hello everyone! i am on the cusp of becoming a Volvo owner very soon, just need to find the perfect (or close to) 1998 s70!

so i found one that's blue (i prefer black) but it's got 84k mi and no accidents on its record. only 2 owners and it was bought at a local Volvo dealer and serviced/passed emissions there.

it's very nice inside and out, but there are a couple small but potentially troubling issues. i wanted to ask this forum here before i grab it again and take it to a Volvo-specific mechanic to go through it.

here are the specs:
- the keyless entry does not open nor lock the door locks. the trunk works fine from the keyless.
- once inside the car the auto door locks do not work. have to do it manually.
- the ABS light is on, so is the check engine light.
- the ignition is very, very odd. it took me several turns to get it to start, it wasnt choking or sputtering. it was just spinning in complete circles or just turning key into "start" position and nothing happened except the radio, etc. came on.
- the gas pedal seemed slightly heavy. i really had to jam on it to get the car moving. this isnt the biggest problem in the world as i know all sorts of cars new and old that have varying pedal/brake pressure requirements.
- in 2001 there were a couple failed emissions tests over the course of a couple weeks, but it's been fine since. via carfax report.

so...what do you all think?
- i know some Volvo's can have aggravating electrical problems, but im thinking (hoping) that things like the auto door locks (both inside and from the keyless) are related and can be fixed at a decent rate.
- i read the ABS light coming on is very common and can typically be resolved somewhat easily.
- the ignition. i had a 2000 Jeep that simply needed a new ignition. it just happens on cars over 10 years old. hopefully isnt anything too complicated.
- heavy gas pedal. remember ive never owned a Volvo but i know they are a bit "heavy driving" to begin with. i can live with it "as is" but is it the sign of other problems down the road?

whew, well i sure hope some of you can give me some advice. i'd really appreciate it! if most of these things are "ok", it will only give me more bargaining leverage.

take care and i hope to join the family soon!

 

Well, your first statement said that you were looking for the PERFECT S70. This cars sounds FAR FROM THAT.

No, Volvo's do NOT HAVE aggravating electrical problems.
The ABS light is not a VERY COMMON problem. But it does happen.

My advise is for you to KEEP LOOKING, mainly for a black one.

 

haha, thanks for the advice.

well the thing is that currently i do not own a car in a large city where a car is necessary. i was recently laid-off from Microsoft and was in an accident in my 2001 Jeep (170k mi). the other driver totaled my car and they didnt have insurance.

so in short, i do need a car somewhat soon, im growing impatient. then since these 98 s70s are such good overall cars, there are simply not many out there for sale at or around 100k mi.

perhaps i shouldnt say a "perfect car" is what im looking for, but i want my first Volvo to last me a long time and be dependable.

if the problems i listed aren't the end of the world for this car (which is at a nice price and low mileage) then i certainly have no problem getting them corrected. i can also live with the blue color, if i waited for a black one...it could be months.

 

Welcome to the Volvo "neighborhood"! There are a few models out there with electrical "gremlins" but the S70 in particular the 98 is SOLID! That was the last year of Volvo being Volvo before Ford took over and so that year S70 seems to be highly coveted as the years after seem to have a few issues. Those are normally bulletproof along with the 850's as long as the maintenance schedule is followedm but that goes for any car! The ABS can be triggered by either low brake pads and then triggers the light (happene to my 850) or the ABS module is going. That's usually an easy fix, usually the soldering in the module needs to be redone. You can either mail it off to a few companies that will do it (with a quick turnaround time) or you can DIY......With the keyless not working on the doors, I woudl check the actuators since the trunk works fine. The "heavy" pedal.... I went from a Honda Accord to a Volvo 850. The first thing I noticed about the 850was the heavy pedal and heavy driving. These are cars with substance and you will feel the weight of the car. It took me a little while to get used to that feeling as my old Accord had a soft responsive pedal!.....Good Luck in your search. It took me 3 years to find the "perfect" 850 and would NOT settle for anything less so I know what you are going thru! You will know your S70 when you see it! Also visit the S70 section of the forum and look thru and see if you see any of the issues on there you are seeing on this S70.... If you purchase and become a Volvoer, post pics of what you got so we can see what you are driving....

 

Yes, the '98 is by all means the best model year for the S70. I would also suggest you add to your list of features that you get the GLT or T5 trim. These come with turbos and really make the Volvo worth having (and spending lots of money on :P).

I'm guessing that you may need a new lock/window button module for the door as far the locks go and of course go with checking the actuators as Somthngfrce said since he's got way more experience then I do.

 

I disagree with the earlier post advising you against this car. Contrary to what that poster said, most of these are problems that will eventually happen to most S70s, and 80- 120k miles is about when they start popping up.

I'll go down your list piece by piece...

The "heavy gas pedal" feel- Volvo S70s and 850s do seem to have a "heavier" pedal feel than most cars. Have the throttle cable checked, otherwise, it's probably okay.

ABS light: This is, actually, a very common issue on these cars. Often (usually) it's the module, which can be removed without a lot of aggravation and shipped off to numerous companies that will rebuild them. BBS Reman is the place I've sent a few to for my customers. You can also DIY, if you're handy with a soldering iron, however I don't think it's worth the trouble for what you can get it reman with a lifetime warranty. However, have the ABS system scanned first- don't just assume it's the module.

The ignition switch issue is another common complaint on these cars- (as well as your jeep!- this is otherwise not normal for most cars to ever have that break.) A new switch runs about $50 and can easily be replaced by anyone with any reasonable amount of mechanical ability.

The door locks- if they all lock and unlock with the power lock switch on the door, or when you use the key, your remote is bad. They're kind of fragile on these cars, and the buttons wear out. If the door(s) don't both lock and unlock with the power lock switch, you need new actuators, which are part of the latch assembly and cost $100-$150, and are a bit of a pain to replace.

A failed emissions test from 8 years ago is nothing to write home about. Sounds like it got fixed at the time. If it was recent, then I'd be concerned. Also, Carfax doesn't tell you WHY it failed- it could have been something as trivial as a loose gas cap- I've seen e- test stations that simply hook the car up to the machine, do the test, and don't even check basic things like this before failing the car.

Basically, if you're willing to put a little time and energy in to it, that sounds like a typical S70 with a few miles. All of the things you've mentioned are things that eventually happen to these cars over time. Use them as a bargaining chip, but don't consider the car a "lemon" based on them.

The best advice I can give you is to take the car to a competent mechanic and have an inspection done, preferrably by one who specializes in European cars. This should cost you $50- $100, depending on your area, and could save you a lot of trouble down the road.

Other things to watch out for on this car are the front strut mounts, tie rods, and sway bar links. Also, the oil pan o- rings will eventually leak and need replaced. It's an internal leak, which causes a loss of oil pressure. Yes, indeed, the 1998 S70 is the best S70 by a good bit. In 1999 they went to a very problematic electronic throttle system and a 5- speed automatic transmission, among other things. the transmission isn't particularly troublesome, but some of the electronics on the 99 and 00 S70s are. And it's got NOTHING to do with Ford having bought Volvo. Ford bought Volvo in 1998. It would have been at least 5 years before any Ford engineering decisions would have made it to production cars, and the 99 and 00 S70s would have been identical even if Ford hadn't bought Volvo. I wish that bit of nonsense would just go away. Ford let Volvo and Mazda continue to do their own thing, while they learned from them. This is why Ford is now building safe and reliable cars while the other 2 American automakers are bankrupt. The electronic throttle body on the S/V70 is made by Magnetti Marelli, an Italian auto electronics maker who supplies many European automakers, but it was made to Volvo's specifications, and it was poorly made. had nothing to do with Ford.

Anyhow, I wish you luck in your search for a nice S70.

 

Very well said (particularly the debunking of Ford ownership BS). A couple of things I would add.... 1) since the car has an active CEL (check engine light) I'd go to Auto zone or Advance Autoparts and have them read the diagnostic codes for you BEFORE you bring it to a mechanic. 2) Given that the car has 84K miles on it I'd check to make sure the timing belt was replaced at around 70K miles and the car probably is badly in need of a stage 0 tune (i.e., replace distributor cap, rotor, plugs and plug wires). If you do buy this car and there is no evidence of the timing belt having been replaced then you should get that done ASAP...