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1996
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960

Very comfortable in this car, pleased with its smooth ride and luxurious feel; I hope it lasts.

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Nice safe luxury car, good engine, though lots of things will break on it

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Volvo supposedly has a reputation for safety; this car is NOT safe

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All Volvo 960 reviews

1996 Volvo 960 review from North America

"Nice safe luxury car, good engine, though lots of things will break on it"

What things have gone wrong with the car?

Radiator went out at 100,000 miles, which seems to be normal for this model.

Rotors warp easily. Replaced 3-4 times. Though this may be specific to my car.

Heater core went out at 130,000 miles, cost a fortune to fix (pull the dash out) and now the car smells like anti-freeze (and you really really don't want to be inhaling that stuff!). Had the car professionally cleaned to get most of the anti-freeze cleaned up.

Defective glue on doors causes leather to come off. Bothers some people.

Paint scratches and chips easily, most noticeable on front bumper.

Other minor fixes here and there, not too expensive, normal up keep maintenance.

General comments?

Has a pretty solid safe feel about it; driver, side and passenger air bags. This was one of the main reasons I bought the car.

The driver seat is well positioned in the car and the center dash is tilted towards the driver so everything is easy to reach. Though the co-pilot seat seems to be a bit of an after thought. Not too roomy and a little less plush. The back seats are nice though.

Good sound system.

Sun roof is nice.

Mileage is decent considering it's an older card and has a V6, probably getting around 20-25MPG.

The major problem with this car is that when (not if!) the heater core goes out it sprays anti-freeze all over the inside of the car. I was able to get most of it out, it pools up on the bottom of the floor in the indentations in the metal. You have to remove the carpet and padding and clean it up. But it also gets in the vents, and I don't know how you'd get it out of those. Nor does it evaporate since it's an oily substance. If you check the warning labels on anti-freeze you'll defiantly not want to be inhaling it, it makes smoking look perfectly safe.

4 comments

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1996 - 960 Sedan 2.9L 6 Cylinder

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All 1996 Volvo 960 reviews

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
First year of ownership2000
Most recent year of ownership2004
Engine and transmission V6 Automatic
Performance marks 6/10
Reliability marks 5/10
Comfort marks 7/10
Dealer Service marks  
Running Costs (higher is cheaper) 3/10
Distance when acquired80000 miles
Most recent distance130000 miles
Date of Entry 24th July, 2004

All Volvo 960 reviews