1999 Volvo S70 review from North America

Problems before the warranty went out:

1. Transmission wouldn't shift properly.

2. Headlamps had to be replaced frequently until a recall was finally made and the problem fixed.

3. When the car was idling, a strong smell of gas would become noticeable.

All of the following has occurred after the 50,000 mile warranty ran out (2,500 miles ago) :

1. The headlights stopped working. This headlight switch had to be replaced. The switch was not even used to turn the lights on and off (I just left it in the position where the daytime running lights would be on and the headlights would go on and off automatically). But somehow the switch broke.

2. The ignition had to be replaced.

3. Two spark plugs popped off.

4. The knobs used to adjust the air/heat no longer correspond to where the air/heat is supposed to be coming from. For example, when I turn the knob for the air to blow in my face, it comes out on my feet as well.

5. There is a loose wire related to one of the taillights. The light seems to work, but an indicator light tells me something is wrong with one of my lights. Shaking the wire in the trunk corrects the problem.

6. My right passenger door will not lock. The knobs are in the locked position, but I can walk up to it from the outside and open the car right up.

When I first bought the car, the dealer was so concerned about customer service. While under warranty I used 3 dealers. The older the car became the less concerned they became about customer service. At first, every time I took the car in I would get a follow-up telephone survey from Volvo.

After it went out of warranty I have yet to receive a call from Volvo asking me to rate my satisfaction.

Pay no attention to all that stuff about how Volvo is rated so highly for customer service. I believe it they only survey people who bring in the car for routine maintenance, not the ones having actual problems (this seemed true in my case).