Volvo S60

qbrozen · April 2011

I'd be very surprised if the volvo does not also use premium. Usually turbo cars do. As for maintenance, what makes you think a volvo is any cheaper than a BMW? That hasn't been my personal experience.

Driving a premium car is going to cost you. Period. So choose the car you like better and will get more enjoyment out of.

haiku117 · April 2011

I entered ny local dealership with an interest in a S60 T5. I added several safety, comfort, and convenience options that brought the cost to $39,350 from the starting price of $31,850. Both prices include $875 for freight. The dealer then reduced the price by $2,055 which brought the price to $37,295 - about $250 over dealer invoice. Of course, state and local taxes added $2,125 to the car's total cost.

taxman10 · May 2011

Thought i would post about my new S60 purchase. Took delivery of a factory ordered T5 Saturday. Ember Black paint, Dynamic package, Climate package, Premium package, Xenon lights and dark wood.
Sticker 37,100 with Destination.
I got the dealer to do the COSTCO pricing at $500 under invoice.
The car is a good looker - very much BMW like on the outside.
Handles incredibly well with the Dynamic package - which includes the T6 wheels and chassis.
Fit and finish is outstanding.
Dealer did a great job prepping it - I always check tire pressure and they were spot on.

smrtmoney · May 2011

What dealership was that?? (City and state too please)

Thanks.

bizprofcc · May 2011

My wife's 2009 C70 did not come standard with a spare either. A can of flat fix instead of a spare seemed pretty rediculous to me so we had the salesman throw in a compact spare as part of the deal. If you've ever gotten a flat at highway speeds you know that the sidewalls are so torn up by the time you can stop that there is no way to repair the tire. If run flat tires are the answer, then Volvo needs to make them standard on cars they want to sell without spare tires.

taxman10 · May 2011

Join the Volvo Club of America (VCOA) and get invoice price at any dealer..called "Plan A" ...new benefit...everyone wins; dealer gets compensated...you get a great car ...any Volvo you want

mikey38 · May 2011

What kind of MPG are folks getting with the T-5?

bkvolvo · May 2011

I have close to 400 miles on my 2012 t5 in NY and do approximately 70% street 30% highway. I am averaging close to 21.5 MPG. I can"t wait to go on some long road trips. The car ride is very smooth and i can"t complain. The trunk space is a bit limited when you put the optional spare above the floor in the trunk.

feelinghaggard · May 2011

Just bought the 2011 s60 t6 with run flats and no it is not loud. 2011 and 2012 are the same. The car is very quiet and the ride is really smooth. I was concerned with the lack of a spare, but I am very confident of Volvo and the run flat technology. I hope.

feelinghaggard · May 2011

The T6 engine is a 6I. its a inline 6 with a low pressure scroll turbo. That means it is a low compression engine and you run low octain fuel. This is also in writing from Volvo.

feelinghaggard · May 2011

Also check out the International Shipping. You find the car you want in Sweden and they give you 2 round trip tickets to tour the plant and drive your car, then ship it to the US and fly back.

qbrozen · May 2011

Actually, the "low pressure" has to do with the turbo, not compression ratio. The compression ratio is 9.3:1. So, not exactly a low compression engine by turbo standards.

However, if you have it in writing from Volvo, then that's good. Its a plus, anyway. Not sure I would personally run regular fuel, but to each his/her own.

vwdawg · May 2011

Hey feelinghaggard: Have you (or anyone else out there) actually done the "Pick up your Volvo in Gothenburg (do I understand that Madrid is also an option) and have it shipped to the States" deal? That has always intrigued me. The questions I have: Can you buy the new diesels and gassers with the smaller engines (1.5 or 1.6...whatever they are), and I assume they would be acceptable under US EPA standards, right? What are the expected fuel efficiency ratings on the smaller Volvo engines? Is the final price comparable to or better than the best price available in the States? And with the airfare included, does this arrangement represent a good deal as opposed to just buying your Volvo in the States? I would like to do a bit of motoring in Europe, so I would factor that advantage into my decision as well. Thanks to all who might provide feedback here. vwdawg

angryvolvoownr · May 2011

I expected a lot more from Volvo!!! i will NEVERRRR buy/lease or anything with volvo again!!!!! I just got a 2012 Volvo T5 S60, and of course there is no SPARE TIRE! I got a flat tire at 10pm right after you pass the tolls in RFK bridge (aka Triboro), right before the lanes merge from the toll booths, driving speed 25 miles an hour. Waited for 3 hours to get towed by two tow trucks, and waited for 3 dayssssss to get the tire replaced at manhattan volvo dealer. what a waste of time and grandious inconvenience. i made it home 1-2am in the morning that night. The bullsh***tire can of fix a flat did not work at all, nor did the air pump. the pothole was nothing different from the standard ones that other cars were passing through easily, but my volvo tire with their 'SAFETY' in mind built showed its strength by failing and going flat. the Manhattan Volvo dealer told me that 99% of the time you have a flat tire with new S60s you will have to replace the tire and pay $280+ for tire with service...etc. Can you belieeve thisss???? I spoke to one of the Volvo representatives named Jordan or something, about the inconvenience, and asked for a doughnut-shaped tire and you know what he said, not explicitly but implied: BUYERS BE AWARE!!! we dont care what happens to you for as long as we sell you the car and you are stuck with. he said you should have noticed there was no spare and not buy the car. So much for customer service. I did notice there was no spare, but i thought since volvo provides the fix a flat thing i should be ok, since volvo is a "responsible" company, but man...was I WRONG!!!! How can they be responsible when 99% of the time you have to replace the tire because is not fixable.... I WILL SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE I CAN, and RECOMMEND TO ALL MY FRIENDS, FAMILY, COWORKERS...ETC TO NEVER BUY A VOLVO EVERRRRR!!! I Guess cutting corners fits well with their new chinese owners..

(search words, volvo s60 flat tire problem, volvo s60 flat tire issue, volvo s60 flat tire inconvenience, volvo s60 flat tire hassle, volvo s60 flat tire trouble, volvo s60 flat tire bother, volvo s60 flat tire experience.)

[Deleted User] · June 2011

I understand why you were angry, but your experience does not condemn the whole car. I love my T6 and I'll deal with the spare tire situation in order to have it.

poeti18 · June 2011

Hi vwdawwg,
you will save about 7% off the US price (base), the options cost the same.
I think you can only buy models, which are sold in the US anyway (so, no diesels).

Pick up is in Sweden only, but drop off can be done in several European cities.

7% savings and free airfare make a great deal.

Regards,
poeti18

angryvolvoownr · June 2011

experience condemns the whole car!!! it is all about one's experiences that makes choose one car over another. Also, it is the experiences that lead to customer loyalty or not. if volvo does not want to include a spare tire that weights a mere 35pounds, because it will reduce their claimed 30mpg, then they have a strategic flaw in their thinking that goes against their 'focus on safety' mentality, therefore misleading to customers like me. isn't Volvo supposed to give its customer peace of mind?? If customer inconveniences do not count for their decisions in designing the car then why should one ever deal with volvo again even if they make an overall good car? I am not married to volvo to love the car. volvo is a product like any other, and it should be reliable. it should not fail you when it matters. it should not waste your life and leave you in the hands of different tow trucks, and many days at dealers for a stupid spare tire. I know other car companies are doing the same, but is it not about differentiation and not being a crown follower?

I hope you are not as lucky as I was, but once you get stuck for 3 or more hours from one tow truck to another, and deal with the dealer back and forth for 3 days to fix a damn flat tire you will think differently of volvo's decision to leave you without a spare tire. IF VOLVO REALLYYYY CARED ABOUT ITS CUSTOMERS, DONT YOU THINK THEY SHOULD INCLUDE RUN-FLAT TIRES AS STANDARD? (like they say; i fell from the tree, so only those who fell from the tree know my pain, others are just bragging until their good luck runs out.) I hope No-One will ever get a flat tire with their volvos while taking someone dear to the emergency room or something like that as they will end up towed and sent to the dealers room...

last words...in case you are wondering; even if i buy a spare tire and stop complaining, volvo designed it so there is no place where to put it, it takes the whole trunk space and then it will be a car with a spare tire but no trunk. yeahh thanks for my stupidity to deal with volvo, will make sure to buy a mercedes or lexus next time. (by the way i am still angry and could not resist to answer your comments on this festive friday night)

qbrozen · June 2011

OK... I'll say it ... you only have yourself to be mad at. You said you knew it didn't have a spare before you bought it, and you still bought it. Experience itself or just searching the net would have told you that a can of fix-a-flat is a terrible thing anyway. It should never be used unless it is some sort of dire emergency and you are prepared for the consequences of a gummed up wheel and tire that need to be dismounted and cleaned out. Believe it or not, some people CHOOSE to run around with no spare for the weight savings. Volvo certainly didn't know you aren't one of those people.

[Deleted User] · June 2011

Again, I am sorry you did not have a good experience. But you are talking a flat tire..a rotten inconvenience, but one of many, many in life. You are angry, but you do have to feed that anger to keep it going. Your tire is fixed and your life is full of many other complexities.

I am prepared to live with the possibility of being delayed hours by a flat, in order to have this car. That judgment of course is based on 45 years of driving, in 29 different vehicles I have owned, countless miles, and one flat tire...which I drove on to a service station.

Probabilities being what they are, it would be nice if the rare event in my life was winning the lottery. In my case, it was having a spouse die after only three years together. That is life.

Meanwhile, I love the adaptive cruise control on my S60 (I drove in heavy traffic in Minneapolis last week and did not brake or accelerate once...the car did it all). I love the real time traffic nav...it routed me through the twin cities at rush hour in a way that I was not sitting in traffic for even a minute...that seems like magic. The seats are the most comfortable of those in the too many cars I have had. It is quick, quiet, and I am averaging over 26 mpg overall. Would I like it even better if it had a spare? Yes! But I had a car for almost nine years that I sold in March, and it still had the original full size spare (and matching alloy wheel) that had never been out of the trunk. I'll take my chances, and if I get nervous, I will buy a spare. My trunk rarely has much in it anyway, and if I need to load it to the gills, I will take the spare out for that occasion.

I don't think you are at all stupid (you refer to your stupidity), but I do think it odd you are still angry. Anger is a useful emotion I think, but it is usually quick to come and quick to go...unless you feed it. I hope you have a fun and festive weekend.

scotts07 · June 2011

I am new to the forum and glad to be aboard. I use Edmunds all the time but new to the forum. Anyway, I have a 2005 Volvo S60 T5. I need new tires. I am a driving enthusiast, I drive hard, fast and a lot. I'll put on 30,000 miles a year or more. Most of it is city driving but I do take a few raod trips. I live in St. Louis. Weather isn't bad. We will get some snow but it melts 2 days later. The street crews do a fabulous job of clearing the streets. I've been researching tires, and the more research, the more it gets confusing. Do I get H rated or V rated? What brand, etc. There does not seem to be that many V rated for a Volvo in a 235/45/17. The 2005 Volvo S60 came out of the factory with Pirelli P6. There are more choices in an H such as a Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S, Yakahoma AVID ENVigor, Continental Extreme Contact DWS which all got great reviews. Please help me. By the way, I called Volvo and they suggested a V becasue thats what they came out of the factory with. As Led Zepplin sang, Dazed & Confused. Scott

qbrozen · June 2011

Unless you are taking it to the autobahn, h rated is more than enough. I assume you want all season. I had an older model of the Continental Extremes on my S70 T5 and thought they were great. I've never found Michelins to live up to their name. Always disappointed. I've had good and bad luck with Yokohamas. Running a set of Advan Neovas on my GTI for the summer. I like them quite a bit so far.

Look on tire rack. I plugged in your size and limited the choices to any all season tire with V rating or higher. There are 25 to choose from. Cheapest being Sumitomo HTR A/S. I had a set of Sumitomo summer tires on my G35X for a while. They were quite good. Wore like iron. Very grippy. The Kumho Ecsta ASXs aren't bad, either. I used those as my 3-season tires. They weren't however, good in the snow. Quite lousy, in fact. But if, like you say, snow is not a major concern, the worth taking a look.

montanaky · June 2011

I have a 2003 2.4T S60 that has an intermittently flickering instrument panel. All the dials go dead for a second, then come back on normal. Also, the turn signals seem to not click or show any arrows when I signal left or right. Again these are intermittent. I also see a SRS check airbag message.

Any hints on what could be the cause? Any way to fix without going to a dealer?

Thanks,

scotts07 · June 2011

Thanks for the response back. After days and days of research including TireRac as well as a couple Volvo Forums, local tire stores etc. The tire that kept coming up was the Continental Extreme Contact DWS. That's what I'm getting an anxious to try them. Thanks again.

vwdawg · June 2011

Hi poeti18: Thanks for the FYI...someday I hope I can do the Euro-thing!

A couple of other thoughts... I can understand angryvolvoowner's rage over his tire issue, but I agree with gbrozen...not fair to condemn the entire vehicle or the manufacturer for one stupid design flaw. As I suggested in an earlier reply on the tire issue, what if your wife or girlfriend was the one driving the Volvo with no spare, late at night on a deserted road, and flatted? You would lose a lot of points on that one. I would NEVER drive a vehicle with just a can of fix-a-flat...completely stupid idea, and I trust that Volvo will get a lot of nasty feedback and take care of this problem immediately. Otherwise, get a real spare even if it takes half the trunk space!

Finally, wondering if anyone can provide some suggestions for a CEL issue on my 2001 S60 non-turbo. The scan code is "ECM-4201: Three way catalytic converter efficiency, power deterioration". Can anybody decipher this one and let me know what the solution might be? Could the converter
be bad? Thanks to anyone that might have some ideas here. vwdawg

qbrozen · June 2011

it certainly seems to be telling you it is the cat. However, I'm not so sure it can actually test it. I'd be more inclined to replace the O2 sensor first.

[Deleted User] · June 2011

To each his or her own as to what is a stupid idea. Volvo made a call, and based on probabilities, they are likely right. Yes, who wants to be on a road late at night with a flat? However, flat tires are so improbable these days that, while possible, the chances of having one in your life now is almost non-existent.

And what with cell phones and included auto assistance, the old time flat tire scenario is not the same. My mother tells about getting a flat way out in the middle of nowhere--miles to any town or even house. Some guys driving by stopped as she had gotten the car jacked up, but could not loosen the lug bolts. A big guy came over and said to her, "Mighty lonely out here." Then he changed her tire and wouldn't take a nickel for doing it.

Most times, things work out one way or another. Maybe some day somebody somewhere will gather the data to show whether or not the lack of a spare in this otherwise wonderful car put more lives in jeopardy than justified by the savings of not carrying around an item that in most cases is destined never to be used and will some day be added to a landfill. But of course the spare is an option. For those who want or need one, order it. And bottom line, enjoy the car.

kbs60 · June 2011

Volvo S60- shifter trigger cracked. Fixed with bike tire inner tube.
Good easy cheap fix. First duct tape broken plastic piece to keep spring from protruding. I used the inner tire tube from my abandoned mountain bicycle. Cut a section about 4 inches long. Turn it inside out, more uniform color, and pull over shifter. If you dont have a bike you can buy an wide inner tube (not 10 speed tube, too narrow) for about $6.00.

rez · September 2011

Hello, I have a 2004 2.4 S60, and am in the need of replacing the catalytic converter. Right after starting the car, theres a rattling noise coming from the bottom of the engine. AA trip to my trusted mechanic revealed that the glass part of the catalytic converter is broken. Luckily there is no warning light coming on yet.

A search on the OEM part returned a price of about $1100 for the part. I was wondering if anyone out there has found a suitable more economical replacement.

qbrozen · September 2011

huh. I wonder why it is so much more expensive than any of the turbo models. Well, best I found in my 5-min search was about $600 from partsgeek.com.

Another option you might want to consider is visiting an exhaust shop like meineke. They might be able to custom fit a generic cat for much less.

[Deleted User] · September 2011

2012 S60 R appears to be getting excellent reviews.,

rez · September 2011

Thanks qbrozen. Any other websites you recommend for Volvo parts? I wonder how these 3rd party converters will hold up. There are many brands on ebay too! :confuse:

mfelts · September 2011

I have a 04 volvo S60r, when the car is stopped and then on accelaration there is a one time clunk from the front end. Ive had alot of older trucks in the past and this problem is similiar to a u joint going out. I didnt see a u joint on the car, Any ideas? I have checked the sway bar links, all cv axles are new and I just replaced the whole top of the coil springs on the front, barring, spring plate ect...... still pops.

dwightex · October 2011

We also had a flat tire at 70 mph at 9 PM in a remote area of Rt 66. Volvo was quick to respond with a tow, but they brought a flat bed tow truck, when I drove the car up the flat bed, it ruined the rim and cut the ABS Brake line, cost me $1050 to fix. Car had 6000 miles. Tow driver said that it was the third Volvo he has towed since the car has no spare.

dwightex · October 2011

same problem, 2012 s60 T5 with 6000 miles, flat tire for no apparent reason while travelling at 70 mph. light came on, "Tire pressure low" we pulled off on the shoulder, tire was low, but not flat, tried to get to the next exit, finally tire flat, pulled over. Called Volvo , they sent a tow truck in 55 minutes, remote part of VA Sunday night 9 pm. Flat bed tow truck arrived, had to drive the car on to the back, which ruined the rim and broke ABS line, cost me $1050 from dealer to fix. This is my first flat tire in over 30 years.

qbrozen · October 2011

why in the world did YOU drive the car onto the truck?? That would be a serious violation of the tow truck's insurance policy, not to mention, as you found out, it put YOU at liability for the damage, when it should have been the towing company's responsibility.

[Deleted User] · October 2011

Furthermore, why wouldn't you use the can of fix-a-flat in the trunk if the tire was low rather than flat? If you had, then driving on it may not have flattened it by the next exit. Just saying.

vwdawg · October 2011

Hi All: My understanding is that not only Volvo, but some of the other manufacturers are using this "no spare tire" crap on new vehicles. I think they are using a "more storage space" rationalization, but I would suspect that it's really a "let's generate a few additional profit dollars". Very disappointing, especiallly from Volvo with their time honored safety mentality. I don't believe that this 'fix a flat" BS represents safety in any sense of the word. I love my two S60s, and it will be some time before I look into buying a newer one, but if I EVER end up with a vehicle with no spare, the first thing I will do is purchase a spare rim and tire....not taking any chances with this miserable fix a flat baloney. vwdawg

[Deleted User] · October 2011

The spare tire is an option. So order it when you get your new S60. Eliminating the spare doesn't just reduce costs, it reduces weight. I have been driving for longer than most people have been alive, and I have had a flat or two. But with almost all of my 29 vehicles, I never had occasion to remove the spare from its storage. Those spare tires and wheels add up to a lot of weight carted around for 40 some years. I fully understand that a spare may be a bit of insurance that most people might want to have anyway. But given my experience, I am willing to go along with Volvo's plan. I love my T6 that much.

bkvolvo · October 2011

I Currently have over 4,000 miles on my 2012 s60 t5 with 5 year maint. free. I was a bit suprised that the Volvo dealer stated that volvo wouldn't pay for the first oil change until 7,500 miles. The volvo maint. supervisor stated that if your puchased the car (which I did), then you should pay for an oil change at 3 or 4000 miles. I'm wondering if waiting till 7,500 miles would be too long and may cause damage? I'm hoping someone has insight into this matter. Most of my mileage is city driving in NYC. Is volvo saving themselves money or is this normal oil change practice? :confuse:

alltorque · October 2011

7500 miles for first oil change is fine - and it is, after all, what Volvo say; never mind what someone else may say. Here in Europe we seem to be allowed much longer oil-change intervals with the same engines. My Volvo S60 D5 has an oil change every 18000 miles or annually whichever comes first - and that's an '06 model. It's first oil-change was at 18000 miles. Life expectancy for the engine is somewhere the far side of 250k miles. USA oil-change intervals seem to be locked into the era of non-synthetic oils and are a money maker for all concerned but bear little resemblance to reality or actual need.

Could go on but need to go out.

qbrozen · October 2011

7500 is completely normal these days as far as "manufacturer recommended schedule" and it is all the free maintenance will pay for, of course.

If it was a car I purchased, I agree with the service advisor, and I would pay to get an interim oil change. However, that's just for this first time. I'd pay at 3500-4k, then get the freebie at 7500 and continue on a 7500-interval after that. But I'm a bit anal about my cars. Most people would say 7500 for the first is fine.

alltorque · October 2011

First oil change at 3 - 4k achieves nothing other than increasing someone's profit. Modern engine design & build processes do not leave lots of particles in the engine and metallurgy and lubricants are light years better than they used to be. Biggest problem with new engines is getting rings/bores to "bed-in" properly due to manufacturers using full-synthetic lubes on the line and most owners not knowing how to run-in engines anymore. Europe uses the same engines, and lubricants, as you get in Volvo, VW, Audi, BMW etc etc but typically have oil-changes specified by the manufacturers at 18 - 20,000 miles - gasoline or diesel - and we are not destroying engines as a result. The only caveat is that you must use the correct viscosity and specs as defined by the vehicle manufacturer. "Cheap and near enough" probably isn't either in the long run. Why would you spend £40k on a lovely new whatever and then try to save a couple of Dollars on the hardest-working component...........engine oil.

The whole short oil-change thing is a racket designed to separate consumers from their Dollars. One of the very few areas in which Europe is ahead of the USA.

End of mini-rant.

[Deleted User] · October 2011

On some VW models here, they specify that you must wait until 10K or more for the first change, to let things seat properly. Oil changes at 3K are only advised if you drive like 3K miles a year in very short trips. Otherwise, you are wasting oil, which none of us ought to do anymore. Get it changed at 7,500, which these days is actually conservative, and ignore the dealer bleatings. If there was damage to be done by following manufacturers recommendations, they wouldn't be warrantying their cars for 5 years.

tshellvolvo · October 2011

tshellvolvo · October 2011

i have a 01 S60 T which has a rought idle, but now when the idle is rough the power breaks don't work. once the car engine smooths out the breaks work fine. any suggestions?

moretj · February 2012

i know this post is after the fact but recently replaced the Driver Information Module(DIM) on my S60 (225,000 kms) as the turn signals would either work fully, partially or not at all. In speaking with the dealership they advised there testing detected a found an interanl electrical fault with the DIM. I took there word for it and asked if anything else could be done to repair the problem. They said no as this functionality was controlled by the DIM and the entire system needed replacing. Total cost $1250. Just wanted to get feedback from the board if this course of action sounds reasonable from the dealership perspective or was another fix possible at a lower cost. Thanks.

will3357 · March 2012

My wife drives a 2002 Volvo S60 with what I believe is an electrical short issue. When she stops at stop lights, sometimes the gauges jsut start going haywire, pinging up and down. I drove the car and noticed that if I unclick the drivers seatbelt and then reconnect it, the problem fixes itself. Summing it all up, I attribute the issue to a short in the seatbelt sensor wiring. Any idea where I should dig into the wiring or the seatbelt itself to try to fix the issue?

mikey38 · April 2012

Just test drove an S60 T5 yesterday. What a nice, nice ride! I was very impressed with the quality of the vehicle, acceleration and overall handling. I drove a 2012 328i a couple of weeks ago and I think the S60 was a bit better overall..at least for me.

[Deleted User] · April 2012

My 2011 S60 T6 has so far exceeded my expectations. No mechanical or electronic glitches in almost 24k miles. The T5 with 17 inch wheels should ride better and have less highway tire noise. But at lower speeds they are both very quiet.

mikey38 · April 2012

What kind of highway/overall mileage are you getting with the T6?

Volvo S60

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