1999 Volvo V70 20V 2.5 petrol

Summary:

Wonderful engine, so much better than expected

Faults:

Driver's side power window switch, radiator, head gasket, heater core, rear suspension bump stops, coil packs, engine mount, remote locking, headlining fell down, glove box latch, MAF sensor.

To be fair - this car was purchased cheap and had a hard life with myself and the previous owner. Kept outside in the weather, often driven on unsealed roads and in start-stop traffic.

General Comments:

I used to ridicule Volvo until I bought this car. I wanted a cheap family car with the ability to carry seven people occasionally, but hated the idea of a people mover or SUV and wanted reasonable safety. The V70 had the rear-facing seat for kids and fitted the requirement perfectly. I paid a low price knowing that the car had no heater and suspected it had not been looked after. It was only ever intended to be a short term stop-gap vehicle, but it ended up being loved by the family and giving me an appreciation for the Volvo brand.

The head gasket and heater core were done at 245,000km by a Volvo specialist and cost far less than expected. All the other bits and pieces, including servicing, I did myself. I found the V70 to be easy to work on parts weren't as expensive as expected. Not Ford/Holden/Hyundai cheap, but not typical Euro brand pricing either. I took a chance on cheap Chinese coil packs from eBay and never had a problem. MAF sensor was easily fixed with a simple clean.

The interior is both a strength and significant weak point of the car. The plastics didn't stand up well. The front seat are the most comfortable car seats I have ever experienced. I've driven a few luxury vehicles over distance and this old Volvo beat them all in the comfort stakes. I drove the 900km from Sydney to Melbourne and had no muscle aches or soreness whatsoever. I'm a 'larger gentleman' and found the old Swedish barge to be very accommodating. Even the back seats were soft and supportive. I ended up just pinning the headliner to the roof rather than replacing it. The light-coloured leather seats showed the dirt and were quite cracked. The factory stereo is outstanding. Easy to use and excellent sound quality. Integrated sun blinds and booster seats are a nice touch.

I LOVE the five cylinder engine. It sounds fantastic! Our non-turbo was no more than adequate off the mark, but felt under-stressed and cruised beautifully at highway speeds. In-gear overtaking could be surprisingly brisk considering the modest power and size of the car. Fuel economy was also a surprise. We frequently averaged about 7-8L/100km on the highway with 3 kids and a boot full of stuff. Suspension was soft and comfortable on smooth roads, but could get crashy on poor surfaces.

The car's safety credentials were proven when a car behind failed to stop at the traffic lights. What could have been ugly resulted in mild inconvenience. The other vehicle was badly damaged, but the Volvo suffered only a cracked bumper. The head restraints saved us from neck pain and even the strong brakes meant that we barely touched the car we got shunted into. There's good reason people call them 'tanks'.

I eventually decided to move the car on when interior shabbiness reached the point of frustration and would have cost more to repair that the car was worth. However, the engine didn't burn a drop of oil and pulled as hard as ever even with nearly 400,000km on the odometer. I have no doubt I could have seen half a million on this engine without a problem. I now find myself secretly wishing I had another Volvo inline-5 and often browse the classifieds in the vain hope of stumbling across a V70R at the right price or a V60 Polestar free to a good home.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th November, 2017

14th Nov 2017, 22:21

Well written review. I used to not think much of Volvo either, till I remembered some family members of mine had some great cars through the 1980s and 1990s, which all ran to very high mileages without any major trouble. A 740 saloon, 960 saloon, and an 850 estate. Excellent cars from times gone by.

Unfortunately post year 2000 cars from Volvo and many other manufacturers leave a lot to be desired quality wise. There is no denying security, safety, performance and general improvements have come a long way, but at the cost of greater complexity and electronic problems. Myself I have a modern S60 Volvo which I love, but it has cost me a fortune in repairs recently at a relatively low mileage and age. I hope to keep it for the long run, but I doubt it will age as well as some older Volvos I remember.

17th Nov 2017, 17:46

You are right, all modern cars are more complicated and therefore have a higher risk of going wrong. That said, not all modern cars are bad. We run 3 'modern' Volvo's - S60, V60 and XC90 and they have all been very reliable a good cars. Our last V60 before our current one was a 2012 car which we sold with 116k miles, and it drove like new and had zero problems. Our last XC90 was sold with 154k miles and never let us down, and the list goes on. Yes, they had wear and tear things changed, and the odd other thing here and there, but for their reliability, they were all perfect. We also have a old 240, which is a great old tank - but they are all now delicate in their old age. Great when new, but they are old now and the more modern Volvo's give better peace of mind. Anyway, that's my thoughts. The original review was great, well written.

24th Nov 2017, 14:40

A 2001-2009 V70 is still a good car; they had problems, but if you find a one owner car that had it repaired by the main dealer, these can also go many miles. Good to know that after 2012 Volvo have lowered the quality of the components on their vehicles, cheaper exhaust components, cheaper suspension components, problems with windshield assembly, problems with the engines consuming oil. So just don't expect the same long term reliability in the newer models. An extended warranty is absolutely mandatory on the latest models, along with a good prayer that Volvo will respect it. Keep in mind the base warranty is very short and Volvo will pay absolutely nothing once it's expired, even for well known design problems.

2000 Volvo V70 2.4 petrol non turbo

Summary:

Practical classic

Faults:

ETS has failed, however this is not an issue for me, as I became a professional repairer of them and have assisted hundreds of owners with this system.

The 5 speed auto transmission, which is unique to only the R model and non turbos in the older body style in year 2000, has some valve body issues, which I believe either replacement of the solenoids or a refurbished or new valve body will solve.

The A/C has a leak somewhere and has never held refrigerant for long, so is not working.

Driver's and one rear window switch were replaced.

Front shock absorbers were original & getting tired at 280,000km, so I replaced them with Quinten Hazel units and am very happy with the ride/handling compromise.

Inner tie rods caused high speed instability at 300,000km. With new ones the tyre wear is even and stability is great.

No oil leaks whatsoever, which is awesome, however I do my own maintenance such as oil & filter. The oil cap seal can be a source of leakage on pre 2008 Volvos, and can literally flood the top of the engine, so this seal gets replaced at every oil change.

The top engine mount has failed and transmits some vibration to the cabin... Replacement is not difficult or expensive (under $60 AUD), and will be done shortly.

General Comments:

I bought this car fully knowing that at high kilometres there would be compromises and more maintenance than in a newer car. Even so, it has delighted me with excellence in practicality due to the rear seat/folding backrest, and a driving experience which has been totally pleasurable.

Front seats are great and the rear seats have boosters built in and also a built in centre child seat. Carpets, dash and plastics are excellent quality.

Climate control works well, and the cruise control keeps speeding fines down to a minimum.

The 125KW engine is ample when mated to the 5 speed auto, because there is always a good spread of torque and it rarely strains unless fully laden or towing.

I love the styling of the body. The later ones are pretty, but this P80 body is cleaner and more of a "classic" shape. People always identify this car with a bygone era of simplicity and style.

With built in massive section roof rails and a set of roof bars, it has carried ridiculous amounts of lumber and heavy items way over the carrying capacity of the roof with no issues.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd July, 2015

24th Jan 2016, 22:18

It's me again. I recently put the 2000 V70 non turbo car up for sale at 344,000km because I purchased a Volvo 2001 T5 as a replacement. Within 200km the T5 head gasket was blown and the fuel consumption had averaged over 15l/100km, which I feel is appalling. The car drove great, but is due for a full suspension rebuild at 212K kilometres including ball joints, tie rods, sway bar links and control arms.

From what I read, the control arms on the newer P2s are due every 80-100K kilometres when using genuine OEM parts, and between 15,000km and 60,000km with non genuine parts depending on brand.

In the meantime the P80 non turbo V70 continues to chug away, with very low fuel consumption; albeit much slower than the 2001 T5!

I made a decision to fix the T5, sell it and keep the 2000 V70 for the time being until I find a newer bodied non turbo. Yes I'll still have the suspension issues, but it should be better on fuel due to the next model retaining the Denso engine management, and I know my way around the cars so well that pretty much nothing fazes me, including programming of modules.

Still I'm very happy with my 2000 V70.