Hello, I'm new to the forums, and I'd really appreciate any advice you guys can give. I've fallen in love with a 2002 S60 T5 with 124k miles. It's in nearly perfect cosmetic condition, and the Carfax record is pretty immaculate too. It has an extensive list of maintenance at the Volvo dealer. There's another thread on here where people are saying to expect to get $200k+ miles (https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...ay-road-53183/). so I'm not too concerned with the life of the vehicle, but conventional wisdom I've heard says that once a vehicle gets over $100k miles, the repair costs go up disproportionately.

Several people on the thread mentioned the cost of maintenance eventually outweighing the value of the car. I imagine I'll be putting 15k-17k miles/year on it (60% city, 40% highway). I won't have large amounts of money to put into repairs. What I'm wondering is how much I can expect to spend on repairs each year for the next four or five years, assuming I had all the work done at a good mechanic or at the dealer.

Also, the used car dealer is asking $7k. Is that a reasonable price?

 

I never like dealer's prices, but that is a good deal. Regard the cost of repairs, when were all the major services done? And would you do the repair work yourself?

 

Other than the scheduled maintenance which was performed regularly at the Volvo dealer, the only major repairs I can find in the Carfax are the fuel pump replaced @ 100,800 miles and the rear brake pads/rotors replaced @ 94,000. All the work was done at the dealer.

I imagine I will probably do a lot of the straightforward repairs--basically anything that doesn't involve taking apart large portions of the engine (e.g. changing a sensor, thermostat, etc.). That said, I'm trying to get an idea of what the maximum reasonable costs would be per year, that is, if I didn't do any of the work myself.

Thanks for answer on the price!

 

Well, that is a hard figure to estimate. If there is no record of the timing belt being replaced, check under the hood for the sticker, if it has been over 70k miles, get it checked out. You will be putting a good 75k miles over the next five years, and that will mean more to replace later on. But compare reputable shops and find which one has the best pricing. To put a number out there, I would expect to pay 600-1000 a year, although that is somewhat arbitrary, that has been my experience. Just be really good at looking at your car to make sure everything is done before it gets bad enough to damage something else.

 

Thanks for the advice. I checked the Carfax again and confirmed there is no record of the timing belt being replaced. I'll check the sticker like you said. Regardless of what it says, I will be prepared to replace it, and use it as leverage in the price negotiation. The repair costs you mentioned aren't too bad. I agree with you about making sure to fix problems before they get worse. I strongly believe in preventative maintenance, and other than the usual oil changes, air filters, etc. I didn't know what kind of major repairs/replacements I can expect to do, and most importantly how much they will cost. Thanks again for the help!