Hi everyone. I'm in the market for a new (used) car and I've been highly considering an '01-'09 S60. I test drove a two owner '04 2.5T AWD the other night and absolutely loved it. However, during the drive, the Check Engine light came on. The owner and I took it to Autozone and the code reader said it was a "faulty cam shaft sensor". Anyhow, the current owner is going to take it to a reputable local repair shop and have this taken care of. SO, my questions are : 1). Is this p0014 code something to be concerned with? 2). Is $4800 a good price for this vehicle with 140k miles? It's had the same owner since 2006 and in very very nice conditon. Body and interior are near flawless. I'm having a very hard time finding these cars in the Portland, Oregon area. Many of them have Salvage Titles or above $5000 at dealerships. Any advice is welcome! Thanks in advance!

 

Price sounds pretty reasonable for my area, but local market pricing can vary widely across the country, so only you really know how it compares to other choices. I wouldn't be overly concerned with the CEL as long as it is off when you take ownership and you get a copy of the repair order showing what was done. The other significant question I would be asking is regarding the timing belt and when it was changed. If it has not been (due ~110K) then negotiate accordingly. If the owner says it has been done get documentation or if he can't document it treat it as if it has not been done.

 

I would be concerned with that code, as it could be caused by incorrect timing (if the belt was recently changed), a CVVT solenoid or hub (the hub is expensive) or an oil pressure issue. Make sure it's fixed before buying the car.

 

I second the other responses. Sounds like a great price (I paid $7k for my 2002 S60 5 years ago) but I'd make sure you get the code straightened out first. Around 120k miles is when a lot of the scheduled maintenance repairs start coming up on most Volvos so if the previous owner didn't do all of those, you could have to put a lot of money into it off the bat. Other than that, sounds like a steal and I love my S60 so I'd recommend them to anyone

 

What? No it isn't.

 

I don't mean that in a bad way, sorry if it came across that way. I just meant that my service messages come on if something is slightly low (coolant for example) and I've got two friends who've said the same thing about theirs. It's meant to be preventative, which is a good thing ultimately.

 

Most cars have a coolant level sensor to alert you of low coolant. That isn't "the electronics" being "sensitive". Same with brake fluid or washer fluid. Warning lights come on for a reason. A check engine light is different than a low fluid warning.

 

My apologies. I wasn't trying to start an argument. I'm not an expert and I edited my comment. In any case, the check engine light should be checked out before the purchase happens.

 

Thanks for all the input guys! It was love at first drive with this car. I've never driven a Volvo before this, but now I'm hooked. For a 10 year old car, it felt so smooth and powerful. Anyhow, the owner claims the timing belt was done 8 months ago. I have the VIN and I know the shop he said it was done at, so I'm thinking about calling them to verify it. Ironically, he has no paperwork to prove it. I did get a carfax and he has owned it since '06. The original owner was a local volvo dealership owner. I'm astounded at the awful resale value of these cars. Coming from Toyotas/Hondas, it's surprises me how little these cars are worth. KBB says this car is worth $2800, which does not seem right. Conversely, the market area of Portland, Oregon seems to fetch $5-$6k for these. I'm hoping this CEL problem is nothing big and I'll be driving an S60 next week : )

 

Your point comparing to Honda/Toyota is exactly why I ended up with mine. Great value comparatively and with proper maintenance just as long of life.

 

If you have emissions to deal with you don't want any Cel on. Make sure you take it for another LONG drive, then get it scanned again to make sure it will pass emissions. Super nice cars especially for the money. Don't check KBB for values, visit www.NADAGuides.com.

 

We do have emissions here in Oregon, so it definetly needs to be resolved. The seller is taking it to Voltech (a very reputable and reasonable Volvo-only repair shop) on Tuesday to get it diagnosed. Whatever the cost of repairs is, will be subtracted from the $4800 selling price. Seems reasonable.

 

I would have them fix it. The diagnosis is not exact. You start cheap and go from there. So they will likely recommend an oil change and CVVT solenoid. Then if it comes back after you sell it, you're stuck with the bill to replace the CVVT hub.