In 2001 my wife and I each purchased a new Volvo XC 70. We thought they would be safe and reliable quality cars that we would be driving for many years. Both cars are now 4 years old, about 100,000 km each and we cannot wait to be rid of them! I'll relate our experiences and wonder if others have had similar problems. My wife's car in particular has had many issues.

Almost from the beginning she has had difficulties with the electrical system, for years being unable to reliably lock the passenger door, unable to use the power mirror on that side, no outside temperature readings, drained batteries etc. Many dealer visits, no solution ever found till eventually the whole left module was replaced by a different dealer. Many other problems have been encountered with the front rods (or ties, I am not sure what to call them). These have been replaced 3x over the last 6 months, at a cost of $1000 each time and there are still problems (our dealer tells us that it is "reasonable safe to drive though") A further $1200 repair is still necessary but we are reluctant to spend any further money on a car that seems to be a real lemon. Our dealer tells us that this is a common problem in the VolvoXC, once you hit 100,000 km. Once you start having to replace these items you will continue to run into problems and can expect significant costs every few months! All this also resulted in excessive and uneven tire wear necessitating several replacements.
Earlier this year I replaced her snow tires with all season tires for the summer. A few days later on 2 wheels the bolts started to come loose, and kept coming loose despite tightening, to the point where the wheel actually came off. The mechanic tells it is because they were rusty. Exactly the same thing happened to the other volvo this year. Now, I have driven many cars over the years, including some old ones and have never had this happen before. Hard to believe it is just coincidence.
My own volvo has been slightly less unfortunate, apart from the wheels coming off this year. My main issue with this car is its tendency to lose all power when the engine is warm upon acceleration at higher speeds. On the first occasion this led to an extremely dangerous situation (fast lane on the highway, rush hour, doing 120 km and all of a sudden complete loss of power. Somehow I made it to the curb unharmed). I have since found out that this is a common problem with these cars, Volvo is aware of it but have chosen not to inform their customers. Something to do with the ETA (?) filter, and now the subject of a class action lawsuit in the US! Safety indeed!
Finally, we have lost our Vovo dealership here and now have to travel 400 km to the nearest one.
So why are these things happening? Volvo used to make a good well built car. Is it because they have been taken over by Ford and they are now using Ford parts and engineering? Have others had similar experiences? Our Volvo's are defenitely not for life! I'd be interested in other people's experiences!

 

It would seem that those who purchased early model Volvos love them for their dependability. I have an 02 c-70 that I truely enjoy but it does have its issues!! The throttle body seems to be the real problem and the gov't is looking into it now. There also is a class action contemplated for the throttle bodies. That being said, I enjoy my Volvo and plan to keep it for some time irrespective of the cost of keeping it running. I do not put that many miles on it and so I am sure it will last a couple more years. You on the other hand seem to have a lemon and I doubt that you will ever be satisfied. Maybe you should be considering a different vehicle. My wife is sold on the Japanese products and indeed, her autos are never in the shop.................ever!

 

Reg,

Thanks for response. Wife is indeed looking at Toyota etc. I myself am seriously considering going back to the love of my youth: A 240 that I bought in 1986 when it was 5 years old and never had any problems with. I gave it to a friend at 350,000 miles 5 years later when I emigrated to Canada. Am now looking for a low mileage rust free 240!

medufour

 

I think that is what you should do! I have done the same with some of my purchases. In fact, I have a 1959 Cushman Eagle that takes me back to my youth. Great fun driving it. I also have as an old vehicle, a 1965 Austin Healey.............absolutely pristine! I put Dayton stainless steel wires on it in place of the Dunlap 60 spokers................other than that it always runs. Just make sure you get a winter beater for the down season. That is the purpose of my Volvo.................in fact my license plate reads: Snowbtr.

 

We had a ton of problems with the 2001 XC 70 we had, by the time it hit 20k it had been in the shop 30 times. After raising enough hell with Volvo they brought the car back and put us into a 2004 XC70 which has been flawless.

What blew me away is that after they got our car they turned around and resold it. That is not the Volvo I knew, FORD has done its damage.

There is a good chance I will never buy another new volvo. I'll restore an old one instead.


Ed

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy ****...what a ride!"

2004 XC 70
2002 C70 ragtop
1969 142s

 

Our 2002 V70XC has had a ton of problems, too, all after the warranty expired. I've spent, maybe, $6K on repairs this past year. On top of that, I bought an aftermarket extended warrenty for $2200, and that company went belly up! (Not Volvo's fault). I recently bought another policy, good to 100K miles. The most expensive repair was the failure of the power steering rack.... over $2300. In the 20 plus cars I've owned, I've never repaced a whole rack. Some leaks, maybe, which could be fixed relatively inexpensively. Volvo re-designed the rack, costing me additional money for adapter parts. Defective design? I've sued Volvo and that's still pending.

Consumer Report rates the newer XC70s (2004-2006) much more reliable, BTW. I don't think I'll buy another Volvo, as much as I love driving the car.