Hey Volvo -

I recently totaled my S70 and am now in the market again, after less than a year. (Still waiting to hear from Volvo Saved My Life).

I've found several cars, and I think I've settled to an S80. I found a car that I really like, at a dealer I know personally, drives perfectly, and is in great condition. Here's the link: 2003 Volvo S80 T6. It even has a car phone!

My concern is the timing belt/tensioners/water pump/serpentine belt. Usually they're all changed in one go, and I have to assume that the kit has been changed by 121k miles. The dealer is getting with the previous owner tomorrow to find out if they have been changed, because the carfax reports stop at 90k miles... For $8000, does this seem like any sort of a deal t you guys? Anything else I need to look out for/ask?

Thanks!

 

I have heard the trannys are made by GM in the S80 imo not the manufacturer you want if you want your Volvo to go 300 K plus.


05 V70 95K
90 740 298K
00 Honda Accord 180K 1/2 the car as the 90 740

 

I want to start off by saying that I love my Volvo! However, Volvo friends don't let yhem buy S80's.. Ever since I started on the scene, I have heard that they and the XC90s are the least reliable. Too many tranny issues, electrical gremlins, etc..... Your S70 was def. one of the ones of the best reliable cars. You might want to reconsider.

 

Sound like you have your mind made up ( goin for an S80 ) I have heard nothing but bad things about the S80 lots of issues. If you have $ to spend and want Volvos flag ship you will be paying Volvo for parts/service for a bit. The S80 has the only transverse mount I6 in the word.

 

Whoa. Well I *was* thinking about an S80... Looks like the reviews aren't all that great. The tranny issue scares the bejeezus out of me. Think they went through GM because they wanted a cheap method for a tiptronic setup?

Now that I look at it, the cars.com link for that car had only 2 reviews... both positive. Looking at other years and models of the car, then the review quality plummet fast.

My problem is that S70's are always such high mileage. The one I had was only 74k

 

I understand your delemma If you have the $ lease a new Volvo keep it till the warranty is up. otherwize IMO the V70/S70 was the last Volvo that was really a Volvo now that its owned by Idnia all bets are off.

 

I would rAther have a high mileage S70 than a low mileage S80... BTW, Consumer Reports 2 months ago rated the S80 and XC90 top 10 least reliable vehicles out there

 

the 03 ure looking for has the german tranny, 99-01 used GM in 02 they went through a redesign...

i have a 99 and by now all the "gremlins" have been solved

 

I've looked at a lot of customer reviews from sites other than cars.com, and I've gotta say, the pre '02 models have pretty crappy reviews, but it seems like the 2003+ models have all been quite positive. That's good to know that the '03 models have the German tranny, Andrei3333. Thanks for the info!

I've taken the car on test rides, but I have to go back to Bloomington, IN tomorrow for classes. My parents (Mom hasn't seen it yet) are going to take another look at the car tomorrow. After viewing the available cars in my area, it seems like the type of car most frequently in the ads is the S80. I'd love another S70, but I can't find any under 150k+ miles... you do make a good point about the high mileage 70 vs. a low(er) mileage 80, Somthngfrce.

The only thing I haven't inspected the car in huge detail is the engine interior. I tried looking for a way to pop off the motor oil strainer, but couldn't find a way. Anyone know if these things can be easily popped off, so I get get a flashlight and see if the previous owners have done regular oil changes?

 

Sorry about the mis information on the tranny. Hope the car works out for you.

 

I knew I should have not filled up the tank after Midnight. D'Oh! LOL

But in all seriousness... I would unfortunately have to agree. I love my 1999 S80 but last year was hell for me. With the ECM and the ABS Modules going bad, as well as having to replace both belts. That was a major headache. It only has 95,500 miles on it. Good car but it can give you some major headaches.

 

klkst: Absolutely no worries! I'm glad you mentioned it, 'cause now I know not to look at any '00 or '01 models. I had three lined up to check! Emphasis on "had."

elmo_allen: Hehe that reminds me of my S70. There was some module in the dash (i forget which now) that kept shorting out. The Volvo mechanic who has worked on 4 of our other Volvos had to get some guy in from way south Indiana to help him fix the car. The two weeks in the shop was cake compared to the bill. Alternator on my S70 went out too, like 2 months after I bought the car.

On the off chance the dealer can't find the info 100% on whether or not the belt has been changed, is it possible to remove the belt cover just to get a look at the thing? I'm assuming the twin turbo would have to go, as well as the fan...

 

Also not to do a plug here but get the carfax report. I found out that my car was in 4 accidents. One of which the damage is still there. Plus it gives you some info on maintenance, but not always.

As for the belt it should be visible on the passenger side, at least that is how it is on my 99. There is a thread on here that shows you the wear and tare on the different belts. Hope that helps!

 

Hi there,just want to put in couple of things here about the s80.We bought it brand new in 2003..2.9 non-turbo.I must say ,the first few things that went bad was the o2 sensors.repaired under warranty,light bulbs..this thing is eating them up..at least 5-6 head lights,than the a/c stopped blowing cold air..it took them a week to find out what it was..they said some kind of sensor..got fixed under warranty,the radio has very poor am reception,was told it might be the tint because there's an antenna in the window,than as they were pulling out the dealer's parking lot,the mechanic smashed the rear bumper in front of my wife..took another week to replace the bumper and even worse radio reception..another antenna in the trunk,so when they replaced the bumper didn't connect the antenna right...oh forgot..for it's first oil change..the dealer left the big protection panel under the car unscrewed..it was dragging on the streets before someone pointed to the wife to pull over..soooo glad that dealer is out of business !!!!!!!!Don't like to see people loosing their jobs but they were unreal .
Since the warranty expired,had to replace the rear rotors and brake pads,motor mounts,new tires..that's about it..as you can see nothing major..and I prey it stays that way..pretty scary of what I read about the s80.Other that all that said..I love this car..comfy seats..around 22/28 mpg mixed driving ,plenty of power/zip..my friends love it when I take them for a ride..the wife's the only one that doesn't like it....so now it's mine and she's leasing Toyota and in a year she retires and the lease expires and we're outta here..CA that is..can't stand it anymore !!
Hope that helps with making your decision . Good luck !!!!!

 

I did get the carfax, actually. Thing is... either there was *no* maintenance after 94k, or the dealer used after 94k never reported to carfax.

No accidents though And very regular oil changes!

Excellent, I'm definitely going to try to get a look at that once I go back to the dealer. Thanks!

 

yeah if i had to do it over again i would have bought something else, i have had many problems with my 99, so be safe and spend more money on a 02+ or just stay the heck away from volvo all together, i used to drive a maxima and might go back next time around

 

Not a true statement, especially if you are on this board. You just need to do your homework! Have the car inspected and look at records. There are a few cars out there that aren't the best. In all honesty I used to Work for American Honda and also Nissan Motor Co. and I will still buy a Volvo. They are just as reliable for the most part, unfortunately Volvo took short cuts with the S80's and it shows.

 

My Dad's maxima was pretty cool. It threw a rod at 105k though... definitely wasn't worth replacing

 

Well guys, after hounding the dealer for a bit, I've gotten them to agree to replace the O2 sensors and meet us halfway for changing the timing belt They're also redetailing the car, since it smells like cigarettes even after the first go.

Can't thank you all enough for the help! Now I just have to learn to replace brakes myself since this car apparently kill's 'em fast. Also - while it would obviously be financially worth it if i don't mess up, any advice for someone wanting to get self-sufficient in replacing car parts? Any good resources you know of?

Also, What should I name the thing? Peaches?

 

I'm picking her up tomorrow morning Can't wait!