Hi all,
I'm looking at a 2000 S70 SE. It has 102k, has been well maintained, a clean carfax w/ service records. 2 owners, the first bought it new and sold it back, it was resold as a certified pre-owned at 50k. Rec'd service was done twice.

The dealer is asking $4999 for it. I'm a broke student with $5000 to spend (insurance check after i was hit head on). I need a car to last me at LEAST another 50k without any big expensive repairs.

Do you think this is a good deal? Are there common things that will start to go wrong soon? How expensive are repairs?

Any advice is appreciated!

 

Tough call. The price seems a bit high. As long as the car was well maintained and has had a timing belt done recently it'll prove to be very reliable, as long as you take care of it. I have a 98 t5 manual that I adore. I bought it with a ton of kilometers on it (canadian car, it's all in metric). Tragedy struck for me that day because of the previous owner. I do all my own work though, so it wasn't as expensive as it could have been.
If you are mechanically inclined or willing to learn, and can scrape together money for parts here and there when you need too, this could be the best car you ever buy. It's a lot of car for any amount of money. There's all the help you could want on this forum and others for the car.
If you are not willing to work on a car, or take care of it, go buy something japanese with that money, you'll sacrifice some quality feel to the car but it will tolerate the abuse.

 

I'm slightly above average mechanically. I had a honda and did all regular maintenance myself (oil, fuel filter, dist cap, plugs, brake pads, etc) plus some bigger things like the water pump.

I'm just nervous because I've heard mixed reports of "they're the best cars you could ever buy" or "something brakes every 10k miles and the repairs are astronomical"

 

Parts are a little expensive. Labor is what kills the bill. If you're willing to do your own work you'll be just fine.
There's enough walkthoughs here and other places to build one of these cars from a box of parts. The people on this forum are quite knowledgeable and more than willing to help with any questions you may have.
One thing I am aware of is that in 99 they went to an electronic throttle that caused some problems, but volvo extended the warranty out on that issue. I'm not sure if that was 99 specific or extends to 00, you'd have to search for it. If the dealer has all documentation they can tell you if they performed that service.

 

The only major thing to worry about on the 00, as long as all required maintenance has been done is the throttle body. 99 and up Volvos have a drive by wire system that is known for premature failure and massive repair bills when it does fail. It's programmed to the car's computer, and it's a one- time only programming deal, so you can't just go buy a used one and swap it out, because you can't program a used module to the car. Volvo extended the warranty on that part to 10 years or 200,000 miles... so you have 1 more year left. After that expires, it costs about $900 to get fixed at the dealer if it fails, and the dealer will just replace it with another of the same part, which will eventually fail again. However... there IS one other option out there, especially if you're able to do your own work. There's a company called xMODEx that will repair YOUR throttle body with a non- contact sensor that will never fail, or, if it does, it's lifetime guaranteed. This costs around $500. Plus, since it's a rebuild of your original throttle body, you don't have to have it re- programmed.

So... to sum up... that is the one MAJOR problem to worry about on that car. There are a few other issues that often pop up on S70s and 850s, but most of them are no big deal to a DIY- er. If you can, find a '99, it's not prone to the problem and the electronics are a bit less "locked down." Otherwise, don't worry about it. S70s are very long- lived, reliable cars that last a long time and are fun to drive, and if the '00 you're looking at has been well maintained, 102k miles is just barely broken in. And if you DO need to take it to a mechanic, it is strongly recommended that you seek out a European car specialist, or a Swedish car/ Volvo specialist to service it- they'll be more familiar with the more unusual engineering that goes into these (and most any European) car.

Parts aren't too out of line for these cars, IF you know where to look. The volvoforums resources thread will tell you where to look... I personally like FCPgroton and IPD for online places, and in Columbus, where I live, there's also a really good international parts store that I use all the time. (I'm a European car specialist mechanic)

 

Wait...so to fix the same problem there's a nine hundred dollar option...and a five doller option?

 

Car sounds good.

The engines and trans are the most expensive things in the car. Both should be okay.

There is always stuff to do on used cars.

for you the most important right now is to keep costs down short term:
-brakes
-tires
-check engine lights
-smooth idle
-no shaking at highway speeds
-bounce on front and rear to see if shocks/struts work okay
-I take it it's an NA? If so then no turbo leaks or problems to look at
-check for radiator leaks at the seams

if that all check out, then price is okay for a well maintained vechicle

you will have eventually do:
-timing belt, tensioners, serp belt, water pump
-complete front end (tie rods, control arms, ball joints, stuts and strut mounts)

It's a good car, and you can find used parts like coolant bottles, door hinges, door lock mechanisms (they do go out at the age of your car) etc on Ebay cheap.
You can get other parts at FCP Groton, or at Waltrip Volvo in TN for reasonable prices.

Buy it with confidence.

 

I'm just nervous because I've heard mixed reports of "they're the best cars you could ever buy" or "something brakes every 10k miles and the repairs are astronomical"


Both right in my book. I believe Volvos are in a class by themselves - I don't care what anybody says, they are not trouble free (I have a 98 S70 and a 05 S80) but very well made and far from the hardest car to work on. The advice to buy Japanese is valid, fewer problems and lower long term cost. But that doesn't explain the legion of Volvo owers that keep their cars forever (or at least try to!). The thing is this - they are fun to drive, wwell made, and have a personality all their own. Also, I have found a certain "mystique" goes along with Volvo ownership - you stand out a bit from the crowd.

Find a GOOD volvo mechanic and have him check the car out you'll like it much more than the Honda I'm willing to bet. Sounds good though.