Volvo S70

qbrozen · February 2003

thanks for the info on the door panels. I'll have to try that.

Wow! and thanks for the key info as well .... Maybe I'll attach a brick to the spare set to keep it from getting lost ... it'll look like a gas station restroom key.

gthomaspa · February 2003

I have had the front, drivers seat dyed in several areas since the color comes off rather easily. It irks me to no end to have to drive with my wallet in my front pocket because it seems that my wallet "may" have been the culprit causing the seat to wear. A $34,500 car shouldn't have such problems. Afterall, I only have 24,000 on my 2000 GLT SE and I feel this is wear is most premature. Anyone else experience such a problem and if so, was it corrected to your satisfaction? Other than the described problem along with starting/stalling problems and absolutely horrendous rear visibility when backing up, it's a pretty nice vehicle, but I think it's probably my first and last Volvo.

qbrozen · February 2003

discolored leather? What color is it supposed to be? This seems really odd to me. How could it become discolored? You got chemicals in that wallet of yours or something?

Has the dealer given you any indication that this is something they've seen before?

What problem are you having with rear visibility? Both my wife and I have absolutely no visibility complaints (and there is over a foot height difference between us, so physical limitations can't be the culprit - but it does make that memory seat a well-loved option by us).

jrosasmc · February 2003

My parents are the proud new owners of a '99 base S70, automatic, silver with black leather. They just got this car today; it was a one-owner car from southern CT with only 39k miles on it. I drove it this afternoon; the car rocks! Volvos are the best!!

I drive a '93 850 that has given us absolutely no problems since the day we got it six years ago. Knock on wood, it's as reliable as our last Nissan they just traded in on the new Volvo.

qbrozen · February 2003

is it the base model or what?

If so, how is that car on power? There are many times I suggest to people to look for a used S70 since I think its such a great bargain, but the biggest bargain is the non-turbo'd. I just never drove one to see if its got any get-up-and-go.

dmuzyka · March 2003

Well folks, I went over the top today - our '98 S70 is worth exactly $6000 as a trade in!! (This was not just one dealer - several different dealers gave roughtly the same price, including Carmax) Only 72k on it - pretty decent shape (except for one door panel and a small dent in the fender)... When we bought it in '98 my wife talked me out of a Maxima SE...a decision I greatly regret since except for the solid feeling of the Volvo, I have been underwhelmed with it's need for expensive & frequent repairs, starting with the headlight bulbs and going on through the door panels, timing belt, abs sensors, etc. Back to a Japanese vehicle - a Highlander - for us. Part of the reason for the low trade was that we are in Texas...values are a little higher on the left and right coasts. Regardless, I'm greatly disappointed.

qbrozen · March 2003

the low resale is exactly why i was able to pick up a used one for what I consider to be a steal.

If you have a $6K car, I can only imagine you have a stripped version (base engine and cloth seats perhaps?). That is death for any luxury car. Yeah, this model has low resale from new compared to other luxury imports. Its a shame, but its just how things go sometimes. Now you know how all those American luxury new car buyers feel.

as far as your repairs go, how much did it cost you? Headlight bulbs certainly aren't expensive. Timing belt is a repair cost associated with ALL cars with a timing belt. Did the abs sensor failure happen under warranty? What did that run (just so I have an idea if it ever happens to me)?

dmuzyka · March 2003

it has leather, sunroof, killer sound system, power seats, etc.. The only major things missing are seat heaters, trip computer and turbo...

Anyway, I understand basic maintenance, but the prices were nuts. Headlight bulbs - in 72k we've replaced 7 at $20 each. Timing belt $700. Abs sensor $1600 (not available a la carte...). Front door panels both replaced under warranty, now need replacement again.

We're just discouraged. Our next european car (should there be one) will be used, so as to let someone else take the depreciation hit.

ymiller · March 2003

I found a used 1999 S70 base sedan w/ leather seats, moonroof, AT, CD player, 32.7k miles, asking price $13999. Under factory warranty until 10/2003. Been corresponding with dealer (not a Volvo dealer) by e-mail, he seems to be willing to deal to move the car.

Checked the Carfax and it looks clean, one owner, Florida lease. It did mention a police report of an accident in 2000, but doesn't mention the severity of the accident. Should I be worried about this? What is a decent price for this car?

Would current S70 owners recommend it? I'm the mom of a 19-month-old, so safety and longterm reliability are most important to me. Should I consider purchasing an extended warranty? Thanks in advance for any advice...

jrosasmc · March 2003

My parents traded in a minivan for a '99 S70 on 2/28 of this year. The car is a base model and has everything on it except for the moonroof. This one had 39k on it when we picked it up and we paid $14k exactly out the door. Although we are very happy with our purchase (we also have a '93 850), I would strongly recommend buying an extended warranty, as this particular model is known to be plagued with well-known problems, such as early headlight burn-out and malfunctioning door locks.

dmuzyka · March 2003

Definitely get the extended warranty. As I previously posted, our '98 needed major repairs at 70k, namely the ABS and A/C systems replaced to the tune of $4500. We are looking to unload it as a trade and it's practically worthless (well, $6000-7000). Granted, '98 was a bad year for the S70...even Consumer Reports lists it as a "Used Car To Avoid" for that year. That being said, physically the car is bullet-proof... safety is why we bought it in the first place. The rest of the market, however, has caught up to Volvo's safety reputation. Choose wisely. I hope I didn't pop your balloon.

qbrozen · March 2003

Yer getting hit with a couple of issues here. The no-turbo models definitely take a bit of a hit... its a demand thing. More people buying this car used want a turbo model. Plus, as we all know, the used car market is in the toilet right now. All cars are down, so that makes our poor '98 volvos even more of a downer.

Now, just to point out a small detail, I purchased Phillips high-intensity bulbs for my '98 for $7 each. So you really got hosed at $20 a pop. I can see how that would be aggravating when you have to pay that much each time.

anu0 · March 2003

A friend is selling his 1998 Volvo S70 T5. It's fully loaded, including the sports suspension and is automatic. It has less than 10, 000 miles; that's right, no misprint, 10,000 not 100,000.
Edmunds says the TMV for a private party sale is $16, 800.

Kelly Blue Book says the car is only worth $15,500 even at this ultra low mileage.

What kind of offer should I make him?
Is this a problematic car? I'm used to driving only Japanese cars.

qbrozen · March 2003

seems mighty low to me. I've been seeing T5s with much higher mileage (30-40K) advertised in the $15s. Best thing to do is run this by the guys over on the "Real World Trade-In Values" board and see what they say.

As far as it being problematic, you will get varying opinions, as is the case with all cars. Personally, I've put over 30K miles on my used T5 and haven't had as many issues as I've had with cars like my Toyota 4Runner and Subaru Forester (both of which score much higher on any published reliability scale). I think the benefits of driving this wonderful car far outweigh the little nagging blown lightbulbs issue or the occasional check engine light (which always turns out to be a gas-cap leak issue and goes away after a week or so). Oh, I did have an oil leak, but it was fixed under warranty.

But I would check with him and make sure the maintenance bulletin concerning the lights has been fixed by the dealer (if not, i'm pretty sure the dealer is still required to fix it).

volvomax · March 2003

The only problem with the T5 is that its not worth much more than a GLT used.
The miles on the car are too low, in other words there's no market mechanism designed to calculate a fair price for that car.
Private party I think $17,000 is probably right on.
$18,000 is all the money and then some.
$15500 for a private sale is too low.

qbrozen · March 2003

not worth much more? Well, I guess that depends on what you consider "much more". Seems to me it kicks up the price at least $1200 and usually more. On the used car market, that much increase for just an engine upgrade is pretty good. Even the Lincoln LS only fetches $1K more for the V8.

And I'm just using Edmunds numbers here.... shopping around has proven to me that the real world commands even more of a difference between the T5 and its lesser counterparts.

Anyway, the guys over on the real-world values board hit this as a $16K RETAIL vehicle. Pretty brutal. So seems like something more around $15K private party is more than fair.

needashave · March 2003

For what its worth, I have owned a 1998 Volvo S70 GLT for the last 4 years and 50K and outside of some minor bulb issues (corrected under warranty), the car has been bullet proof. Now granted, the Volvo is no BMW from a performance perspective, but this is one comfortable, well built, solid and safe family cruiser. Find yourself a local mechanic that works on European cars and put $1500 aside each year for possible repairs and you got yourself a vehicle superior in every way to any $15K Japanese car in my opinion.

ripd · March 2003

Does anyone have any insight as to a a gear lockup I'm having on my 98 s70 with A/T. It's sporadic but basically I'm unable to get the car out of Park (brake is depressed). The car has a shift override button but when this is used it seems to disable the headlights and turn signals. Any thoughts would be helpful.

qbrozen · March 2003

are you parking on a hill? I find it usually difficult to get it out of park if I parked on a hill. I've now gotten into the habit of setting the parking brake before taking my foot off the brake pedal. This keeps the car from resting its weight on the transmission (so to speak).

ripd · March 2003

qbrozen - I have tried using the parking break but no luck. It's the strangest thing, when it's locked up I have no lights or turn signal indicators. Any other ideas?

qbrozen · March 2003

when it's locked up I have no lights or turn signal indicators

you mean when the car is running, but in park, you can't turn the lights on?? That is extremely odd. I have absolutely no clue what that could be. Sorry.

444psd · April 2003

ripd,

next time it locks up and you have some various electrical components not working, try jiggling the key inside the lock cylinder and see if it comes to life. if it does you've most definitely got a faulty ignition switch, the electrical part on the backside of the lock cylinder would need to be replaced, and no its not that difficult to replace. Also, for you folks still experiencing the constant headlight bulb replacement, check to see if recall 101B has been performed on it. It affected all S/V 70's 98'-00'. It seemed to have cured most premature headlight bulb failures. Basically its a resistor kit between the connector and the headlight itself. Just my 2 cents worth!

tioman · April 2003

We are thinking of buying a 2000 Volvo S70 (non turbo)with 55000 miles on it. The dealer is quoting us a price of around 16,000, including the certified/limited warranty. It's pretty loaded--leather, seat heaters, cd/am/fm stereo, power everything, sunroof, etc. Are we crazy to buy a used Volvo with so many miles on it? We need some honest advice!

qbrozen · April 2003

sounds a bit pricey to me. Have you run this by the guys on the REal-World trade-in value board? Maybe I'm wrong... just seems high for a non-turbo with that many miles.

pat · April 2003

Link: Real-World Trade-In Values

qbrozen · April 2003

I'm just too lazy to do that.

tioman · April 2003

Thanks for the suggestion; I have also posted a msg there.

Just wondering if anybody out there has other suggestions (such as gbrozen's timing belt suggestion) regarding what we should be anticipating in terms of maintenance, upkeep, etc.

qbrozen · April 2003

have those extra headlight bulbs handy.

Actually, the bulbs mine originally came with are still good. But I did replace them with Phillips blue bulbs. Those blew out within a year and I put the original ones back in. They are still fine. Go figure.

Don't remind me of the timing belt. I'm up to 66K miles now and the timing belt replacement cost is looming. I might end up doing it myself. Yikes!

lowflyer · May 2003

Asking my dealer for a new lense due to a hole from a stone, they offered a complete lamp assy for a king's ransom. Claimed they don't sell the lense by itself, I got up off the ground and went on eBay and purchased a lense kit with the gasket and clips. Now I am loking at the car and can't figure out how to get the old lense off without a major teardown. Anyone done it and what are the tricks to doing it?

izonly · May 2003

I am looking at purchasing a S70 from a dealer. It is a 98 model with 150,000 km. Does anyone know of any issues with this vehicle. Some of the postings I have looked at talk about lots of repair work to the electrical system, and problems with brakes wearing out too quickly. Any comments would be greatly appreciated...

qbrozen · June 2003

this is a continuation of a convo. i accidentally started on the S60 board:

so you're pretty sure that all the S70s had the same rotors? Well, I guess I could always suffer reselling the ebay ones if they are wrong. Or maybe I could talk a parts supplier into taking them in on exchange (doubt that one).

I hate to ask, but could you possibly check with a tech in your shop if you're not positive? I'd appreciate it. I know that rotors have to get replaced often on these cars, so I'm sure someone knows off-hand.

on this same topic, any real advantage to going with cross-drilled rotors? Same seller has these up and still says these are only for S70s with 15" wheels. I know they are supposed to help with brake fade, and that's really not a concern for me. I would, however, like firmer brakes. Mine seem to take quite a bit of pressure to get them biting.

qbrozen · June 2003

everything you are asking is posted on this board. Some people love them (me, so far) and some hate them. Its your call.

jay44 · June 2003

I own a 98, S70 and it has been pretty much trouble free. I would suggest that you have the dealer check to make sure all of the factory recalls have been performed. This includes replacing the headlight bulb sockets. Without this you will go through a lot of bulbs needlesly. It's a great car!

lweiss · June 2003

My 1998 Volvo S70 (basic model, no turbo) has just about 60K miles on it now and it has been a good car. Great seats, good features and handling, about 22mpg city (on Premium fuel), no big problems since a bunch of them about a year ago (brakes, abs controller, power windows). The car is a keeper, but (as with any European car), the maintenance is more often and higher priced than the Japanese owned brands. Plan on spending an average of $1,000 to $1,500 per year on maintenance, and don't use a dealer- find a specialist in Swedish car repairs (one in our area does Volvos and Saabs only) and is reasonable. Maintenance seems high but not in comparison to depreciation on some new high end cars.

fantastic06660 · July 2003

I found an ad for 1999 S70 Sedan with AWD turbo with 55K miles for $12000.

I checked this car out in CARFAX and it looks okay.

I checked the bluebook and based on mileage and option it rates the retail value at $18000.

Am I missing something? Why would a retail dealer sell this at this low price?

I read in various places about how this car has some electronical problems and repair can be costly. Would this be the reason why dealer is trying to sell so low? I have never bought a used car in my life so I would like to know if I am missing something. I am ready to spend cash to buy this car just based on its bluebook value and CARFAX that verified that car only had one owner with no major accidents reported.

Any advice would be helpful as I am without a car (due to total loss) and I need to buy a car soon.

qbrozen · July 2003

It sounds like an OK price. Bluebook is not usually the best source. I would run this one by Terry and Bill and see what they say. You can ask over on the Real-World Trade-in Values board in the Smart Shopper forum.

libertycat · July 2003

with cloth/leather. She LOVES it!!!

libertycat · July 2003

EXCELLENT PRICE!!! Grab it!!!

qbrozen · July 2003

Was hoping someone here has heard of the upsolute chip. You can check it out at upsolute.com. I just heard of this and was looking over the website last night. This is a third of the cost of the TME reflash, so its definitely tempting. But, then again, I am a strong believer in "you get what you pay for," and I'm worried about that low low price. So ... any word on this from someone with experience. They do many different cars, so I might have to start a new thread altogether and look for anyone with any experience with them, but I wanted to start here since I would be doing it on my T5.

jaymoka · July 2003

I'm looking at a 1999 S70 GLT to buy. The car is very clean, but when you start it without applying any gas (or when you stop it), the engine shakes and vibrates a little. The car has 78000 miles on it, and besides that little rattle, it's in mint condition.
Should I be worried about that engine vibration (it lasts maybe one second)? Anyone has any idea what that could be. One of my friends suggested it could be the engine mount, but the car idles perfectly, and rides even better.
Please, if you can help, let me know. YOu can also email me at jaymoka1@yahoo.com. Thank you, very much for your help.

theresa11 · July 2003

Have a S70 SE 2000. Has been trouble free until 53K miles. AC went out, blew warm air. Dealer (new to me - just moved to PA)did dye test and AC blew cold for a week then died again. Dealer looked at it again and said that they need to rip out the dash and replace the evaporator cone(?). Will run approx $1200-1500 dollars. Has anyone had similar problems. Somehow a car that has been pampered and has only 53K miles should not need a major repair. Unfortunately, dealer where I bought the car is too far away and new dealer is not all that sympathetic. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
Theresa

qbrozen · July 2003

at 53K, i'd be pushing pretty hard to get this at least partially covered by Volvo. The dealer can't really help you with this, I believe, so you gotta call corporate.

I never heard of an evaporator cone. But, then again, it seems that my Volvo service center is always saying things to me I don't understand. I have to get a translation to the real-world term. Wish I could remember some of the things they've said. For instance, I needed a new coolant temperature sender, but they called it something completely different and I thought they were making something up. Anyway, good luck.

lancerfixer · July 2003

Well, without know how much vibration we're talking about here, it could be a motor mount, or it could simply be the small amount of extra vibration you'd get from any engine with an odd number of cylinders. It's not going to idle like a balanced-shafted V6.

lngtonge18 · July 2003

I think you meant to say evaporator core. Anyway, if you read some of the past messages, this was a known problem with older Volvos, specifically the 93-95 850. But you are right, you shouldn't have such an expensive repair with so few miles. Evaporator cores normally last 150k-200k. I would call Volvo and see if they will grant a good will repair. The repair is so expensive mostly because the core is located behind the middle section of the dash. It is the part that leaks water underneath the car. The core is prone to rusting, which is probably what happened to yours.

theresa11 · July 2003

Thanks for the comments re: the evaporator core. How do I get a hold of corporate to ask for a good will repair? Has anyone been successful with corporate? Thanks
Theresa

lweiss · July 2003

I had some success with Volvo corporate, but not on the A/C. My 1998 S-70 had a bad ABS (automatic braking system) controller at about 50K. It was about a $450 repair, so I complained through the dealer and he got Volvo to refund the cost of the part, but not the $120 or so in labor to install it. Also, my car was originally leased, and Volvo (actually Volvo Finance) gave me 3 months off the final lease payments when I bought it outright- about $1,150. But I don't know if they were being nice or just reflecting the rather poor resale market for used cars these days. Anyway, my Volvo runs great, has now about 62K miles, just about to get the 60K service which runs about $500, but most of my friends with Volvos say just do it, cheaper than buying a new car, the S-70 should last until 200K miles easily with routine maintenance.

qbrozen · July 2003

ABS stands for anti-lock brake system. Sorry, just being picky today.

444psd · August 2003

A/C evaporators are a common problem on the 850/S70, all years are affected (93-00). When volvo introduced the cabin filter system, this seemed to reduce the number of failures, but never did eliminate the problem. There are various theories as to why they fail, corrosion, dirt, constant temperature deviations, pressure sensor failures etc. They are a first class pain to replace as to almost everything between the front seats and the firewall must be removed except the carpet, steering column, pedals, and wiring harness, and can take 8 hours or so to install. If you ask volvo corporate nicely to help you and you are not way outside of warranty, they likely will help, but not necessarily provide full coverage because the car comes with a generous warranty as it is. The number should be listed in your owners manual or warranty information book. Best of luck to you.

wjl11 · August 2003

Hello,

Just got the news on my 1998 S70 with 71k miles.
It needs new calipers, roters and pads on both front brakes. $850 total for the job at the dealer.

Just wondering, is it unusual to get the calipers replaced? The car has always been dealer-serviced.
And I know the dealer is expensive, but is this a complete ripoff?

Thanks,
Will

qbrozen · August 2003

This is the first I've heard of calipers needing to be replaced. The rotors is commonplace and really is a weak spot on the car as far as I'm concerned.

What did you bring the car in for? Just low brakes or did you have a problem? I'd be suspicious if you just brought it in for a routine brake inspection and they are telling you that you need new rotors.

On the other hand, I had Midas quote me almost $700 to do the job without the calipers, so another $150 to get those replaced would normally be a good deal from my POV. (although I did not let Midas do it and will always do my own brakes on this car from now on. I usually find its not worth it to do it myself because brake jobs are cheap on many cars. This is an exception, obviously.)

Volvo S70

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