i bought the car about three months ago, and this seems like a common issue for volvo, but the steering wheel seems hyper-sensitive to any road condition. it vibrates in your hand almost transferring through the car. If the road is glass smooth it seems fine. I have a mechanic friend and we put it on the lift. replaced sway bar links that were broken, lower right side motor mount, top motor mount. He checked all the wheels, and tie rod ends, everything looks and feels tight. Is this just the way these drive?

 

I have an 850T and an S40 and neither has any feeling like that. How many miles on the car? Are the vibrations related to engine speed or road speed? If its road speed does it change when going straight vs a sweeping turn? Any noises (roll down window and listen at various speeds and straight vs turns). I'd be looking at a few possibilities - worn front struts, wheel bears, CV joints, wheels/tires. To start, did you try rotating tires front to rear? you may have cupping on the tires so they seem balanced to a machine but can create vibrations. Are the CV joint boots intact? Any oil leaks from the struts?

 

thanks for the insight, i rotated tires but it did not seem to make a big difference. the struts seem fine, but i have new set at my desk just in case. The vibration changes with road conditions, and seem to hit a peak at 46mph. i do not hear any odd noises, seems to be a rotating mass issue. might try a different set of wheels on it.