Hey folks, im new here and have come seeking advice. Ever since the transmission in my 84' Cadillac Fleetwood De'Elegance ceased to function, I've been resorting to borrowing my mothers 626. The downside to this situation is that I gotta drive her to work at 8:30 in the morning then bus my brother up to his school before I head on to work. Then i gotta pick her up at the right time each afternoon. The combined effects of not having my own car and waking up at 8:30 in the morning has lead me to search for a new car. I was lookin in a Auto Mart magazine and found a 99 Volvo s80 t6 for 10k with 96k miles on it and with the premium wheel package. The car has had two previous owners and looks to be in excellent condition interior and exterior. Im going to have my mechanic (who doesnt have the title of mechanic, he is just qualified as a mechanic because he completly rebuilt his own v12 Jaguar from the ground up,) check out the car.

So there is my situation, any thoughts on the yr model and make of the car would be appreciated. If I should just forget about it and buy an acura or a lexus please tell me!

Also, my mechanic wants to rice up my car, what are some powerful options for upgrading that already kickass car?

 

You should look for a 2000 or newer. Unless you want many problems stay away from the 1999.

 

May I ask, specifically.. why?

 

That was the first year the car was made. It has many bugs.
Usually the Volvo's are made and sold and tested in Europe before being sent to the U.S.
The S80 was sent here first to be tested.

 

So you know it has alot of bugs.. I checked the consumer guide on the issue and it has this to say:

1999-2004 Volvo S80: Reliability
Trouble Spots
Consumer Guide's® Auto Editors have scoured repair bulletins and questioned mechanics to search for commonly occurring problems for a particular vehicle. In some cases we also give possible manufacturer-suggested solutions. In many instances these trouble spots are Technical Service Bulletins posted by the manufacturer, however, we have our own expert looking at additional vehicle problems.

Ball joints: Ball joints wear prematurely and should be replaced regardless of time or mileage. (1999-2000)
Battery: A magnetic field is created because the battery is located in the trunk and the positive battery cable is routed through the vehicle. Swedish owners who complained were offered a repair kit. (1999-2000)

Oil consumption: The screen in the oil filler can get loose inside the filler neck and often would've been replaced when the vehicle was in for other services. (2000)

Poor transmission shift: On less than 10,000 vehicles, the transmission was receiving an announced software upgrade (2000-01) and those with a GM (model 4T65) transmission needed a replacement shift solenoid to correct a shudder between 2nd and 3rd gear. (1999-2000)

Vehicle noise: Whining noise below 60 mph requires a damper on the four-wheel-drive viscous coupling. (2000)


Consumer Guide® Estimated Repair Costs
This table lists costs of likely repairs for comparison with other vehicles. The dollar amount includes the cost of the part(s) and labor (based on $50 per hour) for the typical repair without extras or add-ons. Like the pricing information, replacement costs can vary widely depending on region. Expect charges at a new-car dealership to be slightly higher.

Item Name Repair Cost

A/C Compressor $615
Alternator $310
Automatic Transmission or Transaxle $1,340
Brakes $750
Clutch, Pressure Plate, Bearing $850
Constant Velocity Joints $740
Exhaust System $380
Radiator $350
Shocks and/or Struts $450
Timing Chain or Belt $245


NHTSA Recall History
1999: Some electric cooling fans could be inadequate, allowing components to overheat and even melt.

1999-00: The ball joint between the front wheel-king pin and the suspension link arm could be loose.

2001: Rear-outboard seatbelt-anchorage bolts may be loose, leaving occupants improperly restrained in crash.




Some of the major problems seem easy for my mechanic to fix, what are the hard ones to fix?

 

They forgot one VERY IMPORTANT thing.
The electric throttle body's. Thank got the warranty on them just got extended to 10 years 200,000 miles.
Some of those prices are way off.
Also I will bet those proces don't include labor.
The transmission will cost you about $3,000 to$4,000 easy.
Any problem that is a electrical big part will have to be done by the dealer. There is I believe 20 computers in the car. Something as simple as the front window switches have to be replaced by the Dealer. They need to download software to make the work.

 

Listen to Tech! My daughter has a 99 S80 T6 and has lots of trouble with it. Luckily she worked for a car dealer and the Volvo dealer took good care of her and didn't charge her much at all for the many many things that went wrong with that car. I would never buy one, and $10K is not that good of a deal for one either. She paid $13K for hers two years ago with 40K miles on it, and the car was absolutely in perfect condition.

 

Ok, so what Volvo could i get for around that price? mabye the s70? or for 10k should I just go with an acura or something..

 

The S60's are pretty nice. You might be able to find one in that price range.
Or go with a S70 The 1998 S70 was the best IMO.

 

Check this one out:

https://volvoforums.com/m_22207/tm.htm

I think he is asking $12,500 for it, but the Private Party Kelly Blue Book is only around $9200. It's a hard car to find because it is a turbo with a five speed. He is asking way too much, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Only has 46K miles on it. Looks like a great car if you can get it for around $10k.

 

Hi Tech
I called Volvo yesterday inquiring about my newly bought, used 1999 S80 regarding which recalls have been done. They stated the ball joints and cooling fan have been fixed but they stated the electronic throttle body warranty is 10 years 100,000 miles. My car has 125K. Your post states the warranty is up to 200K. Any suggestions how I should proceed? While I'm posting.... do you know what the pressure should be when I check the A/C with a high/low gauge? I've been searching for that on this forum but can't seem to locate it. Thank you. Gary

 

my biggest word of advice is stay away from the s80 like the plague. They're big...overweight...and even when they're turbocharged, 268 horsepower from TWIN TURBOS is unacceptable. That's how much power an inline 6 should be making naturally aspirated.

Don't get me even started on the N/A, power is an afterthought.

The only thing that makes me keep mine are the looks and the scandinavian luxury inside the interior. And the safety. If you want to go fast, look elsewhere. If you want to stay with a volvo, get an s60 oran 850. Or any RWD volvo for that matter.

 

Search this forum for posts by me and Helga[8D].

 

but for the t6 if you spend about 900$, you can go to 315hp w/ 340lbs of torque!

 

I don't know Helga, I have the T6 and it is pretty quick. 15 seconds in the 1/4 mile and 250 km/h top speed is pretty good for a full size sedan. It would be pretty tough to get 268 hp out of a 2.8 liter natually aspirated. Even if it did it wouldn't have 280 lb/ft of torque at 2100 rpm that is for sure, it would be a high rpm screamer.