Should I let Owner Reviews scare me?

"jeffywk" (jeffywk) 10/25/2014 at 23:59 • Filed to: Volvo Wagon, Volvo, Wagon, Reviews, Car Shopping, V70 XC, New Car, Scared, Advice

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So I've been shopping for a car. A particular car. One I know you guys will appreciate: a Volvo Wagon. But not just any Volvo Wagon, a V70 X/C.

The only problem is, I've been reading owner reviews. They all say they love the car, but it falls apart and needs constant expensive repairs.

Should I let those things scare me when I'm shopping for a new car? Should I take them as sound advice and shop for something else? Should I ignore them and burn my wallet?

Help!

Also, what do you guys have to say about the Volvo v70 X/C?

bob and john > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 00:00

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I think part of the problem is the most of the owners were mid-class wife who dont know how to take care of cars. OFC shit is going to break if you dont take care of it.

jeffywk > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 00:03

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Here's what I'm reading. http://www.edmunds.com/volvo/xc/2002/…

ZiptieMcBumper > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 00:04

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I was about to say the same thing. It's one thing if you're a Jalop who likes (or at the very least can tolerate) doing maintenance, but if you're just another person who's used to driving Camrys and Accords and doing nothing but changing the oil every 20,000 miles, then the responsibility of having a car rather than a driving appliance can come as a shock.

Do your research, but it's probably not much to worry about.

bob and john > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 00:12

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yea. my point still stand.

keep in mind it IS a 2002 as well. thats a 12 year old car. things are going to start to go, no matter how well maintined it was.

jeffywk > bob and john 10/26/2014 at 00:16

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Gosh, it's really difficult to believe that 2002 was 12 years ago. The other option I was looking at was Volvo 850s. And those are even older.

bob and john > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 00:21

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I KNOW. I was talking to a bud about a 2002 IS300 and he said: why the fuck would you want a 12 year old lexus?

made me take a step back

jeffywk > bob and john 10/26/2014 at 00:25

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BUT THEY'RE SO COOL! But hey, all my dream cars are 50 years old.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 00:29

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Knew a woman who had an XC70 of that gen. She said they same thing: great car, but repairs and upkeep were a bitch.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 01:22

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2000 V70R owner here. MAKE SURE IT WAS CARED FOR!!! Mine has been abused and its showing. Im having so many issues and only has 130,000 miles.

Just search the tag V70R or Vikkie to see what I mean.

Love the car when it works...

Zach Campbell > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 01:32

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As an XC owner, I can honestly say it all depends on how well it has been maintained.

01/02 do have their issues, mainly with the transmissions and throttle bodies. I have an 01 and I have had the throttle body rebuilt to the cost of ~$700. Yes, it was steep but it has a lifetime warranty and it had to be done as it made a mostly perfect vehicle inoperable. My car has 205K miles, and is also on the original transmission; something VERY rare for an 01. Most 01/02s have already had their transmissions replaced. If you come across one that hasn't, beware as it may be on its way out. If it does go out, its $2-4K to have it rebuilt. That's why knowing the history of the vehicle is key. You could easily come across one that drives fine during the test drive, but two weeks in the transmission begins to slip. Once that happens it's basically game over. Its happened time and time before.

Regular maintenance is not expensive at all. Oil changes depend on the quality of oil used. If you use regular oil, change every 4K miles, synthetic (like I do) and change every 7.5K. I drain and fill my transmission fluid as a precaution every 3-4K miles as I'm trying to save mine from its inevitable death. If you do decide to buy one, no matter the year, I would strongly advise you to do the same, but you may not have to do it as frequently as I do. Most people just do it every other oil change or so. But NEVER power flush it if it's over 50K miles as that may cause gunk that's in the transmission to come loose when that gunk may be all that's holding it together. Premium gasoline, obviously.

But, things aren't all bad in XC land— I love this car. It's comfortable, safe, capable on all road surfaces (yes, I have gone off road), a beast in the snow, looks good, drives good, gets pretty good MPG's, can carry anything and everything, and with the turbo, is quite peppy.

Nothing big really breaks on these things, other than what I mentioned. Most things that do go wrong are just your normal wear and tear items that you would expect to go wrong no matter the vehicle.

So, basically what I'm saying is that if you've got the cash, go for a model year 03+ as most of the issues in the 01/02s was sorted out by then. If you don't have the funds and must buy an 01/02, be very careful and make sure you know as much about the car as you can before you buy it. I would also get any Volvo you are thinking of purchasing, no matter the year, checked out by a certified Volvo tech as they will find any problems it may have.

If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask. Volvo's are wonderful things. Quality, safety, reliability, and since they don't carry the name that a BMW or Merc does, thousands cheaper than their German competitors. Which is a shame, really, because Volvo makes a wonderful vehicle.

My car:

sellphones2493 > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 03:06

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I have a 2007 S60R - it's based on the base (P2) platform as the Xc70. They basically share the same engine.

I can tell you it's a high-maintenence car, but it's worth it.

JickyJackXC70Attack > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 10:24

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I've owned one of these beautiful beasts for four years now (mines a 2001), no major problems other than the pesky air sensor that likes to flare up sometimes. I count myself as pretty lucky, but I haven't had any major issues (fingers crossed)

jeffywk > Zach Campbell 10/26/2014 at 13:12

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Thanks for the great advice! I'll be sure to keep this post in mind when I'm shopping.

Tina Corbett > jeffywk 11/10/2014 at 15:42

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Buy one from CarMax, get the warranty? ;) But seriously, they don't have one of these, but they do have a 2007 V50......