Mysterious oil leak which no one could identify, and was so incredibly severe I had to sell the car because the cost of oil was too high.
Leaked coolant.
Head warped for no reason (didn't overheat) at 155K miles.
Turbocharger failed at 145K miles.
Many, many electrical problems.
Transmission designed very poorly, none of the gears are wide enough.
Headliner made of very poor quality material.
Engine bay heat so hot from poor turbo placement and crude engine design, a radiator hose almost melted.
Horrible, noisy, dirty, crude engine - the 2.3L inline four. Truly awful.
Handled so poorly in the rain and snow, I did double-takes. And this car is from SWEDEN?
The turbo 2.3L four was fast as lightning - 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds or so if timed perfectly.
Handled great in dry weather.
Leather seats very comfortable.
Nice, boxy style.
Well, the 740 is infamous in Sweden for its poor road handling in the winter. Some people call it "ice-princess"!
I concur, unfortunately.
My 1988 Volvo Turbo wagon has by far, been the least reliable car I've ever owned. It's also been the most expensive to maintain, far surpassing a Porsche 944 and a BMW 525iT.
I think "Volvo" is Swedish for "junk."
With regard to this gentleman's comments; unfortunately you can buy a bad Volvo used. Volvo's are excellent cars, but like any other car, when you buy them used with high mileage, you run the risk that the previous owner did not take care of the vehicle. Never buy a used car without the service records. I made this mistake once.
My 740 TI has been reliable, if a little expensive to maintain. Having said that, I've had no regrets. Sure, she suffers from the dreaded sagging roofliner, leaking sunroof, and a few other typical issues, but it has also performed very well. I've driven her for 11 winters in Ottawa, and have never lost any control in snowy or icy conditions. Snow tires are a must (as they should be with all cars in Ottawa...) and there is real benefit to adding weight to the trunk (I keep about 25kg of cat litter for weight and potential traction aid) and keeping a full tank of gas. Jut common sense, really...
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