Faults:

Bought after the head was rebuilt, thought all was well. Rebuilder put a cheap water pump in, which failed after 10,000 miles. When the water pump shaft sheared, the engine imploded. I replaced with an identical engine from a wrecked car with 100,000. Installed a rebuilt turbo on the replacement engine. Runs wonderfully now, better than with the original engine and turbo. I have rebuilt the suspension, A/C system, replaced the catalytic converter and recycling system.

General Comments:

Compared to recent 5 cylinder Volvos, the interior squeaky dash is horrible. Getting ready to pull the dash and rebuild the connections. Plastic quality lower than in old models, the leather has pretty short wear life, but the sheet metal and paint are good. A/C system is much improved over 70s and 80s models.

Faults:

Alternator.

Secondary air pump.

ABS/TRACs module.

Front struts - twice.

Radiator.

Thermostat / ECT.

Drive shaft.

Heater core - twice.

Sagging headliner.

Headlights (not oxidation on glass; the interior reflective material on the headlamps fades and requires replacement as there is no fix).

Door catch.

Liftgate struts.

Steering rack.

Turbo seals.

Final blow - transmission.

General Comments:

This car from 120,000 to 190,000 miles was a disaster. Lots of small issues and lots of bigger issues. Final issue was the transmission.

The prior owner was in the family and all work was done at the dealer prior to my ownership. And my work was done mostly at an independent Volvo-only shop. All preventative maintenance was always done on schedule including big jobs like PVC and timing belt/water pump.

Sadly this car just did not hold up as advertised. I was hoping to get to at least 200-250k miles with obviously some maintenance and some repairs. I got a lot of maintenance and repairs instead and made it to just under 190k miles before the transmission failed.

Considering the investment in repairs that I made, the decision to keep this car in the family was a mistake.

Faults:

Rear hatch struts were weak before purchase. Replaced for $150.

Had a broken motor mount before purchase. $265 to repair.

Fan motor and resistor housing for climate control had to be replaced. $460.

Check engine light. Engine running rich due to vacuum leak under manifold. $200 to repair.

General Comments:

We have owned this car for one year now and love it. It's my wife's car, and she says it's her most favorite car of all the cars we've owned. It has a fantastic ride, and great maneuverability around the mountain roads where we live. It grips the road like a rock, and you feel very comfortable driving fast, either straight ahead, or around a turn.

Great on snowy roads. The AWD, when I've activated it on purpose or unintentionally, works very well. Not a real off-roader, it's handled every snowy mountain road Colorado weather has given us.

The front seats are very comfortable -- almost orthopedic -- and there's excellent leg room in the front row (good leg room in back).

Cargo room is very spacious. Rear seats fold down easily, making the cargo space cavernous. Great for families.

Finding a good, competent, independent Volvo mechanic will save you $$$ -- or pounds. Example -- My transmission wasn't shifting right one day, so I drove straight to the garage I use. My mechanic had it for about 30 minutes when he came out and said, 'It was the shift sensor. I reset it.' I said, 'How much do I owe you?' He said, 'Nothing'. He said, 'If it goes out again, you might want to get a new one -- $300.' I'm happy to report it has been fine now for 9 months. What a great mechanic!