Hey folks...I have recently begun looking into vehicles for my soon to be teenage driver. We test drove an '05 XC90 w/ 95k.
It and was very powerful and comfortable; Loaded with options and in seemingly good shape. It was going to need new tires and brakes sooner than later. I was going to have it looked at by a mechanic to determine if more was needed, but once I hit the internet, it became clear that I may want to steer away from this one due to the fact that it has the T6 engine.

That being said, I really liked the comfort and drive of the XC90, and started looking for a 2005 w/ the 2.5 engine. 2 days later, I've found a 2.5 w/ 145k on it. 2 owners, one of whom I believe leased it, the 2nd has had it for over 100k of the miles. All service records (apparently). I've asked specifically if they've have the timing belt, tensioners and water pump replaced, but I'm still waiting for an answer. Super clean exterior, not even any door dings and spotless interior.

My question is this: For $4800 this seems like a great deal. Are there any "gotchas" I should be on the look out for with a 2005 XC90 w/ 145k on it? I'm taking it to a local mechanic who will do a pre-inspection to let me know what he see's. I'm 90% certain I'm in for brakes and tires right outta the gate, but at that price, it seems like it's worth it.

Thanks for any/all help!

 

I bought my 2005 XC90 2.5 FWD with 200k miles on it and I just rolled over 253k miles.

I've replaced the following:
1. Timing belt (no idea when the last one was done, but good now thru 300k)
2. Fuel pump, fuel control unit, fuel filter, and fuel pressure regulator (that was all part of trying to figure out a stalling issue - ended up being the fuel control unit)
3. PCV system (bad when I bought it)
4. Brakes
5. Tires
6. Passenger motor mount (clunking sound in front)
7. Strut spring seat (a different clunking sound in front)

Overall I've been pretty impressed with how it's performed. We've even towed a boat with it for a summer without any issues.

The T6 engine isn't the issue, it's the transmission it's hooked to. If it's had the transmission fixed it might not be a bad choice. However the most stable platform in 2005 seems to be the 2.5.

As far as "gotchas", I'd look at the following:

1. Timing belt - If it hasn't been done yet it needs to be (every 100k miles). You can do it yourself reasonably. However if you have it done the cost will likely be $500-ish.

2. PCV system - Most cars have one valve, the Volvo is more complex. Again, you can do it yourself but it's a bit of a pain. Cost at a shop will be $700-ish.

3. Angle gear - The AWD system of these cars can have issues. The angle gear is what gets the power to the back wheels. If it goes, you don't have AWD anymore. The part itself is $1500-ish. Sometimes it's just a stripped spline which is less. This can be a DIY job. Because of the expense of the part, if it goes, most people seem to just deal with having a FWD only car.

Those are the biggies I can think of. I've done both 1 and 2 on my car. Mine is only FWD so the angle gear isn't an issue for me.

Hope that helps - good luck!

 

That's outstanding info & detail. Thanks very much. I will keep this handy while shopping. The t6 I was looking at sold, and there are now (2) 2.5's I'm looking at. The one mentioned above @ 145k miles and a '06 w/ 95k but twice the price. Decisions, decisions...

After lurking on these forums for a few days, I'm glad to hear that so many folks are getting so many miles on these vehicles. They really do drive well and seem to be built solidly.

Thanks again.

 

I got mine from a friend who has a used car dealership. He let me test drive anything on the lot I wanted. I was avoiding the Volvo because I knew it had a ton of miles. I finally drove it after driving some rattle-box domestic SUVs. Even with 200k miles, no comparison. He let me take it for the weekend to see how it did and I tried, really TRIED, to find something wrong with it. I drove it, pushed it, and then simply gave up and bought it.

 

Taking the vehicle into the shop tomorrow. It looks and drives pretty darn nice for an 11 year old truck with 145k miles on it. The timing belt was changed last week and it has brand new tires on it.
I am curious what the mechanic is going to say about the PCV and fuel pump in specific.

Thanks again for the info on this. It's great to have an idea what to be looking for when purchasing a vehicle with this many miles on it.

 

Great news on the timing belt and new tires. Less for you to do.

If the PCV needs to be addressed it's not "do or die". It needs to be fixed but it's not as critical as the timing belt. Eventually it can cause engine seals to leak due to the pressure buildup. It can effect overall engine efficiency but it's not the end of the world. Conversely, if a timing belt goes you likely get to rebuild the top of the engine after the pistons slam into your valves.

Fuel pumps are hard to diagnose if they aren't whining or if you're not having issues with fuel delivery.

Is this an AWD version or FWD? If AWD you really want to check the angle gear. It's a weak point on these vehicles.

Overall this sounds like a solid buy so far. Hope the mechanic gives it the all clear. Good luck!

 

Still going on...I had a pre-purchase inspection done at a garage that came recommended to me. The list was small, no big issue, recommended I buy this. But something about the place, and the thoroughness seemed off. So I made another appointment at a Volvo specialist who has tremendous local reviews.

His list is scary: PCV NEEDS to be changed. Angle gear needs to be sealed. None of these are deal breakers at the price I'm paying...

His biggest concern (and I'm waiting to hear back) is that the AWD system is not functioning...He's investigating now. He stated if rear differential needs to be fixed THAT would be a deal breaker for him as well....

 

So here's an interesting scenario...I had this 2005 w/ 145k on it looked at by 2 garages.

Garage 1 says "car looks good"
Garage 2 says "don't buy this car, the DEM needs to be replaced...going to be $3k"

I give the car back to the dealer, telling them what I've been told. The dealer told me today that it's an intermittent problem and that the oil pump needs to be replaced.

My question is, could the oil pump impact the AWD system (I pulled the codes using the Read button) and the would this show "DEM DTC SET"?

 

I have zero experience with DEM...had no idea it existed until I googled it. If it is bad it looks like it can be a DIY job. And it looks like you can have them rebuilt.

My car gives me both the telltale signs of the DEM - Anti Skid warning and Brake Service warning. But my car still drives fine.

I'm not even sure what exactly the DEM does so I'm not much help.

How did they come to the conclusion the DEM was bad? Did they have Volvo specific software?

 

They did have some sort of software (apparently Volvo charges $1k / month to be able to access/use it). I believe they initially ran thru the codes and determined (based on the DEM code) that they should use the Volvo software on it.

I've moved past this one. I fear 145k is a little too high for me to get into. Will likely look in the 80-90k range going forward

Thanks for all the input