What is the life expectancy of a Volvo?

Question

I am looking at a 2001 Volvo wagon w/ 90K thousand miles. They are asking 11,000 for the car. Should I buy it, even though it has high miles? How long do Volvo's usually last?

If it was a Toyota with 90K miles, I wouldn't worry because my Toyota's have always lasted me into the 200K's. Are Volvo's equally reliable?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Yes.

I'd say it's good for at least 200,000 k, as long as you take care of it.

"Standards of manufacture were exceptionally high - Volvo already had an enviable reputation for longevity (rivalled by only Rolls-Royce), and most of these original cars are, at a mere 20 years old, still running. Contemporary figures showed that over 70% of all the Volvos ever made were still in running order, a stunning figure at a time when the average life expectancy of a car was about ten years. Volvo's average was around twice that.

The early V6 engines are not well-loved these days. They are thirsty and not particularly reliable. To put this in context, they might only last 150-200,000 miles before the timing chain needs replacing. The four-cylinder engine is so tough that, properly maintained, there really is no known way of wearing it out."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A698493

Answer 2

I think $11,000 is too high for six year old Volvo. Having said that, my experiences with Volvos since 1968 have been mostly good as far as reliability is concerned. They routinely go over 100K miles and a good number certainly reach 200K. I had one that traveled almost 400K and was still in great shape when I traded it. The last new Volvo I purchased was a '98. It was the worst car I ever had, bar none. Volvos have gotten as complicated as other cars and reliability has fallen because of this. They are prohibitively expensive to maintain unless you can do that yourself but that's unlikely in this day of specialized equipment and dealer-only software downloads.
If you want a newer Volvo do some research and I'm sure you can come up with a better deal. Incidentally, when I finally had enough of my '98 disappointment I bought a new Toyota and am very, very pleased. I still have a Volvo but it's a '66, easy to maintain and fun to drive.

Answer 3

Way too much money for an older car with 90,000 miles. If you want a Volvo, why not purchase a new one? You may pay more for it, but it will come with a new car warranty and you don't have to worry about what the original owner did to the car.

As a second choice, you may want to look for a certified used Volvo 2005-2006 for a few thousand $$ less.

If you get a bad Volvo, you'll hate it! They are expensive to repair and many mechanics don't understand the design and they damage the car.

If you purchase a Volvo, you will be getting one of the safest cars available.

Good luck.

Greg

Answer 4

I used to be a Toyota/Honda man until my wife finally talked me into trying a Volvo. I will never go back! Volvos are really tough cars, and if taken care of will have less problems than Toyotas. Toyota has been having problems with reliability and quality of craftsmanship lately. I recently looked at five-year-old used Camrys and could not believe how shoddy the construction of those vehilces were!

Answer 5

Make sure the service records indicate the timing belt done or not it is due at 100k and a major service was to be done at 90k,120k
we have serviced these many years and have seen them with 200k = but they must be maintained..
have the car inspected prior to purchase
by a Volvo tech not just a tech...
you will be glad you did some repairs can be costly
on these.
Volvo exp 22+

Answer 6

does it come with a warranty? r u buying from a dealer,w/guarantee? Is it in good condtion? If all above r true then it could be a very good deal. Volvo for life. And lastly was it talen care.2001 is only 5 yrs old probably just paid it off.

Answer 7

A volvo is in the guiness book of records as the deisel car which has driven the most miles or something like that - I reckon between 200,000 and 300,000

Answer 8

If it was an older Volvo I would say no problem, but the newer ones are rated horrible.Gave up mine when it reached 175,000 it was always maintained at a Volvo Dealer.

Answer 9

check condition of automatic trans fluid and service records for this should have been changed at least once you are coming up on timing belt replacement mileage. when you do this replace the water pump, tensioner ,and idler, pulleys and the gas spring.
i recommend changing trans fluid on these cars every 30k miles and every 15 k miles if turbocharged and driven hard. if these things are done and other services kept up with there is no reason for these cars to not exceed 300k several of my customers already have done this and the cars still look and drive good also reread the candiesma letter it is sound advice.

Answer 10

volvos are equally reliable as toyotas....if not MORE. i've seen volvos with 400,000 miles on them all original. they are VERY good quality cars.