Hi all, I'm new to the site so any information you can provide would be helpful. I am considering purchasing a 2000 S80 with 120k, is there anything I should look out for in particular?

 

As has been discussed many times before, if you can afford it try to get a 02 or newer model where the reliability went up significantly...

That said, if you are set on a 00, make sure you dont have any major codes or warnings coming up, inspect the timing belt (crucially important)
Also, check the transmission dipstick to see what condition the fluid is in, these transmissions are not really known for their longevity, so looking at the fluid and then doing a comprehensive test drive would definitely help

Basically anything else that you would expect to have to maintain on a normal car.. eg. suspension, braking system and electronics

 

There are a couple of known problems with these vehicles which if they happen on the 10 year old vehicle may not be worth fixing due to the cost involved.
Transmission $2K+
O-rings in oil pan which cause loss of engine oil pressure, not sure of cost but considerable labor involved
Electronic Throttle Module (ETM) $1K+
Suggest you take it to someone who has experience with these vehicles to check it out.

I recently purchased one which just had the transmission done but needed a lot of other minor work done. I really like the car but I also like to do my own work which keeps the costs down.

Some of the items I have done since I bought it about 4 months ago-
Replaced alarm siren so the sunroof would work (on same network)
Replaced variable valve timing solenoid due to engine service code.
Relocated battery cable running between firewall and starter due to problems starting (tachometer jumping while engine cranking syndrome).
Lubricated bearing on bottom of steering column (to fix noise).
Had to reset the air bag service indicator because I disconnected the radio to try to fix the CD player while the battery was connected which caused a problem on the network.

Routine maintenance I did-
Replaced timing belt, idlers and water pump.
Cleaned throttle body which included removing the intake manifold and replacing all vacuum hoses to keep from having future problems. Also re-wrapped (new wire loom and electrical tape) all wires on front and top of engine because the heat inside the engine compartment caused wire looms to disintegrate exposing the wires.

 

I own a 2001. All was well with the car until about 60K mile, then all he%$ broke loose. Stuff like

1. strut mount bushings
2. ABS module
3. ETM issues (multiple times)
4. O2 sensors
5. broken plastic parts all over the place.

I've been real lucky that the transmission, and many other thing have not gone out yet.

I'm not a fan of these cars anymore, just way too many issues.

 

we have owned a 00 S80 for about 3 years now. It was well kept by an Aunt, (i.e, never raced) and had about 40k miles. Bought it for the teens, but they don't like to drive it. Now it has 60k (we live on an island) and its in the shop to replace a leaky steering rack. We've replaced, a tie-rod, virtually all bulbs, so look out for electrical issues, reglued the mouse fur on the A pillars, and all brake pads. But aside from that, its a pleasant enough car and gets great gas mileage on long trips to the other side of the island. Not exciting, but adequate and easy to drive within the speed limit. Our other cars include a Hemi Magnum and a 350Z, so keep these comments in perspective.

 

The 2000 S80 T6 in our stable has mostly been driven by my wife. We got it 2nd hand in '04 at 47K Kilometers (~29K Miles). When the vehicle is running well, it's been a wonderful car, however we've had some major repairs which kinda soured the milk a little.

Right after the warranty expired we had leaks in the steering rack. Ouch! That was an expensive repair.

In '06 The ABS Module acted up. Through research on this forum, I got the module repaired vs replacement. The repair was far more economical than the cost of a replacement module.

Earlier this week I had to get the oil pan and pick up seals/o-rings replaced. [90K Kilometers or 56K Miles]. This was an CAD$1K repair. This was causing an intermittent "No Oil Pressure" message to flicker on the dash.

The dealer service department also reported that the Turbo Oil Return Gaskets were leaking. I'm going to get a second opinion on this as it's a $600 from the dealer.

For less than 100K Kilometers (62K Miles) this car has had more costly (or potentially costly) repairs than any vehicle I've had before. I typically don't like to take this vehicle to a dealer for work, but finding a good independent shop has been difficult, and I've had some bad experiences with dealers.

 

I'd skip it. I bought a 2000 S80 in Late Sept 2010 with about 67k on it.

Cosmetically the car looks as great as a 10yr old car could look inside and out.

Mechanically I can't believe the stuff that I've found out I'll have to deal with assuming I keep it. I had less issues with my 10yr old Pontiac that had over 150k on it and it was actually more fun to drive.

At least now that it has warmed up here in the St Louis area, the stupid front suspension has mostly quit sqeaking like mad.

Biggest items I've replaced so far were the ABS module - got a rebuilt and changed myself, and the ETM which was a reman unit with a different type of mechanism than OEM.

This is my first and verly likely last Volvo...

 

You really shouldnt let your experience with the older model S80 sour your entire view of volvo...

For years volvos were rextremely reliable, but it seems that they had some teething problems on the original s80's... Reliability increased greatly as each year went on..

Overall I'm still very satisfied with my 2002.. I think I was just lucky to get it from someone who took care of their ride...