Faults:

In 1992 I purchased my second 740. I drove the car until 2005. I sold the car to a girlfriend, and she drove the car until 2007. The car was sold again to another friend. It is still going, with over 500k on it...

It was a wonderful car. The only issue with it was the fuel pump, which had to be replaced a few times. There were no major engine problems.

A great car, and I would buy another.

Faults:

Drooping headlining, non functioning dash lights, non functioning seat heater, non functioning dash gauges. Electrical faults like this are common on aging 740s.

Some jobs are tricky on this car - the timing belt is a job best left for those who really know what they are doing, as is adjusting the tappets.

General Comments:

Make no mistake, this is not a car you buy for performance and handling prowess. It excels as a straight line motorway cruiser. Big, lardy, squishy seats and suspension, it's very much like a Granada but with better build quality. The body is amazingly good for an 18 year old.

So far the engine - which I have read bad things about - seems to be doing fine. It's the D24 VW 2.4 straight six turbo as used in the LT vans. It hasn't used a drop of oil or water and I think it sounds amazing.

0-60 is nothing spectacular, but the mid range pick up when the turbo kicks in is exceptionally good for such a big heavy car.

It has the 4 speed manual box, with unusually, an overdrive-type button to engage 5th. I find it too low geared in 1st and 2nd.

If only the electrical system was put together with the same care as the rest of the car.

Faults:

Service light stays on reminding you to change the oil. I think you need to take it to a dealer to turn it off because I couldn't reset it. Eventually I just pulled out the bulb for it on the dashboard.

Minor interior issues, the driver headliner is broken and had to be duct taped.

I had to change the bulbs that light up the HVAC and transmission since purchasing the car.

Replaced the spark plugs myself at 427k pretty easy to do.

General Comments:

I bought this car when the head gasket of my Acura Legend went. It had 420,000km at the time and now has 430,000km and still going strong! It leaks a bit of oil and the mechanic said it was not worth fixing but he was amazing that it still runs.

There is a tiny bit of rust showing the body but pretty descent for an 18 year old car. The car is easy to maintain and there are many resources for it.

The car feels solid and safe and the Volvo seats are unmatched.

Fuel economy is pretty good at 25MPG US or 9.5L/100km city driving.

If they built this car now I would definitely buy another one.