anyone have any Volvo experience..??

[vwbuge]

in particular I am looking at the 1999-2004 ish V70 AWD wagons.

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by vwbuge

in particular I am looking at the 1999-2004 ish V70 AWD wagons.

Possibly the last real Volvo-designed Volvos, as opposed to later cars with heavy Found on Road Dead (FoRD) input.

[HoustonM3]

I had a 1998 C70 as my first car that I got new. It was the worst car I have ever owned. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING broke in it. Let me remember a partial list in my 1 year ownership before I got rid of it.

Rear windows leaked when it rained so they replaced the windows and Volvo refused to pay to have the windows re-tinted.

Sun roof rattle would never go away even after I paid (mind you this car was brand new and under warranty) for them to remove it and lube every part.

Drivers window went down and would not come back up.

It was a coupe so both the front seats powered forward when you pulled the handle to allow passengers in the back seat. Both of the seats broke (on different occasions) in an awkward position when I was letting a rear passenger in.

A/C blower motor went out

CD Player ( 3 disc cartridge) got jammed somehow in the radio and therefore the whole radio had to be replaced.

The Pirelli P-zero tires lasted 6,000 miles and had to be replaced ( at my expense ).

The paint quality on the car was not up to standard and the clear coat began to come off / flake around the windows.

Overall it was a terrible experience and I will most likely never drive another one again in my life.

[tbomachines]

The 1998-2000 and 2001-04 were based on two different platforms. The 01-04 was based on the Ford P2 "world" platform whereas the previous was based on the 850 sedan. So you're looking at two different generations of the car in your search.

[spdrun]

And the Found on Road Dead based "Volvos" have the endearing feature of having a turning circle larger than that of the Exxon Valdez.

[thorsen]

I had a 2002 V70 XC. My wife summed it up best - "I always thought I wanted a Volvo until I owned one".

The first transmission went out about 40k. The dealer replaced it and the second one started exhibiting signs of trouble after 10 months. I traded it in.

There is an independent Volvo mechanic up the street from me. He does a steady business in V70's - he says the transmissions are not up to par. I'd suggest you go read the forums (brickboard.com). There should be enough tales of woe to dissuade you.

Finally, I thought the AWD system sucked. It was normally FWD until it detected wheelspin then the AWD would kick in - like the 1st gen 4-matic. My personal opinion of the arrangement is that you're bringing AWD to the party a little late.

[Stoney]

The 98-00 XC70 has a number of faults, mainly in the AWD running gear.

1-The drive shaft is seriously expensive to work on and obscene to replace
2-The front hubs/bearings have a tendency to wear unevenly which places unequal stress on the transfer system which means it wears out faster.
3-The entire AWD system runs on a viscous cluth system that means you MUST have both tires on one axle be within .5% of round or the infamous "bevel gear" wears out which means an expensive replacement rebuild of the rear transfer box.
4-The AC system is known for bad evaporators. Replacement is a 10 hr labor charge

Want more or are you hiding under the desk right now?

[vwbuge]

you know it is kind of funny. I always rely on this MB board for any kind of input. I posted this same thing on a Volvo discussion board a week ago and I got one response.

I always had Subaru wagons growing up. My last was a 2000 Outback Limited and I hated the thing. Total disappointment after years of Subaru ownership. I am looking to ditch my Jeep Grand Cherokee and get into something a little more easy on gas. My requirements were 1) wagon 2) AWD 3) decent MPG. I was looking again at the Outbacks but I am scared to death of the head gasket issues. The Volvo seemed a little more in my price range.

I think I will take another look at the outbacks.

Thanks guys.

[Pooka]

I think that most people go through a number of brands until they work their way up to a Mercedes. Therefore you will find a lot of folks on this board that know their way around a tool box that have owned a number of other types of autos.

And then, when you finally do manage to own your first Mercedes, you never want to own anything else.

I always tell people that after you get them sorted out a Mercedes is one of the cheapest cars you can own.

[smiffy6four]

...aren't that big a deal. I have a 99 Forester, with 250,000 on the clock, and yeah, the head gaskets are seeping oil. If it ever gets to the point of losing enough enough oil that I had to top up between oil changes then I might do something about it. It's automatic undercoating If it were losing coolant, that would be another matter.

The head gaskets are not that hard to do.

The cars have really reliable AWD, rarely have electrical issues, are decent on fuel(mine does 30mpg) and is better in the snow than any 4x4 I have ever owned.

I did the early part of my apprenticeship on Volvo's in the early 80's when they made great cars. I wouldn't own late model one now though.

[smiffy6four]

Originally Posted by Pooka

I think that most people go through a number of brands until they work their way up to a Mercedes. Therefore you will find a lot of folks on this board that know their way around a tool box that have owned a number of other types of autos.

And then, when you finally do manage to own your first Mercedes, you never want to own anything else.

I always tell people that after you get them sorted out a Mercedes is one of the cheapest cars you can own.

It's a true story. I worked for Ford in the UK in the late 80's and we lost a lot of Ford van customers to Mercedes 307's when they figured out the MB would outlast 2-3 Fords.