Volvo V70 / XC70

skimmel · May 2001

Anyone know what's new for the 2002 Volvo XC?

rboilard · May 2001

Still debating between the Acura MDX and the XC. Both seem to be great vehicles. Anyone out there drive them both and have a strong preference? Any substantial quality issues in the XC to date? Any input would be great.......

boz151 · May 2001

Anyone had any good experiences in NJ with a Volvo Dealer? Particularly in Central or Northern NJ? I have visited a local one 3 times now and not gotten a good feeling yet. Nothing like my Infiniti experience I can tell you.

Also, can anyone shed any light on the deals that are available these days for an XC to lease or buy?

Thanks,
Boz

tos · May 2001

So my Mom has picked the XC. Where/how can she get the best price? I live in NY and she lives in CT.

srp1 · May 2001

Bob529 (and others)
you have just discovered one of the several defects that the XCs have that Volvo will not accept. I too have the same brake problems and have had the rotors replaced three times thus far (in 29,000 miles). Other flaws include a slipping/clunking transmission and driveline vibrations. All of these findings have been reported by numerous people in a variety of chat groups, including the brickboard. My advice to you is to stick to your guns and demand that the dealer and Volvo address and fix your problems. Do not accept the line of BS that they tell you and do not believe the Volvo Technical reps that will only tell you that there is nothing wrong with your car.
Good Luck ( I will never buy Volvo again... not only do they not accept responsibility for their defects, their traetment of their customers is embarrassingly poor)

cad2002 · May 2001

Basically same question as #55 above. I also live in southern part of CT. Appears there is a $1,000.00 Volvo Loyalty Discount available for current Volvo owners (I have been for one for over 30 yr.)

One local dealer wanted 3% above invoice and also tack on an advertising fee. I believe a person should do better than invoice plus 3%. I have been advertising their product for a long time and feel a bit miffed to be asked to pay any "advertising fee".

Is anyone aware of any other incentives that the dealers are receiving to clear out their 2001 inventory? I understand the 2002's will probably be in stock by August. There appears to be a great number of new 2001 XC's on hand and this is probably not a good time to move WAD vehicles.

cad2002 · May 2001

Last sentence WAD should read AWD (all wheel drive). Not sure what "WAD" is suppose to mean, it came from running the spell checker.

bob259 · May 2001

srp1 - Thanks, it's good, or maybe bad, to know someone else is experiencing the same issues. We are still waiting on a response from Volvo on if we will have to pay for the pads. I wrote to them that I had a concern that with 75% of the pads still intact, or only 25% worn, why I would have to pay for new ones if in fact it was a defective set of rotors that caused me to have to replace the pads. I guess it's up to the factory rep and my dealer to decide, as of yet (will be a week tomorrow) no bill or call saying we have to pay, or they have replaced them under warranty. According to the dealer if they just did it Volvo would reject it and they would eat the pad replacement cost, if we complain they probably will take care of it.

This has left us a little uncertain if we will purchase another Volvo though. Brakes should last more than 11K miles plus the fact we purchased it for safety. I heard a rumor that Germany was thinking about banning Volvo wagons from the Autobahn because of poor brakes, but cannot verify if that is in fact true.

sas14 · May 2001

Hi there. Would love to hear from anyone about this issue of v70 xc brakes, and how they've been treated by volvo. i own a 1995 volvo 850 wagon now and love the way it drives and how safe it feels, but it has had a lot of annoying little things go wrong. i'm thinking of going for the 2000 because i want awd, and because of the aforementioned safety, but this brake stuff scares me, and so does dealing with a dealer whose attitude seems to be, "if you don't buy it, someone else will.

bob259 · June 2001

After our experience I wouldn't run right out and buy another Volvo till I was assured that the brake and driveline problems from the past were totally fixed and it wasn't just lip service. Don't get me wrong we like the vehicle but our recent brake problems have soured us. I personally feel the Mercades ML is a better choice, has more power and is rated one of the safest SUV vehicles on the road.

drew14 · June 2001

I have a '99 XC with 26K on it. Recently, I had the infamous braking shimmy so I took it in to the dealer. I too, was told that Volvo would cover the rotors (front ones this time), but not pads. However, the pads were required if the rotors were replaced. Well, $106 later I have new front rotors and pads. They said the problem was fixed. After taking another trip and still experiencing a slight shimmy in the rear I took it back again within a week. Same story from Volvo. I elected to not have the rear brakes reworked this time.

I complained that the '96 850 I once owed had the same problem and Volvo covered EVERYTHING, for both front and rear brakes. The dealer's response was the Volvo will only cover the pads if the problem occurs during the "adjustment" period of 1 year after purchase. This is a crock. It seems that Volvo would be better off by simply correcting the problem rather than rewriting their warranty fine print.

skurl · June 2001

I discovered a new one that not even my sales rep or volvo roadside knew anything about. Apparently, the keys that are individually encoded can become encoded. Less than 24 hours into our new car, we discovered that the car would not start and we were not home. Volvo's response was to try another key. That would be great except we were not home and luckily close enough for us to take a cab home and then bike back with a different key. They had no clue what to do except recommend towing to the nearest dealer. This purchase was our second XC, having our '98 come off lease. A brilliant new design was to make the old load bars for the roof rack wider than he old and therefore render the older $300 obsolete and force the customer to purchase new ones. It seems that a lot of thought for the new design just wasn't done with enough thought. Enough for now although I could continue. Consider me an upset repeat customer

bob259 · June 2001

It seems to me like Volvo has a lot of problems they don't want to resolve properly.

skurl: I hope after all the hassle of getting into your car and getting it working again on your own the dealer at least made the inconvenience up to you.

As for our brake problem we are still waiting resolution and comment from the dealer or Volvo. One has to wonder if it's the Ford merger that is causing this lack of customer support. As it stands now unless we hear more from them this will probably be our last Volvo.
Bob

timman1 · June 2001

I have researched the new XC, found the following:
1)service tech. mentions the 2001 XC is more reliable than my current 99-S80, I have had no significant problems with my S80 (great car!), would like a more flexible and useful car, thinking of trading.
2)anyone know where on the net to go for stats on the 2001XC's reliability, found 18 reported bugs on the NHTSA site, all mostly small fixes.
3)on this message board and other research, found significant issues including: the brake pads wearing out early, fuel pump problem resulting in stoping the car engine, reflection on the dash causing visibility problems, any more?
4)would like to keep a new XC for 200+k over the next 15 years, looking for that kind of reliability, Audi too expensive, Subaru to small, VW not looked at yet. What would be a good price, found that $37.7 is invoice for a XC with touring, cold weather and versatility pkg. included. Price to me is $39.2 or roughly 4% over invoice ($1,500)
5)my dealer has been great with very impressive service, would like to keep the relationship with them
any info. would be appreciated

bob259 · June 2001

timman1: We also wanted the Volvo for a long term vehicle, but after this brake problem I can't say we'd jump right out and purchase another Volvo.

Based on what you said and what your looking for, if I were you I'd also seriously consider a Mercedes M Class it's in the same price range and rated as one of the safest SUV's by the Insurance institute. I know my wife was impressed with the power and great visibility Vs her 2000 Volvo XC. MB also has a great reputation for reliability and the start up problems they experienced, with the new model M Class (98, 99) have been cleared up. I normally swap every year or two and I purchased a M Class over a year and a half ago and can quite honestly say I love it more each day and even the wife said the ride is better then her XC.

srp1 · June 2001

I have a 1999 XC with 29k miles. Before I reached 1k, I noted a driveline vibration. I have had it in to the volvo dealer in Falls Church, VA on NINE occassions. They have not been able to resolve the vibration. Additionally I have had three sets of warped rotors which were replaced. I flat out refused to pay for the pads.
I have called and written letters to Mr LaNeve (Pres of Volvo NA) and the Customer service Manager at Volvo headquarters in NJ. Suffice it to say that they have been non-responsive. By that I mean they have not even acknowleged my calls or certified letters. The most recent explanation that the area Volvo tech has given after supposedly driving the car is that "the car is within specs". I guess that translates to: "It is normal for Volvo cars to have mechanical defects and/or design defects"
I will never purchase another Volvo, not just because of the mechanical defects, but because of the lack of any concern or appreciation for their customers. I going back to Merceded... moore expensive, but at least you get superb vehicles and excellent customer service.
In summary: Consider yourself forewarned-Buyer Beware

timman1 · June 2001

discussed with several service techs regarding the cross country:
1) brake rotor problems, possible cause tightening the lug nuts too tight, not within specs, European cars have historically stayed with "soft" rotors and pads for performance. be careful when visiting your local tire store for rotations, make sure they use correct specs for wheels.

2). (2) service advisers from (2) dealers have discussed their initial satisfaction with the performance of the 2001 XC, no big issues other than remote car locks. significant knowing that I live in Colorado where many Volvo owners come down from the hills to get service, I should have said mountains.

3). independent service shops mention the S60 and XC are reliable cars, S80 a little complicated, less reliable than the S60 and XC.

thats it for now, anyone have ideas on a good price for loaded 2001 XC?

ccommander · June 2001

Out here in Seattle the standard seems to be 1% over invoice but they are loaded up with options so pretty pricey (e.g., sunroof on every car in the lot but I don't want one because I'll have a box on top). Any reason to wait for 2002 model?

bob259 · June 2001

timman1 states "discussed with several service techs regarding the cross country:
1) brake rotor problems, possible cause tightening the lug nuts too tight, not within specs, European cars have historically stayed with "soft" rotors and pads for performance. be careful when visiting your local tire store for rotations, make sure they use correct specs for wheels."

Reply: My first impression too.... However, all service was done at dealer and when I told them I didn't have this problem with our last V70, which I did all the tire rotations on, that I felt their mechanics must be using an impact and over tightening the lugs they said they have strict instructions to all their employees that all lug nuts are to be hand tightened and torqued and under no circumstances are impact wrenches used. Well I don't believe that they enforce that policy and it is also interesting that they went on to say this brake problem is only affecting XC's and the other AWD vehicles they have. That, along with srp1 and others experiences, leads me to believe the dealer maybe telling the truth. We have not had one bit of problem with our dealer, they are great, so why would they lie about this after many years of truthful and good service to us. It really makes you wonder what problems Volvo is trying to hide.

bob259 · June 2001

Well I thought I'd update you to the brakes saga we have been experiencing. We received a call from the dealer today and apparently Volvo USA (HQ) didn't contact the local factory rep about our problems and they now are looking for money for the brakes. The best part is if they gave us a discount on the brakes they say they would have to charge us LABOR on the pad install. I find that real interesting, seeing they have to take the calipers off to change the rotors which were replaced under warranty, that they can justify charging us the flat rate charges for a brake pad replacement with a straight face.

We have contacted Volvo Cars USA again to try and get resolution.... bottom line we're not happy with Volvo's resolution. Like srp1 it appears Volvo USA does not follow through, must be taking direction from their parent FORD on this one.

If we get no satisfaction here we will next go to the Dealership owner, and a nice letter to the Highway Safety board. I did find out from another person that Volvo's in deed were being considered being banned from the Autobhaun for POOR brakes.... interesting from a company that has such a reputation for safety.

richardb · June 2001

I purchased a new 99 XC fully loaded. When I ordered the vehicle, I told the dealership that I would extensively drive the vehicle at speed before taking delivery. Vehicle has performed very well, rain(90mph during heavy rain) snow and ice,capable of at least 12 " inches of snow and except for off road, better than my Jeep Cherokee. Don't use WINTER Mode as you will not get enough power in deep snow. I have had no driveline or brake problems. I have 37K on the vehicle and will be having the pads replaced soon. I purposely did not purchase the XC when it first came out and am waiting before I purchase anotherXC because for 2001, it is a new vehicle. Unfortuneatly, people who purchase vehicle in its first year of production end up paying for design and maunfacturing defects. there is also the point that Ford now owns Volvo and I expect thier customer service to change for the worse. Customer service and top quality maintenace are priorities for me. The dealership(Fields in IL) is superb. I have the 120,000 mile Volvo extended warrantee and I will not sell this vehicle!

nofeer · June 2001

My wife and i need a family vehicle after jan 02, consumer reports and the above make me nervous. have the 98 ml320 with it's intitial quality problems. we'll keep the ml and trade her yellow turbo bug. looking at station wagons, drove the xc and liked it. would look at the passat and audi. i want a reliable car....service is at least 75 minutes away. so i can't "bike" back if the key doesn't work, i'm putting my wife and baby in this thing. they don't have "onstar". should i look elsewhere or what? any links i can get reliability data? so far, i would consider toyota highlander or rx300 (a bit small), passat awd or maybe audi

bob259 · June 2001

nofeer: I can honestly tell you at this point we will not consider a Volvo again, poor customer service along with the bad brakes we experienced at 10K miles has made that decision for us. Don't get me wrong, our Volvo dealer is great, it's 'Volvo' we're disappointed in. I have a 00 ML and would buy another ML in a second, however I heard the earlier ones had fit and finish problems so that maybe your disappointment with them. We plan on looking at the Highlander, ML, Passat and the new MB C series wagon that is coming out in the fall (August I believe). All reports on the new MB C wagon have been great, but it's 2 wheel drive.

evilizard · June 2001

For a reliable AWD wagon Subaru VDC rules the roost. Not as big as a XC but bigger than the Audi or VW. Not as nice as the XC but still way posh. Not quite as safe as the XC but very close, probably better than the Audi. On the plus side slightly better MPG (in the real world), way more reliable and 6K cheaper. Better performance and traction too.
I know most people think "Subaru" and say "yea, right" but if you actually look at and drive the car (not the badge) it really is quite nice.

cptplt · June 2001

R & T (or maybe it was Car & Driver) had a comparison of some AWD wagons, the Europeans all went into the ditch, they were unable to get the Outback H6 VDC to ever come off the road.

rnmyers · June 2001

In response to comments and questions about pricing: I purchased my 2001 XC at invoice in April of this year, mid-month, with virtually no haggling. (I'd mentioned to the dealer that I planned to buy a different vehicle that day, but might buy the XC right then and there if he gave me a good price. I thought that he did. Also got the factory's 5.9% financing.) Sticker was $40,500; my price was $37,808.

Vehicle has about 2,400 miles on it, and I am thoroughly delighted. Too soon to tell if I'll have problems with brake pads, but I find the braking power exceptional. Love the bright headlights, steering-wheel mounted audio and cruise controls, memory features on seats, rich leather, solid feel, smooth ride, sumptuous seats. Downside: wouldn't mind a tad more acceleration, although the vehicle does get up reasonably well if you stomp on the gas pedal.

Am somewhat leery of long-term reliability; wife's 1998 Volvo S-90 with 51,000 miles is still gorgeous and runs and operates great, but is due for its third major repair in last 20,000 miles -- sunroof just broke. Before that, a piece in the automatic shifter assembly broke and the assembly had to be replaced (the original still worked, but hard), and before that, we had to replace the front control arm bushings, steering column U joint and left front way bay link to stop an amazingly bad shudder during braking and a rattling sound from under the car. First two repairs were under 50,000-mile warranty; I'm afraid sunroof will be our baby. Have to talk to dealer about this. (Wife's Volvo also had to replace heater switch in driver's seat at 39,989 miles, which is when that steering work was done.

bob259 · June 2001

We just heard from the dealer that Volvo has agreed to charge us just for the percentage of the brake pads used. While at only 11K miles this is a unwanted expense on our part, knowing that brake pads are a wear item and that we are only getting charged for the portion we used has made us decide to not pursue any further.

It is still a disappointment to know that the brakes on this model are suspetiable to the rotors warping at 10K miles.

paddingtonbear · July 2001

OK, even though no one can see my face right now, I'm embarrased nonetheless to ask you all what exterios colors you think look the nicest. I know this is personal choice, just humor me. I'm a corporate soccer-mom (don't smirk). I like the sporty/cute outdoorsy look of the white (the contast with the umber cladding make it look tough). I also like the sleeker look of the black and the silver. Have never seen polar artic. Other colors are out.

Re the quality issues, I'm a little scared about getting into this, but the 2001 XC seems to be the only car (and I mean, car) which fits all the qualifications (space, AWD, safety in collisions, prestige, extra ground clearance over other wagons, not as expensive Allroad or small as Avant).

FYI, I'm getting it at invoice.

bob259 · July 2001

Ours is white. We had the burgandy on our V70 but we thought the whit looked better. Again it's like you said a personal preference. The one thing we like about white, or other light colors, is the fact that even if's a little dirty it doesn't look as dirty as other colors.

rpfundst · July 2001

Our dealer had several to chose from. We went with the Nautic Blue (Deep Navy Blue) with a Sand leather interior. It is a very subjective thing (color). We considered the VW Passat GLX 4 Motion. The VW seemed very close "on paper" with the Volvo in all respects - interior space, horsepower and even in the area of safety -- matched the Volvo in safety rating in tests by both the Insurance Institue for Highway Safety and Federal Gov't tests. But the relative unavaliability of the wagon version of the VW and the higher comfort of the Volvo seats and Volvo's longer warranty were the deciding factors. I have read that VW has changed their warranty for 2002 (matched Volvo's 4yr B2B) and is making wagons more available -- They are even going to bring out an eight cylinder AWD version. They still can't match those Volvo seats though!! Just my 2 cents worth

nofeer · July 2001

With the black trim, monochrome won't work, unless black. i like the lighter blue or white. non cx red red red is the color.

rpfundst · July 2001

The trim color is not black with any of the colors on the XC. The Slate trim comes with Nautic Blue, Silver or Polar Arctic, Umber Trim with Black,Java,Venetian Red & Ash Gold. So a monochromatic scheme is not an option on the XC. The Nautic Blue/Slate Trim is about as close as you get. Bright Red only available on the T5 V70 according to the brochure. My 2 cents.

paddingtonbear · July 2001

OK, I'm down to choosing between white/umber or polar artic (baby blue)/slate. It's like apples and oranges. I think the polar artic is a more beautiful, classy looking car. The white more basic SUV-ish. It would seem simple, no? Only problem is that I am not usually a baby blue kind of person and one could get tired more easily of a stronger colored car than a plainer one. What's lacking in the white is that it is not pearlized just matte, making it subject to what someone said to me as a "car-pool or van white" look. The white looks fine enough, though, and I'm not as likely to tire of it. What to do, what to do... I may go with the polar artic.

Women.

The saga continues ...

lancerfixer · July 2001

I responed to your query in the Roadside Cafe. Between your two choices, I'd go blue, definitely.

paddingtonbear · July 2001

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not going to go with the white. Too plain for an expensive car. Will probably pick the baby blue, or if I chicken out, the silver (like half the people on this planet - don't know what the preferences are on other planets). Do you think the silver is just too ordinary?

lancerfixer · July 2001

Never really thought much about silver; I just see it everywhere. The XC presents a bit of a dichotomy when choosing a color. With all the cladding, it really does look better in a darker color, but as the owner of a black car I can tell you they're a royal pain to keep clean. I think the blue might be your best choice. It's easier to keep clean, but complements, rather than accentuates, all the exterior trim. (I love Volvos, but IMHO, they went a little overboard with the exterior plastic on the XC. Perhaps they hired away a Pontiac designer?) Overall, I do like Volvo's color palette, though. Have you ever seen the Saffron '98-'00 V70Rs? Wow. The S60 has some really nice colors, too.
(BTW, Silver is popular on Mars, Pluto, and Venus. Neptunians seem to prefer blue. :-))

paddingtonbear · July 2001

At first I thought I was chickening out, which at first, I was, thus the thought 8-| However, I now really think the silver is the best non-dark color combination. The dark blue and black do makes the lines of the car look nicest, but I'm not going to vigilantly wash and wax. Plus, you cannot avoid the inevitable bird bomb while at the grocery store. I've owned a beautiful dark metallic blue Audi A4 with cream interior. Took a lot of care and still had swirls and faded areas from flower stimen and bird droppings. Decided against the baby blue, because well... I hate baby blue. Plus, it accentuates the blue trim too much. Way, way too much blue for me. The silver complements and tones down the blue trim. Plus, although ubiquitous, is sporty, classy, european traditional, and won't get annoying 5 years down the road when I change personalities

Now... the hotter graphite interior (which is the only ones which matches the exterior) or the lighter, cooler taupe (which in my opinion clashes with the exterior).

lancerfixer · July 2001

On this, I can authoritatively(or at least opinionatedly-- is that a word?) say, TAUPE. I've got a black leather interior in my Volvo...it DOES get very hot during these summer days. Like, burn through your pants hot. If you're gonna go with silver as a practical choice, might as well do the same with the interior. :-)

paddingtonbear · July 2001

I've ordered the navigation system for my new XC. Now I'm wondering if it's worth it. Is it CD or DVD based? It costs $2500. I've order the 4 in-dash CD player so I won't be needing a trunk changer.

paddingtonbear · July 2001

I've ordered the 4 in-dash player/surround sound package. I've gotten conflicting info re how many speakers my car will come with. anyone?

carguy000 · July 2001

I'm helping a friend who's buying a 2001 Volvo V70 2.4T. She's wondering if she will have to buy premium gas. Is is required, or is it just recommended for more performance? Do the V70s have knock sensors that compensate for lower octane gas? Thanks, I appreciate your help.

paddingtonbear · July 2001

Did I already tire you out with my incessant XC questions? I've already ordered my XC, but still don't feel sure I've gotten the accurate answer as to the # of speakers that come with the upgraded stereo package. They describe it as surround sound, so I'd expect a greater than usual # of speakers. The regular Volvo comes with 9 or 10 with the surround sound. However, it's base is already two more than the XC (8 instead of 6), so I'm thinking maybe the XC only comes with 8 with surround sound due to no back dash (lame excuse though it would be). Any knowledge on this, anyone? Thanks in advance.

paddingtonbear · July 2001

So who's got the nav package on their 2001 XC and are you happy with it? And if you don't mind, what area do you live in?

lancerfixer · July 2001

I'm not sure how many speakers are in the upgraded package; from what I've heard, though, it sounds phenomenal and is worth every penny. I've haven't heard it myself, but if it's even close to sounding like the 8 speaker setup in the old S90, it'll blow you away. Best factory system I've ever heard. For a glowing review of the upgraded Volvo stereo, check out the S60's evaluation in the recent luxury car comparison Edmund's did. It's more or less the same speaker setup (with the allowance made for it being a wagon, of course.)

lancerfixer · July 2001

I did some research on Volvo's website; it looks like both the base and HU-803 audio systems come with six speakers. The upgrade, though, in addition to the 4 disc changer, also includes a 200 watt amplifier, Dolby Pro Logic, and the availability of adding a subwoofer (though not with the third seat installed-- spacing conflicts, I would assume.)

coolmatt44 · July 2001

Is it standard on all XC's, we will be picking ours up on the 17th of july and didn't think to ask. Also, how does the navigation come up, is it automatic, or manually brought up?

paddingtonbear · July 2001

More of less got that info from the Volvo site as well. Two Volvo salespeople (from two different dealerships) have both said there is 8 or 9 (can't remember which, now) speakers in the package. I have posted many a message quite a while back about the third row seat/subwoofer conflict. Now I'm really confused.

lancerfixer · July 2001

The number of speakers was conjecture on my part based on what I read in the brochure. The audio upgrade package doesn't specify a greater number of speakers in the XC. Also, in addition to space requirements, would you really want to put little kids in a third seat with a 150 watt subwoofer just inches away?

lancerfixer · July 2001

And don't be confused. Buy the car with the upgraded audio and enjoy it!

squiredogs · July 2001

I'd like to get a 2001 next year that's been used or leased. How much can one expect to save that way?

Dan

Volvo V70 / XC70

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