Just picked up our 2000 V70 and I too would like some info on protecting the leather from the car seats. They did a number on my Saab 9000. My wife says the car seat manufacturer does not recommend any type of liner due to safety concerns (slippage?). Any thoughts?
Siva, based on what I just paid in Canada I think the price is too high. I was dealing on a 2000 V70 GLT, full load (except power passenger seat) with optional snow tires/rims and 3rd seat for 32k US (48.5k cnd). I eventually bought a 99 demo with same options with less than 10,000 miles for 27k US (40.5 k cnd, keep in mind the tires and seat add over 1.5k to the cost). I purchased this from the local Volvo dealer. Given that this is a GLT with extra equipment it seems like the price expected for a base as you have indicated is high.
Our dealers have been pushing the base model with SE package and the AWD. GLTs are hard to find here but give far better performance, in my opinion, than the base - have you driven a GLT yet? The base model with SE package was only about 1.5k less than the similar equipped GLT (difference being the engine). I would recommend driving all three as they do ride different. Keep in mind that the dealers will push what they have as I am sure supply is becoming limited. We had to get the dealer to ship ours from another dealer 2000 miles away as this is the car we wanted (they only did this after they knew they were going to lose a sale if they didn't). I know price differences in Canada and US are sometimes more complex than the exchange rate, maybe some US owners can comment on actual pricing?
I thought I was the only one who obsessed with this problem. We have two car seats in our V70. I don't know what is best for protection. I have placed a rear seat cover on the seats (mainly for our third boy (no car seat) so he doesn't sit on the cold leather. I have placed small folded towels under the impact points on the car seats to reduce the 'digging' in of the seat ribs and to spread out the load. I haven't pulled the seats out recently to see how they are doing. However, they are pulled down tight with the seat belt and are tethered. Maybe some of these manufacturers should offer leather and heat in the front for us and good old cloth in the back for the kids? Or integrated car seats.
Steve, this sounds like great price to me. I wanted to get the v70glt, but nearly all of them seem to have disappeared in anticipation of the se's being released in march. do you happen to know of any restraints that would prevent an american from buying a canadian volvo and bringing it to the us? i know earlier posts dealt with losing the factory warranty with new volvos, but what about used cars? Thanks
West3, sorry, I don't know what the restraints are for importing. The free trade agreement has surely opened things up. I frequently buy parts from the US for my old Jag with no duties or taxes. You might want to check topic 539 in Vans as they talk about importing the Honda van from Canada.
Please be aware that the cars are a little different. The obvious differences is the Canadian Volvos have metric guages (kph and litres for example) and daytime running lights. It is the first car I have owned in Canada without mph somewhere on the speedo. Also, you may not have any more luck finding a GLT here than in the US. They are rare and the base model and xc are far more common. My opinion on importing/exporting is that the difference in price or availabilty has to be significant enough to warrant going through the paperwork. As we all know, anything to do with the government can be frustrating. You never know what they are going to do or how they interpret the law. They may let white Volvos in one day and red ones the next.
I just bought a '96 850 base wagon. The dealer told me it had TRACS, but I later found out that it does not. Now we are trying to work out some form of compensation. The options are: swap the vehicle for another that does have TRACS, or get some money back.
How useful is TRACS? How well does it work? Will it help me get up a steep snowy/icy hill that I couldnt get up without it? Will it keep me from losing control and having an accident?
I'd appreciate any opinions and experiences, so that I can decide whether to take the new car or the cash.
I won't be able to give you any first hand experience, but I may be able to help. From my understanding, the TRACS system is a low speed traction control system (active up to 25 mph?). I think on the 96' models this was the only type available. The newer models (except the base model) do have an all-speed version available. Apparently Volvo's rationalization for only offering low speed traction control was that in adverse weather conditions, you wouldn't be driving too fast.
If you haven't already done so, you should check out http://www.brickboard.com The boards tend to be more active and are geared towards Volvo enthusiasts.
Our 95 Volvo has TRACS, and I found it works great in wet weather. I've tested it extensively before replacing the last set of tires, so I didn't have to worry about excessive wear on the tires.
The car gets good traction with the system turned off. With the system on, the ABS comes on quickly to eliminate wheel spin and maintain traction even when accelerating hard. It's a useful feature, but on the other hand, the Volvo also performs well in wet conditions without TRACS.
ready1 - TRACS is worth it's weight in gold in my book. Las year, before we purchased our V70XC, my wife was taking me to the airport, which is on a rather steep hill, when the rain soaked road turend to black ice. Between the TRACS, Blizzak snow tires and a little luck we made it. This was as we had people stuck all over, in the ditches and unable to move. I'm a believer and feel if the car you got doesn't have it and the dealer is willig to work with you, you'd be better off with it and take him up on it.
I was considering the Volvo V70 wagon but saw yesterday that Consumer Report is "no longer recommending it" for the year 2000 because of reliability problems. I guess I will have to take it off my short list of wagons to consider.
Please, don't believe everything you read in CR. If I remember right they recommended our 97 Voyager as 'Best Buy'. I am still wondering if they meant best buy for Chrysler or for me. I have never owned such a piece of junk!
Do not worry about cr2000 .V70 and S70 are extremely reliable. After buying a brand new s70 in 1998 , I bought a 2000 v70 . The only problem , I had in two years with the s70 , was the blinker being faster then usual when turning left. I have now two Volvo and do not regret it any moment. Patrick
I am in the market for a used Volvo wagon and have some questions on longevity of the Volvo. I've found a '96 Volvo 850 GLT wagon at a local Carmax for $15,998. Of course there's a catch: it has 71,000 miles on it. The question is, assuming the car was well maintained(not a turbo, by the way) would it be reasonable for this car to have significant life left in it? I'm not talking 20 years, but possibly 8 - 10 years? While I'm at it, has anyone dealt with Carmax and was the experience good? Any thoughts on the extended warranty they offer(36 month)? Are their prices truly "no haggle" or will they deal with you a bit?
You can use iMotors.com as a check on price. It quotes a price of over $20,000 for a 96 GLT with no more than 57,000 miles. It doesn't list an option for mileage higher than 57,000, which implies that it won't sell a high mileage 96 GLT.
A $4,000 to $5,000 discount for an extra 14,000 miles seems to be a good deal if the car is in good shape. iMotors thoroughly reconditions its cars and gives a one week money back guarantee. I'm not familiar with Carmax.
I have a 95 turbowagon with about 100,000 miles, and the car is still going strong. Little things are beginning to go wrong, for example, an instrument light is out and the gas filler cover sticks, requiring that the cover panel be removed in the rear to reach the manual release. All the major components still check out well.
You can't base reliability on one person's experience. There are some people who have had terrible experience with recent Volvos and say that they will not buy another.
Consumer Reports' conclusions are based on surveys of many people. I can't remember the percentages, but a low reliability score from CR still means that the majority of owners have little if any trouble.
What bothered me was the large number of used '99 Volvos on the lot in January of 2000. The sales person said that these were cars from owners who wanted to sell the car before it was one year old to "reduce the depreciation" on the car. I wondered if these cars were so much trouble that the owners couldn't stand to own them for a year.
I have two 850s ('95 non-turbo) that have been very reliable. The most annoying things have been electrical problems: sensors, switches, etc.. They're running very well at over 100K miles. For servicing I used mfr. recommended service intervals. In SoCal, the dealer maint. costs have been reasonable. They also have the best quality used Volvo in my opinion. I'm looking forward to the next 100k miles.
I own a 1998 V70 Cross Country purchased new, and based upon my experience to date, I plan to get rid of the car before the warranty is over. My Toyota truck and car were far more reliable. This is a big disappointment for me, because I actually feel safer in this car than many others I've driven. Not to mention the significant cost differential for this car. However, I have had several problems which while fixed by the dealer under warranty were significant and make me very concerned. The dealer had to replace the rear suspension system, then the engine control module had to be reprogrammed to prevent the engine from stumbling and dying. Then the car developed rattling coming from the interior side of the firewall which required the dash to be removed and "insulated", whatever that means.Then there was the recall for the airbag ground wire and the potential for unexpected detonation of the bag(s). Then there is what seems to be a regular stream of replacing light bulbs that have burned out. The latest thing I notice is that the dashboard lights seem to be brighter when I first start the car and when I put it in gear and begin driving, they dim noticably. Don't know if that's a problem too, but it wouldn't surprise me. Then there is now a rattle developing in the front passenger side door. I think the quality must have been going down for some time before CR picked up on it. Probably time to go back to Toyota, they don't rattle or cost $38000.
Toyota doesn't make a wagon. $38k US is high for a Volvo is it not?. Have you priced the 4-runners lately? My 90 4-runner was not a panacea, having lots of warranty problems, not too mention severely underpowered.
Have a 99 V70XC and have already had the rear brakes replaced at ~20,000 miles. Does this seem normal? I would have expected a much longer life. Any input would be appreciated.
I tried to purchase an alarm system for my new 2000 Volvo V70SE but dealers in two different Volvo dealerships told me that they did not recommend that since it was incompatible with the car's electric system !!! Have anybody heard anything regarding that matter ?
My Volvo XC had the rear brakes replaced at 18K. the dealer told me that this was better than most AWD units, claiming 14K was the average. The dealer continues to replace front turn signal bulbs sockets and bulbs but never cures the problems. There's a rattle in the right front the cannot be found. A leaky oil tube to the turbo that cannot be tightened. This car has been a dog from day one. I will turn my vehicle in before the warrante xpires. This car has had too many problems to keep for a long term relationship. My 1997 Toyota pickup has the quality that the Volvo lacks. Maybe I will go back to Toyota cars>
I would like to reply to fthngrg. Are you sure you haven't been using my XC secretly? Your experiences almost mirror mine. 1 5769 miles replaced rear suspension 2 15032 miles reprogrammed electronic fuel injection module to eliminate engine stumble 3 19238 miles recall for light switch and air bag ground 4 20147 miles replaced blower motor 5 25,100 miles fixed windshield washer jets 6 AND THE MOST ANNOYING replaced both headlight bulbs within 3 weeks of each other when car was 15 months old. I went to 7 different national auto part stores here in the Omaha area. Guess What? Only the local Volvo carried these bulbs. I have owned 30 different vehicles since 1966,and this one ranks at the bottom. The one bright spot in all of this is the dealer Mike Gorges Volvo.They have been outstanding in trying to keep me happy. I am not sure what I am going to do when my lease is up in June of 2001,but because of the dealer I will give Volvo another shot on the V70 XC .
I purchased a 1999 V70XC summer of 1999 new and am ready to do my second oil change at 7500 miles. The first one was a disaster and I'm wondering if anyone has had the same experience. My problem was while draining the oil, there is some sort of a a metal cooling fin or splash guard directly behind the oil drain (I believe this is only on AWD cars). It is so near the drain that when I pulled out the drain plug, the oil hit the fin/splash guard and sprayed everywhere! I had the front of the car on low profile ramps for access, but can't imagine that oil wouldn't spray even if the car was level. It seems that removal of the fin/splash guard is not intended as there appears to be an electronic module attached (AWD computer??)
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated since my next oil change is due soon and my oil resistant latex body suit hasn't come in yet.
I am going to England in late August and am also contemplating the 2001 Volvo V70 (?T5 option). Is it a good idea to do the overseas delivery bit to save some money? Does anyone have any experience with this? Volvo seems to have their act together with the overseas delivery. I am interested in any opinions on this.
It has been almost a year since we bought our used 96 base 850 wagon. We're nearing the 50k mark and I must admit that I still like this car now as much as the day we bought it. We have not had a trouble free year of ownership and I guess that would be a black mark against Volvo in most peoples minds.
The Japanese have taught us that trouble free car ownership is possible and economical so we've come to expect that in all our automobiles. Yet, we're still all out there buying those modern day American land yatchs called SUVs. What is it that we all want out of our cars?
Buy what you really want or need and not what slick marketing tells your automobile will be. Volvos are not as brutishly simple and reliable as I think they were once we built to be. Technically automobiles have come a very long way and Volvo has always tried to be one that leading edge but reliability of these new technologies has certainly not been their forte in recent years.
Things as simple as we're only going to use enviromentaly friendly glues on the door panels was a previous marketing ploy that backfired when used Volvos began showing up with wrinkled door panels just a couple of years later. Volvo has been a leader in modern automotive technology but I don't think that they've really had the money to thoroughly test these technologies before integrating them into their modern cars.
The outsorcing of parts manufacturing on a modern automobile is up to 80% or more these days. Volvo is a very small player in the world car market and was becoming ever more so through out the 90's. This is most likely a major contributing factor to their sale to Ford last year.
Think of the crap Detroit was churning out in the mid eighties as compared to what they're doing in the world car market now. Who would've ever thought Chrysler would pull out to become a major player in the modern world car market while Nissan nearly sank into oblivion.
I like our Volvo I think more because of its approach to design than its marketing hype. I actually like the old blockish styling and old Volvo 850 interior door handles. Everything is rather chunky but utilitarion. Even the switches are firm and require a rather deliberate manipulation to activate rather than the smooth and supple activation you'd expect on a vehicle in this class.
Volvo 850s are anti-class, they're reverse snobery because they are a luxury and yet not a luxury car. A Camery or Accord would be a far more practicle choice for the money if pure ecnomic factors were taken into consideration. If they'd still sold a wagon they certainly would have been given greater consideration. A Mercedes or BMW would likely be a finacial stretch but at least closer to being a true luxury car. Cadillac and Lincoln are made for an entirely different audience.
The 850's handling characteristics are seriously differnt from the vast majority of its competitors. The brakes are so diliberate that you totally have to re-adjust your thinking when you drive it. The handling is exceedingly firm and flat, similar to a Honda but w/o the clausterphobic and buffeted interior. Power on the base 850 engine is adequate but my view I sure is warped by my daily driving of a lumbering under powered 82 Lincoln Mark.
A moonroof is a tinted glass roof that you can see through if you slide back the cover. You don't need to open it to see out. A sunroof must be opened to see outside it. They, therefore, are not made of glass.
Just had to share my thoughts on the V70 reliability issue. Have a 98 GTAS (nonturbo) and experienced many things noted here. Bulbs in headlights/directionals have gone after just 3 or 4 months; I keep a spare in the car all the time. Front brakes went at 20K miles, and a CD player that ate discs. Have seen the lights on my car dim as I drive off, but think it's the ABS system selftest that draws extra current. Like the car but really fear the end of the warrantee period. Can someone recommend good replacement tires? Also, I 've been using unleaded regulare with gas price increases, and don't notice any difference. Any comments?
It is unfortunate for me to see that others have suffered at the hands of Volvo. I was hoping that the constant stream of annoyance I have experienced in my 2+ years with a 98 V70XC was not typical. I have owned Acuras, Toyotas, and Volkswagens, and a Ford Explorer and I have experienced more difficulties with the Volvo than the others combined! Both headlights have been replaced twice (never at the same time of course), 4-5 turn signal bulbs have been replaced, Stereo/CD player was replaced, power windows stopped working one day, brakes needed replaced at around 20K miles, battery died, oil leak, and the latest issue is hard starts. Turn the key and the car needs to crank for 5-10 seconds before the engine starts. Dealer kept the car for 3 days and couldn't find anything wrong so the hard starts greet us every morning! I have had a very unpleasant experience with the car and the dealership so I don't think I would drive another Volvo if it was given to me for free. What I thought was a safe, reliable car for my pregnant wife has turned out to be the exact opposite. With young children, time is far too precious to put up with these Volvo defects. They market themselves based on safety, but how safe is a car that constantly is without headlights, turn signals and the basic ability to start properly??? Unless you have unlimited free time, I would strongly recommend choosing another brand and ignoring Volvo's advertising claims.
Maybe they call it a sunroof. But Volvo has the kind of retractable dome that you would want, I assume. As for the name discrepancy, beats me. The moonroof/sunroof was explained that way to me several years ago.
It is time to replace the tires on my '96 850 Turbo wagon. The original Dunlops wore on the outer edges even though I rotated them reasonable regularly. No alignment problems were noted.
Does anyone have advice on what replacement tires perform and wear well?
My 98 V70 continues to go through turn signal bulbs at the rate of one per month. Headlight bulbs last a bit longer, but I no longer leave the headlights on during the daytime. Dealer has no solution to offer. As a former Toyota & Acura owner, I'm not used to these type of annoyances. I too forgot about the power window failures. Driver's window very tempermental.
While Volvo's are built on the tradition of safety, there are other wagons out there that have good safety records as well. Any of the European Luxo wagons have done well in various crash tests (whether here in the States or in Europe) - the A6 and A4, Saab 9-5, Mercedes E class, and BMW 5 (and now 3-) series. Two additional mid-sized wagons that have received the highest marks in their class by the IHSS are the Subaru Legacy/Outback and VW Passat.
The next decision would be what features are important to you -- do you really need/ want AWD?, how much do you want to spend, etc. Also, of the luxo brands, the Audi, BMW, and MB are the better choices for overall reliability over the current generation V70. However, the '01 XC will be released later this fall and initial reviews of the FWD V70's have been very positive. For the moderately priced wagons, Subaru has the edge over the Passat in reliabilty.
If you're dead set on Volvo, then I guess I've wasted 5 minutes. But, If you're open to suggestion, then hopefully I've given you some other ideas.
Hi I'm looking for any and all help on this. The problem is when I start the car the ABS and the tracs off lights stay on. The headlights are off as well as the dash lights. The shift is locked in park. What I have to do then to get moving is to turn the car off and take out the key. The I restart 99% of the time with no problems. It tends to happen when the interior of the car is very hot. I can't recall if it happens when it is not. My guys at the Volvo certified garage cannot help. Can anyone out there? Thanks so much Jackie in NH
Our 3-yr lease on a 98 V70 is up in Sep. Our choices are: re-lease for 2 years (this will take us to the end of the 5-yr. warranty); buy it for $21k; use it as a trade on a new vehicle (I don't quite understand how that option works); give it back. My decision process goes like this: by using the 2 yr. extension on the current lease, we'll postpone any real decision until the car is out of warranty and then give it back and go out and buy/lease another car. Anyone have any advice.....critique of my reasoning? Abolutely NO probs with this car....except the headlite bulbs burning out, and that's understandable when they are on all the time.
This sounds like a good question for Car_Man in the Smart Shopper Forums, in fact there is an active thread on End of Lease Experiences where you may also want to post your question.
But since you posted the question here, I'll give you my thoughts: First off, I thought the std Volvo warranty was 4 yrs/50,000 mi not 5 years as you stated. Assuming that 4 years is correct, then I would not"extend your lease another 2 years, because the last year of your lease would be out of warranty. While its good you've had no major problems with your car, you would be taking a gamble on having no major warranty problems surfacing after 4 years. If they will extend the warranty for the last year of the lease (or it is 5 years)then its a consideration (see below).
I would be curious to know who your lease is thru, since I've never heard of a bank offering to set up a new lease deal at the end of a lease ie new monthly rate, milage limit, etc. But if they have, then you really need to check the new numbers out to make sure they aren't taking you to the cleaners -- go thru the same process of the inital lease -- capitalized cost, new residual value at the end of the 5th year, money factor, etc. Most of the time when a lease company offers to extend a lease, its for 3-6 months AND its at the same monthly rate. If this is what they are offering to do for you here -- continue to lease for 2 more years at the same rate you are paying now, then absolutely NOT. You would be paying more than if you had established a 5 year lease from the very onset. Bottom line....if you're really set on keeping the car for another 2 years, then get more info (as above) in order to make sure you are making a wise financial decision. You haven't mentioned whether you will be under the milage limit at the end of the lease. If so, that may work to your advantage for the third option (the "trade in"). What I think they are saying is that the car's value at the end is greater than the residual value that is spelled out in your contract. Thus the "equity" that you have could be used towards payment on your next vehicle.
Sorry about the long winded post, hope the info helps,
Well, thanks, George! What a goldmine of info! I will call the leasing agency when I get back from vacation next week and explore more possibilities.....with your printed out comments in hand! The agency is Navy Federal Credit Union, and they have a variety of options. Since the lease expires in late Sept, I'm going to get serious about this next week! J
we're considering buying either a "lease return"/used 1998 V70 T5 wagon, with 42,00 miles on it,with a Volvo certified 2yr warranty extension for $29K.... OR buying a new 2001 V70 2.4 for [gulp] $38K. Is it better to spend the extra $10K to NOT inherit someone else's problems?
after reading some of your posts about the unreliability of Volvo wagons, I'm worried that we're spending a lot of money for not much value, no matter WHICH wagon we buy.
We are replacing our current 1993 Ford Taurus wagon. We have 2 kids and a large dog. any advice or comments? thanks in advance!
I just bought a 97 Volvo 850 wagon w/ 45K miles from a Ford dealer. I think the car is okay but it was a terrible experience that still feels slimy. I know nothing about cars, have had great luck with my last used cars (Escort wagon and Honda civic) but wanted something safer since I had a baby. I probably should have negotiated down and gotten a better interest rate too BUT my main question is about the extended warranty. I have the option of cancelling it and I need opinions. It is 6yr, 75K bumper to bumper for $1875. I didn't know warranties were negotiable. The car is still under the original factory warranty (4 year, 50K) and this seems like a lot of money to spend for 2 more years. Also - anyone know about these warranties available on-line? The prices look pretty good. Any advice is appreciated!
I think the 98 is overpriced. I bought a 99 V70 GLT with 10k miles fully loaded with third seat and snow tires/rims for $27k last December (from a dealer).
Reading through the posts leaves me kind of anxious about the miles to come with my '99 V70; we're all having a lot of the same problems with the turn signal lights and headlamp bulb burnouts, the emergency engine alert and the mysterious dead battery.
I have had a few more unique experiences: at 500 miles, the door lock mechanisms let go, and I completed my drive to work holding the driver side door closed. The rear tail gate mechanism froze ( and of course it was the day we were bringing home a large gift for our son's birthday).
As I've written in my other posts, what really irks me is Volvo's refusal to take responsibility for the problems. The headlamp problems and turn signal problems are KNOWN, so why did I have to return four times for each light?
I'm up for suggestions on how to influence companies to take responsibility for poorly constructed and engineered products. Everything I read says the paradigm shift is toward a customer-centric business model. Who forgot to tell Volvo?
BTW, I do indeed own the website domain, www.myvolvosucks.com which does detail my ills. If anyone has suggestions or submissions for content, I'm all ears. : -)
And to perspective Volvo shoppers I say, get a Toyota!
In June we were nearing our 50k mile mark on the used 96 850 we bought over a year ago. After an initial ownership experience of: a dead battery, finicky driver window switch, and burnt alternator bearing I thought it might be prudent to check into getting an extended warranty.
We called our Volvo dealer and asked about it and they said that as long as we bought the warranty before we actually reached the 50k mark we would be getting an extension of original factory warranty for an additional five years and or up to 100k miles. For $1200 I'm just happy for the peace of mind.
I know that it may seem crazy but I still like this car even knowing what I know and anticipating possibilities many of you have not even touched on yet. I think like many of you that we bought the Volvo because we believed in its mystique. We bought this car for safety, practicality, utility, and durability. I really planned to keep it.
Now, God willing, with extended warranty in hand I may be able to achieve that goal. This was to become my next car after it wore out a bit and my wife needed a new one. Ten years from now I want to be tootaling around town in an old run down 150+k miles old Volvo wagon thumbing my nose at all the yuppy BMW, MCB, Honda, and Toyota drivers.
Our dealership just got our first 2001 V70 XC. It's Ash gold, with a chocolate brown and tan interior. I thought the interior was rather ugly, and I was not impressed with the tire/rim combo; it looks rather goofy and should belong on an SUV. Has anyone seen any other color combinations? Just Curious. Otherwise, nice car, very well loaded and rode very nice.
I own a '96 850 Turbo wagon bought new with 61,000 miles. I have Volvo's 100,000 mile extended warranty which has been worth its weight in gold in the past few months. In the last 5,000 miles I have had to replace the a/c evaporator, the radio, and the anti-lock control module. Fortunately, my cost for all of this $75. I love my Volvo, but I'm not real impressed with the recent repair record. I urge anyone buying one used to consider an extended warranty.
Volvo has recently released a metal reinforcement kit to solve this problem. the plastic retainers on the upper tailgate panel crack and the clips have nothing to hold onto. Have them install this kit for you.
Comments
Our dealers have been pushing the base model with SE package and the AWD. GLTs are hard to find here but give far better performance, in my opinion, than the base - have you driven a GLT yet? The base model with SE package was only about 1.5k less than the similar equipped GLT (difference being the engine). I would recommend driving all three as they do ride different. Keep in mind that the dealers will push what they have as I am sure supply is becoming limited. We had to get the dealer to ship ours from another dealer 2000 miles away as this is the car we wanted (they only did this after they knew they were going to lose a sale if they didn't). I know price differences in Canada and US are sometimes more complex than the exchange rate, maybe some US owners can comment on actual pricing?
Steve
Steve
do you happen to know of any restraints that would prevent an american from buying a canadian volvo and bringing it to the us? i know earlier posts dealt with losing the factory warranty with new volvos, but what about used cars? Thanks
Please be aware that the cars are a little different. The obvious differences is the Canadian Volvos have metric guages (kph and litres for example) and daytime running lights. It is the first car I have owned in Canada without mph somewhere on the speedo. Also, you may not have any more luck finding a GLT here than in the US. They are rare and the base model and xc are far more common. My opinion on importing/exporting is that the difference in price or availabilty has to be significant enough to warrant going through the paperwork. As we all know, anything to do with the government can be frustrating. You never know what they are going to do or how they interpret the law. They may let white Volvos in one day and red ones the next.
Good luck, Steve
How useful is TRACS? How well does it work? Will it help me get up a steep snowy/icy hill that I couldnt get up without it? Will it keep me from losing control and having an accident?
I'd appreciate any opinions and experiences, so that I can decide whether to take the new car or the cash.
Rich Ready
I won't be able to give you any first hand experience, but I may be able to help. From my understanding, the TRACS system is a low speed traction control system (active up to 25 mph?). I think on the 96' models this was the only type available. The newer models (except the base model) do have an all-speed version available.
Apparently Volvo's rationalization for only offering low speed traction control was that in adverse weather conditions, you wouldn't be driving too fast.
If you haven't already done so, you should check out http://www.brickboard.com
The boards tend to be more active and are geared towards Volvo enthusiasts.
The car gets good traction with the system turned off. With the system on, the ABS comes on quickly to eliminate wheel spin and maintain traction even when accelerating hard. It's a useful feature, but on the other hand, the Volvo also performs well in wet conditions without TRACS.
Steve
Steve
I have now two Volvo and do not regret it any moment.
Patrick
Thank you in advance for any help.
A $4,000 to $5,000 discount for an extra 14,000 miles seems to be a good deal if the car is in good shape. iMotors thoroughly reconditions its cars and gives a one week money back guarantee. I'm not familiar with Carmax.
I have a 95 turbowagon with about 100,000 miles, and the car is still going strong. Little things are beginning to go wrong, for example, an instrument light is out and the gas filler cover sticks, requiring that the cover panel be removed in the rear to reach the manual release. All the major components still check out well.
Consumer Reports' conclusions are based on surveys of many people. I can't remember the percentages, but a low reliability score from CR still means that the majority of owners have little if any trouble.
What bothered me was the large number of used '99 Volvos on the lot in January of 2000. The sales person said that these were cars from owners who wanted to sell the car before it was one year old to "reduce the depreciation" on the car. I wondered if these cars were so much trouble that the owners couldn't stand to own them for a year.
Steve
Have anybody heard anything regarding that matter ?
The S60 is suppose to replace to S70.
Get all the latest information at:
http://www.Volvospy.com
The dealer continues to replace front turn signal bulbs sockets and bulbs but never cures the problems. There's a rattle in the right front the cannot be found. A leaky oil tube to the turbo that cannot be tightened. This car has been a dog from day one.
I will turn my vehicle in before the warrante xpires. This car has had too many problems to keep for a long term relationship. My 1997 Toyota pickup has the quality that the Volvo lacks. Maybe I will go back to Toyota cars>
1 5769 miles replaced rear suspension
2 15032 miles reprogrammed electronic fuel injection module to eliminate engine stumble
3 19238 miles recall for light switch and air bag ground
4 20147 miles replaced blower motor
5 25,100 miles fixed windshield washer jets
6 AND THE MOST ANNOYING replaced both headlight bulbs within 3 weeks of each other when car was
15 months old. I went to 7 different national auto part stores here in the Omaha area. Guess What?
Only the local Volvo carried these bulbs.
I have owned 30 different vehicles since 1966,and
this one ranks at the bottom. The one bright spot
in all of this is the dealer Mike Gorges Volvo.They have been outstanding in trying to keep
me happy. I am not sure what I am going to do when my lease is up in June of 2001,but because of the
dealer I will give Volvo another shot on the V70 XC .
Rick
It seems that removal of the fin/splash guard is not intended as there appears to be an electronic module attached (AWD computer??)
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated since my next oil change is due soon and my oil resistant latex body suit hasn't come in yet.
Thanks in advance!
The Japanese have taught us that trouble free car ownership is possible and economical so we've come to expect that in all our automobiles. Yet, we're still all out there buying those modern day American land yatchs called SUVs. What is it that we all want out of our cars?
Buy what you really want or need and not what slick marketing tells your automobile will be. Volvos are not as brutishly simple and reliable as I think they were once we built to be. Technically automobiles have come a very long way and Volvo has always tried to be one that leading edge but reliability of these new technologies has certainly not been their forte in recent years.
Things as simple as we're only going to use enviromentaly friendly glues on the door panels was a previous marketing ploy that backfired when used Volvos began showing up with wrinkled door panels just a couple of years later. Volvo has been a leader in modern automotive technology but I don't think that they've really had the money to thoroughly test these technologies before integrating them into their modern cars.
The outsorcing of parts manufacturing on a modern automobile is up to 80% or more these days. Volvo is a very small player in the world car market and was becoming ever more so through out the 90's. This is most likely a major contributing factor to their sale to Ford last year.
Think of the crap Detroit was churning out in the mid eighties as compared to what they're doing in the world car market now. Who would've ever thought Chrysler would pull out to become a major player in the modern world car market while Nissan nearly sank into oblivion.
I like our Volvo I think more because of its approach to design than its marketing hype. I actually like the old blockish styling and old Volvo 850 interior door handles. Everything is rather chunky but utilitarion. Even the switches are firm and require a rather deliberate manipulation to activate rather than the smooth and supple activation you'd expect on a vehicle in this class.
Volvo 850s are anti-class, they're reverse snobery because they are a luxury and yet not a luxury car. A Camery or Accord would be a far more practicle choice for the money if pure ecnomic factors were taken into consideration. If they'd still sold a wagon they certainly would have been given greater consideration. A Mercedes or BMW would likely be a finacial stretch but at least closer to being a true luxury car. Cadillac and Lincoln are made for an entirely different audience.
The 850's handling characteristics are seriously differnt from the vast majority of its competitors. The brakes are so diliberate that you totally have to re-adjust your thinking when you drive it. The handling is exceedingly firm and flat, similar to a Honda but w/o the clausterphobic and buffeted interior. Power on the base 850 engine is adequate but my view I sure is warped by my daily driving of a lumbering under powered 82 Lincoln Mark.
Like the car but really fear the end of the warrantee period. Can someone recommend good replacement tires? Also, I 've been using unleaded regulare with gas price increases, and don't notice any difference. Any comments?
Sunroof: Power glass sunroof with auto open/close, sun shade, anti-trap feature
Does anyone have advice on what replacement tires perform and wear well?
bulbs at the rate of one per month. Headlight bulbs last a bit longer, but I no longer leave the headlights on during the daytime. Dealer has no solution to offer. As a former Toyota & Acura owner, I'm not used to these type of annoyances. I too forgot about the power window failures. Driver's window very tempermental.
I have a 7-month old and my primary reason to buy a Volvo is for his safety.
So far all of you who want to sell before warranty runs out I'm interested in buying with a warranty left so let me know if you're ready to sell.
Thanks.
Mary
While Volvo's are built on the tradition of safety, there are other wagons out there that have good safety records as well. Any of the European Luxo wagons have done well in various crash tests (whether here in the States or in Europe) - the A6 and A4, Saab 9-5, Mercedes E class, and BMW 5 (and now 3-) series. Two additional mid-sized wagons that have received the highest marks in their class by the IHSS are the Subaru Legacy/Outback and VW Passat.
The next decision would be what features are important to you -- do you really need/ want AWD?, how much do you want to spend, etc. Also, of the luxo brands, the Audi, BMW, and MB are the better choices for overall reliability over the current generation V70. However, the '01 XC will be released later this fall and initial reviews of the FWD V70's have been very positive. For the moderately priced wagons, Subaru has the edge over the Passat in reliabilty.
If you're dead set on Volvo, then I guess I've wasted 5 minutes. But, If you're open to suggestion, then hopefully I've given you some other ideas.
george
Thanks so much
Jackie in NH
My decision process goes like this: by using the 2 yr. extension on the current lease, we'll postpone any real decision until the car is out of warranty and then give it back and go out and buy/lease another car.
Anyone have any advice.....critique of my reasoning?
Abolutely NO probs with this car....except the headlite bulbs burning out, and that's understandable when they are on all the time.
This sounds like a good question for Car_Man in the Smart Shopper Forums, in fact there is an active thread on End of Lease Experiences where you may also want to post your question.
But since you posted the question here, I'll give you my thoughts:
First off, I thought the std Volvo warranty was 4 yrs/50,000 mi not 5 years as you stated. Assuming that 4 years is correct, then I would not"extend your lease another 2 years, because the last year of your lease would be out of warranty. While its good you've had no major problems with your car, you would be taking a gamble on having no major warranty problems surfacing after 4 years. If they will extend the warranty for the last year of the lease (or it is 5 years)then its a consideration (see below).
I would be curious to know who your lease is thru, since I've never heard of a bank offering to set up a new lease deal at the end of a lease ie new monthly rate, milage limit, etc. But if they have, then you really need to check the new numbers out to make sure they aren't taking you to the cleaners -- go thru the same process of the inital lease -- capitalized cost, new residual value at the end of the 5th year, money factor, etc.
Most of the time when a lease company offers to extend a lease, its for 3-6 months AND its at the same monthly rate. If this is what they are offering to do for you here -- continue to lease for 2 more years at the same rate you are paying now, then absolutely NOT. You would be paying more than if you had established a 5 year lease from the very onset.
Bottom line....if you're really set on keeping the car for another 2 years, then get more info (as above) in order to make sure you are making a wise financial decision. You haven't mentioned whether you will be under the milage limit at the end of the lease. If so, that may work to your advantage for the third option (the "trade in"). What I think they are saying is that the car's value at the end is greater than the residual value that is spelled out in your contract. Thus the "equity" that you have could be used towards payment on your next vehicle.
Sorry about the long winded post, hope the info helps,
George
The agency is Navy Federal Credit Union, and they have a variety of options. Since the lease expires in late Sept, I'm going to get serious about this next week!
J
Is it better to spend the extra $10K to NOT inherit someone else's problems?
after reading some of your posts about the unreliability of Volvo wagons, I'm worried that we're spending a lot of money for not much value, no matter WHICH wagon we buy.
We are replacing our current 1993 Ford Taurus wagon. We have 2 kids and a large dog.
any advice or comments? thanks in advance!
I probably should have negotiated down and gotten a better interest rate too BUT my main question is about the extended warranty. I have the option of cancelling it and I need opinions. It is 6yr, 75K bumper to bumper for $1875. I didn't know warranties were negotiable. The car is still under the original factory warranty (4 year, 50K) and this seems like a lot of money to spend for 2 more years. Also - anyone know about these warranties available on-line? The prices look pretty good.
Any advice is appreciated!
Steve
I have had a few more unique experiences: at 500 miles, the door lock mechanisms let go, and I completed my drive to work holding the driver side door closed. The rear tail gate mechanism froze ( and of course it was the day we were bringing home a large gift for our son's birthday).
As I've written in my other posts, what really irks me is Volvo's refusal to take responsibility for the problems. The headlamp problems and turn signal problems are KNOWN, so why did I have to return four times for each light?
I'm up for suggestions on how to influence companies to take responsibility for poorly constructed and engineered products. Everything I read says the paradigm shift is toward a customer-centric business model. Who forgot to tell Volvo?
BTW, I do indeed own the website domain, www.myvolvosucks.com which does detail my ills. If anyone has suggestions or submissions for content, I'm all ears. : -)
And to perspective Volvo shoppers I say, get a Toyota!
We called our Volvo dealer and asked about it and they said that as long as we bought the warranty before we actually reached the 50k mark we would be getting an extension of original factory warranty for an additional five years and or up to 100k miles. For $1200 I'm just happy for the peace of mind.
I know that it may seem crazy but I still like this car even knowing what I know and anticipating possibilities many of you have not even touched on yet. I think like many of you that we bought the Volvo because we believed in its mystique. We bought this car for safety, practicality, utility, and durability. I really planned to keep it.
Now, God willing, with extended warranty in hand I may be able to achieve that goal. This was to become my next car after it wore out a bit and my wife needed a new one. Ten years from now I want to be tootaling around town in an old run down 150+k miles old Volvo wagon thumbing my nose at all the yuppy BMW, MCB, Honda, and Toyota drivers.
Scott