Hello, I am purchasing my first car and I have found a 1997 Volvo 960 that I am extremely interested in. It has 92k miles on it and the guy selling it to me has it priced at $3500. Later this week, I'm hoping to get it checked over by a mechanic to make sure there are no serious issues or things I should be concerned about.

However, I was wondering if anyone could give me specifics about this model of things I should have the mechanic look closely at? Common Volvo problems or problems of note for this particular make and model? Being as it's my first car, I don't really know all that much and thought it'd be good if I were to ask people who have owned this type of car before and have had experience in general.

 

I use to have a '97 960 and it is the only car that I have ever really missed. I hope to purchase another one soon.

The most common problem I know of is burnt valves. If the car has been sitting for a long time, it would be best to take it out on the highway and drive it for no less than 2 hours at speeds of 70 mph. Right before you do this fill the tank with 91+ octane and add some Lucas fuel injector cleaner. In my opinion, the less these cars are driven, the higher the chances are that it will have a burnt valve. If it has a burnt valve it will be misfiring. The check engine light will be on.

I have owned 4 of these and have NEVER had a burnt valve. The key to avoiding them is to drive the car often, use good quality oil filters (Volvo or Mann) and use Lucas fuel injector cleaner every 2,500 miles or every 90 days.

Other than that they have a few minor problems like the power seat getting stuck, the sunroof leaking and due to the age, watch for coolant leaks.

This car does have a timing belt that should be replaced every 70,000 miles. Not a hard job but if the belt breaks, as with most cars, it will destroy the motor. You need to see WRITTEN proof of when the last belt change was done.