When I bought my '01 V70 last week, the dealer mentioned that the remote wasn't working. I assumed it just had a dead battery.

I replaced the battery, but the remote still doesn't work. I can only assume it is the original. Is it possible that it needs to be reprogrammed, or do I have another issue somewhere? It might also be worth noting that the driver's rear door occasionally fails to lock with the central locking system; not sure if that's related or not. If it does need reprogramming, can a Ford dealership do it, or am I stuck with driving 30+ miles to the nearest Volvo dealer?

 

you need to drive to the volvo dealer. The old remote might just need to be reprogrammed. If not, a new remote will cost you about $200

 

If your central locking system is not working properly, you have electrical issue that need to be fixed before a remote can be programmed.