive to my Volvo's problems. I bought a 1999 S80 2.9 when they first came out and was truly happy until I hit the 60K mark. The styling was great, the radio was superb, and the seats were the most comfortable of any car I had owned. To date I have replaced the front struts, the sway bar, parts of the A-frame, the ball joints, sunroof motor, door lock control, and more bulbs than I care to remember. In addition my car required $500 worth of engine work to replace a 50 cent gasket that failed between the oil pump and engine block. I'm now at almost 100K miles and the idle is rougher than before and very erratic, and the transmission is doing some funny things. It's really a shame that I still love the look and comfort of this car, but I will have to give it up soon. No wonder people flock to Lexus, even though they are not as exciting to look at. I have decided that the waiting room at my Volvo dealer isn't exciting to look at either, so I may have to sacrifice some style for reliability.

Jim Hinsdale, IL.