12th Jun 2005, 22:20

I completely disagree. All 3 cars I have ever owned have been Volvo's and I have gotten over 200,000 miles out of all of them. Things like brakes, rotors and oil changes are all part of maintaining a car, Volvo's drive as comfortably as they do because of their engineering, and only good maintenance can keep them in that condition. Because 1998 was the first year for the Cross Country wagon there are some oddities involved with this car, but things such as stabilizer links are DIRECTLY related to how the car is driving, as well as brakes and brake discs. Volvo is now (and was on the verge of in the 90's) considered a luxury car. And like any car it is imperative that the car be worked on by some sort of specialist, not Skippy Joe in the gas station. Few cars today come anywhere near Volvo's safety or performance. I may be a different kind of person, but I never would question whether my families lives are worth a hundred dollar brake job.

13th Sep 2005, 00:41

I disagree as well, my family has owned Volvo's since the early 80's. In all we have owned somewhere around 10. My father buys them for his business. Never once has a Volvo died on us. We always end up totaling them first, as such; many of you will appreciate Volvo's safety record. I know I sure do. The last two I have owned, a 740 and a 940 have had over 350,000 miles. I totaled the 740 with 365,000. If you service the cars regularly as specified in the owners manual, they will run forever (relatively speaking), unlike their domestic counter parts.

18th Oct 2005, 14:59

I would agree with all of the negative comments about this car. This is because I have had all of the problems others have listed and more.

1. Engine Mounts (65 K miles)

2. New Struts (60 K miles)

3. AWD Computer

4. Numerous brake changes

5. All of the emissions canisters

6. Heater core and it still smells with the heat on.

7. Radiator

8. New Front axles

9. New engine rebuild (bad bearing on the timing belt pulley) ($4,500)

10. Fog lights continue to fail and problems with the hatch.

11. Continuous coolant leaks.

This is a car that has less than 92,000 miles and has costs around $10 to $12 K to keep on the road for the past 3 years.

I love the ride and look of the car. It handles better than I can explain, but it is a money pit.

11th Jun 2006, 12:40

I am grateful to all who have addressed “older vs. newer” Volvo concerns. My purpose for posting this message is to perhaps help someone else in our position. Having sifted through many Volvo forums online, I have not seen a “record of cost to service” over a lengthy time period. We own a 1987 740 GLE sedan (105K) and a 1988 740 Turbo wagon (129K). Due to their aging, 19 and 20 years old respectively in September, 2006, the thought of a newer wagon was considered. AWD in New England is alluring; driving RWD in snow simply heightens all of one’s senses. They’re no fun in snow.

Each car has its own complete service record and after reading the cost of newer car repairs, I added up the amount spent on each of the 740s for its life thus far. The turbo wagon has cost $10,660 for its almost 19 years ($592.22/yr) and the sedan has run $8979 for its almost 20 years (473.00/yr) – including going to A/C R-134 on the sedan - no rust anywhere on either car. Each has been serviced every 3,000 without fail, polished almost every year, always garaged, and yes, very low mileage (no teenagers). I think I am writing this almost as a testimony to a car company that used to build cars with seemingly no built-in obsolescence in mind. Perhaps that was a problem for the pre-Ford-owned Volvo Company. Not bragging or complaining, we’ve been lucky and protective of them. We truly love our Volvos and with thanks to all who have written in to this forum, we are now determined to keep both of them – hopefully, long after they reach the car age of antiquity. Best of luck to all of you.

10th Jul 2006, 21:06

Even though my XC70 has been correctly maintained with the timing belt changed, the car failed at 107,000 because the timing belt tensioner failed costing over $4000 to replace the head. It is unfortunate that cheap parts are used on what is otherwise a fine automobile although it has numerous other quirks.

24th Nov 2006, 14:30

The '98 Volvo Cross Country is indeed a disappointment. As a result of my experiences with this car, I will never again buy another Volvo. The "Check Engine" light is perpetually on, the coolant system leaks incessantly, and the cost of repairs/maintenance, however mundane, are astronomical. Prior to ownership of this particular Volvo, we owned a 240 Wagon for 17 years. It was reliable, durable, and affordable. The newer Volvo wagon has none of these virtues. Volvo is going the way that Renault and Fiat went in the U.S.

17th Dec 2006, 13:28

I agree with the bad comments, My 98 XC was purchased used about two years ago, have put into it at least 3 grand, some of things being: turbo hose, rear brake rotors, ac evaporator, front left wheel bearing, major alignment work (replacing several expensive parts). Just got a repair quote at the Volvo dealership for over $8000, (more than what I paid for the car)... they want to change the thermostat, temperature sensor, sway bar bushings, injector seals, camshaft seal, and all the motor mounts, also want to align it again. I needed the car to last me another two years, but am extremely disappointed. What is really strange, it that the car still looks new, it's just mechanical stuff.

7th Feb 2007, 14:09

I purchased a new 1998 Volvo XC70, it was totaled at 53,000. I took the payoff and purchased a used XC70 with slightly less mileage. I have spent thousands on repairs. Most recently the steering pump is rotting, filling the power steering fluid with metal fragments. The pump and the steering rack have to be replaced at a cost of $2,000 (not at the dealer - that would be even higher). About six months ago other steering repairs needed to be made at a cost of $1,700. The coolant system has leaked numerous times and needed expensive repairs. Two of the rear windows needed motors replaced (they were stuck in the down position) at a cost of $695 each. I could go on and on but then I'd be forced to add up what I've spent.

I will never, ever buy another Volvo. I will go with something Japanese with a great repair record and have a reliable car!