are volvo wagons reliable?

Question

i really want to buy a used volvo. a cross country maybe. 99, 2000, or 2001.
i heard that they are really expensive to repair. how often do you have to take them to the mechanic?
chicago area

Answer 1

Sergio Andrés, congrats on the good choice (V70R)! I have a 2005 S60R. You should check out and join us at SwedeSpeed.com (if you haven't already). I use the same nick on there.
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I would definitely check out all kinds of reliability reports (Consumer Reports, JD Power & Associates) and ask in forums (the best source of information you can have for this sort of thing). Have you checked Yahoo! Autos? I do not know which car you're interested in, but here's an example for the V70:

http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/reliability/results.html?carid0=volvo_v70_2007&carid1=volvo_v70_2006&carid2=volvo_v70_2005&carid3=volvo_v70_2004

Obviously this depends on the model and the year, but, in general, Volvos are not the most reliable of cars. However, they are more reliable than many if not most Euro makes.

Answer 2

I have a V70R (the sport version of the wagons)and an S70, . if you can find a mechanic that is volvo certified, you are likely to pay less in repairs. I live in the Fort Worth, Texas, area and I take mine to this independent shop, volvo certify. costs are reasonable. so far I have not replace major parts on my wagon. The most important replacement for my wagon will be in 2 months, shocks, struts. $160/each.
If you keep up with the service intervals, you shouldn't have a problem. Volvos are made to last. my s70 has 145K miles.
runs smooth....
the V70 R is just another story, this one is a beast..!

So if you are interested in purchasing a wagon, and will not be using it offroad much. go with the R, it is a little bit more expensive, but your days will be brighter

Answer 3

Quite a few of the later (after mid-90s) Volvos have proven to be unreliable and very expensive to repair. The XC models are even worse than the 2WD versions. If you must have one, find a good, reputable independent shop that works on Volvos. The repair bills will still be high but not as outrageous as the dealers.

Answer 4

NO!!! The first few years of the cross countries where piles of junk. Don't buy one unless you want to invest thousands of dollars in new driveshafts and transmissions.

However, the other volvo wagons are realiable. Just don't get an awd, thats not volvo's speciality.

Answer 5

the xc has been something of a parts gobbler when used over rough country [unpaved roads cow paths or selling uninproved real estate] however if you are looking for a city car with snow capability you will probably do fine. to actually answer your question yes the all wheel drive components are expensive and if abused the transmission will need frequent fluid changes normal changes are at 30k mile intervals, timing belt changes are at 100k miles and it is imperative that all tensioner and idler pulleys as well as the gas or spring tensioner be replaced as well as the water pump[timing belt driven] this adds up to a generous amount of cash but becomes minuscule when compared to a head job with crashed valves. good luck i hope you find one that has suffered no abuse.

Answer 6

Stay away from these MY Volvo's. Lots of electrical and mechanical problems. Yes they are very expensive to fix.

Answer 7

It depends on how much money u have & what you consider relaible. Some people dont mind a timing belt or water pump breaking then theres other folks who thinka cars bad just because it needs work sometimes. So do you want to just drive around the corner or is it going all over the globe?

Answer 8

All Volvos are pretty reliable. It is best to bring them to a dealer though because they know the car best. The car will last you forever and it is super safe.

Answer 9

If you are Close To Mobile Alabama there is a place called Swedish autotech their phone number is 251 661 6070 call and talk to wayne or kevin they are very good people to deal with and will help you answer your questions

Answer 10

i would not have one