26th Dec 2007, 01:07
I agree. You said the car is mistake, because you had to change tires and a few bulbs. Those are wear & tear items. It's like changing oil, a must.
So nothing has really gone wrong with the car?
If you hate the car because you had to change wear items, you should buy a bike.
20th Mar 2008, 09:22
Some of you guys and girls are funny. Light bulbs and switches make you hate your car. I have had 11 Volvo's since 1984. My last 2001 Volvo X/C was up to 300,000 miles when I sold it to a customer, still going strong and at about 325k. Of course along the way, I spend some money on this car over 7 years. It wasn't cheap but I was happy to have a safe car. I just bought a 1998 Volvo V70. Sure it has some problems, but that's what a used car is. And they can be fixed. The car only has 135,000 miles on it. Front seats are going to be replaced at sometime and it needs to have the rear tailgate trim fixed. But it's a fun little car and I will enjoy it..
Joliet Jake.
15th Apr 2008, 19:57
I'm amazed at how many don’t know what parts on a car are regular maintenance parts, for any and all cars.
For those that don’t know, brake pads, brake rotors, all lights, tune up parts, batteries, alternators, tires and believe it or not wind shields, rocks will fly when you live in parts of the country where snow falls and sand is laid down.
I have three vehicles; a 25 year old Toyota truck that I bought new, a 17 year old Suburban and my 98 V70. I spend three times more money every year on the V70 then I do on the other two combined.
I’m not sure I wish to keep the car, but my wife loves the car and I like it when it’s not in the shop. It has great pick up speed when you need it and I hope it’s safe if there is an accident (I hope we never find out).
I just don’t know if I will buy another one; the safety record of the Volvo makes me feel safe when driving it, but the maintenance is high. I’ve spent more money in the last four years with the Volvo than I have with the 25 years on the truck. That says a lot, but safety is very important.
My biggest question for anyone out there is the vibration I have with the Volvo when we take turns to the left or the right on city streets. Is anyone else out there having that problem? I’m guessing from what others have written I need to replace the brake pads and rotors sooner then I thought.
24th May 2008, 14:26
I am about to buy a V70. I definitely will not be discouraged by failing bulbs that should be replaced without complaints due to wear a tear. I hope to see more serious comments regarding how Volvos drive and operate instead of comments involving bulbs.
30th Jun 2008, 19:26
Bought a 98 V70 GTL Wagon with 130K. I must say you can't beat the ride, comfort and power.
Engine trans solid, little rattle in lift gate, bought tailgate clips from dealer, fixed problem myself.
Passenger front strut making noise, had both struts replaced with CV joints, boots and alignment for $729, which I think is a fair deal.
Struts are Bilstein stock shocks.
Considering I have 145K miles, this is all normal wear and tear.
People complain about the AM radio? Who listens to that? Get with the technology!
The saying goes... you get what you pay for. If you want cheap, find yourself a Yugo and up your life insurance.
2nd Jul 2008, 17:16
I am about to buy one for $2,800. Just about everything has been recently replaced, the test drive went well, quiet ride, good shocks, no rust or dents, etc. Even the AM radio works! (Ha ha) It also passed an inspection yesterday. The only problem is the mileage, which is at around 200,000. Suggestions?
25th Aug 2008, 12:47
All you people with 200,000 miles... how? Mine died after just 400 miles. Had it towed to the dealer, and they said I needed to put more liquid in it. It's a common thing, apparently. You people dealing with bulb replacements have it easy.
Seriously now, there are a few things that Volvo screwed up on. Yes, this car blows through more bulbs than most cars. The ABS modules are under-engineered and fail after 7 or 8 years. The AM reception sucks. The headlamp wipers lose their springiness after 5 or 6 years.
Cost to fix the above:
Headlamps: Dealer wanted $25 per bulb. Laughed. Went and bought a 2 pack elsewhere for $10. Installed myself. Problem solved.
ABS module: Dealer wanted close to $800 installed. Fainted. Used Google, found re-manufactured one for $100. Came with instructions for replacing and a lifetime warranty. Time to install: 90 minutes. Problem 100% fixed.
AM reception: Who listens to AM?
Headlamp wipers: I wash my car often enough that this doesn't matter.
I'm not a mechanic by any means. I have a few tools and enough ingenuity to figure most of this stuff out. There are lemons out there and it happens with Volvo too. If you got one, that truly sucks for you. You are missing out.
My '98 S70 T5 has 215,000km on it and is still going strong. Just about everything that can be IPDed (www.ipdusa.com) has been done to it. I'm doing the shocks, struts and springs in the next week, because guess what... the car is 10 years old and it needs them. The upgraded performance parts will cost less than the dealer OEM pricing anyway.
I'd much rather spend a couple hundred dollars a couple times a year than replace an engine or a transmission every five years.
I will keep on repairing and upgrading my car for as long as possible, because for a luxury car, it's cheap to do so, and the thing has been paid off for years. If I take a quarter of what a car payment would be and bank it, I more than cover the cost of repairs.
23rd Dec 2007, 13:05
Purchased this mistake at 200k; at 2004k needed 2 tyres replacing, 2007k needed front light-bulb. If that wasn't, bad enough, at 2005k needed to replace both the rear brake light-bulb, and interior glove compartment bulb.
I was told by so-called car experts buy Volvo, they are very reliable. I wish now I never asked, and went ahead and bought what is now considered to be one of the most reliable cars on the road, the Vauxhall Vectra.
I drove this car for another 20k, albeit without any more issues, but decided while the going was good, to offload and let someone else take over the burden of repairs.