I am looking interested in this one 08 v50 has 100,560miles the current owner said the check engine light is one but wasn't sure if it was because of a purge valve he replaced or not im in kingman its in vegas 85 miles away the body is show room the interior is a 9/10 he did say there is a squeaky pully but what should I look for my current and only volvo ive owned is a 88 240. hes asking 2100

 

Hi,
We have a 2005 Volvo V50 Turbo. Great sporty car. However here is a laundry list of things that have done to the car since 110000-118000 miles. If you had to have all of these repairs done at a shop, this work would total about $7500.

Replace Timing Belt
Replaced ECM Module due to heater core failure that spewed radiator fluid on it.
Replaced Heater Core
Replaced water pump
Replaced alternator
Replaced battery
Replaced Spark Plugs
Replaced both Axels
Replaced Driver Rear Caliper
Replaced Hoses to heater core from new Water Pump
Replaced Moonroof

 

ok I will keep that in mind im mainly looking for things like were there any manufacturer defects or inherent problems with these v50s

 

Sounds like a good deal, though it's all depending on what that CEL is trying to tell you, and where that squeak is coming from.

You're close to needing a timing belt (not a hard DIY job, but not cheap at a dealer or indy shop).

Take a close look at the condition of the transmission fluid IF you can get to the tranny dipstick (it's buried under some radiator hoses on the left side of the engine compartment (right side as you're leaning over the bumper though). ;-) If the fluid is black and stinky, you might want to walk away (the tranny is the weak link in pretty much every modern car with an automatic).

The cars are really reliable overall - mine had a couple transmission glitches when I got it (needed linear solenoids and fluid changes). Also, the interiors can go south badly in the desert SW - the (non-leather) seats in mine were perfect, but the glue on all the door panel fabric had given up the ghost, so the (ugly) fabric was droopy on three and MISSING on one. Big job to re-cover but cheap and satisfying. If it's got a leather interior, the leather can get REALLY cracked and ugly if it's not taken care of (conditioned on a regular basis). It's sad to see the condition of most of the leather Volvo interiors here in Arizona... otherwise nice cars with seats that look like they belong in a demo derby car.

The axles are potential problems. Easy enough to swap, but really spendy if you go with new Volvo units. The Chinese knock-offs are most likely not going to be a long-term solution (a pair in mine lasted about 2,000 miles), but I had good luck so far with a pair of rebuilt Cardone axles.

The suspension bushings in the control arms can crack and allow a little shake / wobble. You can notice this best by a sharp (but not "hard") tap on the brakes. If you feel the wheel twitch sharply, that's probably the control arm bushings on the front suspension. New control arms (with ball joints) aren't expensive or hard to change, but you will need an alignment, and I recommend swapping out the tie rods while you're doing it (so all the "feel components" in the suspension are replaced).

Similarly, the rear suspension bushings can get worn - the design of the V50 has quite a bit of negative caster on the rear wheels (so the wheels are "canted in" at the top). If the control arms (upper or lower) bushings are shot, this can get worse and really start eating your rear tires. Again, the new control arms aren't expensive or hard to swap, but you'll want to do them before you get that alignment (and then get a 4-wheel alignment done).

I bought my 2005 V50 with 129,000 miles, and a recent timing belt swap. I the suspension all around "just because", not because it was really "bad", and can't really think of much of anything that I've had to "fix" other than removing and cleaning the steering column lock mechanism (a common problem).

 

thanks Ill see if he will let me look at it this week. I know what you mean on the interior the 88 240 I am currently driving needs a drivers side seat bad and I honestly haven't been able to find any. The local shop wanted 450 to re upholster this one and its not in my budget

 

if you are into doing DIY on the 240, check this out https://swedishcarparts.com/parts/se...ext=upholstery

otherwise, Craigslist, eBay and recycle yards may have something.

In terms of the V50, one person's repair list doesn't project to the next car. You need to get the CEL codes to know if that's a minor or major thing, but for the most part, the chassis/engine is shared with other Volvo models and the I5 is a well proven, reliable design. The thing to note is whether the timing belt has been changed - its due at 120K/10 years. You can do the water pump but the OEM water pumps are stout and generally can be deferred for the 2nd timing belt change. The PCV systems do clog over time so best to check its health. Spark plugs get replaced at 60K miles - coils whenever they fail. Other areas to watch out for - how well maintained was the car by the PO? Check dipsticks to the tranny, brake fluid color, power steering fluid color etc. Any sign of rust in the coolant overflow tank? The 08s are past many of the prior model's transmission issues and newere than the 11/12 year's which may have an oil consumption problem. The exhaust flex pipe has been a problem on some Volvo cars but the exhausts last forever. Suspension wear and tear depends on where you live...

 

thanks so much I asked the current owner to go to autozone and have the code read so I know what im possibly getting into

 

I'm a proud owner of a $39 code reader from Harbor Freight - I think one should be in every car owner's tool kit. There are also newer ones that cable between the car and a smart phone for even better functionality, which are worth researching as well.

 

good advice and I think about getting one

 

The best smartphone app (IMHO) is the Torque Pro app. It's $5 or $10, but there's a free version that does nearly as much. The cool thing is that it works with a Bluetooth "dongle" that plugs into your OBD port so you don't have any wires. I set mine up with a custom "virtual dashboard" that monitors loads of things the gauges won't tell me, and run it on a trip. I monitor throttle position (handy for cruise control operation), vacuum, temperatures, ignition advance (gives you a hint if you've got bad gas), voltage (nice to know), and even altitude and true speed. It also has an instantaneous and long-term MPG calc that's really handy. Not bad for a $20 investment!