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Volvo 850 maintenance and repair issues
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Comments
I talked to an independent Volvo specialist as to what to expect in the next 30,000 miles. He said probably the evaporator ($1500), the rear oil seal ($1500), the transmission ($?), the radiator, and some other big ticket that I forgot.
In my opinion, the engine on these cars are very durable, including the turbo, but's it's overall reliability and the cost of ownership is very high. I enjoyed the car but not at that price.
Mike
1. Are we better off with older model with fewer miles (eg, '83 with 120K) or newer model with more miles (eg, '85 with 169K), assuming other aspects of the car to be about equal? Also, are highway miles really much better than non?
2. Does anyone know if traction control really helps in snow/ice? We live in Maine, and I had intended to buy Subaru AWB until I investigated crash results, in which Volvo is way better. Should we figure on studded tires?
3. Would the acceleration on a 5-cycle 1983 be sufficient to be safe for a new driver?
Thank you all for taking the time to answer, if you do. This is a great use of the Internet, I think.
Thanks.
Sorry. Thanks.
Highway miles: Yes, highway miles are better; they put much less strain on a car, not just the engine, than continuous stop and go driving. Having said that, however, it's difficult to prove that the miles on a car are indeed "highway" miles and not "rallying up Mt. Washington" miles.
Power- The 850 5 cylinder has more than enough power for a new driver, even in non-turbo form. In fact, make sure you buy a non-turbo; it's just one less thing to worry about--less stress on the engine, and turbos, when they fail, are upwards of a thousand dollars to replace.
As always, make sure any car you buy has been thoroughly inspected by a specialist mechanic. In New England, Volvo mechanics are not hard to find.
For more information than you ever wanted to know about Volvos, check out http://www.brickboard.com
They've got tons of useful information on all models of Volvos. Good luck.
That goes for any interference engine design, not just Volvos. Actually, I think the interval is 60k miles. Better to get it done and spend a little money now, or take the gamble and probably lose (I would NOT want to be paying the bill to rebuild a Volvo engine.)
I've heard of many, not a few, 850 belts braking between 70k and 80k, so I'd not dare risk this. I changed mine @ 60k, and I have a '96 Turbo.
my $.02.
/java
Thanks.
I really don't like the S60. No one makes a boxy car anymore, so I figure late model used S70 would be a good buy...