Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Any Volvo owners here?

Any experience with Volvo's? My daughter gonna buy a 2001 S40 I believe is the model. Original owner all receips everything. The guy owns 2 others.

Anyway I'd like to learn more about them. Totally aware parts and service can be spendy.

Thanks

I know nothing of the newer ones but they have a reputation for being extremely reliable and well built. I had a buddy in the service back in '93 that owned one of those square shaped station wagons, probably early eighties vintage. The thing was as solid as it was ugly. We could have mounted a twin fifty to the roof of that thing and took over all of Central and South America. The thing was a beast.
Being that he owns two others says something about the quality and his opinion anyhow. The big thing with used cars of any make or model is if it needs the timing belt replaced. Check on the specific model to see if it has a timing "belt" or "chain". A belt needs to be replaced every 65K to 100K depending on the manufacturers spec. MAKE SURE TO DO THIS. If it's neglected you can have catastrophic engine failure where the timing belt slips or jumps teeth and the valves open as the pistons come up and leaves you with a large chunk of scrap metal and a big bill. This and the transmission are the major concerns, everything else can be fixed comparatively easily.

Very good cars, when they run and you don't get a lemon.

Had a great XC70, never a problem, great car ran with routine tires, brakes, shocks, wiper blades, and oil changes. Later had an XC90, bought used from a rich guy who apparently never trimmed his dogs' nails, as the interior was scratched to $hit, 1 problem after another and all problems were expensive fixes. Examples; replace power window motors $375 for each of the motors! Replace rear wiper motor, $275 for the motor. I could go on and on and on. Even the most diehard Volvo lover will tell you that there are lemons out there and if you get 1, you are going to pay dearly.

Jeff

I've got a Volvo motor in my boat. Does that count?

A Volvo/Penta marine? Those were pretty solid as well.

Yup! Our grocery getter is a 2002 XC. Built like a tank, runs great, good handling, reliable.

But like you said, any work will be spendy.

Volvo Truck = my favorite

although, it's been rumored that companies have moved away from using them as fleet equipment because of wiring problems > due to assembly in Mexico.
For what it's worth.

I cough cough owned a Volvo cough.

It was a good car. Built like a tank. Mine was the last of the 240-series.

The S40 is more a Ford than a Volvo, or so think the cultists.

Car is now in her possision.. To say the least I'm seriously impressed. looks like alot of car for what she paid. I've heard it's not uncommon for a volvo to run for 500,000 or more. And actully hear rummors of some with 1,000,000 miles.

Guess we shall see how it goes. Still lotz to learn. And need to find a local Volvo mechanic..

I don't know about the newer ones, but I believe the older ones had welded bodies, not bolt-on panels like most cars. They didn't rattle but darn expensive to repair.

My 2001 XC70 runs like a dream - 5 cylinders humming along!

Terry

I have one now, a 2002 XC70. It was the wife's primary until last year, when I bought her a new car. I use it now to drive to work. When we first had the car it had some minor electrical problems centered on the instrument panel light dimming. Other than that, it has been super reliable. It has 118,000 miles on it. I expect to drive it for another 30,000 or more.

I also had a '95 940 Turbo. I bought that one used with 80,000 miles on it and drove it until it had 160,000, then sold it. as far as I know it's still running today. It also was uber reliable.

The key with them seems to be keeping on top of the routine maintenance, at least that's what I do. There is a big difference in the engines though. The longevity of the Volvo engines was based upon the steel block 2.3 L four cylinder. That's the engine that has gone for 500,000 miles. The newer engines, such as the one in my XC70 and in your new car is an aluminum block inline five or six cylinder with steel cylinder liners. It remains to be seen whether that motor will last as long.

The major plus to any Volvo are the safety aspects. They are one of the safest cars on the road, bar none. Much more so than any Japanese car, and most domestic ones. Ford owned Volvo until a few years ago, and IMO benefited greatly from that association especially IRT safety. Side impact protection systems, belt pre tensioners, crumple zones, head restraints, and seats that don't collapse during rear end collisions are just a few of the items that are standard in even older Volvos. They are very tough cars.

As an example, I hit an intact deer carcass that was lying across the left lane of I-40. It was night, I didn't see it until it was too late, and I was doing 75 mph. The car went airborne, I managed to keep control, slow down, and pull over after the impact. A cursory inspection revealed no damage that I could see, the car still ran, and the steering seemed OK. I was still about 30 miles from the house, so limped home slowly. The next day I took it to my mechanic, and he checked it from end to end. Other than a bent heat shield on the catalytic converter, there was no damage. Like I said, tough cars. I would rest easy knowing that my daughter was driving one. I'm sure others will disagree, but that has been my experience with the brand.

Since the Chinese have bought Volvo, I have refrained from buying a new one. They seem to be trying to change the mindset at Volvo from ultra safe family cars to an upper end luxury brand. It doesn't seem to be going over well in Goteburg, so maybe the alliance will end. We'll see.

I've put about 900,000 miles on Volvos...but the older 140s and 240s...the S 40s are made by DAF, as I understand it, which is a Dutch company Volvo bought...

Had a 68 with the old B18 in it.. ran that one to a little over 200K.. when people thought 100,000 was amazing on a car..

Had a 76 240 Wagon with the B 21 engine... that one ran 265,000 before my stupid brother stuck it in a snow bank and got pissed off, so he just floored it on ice...the tachometer was stuck pass the 8000 rpms it went to...the dipshit had spun the crank..

I had an 84 240 wagon I bought new... I put over 350,000 on that one.. changed the oil every 5,000 miles, and pretty much used 15w40 diesel oil in it... it had a B 23F gas motor..the body was starting to go, after so many Minnesota winters, but when you took off the oil cap, and looked down inside the engine, the top of the cylinder head still was as shiny as a new nickel...when I moved to Oregon, I was going to bring it out here, and find a used body and put the running gear in that, because it was running fine and had the same compression as it did the day it was new...however my wife, couldn't get it started in a snow storm, and said she "didn't know what else to do,".. so she let the county unceremoniously tow it away because it was blocking the road for the snow plows... that was a sore point in our marriage for a long time...

and then finally we have the 83 that I bought my first wife new...there is the durability champ...my ex wife drove it until it had 175,000 miles on it..and then sold it... surviving that long with the way my ex wife drove a car is something to believe in on how tough they were built..

every 30,000 miles I had to replace the struts and shocks on it as they had been trashed, by my ex wife, come barreling around the corner to the house, and never even slowing it down as she slammed it into the curb at the front of the driveway.. she'd put it into 2nd gear in the auto, instead of drive...and then take it to work at 80 mph being late per usual, with the motor running at about 7500 rpms...

that car went thru about 5 rear main seals, three clutch fans, 5 or 6 water pumps, untold number of tires with busted belts.. the only thing that kept that old gal on the road was me doing constant repairs from her royal fat ass's stupidity, and constant maintenance...

she was and is, just an idiot...but that 83 Volvo lasted that long and was still running was simply amazing...

I have migrated to Toyota since 1995, but that is because I keep getting them from my folks... every time they buy a new car almost, they offer to sell me their old one, and instead have just given it to me by never cashing the check.. so one can't beat the price... and the Toyotas have been just as reliable as the Volvos..although there is no question the old 140 and 240s would have held up much better in an accident...

but if the Chinese now own Volvo, sorry, I wouldn't own one period...

and as far as repairs on the older ones, I did a lot of that myself, and for maintenance, you learn American conversions..
such as the oil filter had the same specs as an American Ford filter... plus a Ford Escort filter was narrower so it eliminated touching the back of the alternator at times and getting zapped... and of course cost MUCH less...

the ignition system was the same thing as put in a VW rabbit 4 cylinder.. so ask for tune up parts for a VW Rabbit, was same stuff, different box than was marked for Volvos.. and was 1/4 the cost...

I remember the costs at the time, very well...
and this was down at NAPA...

VW distributor cap, $5.00... Volvo distributor cap: $22.00+
VW Rotor: $2.50 Volvo Rotor: $15.00
Ford Escort Oil Filter: $2.00 Volvo Oil Filter $12.00...
brake pads: At Volvo: $70.00 per axle.. ( just the parts..)
At NAPA, $20...per axle

No problem with Wolwos as cars....just Wolwo drivers.

At least 50 % of the time when you see some clown stopped at a light with a car and a half length between his front bumper and the car ahead, its a Wolwo with a woman driver. They also love to clog the outside, passing, lane at just under the speed limit.
Instant traffic jammers anywhere they go.

There must be something in the manual or a driving school in Malmo.

We can always hope they will go the way of Saab.

1B

most of the volvo owners around here are mid fifties or early sixties. The men have long grey hair, usually worn in a pony tail. The women are fat and dressed in mu mus.
The back of their 240D is festooned with anti war, liberal stickers.
They still hate America.

Yeah, when I owned them, many other Volvo owners looked at me like I had betrayed something that they believed in....

but yes, a few conservatives owned them also...

actually some guy around the corner has an old really good shape 544... I admit, I am envious of it...got my hands on one, it would become my daily driver...

that and then the old immaculate 1950 3/4 ton 4WD Chevy with the long bed I see parked at a local supermarket, and I'd be one stylin' guy when I go over to the range...

I think both of those fit my personality....out of date, but in yesterday's style...

A buddy had a Volvo and after awhile he put on a bumper sticker, "The parts you see falling off this car are the highest quality Swedish manufacturing," or something like that. My then-new '83 240 was okay reliable, but nothing special, but some people said you could fix anything on it with a hammer and a wrench; that ended when Ford bought the company - front wheel drives aren't particularly repair-friendly, but that took a backseat to gas mileage, safety, and price.

People who buy older Volvos ('90's, for instance) and expect them to be safe cars for their kids are fooling themselves. They were pretty safe compared to other 90's cars, but not to today's. Fifth Gear put out a crash test of a "safe" older tank-like Volvo 940 and a smaller, newer Renault Modus. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDyeWofcLY . (If the link doesn't work, google it - it's worth your time. The Volvo loses, big time.)

Personally, I'd like to have a '94 740/940 wagon (with the four-cylinder), but I'd never expect it to be reliable or safe; it would just be another kind of work truck for me. The classic rear wheel drive just appeals to me.

Had a 740 I used to use to go to work in. One day on the way home the entire rear axle locked up doing about 70 on the freeway. After a exciting few moments I skidded to a stop on the shoulder. Apparently one of the bearings had went out, and created so much heat it turn the axle lube into peanut butter. When it finally seized, it was essentially welded, and the entire axle had to be replaced.

As to the OP, many of the newer Volvos are very nice. Bought the wife a 2001 S60 she drove for years, held up very well for her. Long story short, gave the car to my 18 year old daughter, it did not hold up so well for her. Engine, tranny were fine, started having problems with the suspension. Not to mention she got about 4 tickets in the first couple of months of having it. this girl could tear up a steel ball though, YMMV. But I would recommend something relatively bullet-proof for a teen-age girl. Hell, she even started breaking my "bullet proof" Nissan Frontier after I put her in it. Dropped her in a 2010 Honda Insight, guess what, it would not start this morning.

My mom has drove them for years. When I was a kid we had a station wagon volvo that she drove to about 180000 and sold to to a co-worker that drove it another 100000 or so and rolled it serveral times. I think his daughter was in there with him and the both walked away!