Hi,
I am new to the Forum and have a question about a possible Volvo purchase. A local dealer is selling a 2008 Volvo S60 with 92,000 miles for about $7900.00. I am interested in knowing if the Volvo has high maintenance costs? I am curious about regular maintenance such as oil changes, tires, brakes, scheduled maintenance as I keep cars for a long time. I am a fan of the Volvo's safety record and a family member owns one, but it is only driven occasionally (2002 C70 with 22,000 miles) so it is not a good comparison. Any assistance is appreciated. TY

 

welcome to the forum. Volvo, like most European cars have their common failures etc, but its not uncommon to see 200K+ miles on the clock of a Volvo. In terms of maintenance costs, it really depends - dealers do charge a premium vs indy shops and some repairs will require special tools, parts and training. My sense is Volvos are less expensive to maintain than a BMW or Mercedes, but more expensive than a Toyota. Most newer cars use synthetic oils which cost more but last longer, use electronic ignitions (ie no wires but coil packs can fade after 100K miles). Big things to look for are 1) has the timing belt been done? - Schedule is 10 years and 100 or 120K miles so the 2008 will be due within a year or two. Do you have the maintenance history? Did the seller do a full "100 point" inspection or do you need to get your own? Tires/brakes/shocks are nothing out of the ordinary on these models, but the best way to get a sense of concern areas is to view the postings in the S60 board. Keep in mind people post up because they have a problem, not because their car has been running like a champ (sorry to say, those folks don't report in...). Hope this helps. As to price, I'd also do some research on sites like Autotrader.com to see what others are listing similar models for. Not sure if I find KBB all that useful in the resale pricing other than a placeholder.

 

S60 is a great luxury car. mt brought up some good points. Before you buy it, take it to a Volvo dealer nearby and just have them check it out. That is what I did for my 2013 s60 (30,000k). They can tell you exactly what might need replacing soon and what not. You can then calculate that into the cost. Regular maintenance and checks every 10,000 miles won't burn a huge hole in your pocket and can help with upkeep on the car. As long as you do that and take care of it the return value is worth it. Since it is a European model, major parts may cost more than a regular vehicle, but I am not 100% sure on that. Keep looking around the forums for more information on the car, but if you get it checked out and there is not a major replacement needed (belts, tires, brakes, etc.) then I would jump on it. You won't be disappointed. -J

 

Thank you for all of your assistance.