Hi all,

I am thinking about joining the Volvo community with my first Volvo purchase. I'm in the Southeastern U.S., currently driving a '99 Jeep Wrangler (4.0L). I have a family friend who is wanting to sell their 2002 Volvo S60 2.4T with only 14,000 miles on it - and that's no typo! The owners are an older couple, the wife drove the car, and the husband took care of it, fanatically I might add. She only used it to drive to work a few times a week, hence the low miles.

Here's what I know about the vehicle:

• Single owner vehicle (Southeast U.S.)
• New tires within in the last couple of years
• New battery (Volvo brand?) about a year back
• The fuel pump was replaced under a recall - I believe I've seen this mentioned online from my research as a known issue
• Oil has been changed every 3-4 months
• A/C fan speed control is not working - stuck on one speed
• Drip molding weather stripping has deteriorated - just like in this post here

That's about all I know specifics-wise. Now, I've seen some mention of potential transmission problems. Are there other known problems with this year S60? Also, with this being such a low miles older model, is there anything that sticks out in the S60 enthusiast's minds that might be a red flag with this vehicle? How serious/widespread are the transmission problems really? I'm starting to look at replacing my Jeep with something more practical, reliable, and better riding. Oh, and the price on the S60 is $6,500. With all that mind, what do you folks think?

Thanks for reading this long-winded post!
-jrtew

 

sounds like a no brainer to me - I would flush all the fluids (brake, trans, coolant, etc and do a timing belt (should be replaced every 10 years/105k mikes) - price is very fair IMO

 

Thanks for the reply - I was thinking the price seemed very fair as well, especially compared to what I'm seeing on the used market.

What do you think the condition of some of the rubber/plastic parts like bushings, motor mounts, etc would be for a 15 year old vehicle, despite the low miles? Are those type items something I'd be looking at replacing as preventative maintenance along with the fluids/belts?

 

most of those parts are hard rubber and can last way more than 15 years. I'd replace when needed. One thing to consider is new tires. Tires harden after about 5 years and lose grip even if they have tread left. Similarly, a few years back I inherited my mom's 2000 S40 with about 20K miles on an 11 year old car. Never needed to replace bushings/motor mounts etc yet. Did the timing belt based on age, new tires and now its at 100K miles with the typical model/mileage specific repairs...

 

i would say its a fair price. i inherited my brothers 2002 s60 t5 as the battery kept on draining. after a little research in the forums all it needed was the voltage regulator changing, which i done myself and now runs sweet. for 1-2 years it was sat at our grandparents yard, since then i have had 2 mots, the first only had to replace wiper blades and front number plate. the most recent one i had to have a ball joint replaced (it was the cover that had gone but you cannot get just a cover). Volvos seem to be solid cars as i am finding out.