1992 Volvo 960 Reviews - Page 3 of 4

Various engine bay leaks.

Volvo are the masters of making people-friendly cars. The 960 sedan has a seemingly limitless usability aura - the interior is almost too practical, while remaining serious about it's elegance at the same time.

The 2.9L in line six Volvo engine howls as your accelerate past 5,500rpm. Words cannot express how satisfying it sounds.

With around 200hp at higher revs, the engine is about adequate to pull a car full of adults through steep open-road bends.

Because the car weighs so much, it tends to hug the road impressively. This gives the driver a bit of compensation for the body-roll through tight corners.

I have very little to touch on when it comes to negative aspects of the 960. You'll find that there really is a lot to appreciate when you get to understand the design characteristics of these machines.

Basically, the 960 strikes a strong balance of usability, safety, performance, and elegance. A shining model of European design and engineering excellence.

Radio antennae belt failed at 106,000 miles.

Park/neutral switch replaced at 122,000 miles.

Passenger side seat belt receiver replaced at 128,000 miles.

Water pump had total failure at 129,000 miles.

Brakes pads have short life cycle.

Features and performance similar to my E320 but with less "over engineering".

Coachwork, seats, drive-train built to last.

Interior door panels and console are cheap appearing plastic.

Have had no problem with sun roof, power windows and seats, or instrumentation.

Comfortable and sure feeling on the road.

-

Entire AC system replaced about 3 years ago with a "freon free" type.

Replaced alloy wheels with steel ones in 1993 or 1994. NY pot holes dented them too easily.

Engine replaced at 52K miles (1995). The block cracked and was replaced free of charge by Volvo Cars.

Car was broad-sided after 2 weeks of ownership. Was repaired and have never had any problems.

In 1997 was hit by a pickup truck. Had the entire car repainted to avoid fading problems from the Arizona sun.

Replaced radiator in 1998.

Car lacks the power it had when new. This started showing up at about 150k miles. It appears that the transmission is failing, but don't seem to be able to get a Volvo replacement tranny. Dealership has been of no help here.

Brakes are expensive to replace, but they always work flawlessly, so worth the extra bucks.

After 10 years of ownership, and over 180k miles, I am amazed at how well the car has held up. Both the exterior and interior are beautiful.

If you can find a good 960 with reasonable mileage, go for it! Overall, the car holds up quite well. It is comfortable, reliable and safe.

Still has the smallest turning radius of any car I've ever seen. Nothing today, in this regard, can compete.

The trick to owning a Volvo is to find a reliable mechanic. Our dealer in NY was great, but our AZ dealer was unsatisfactory. And I'm not sure that Ford is helping in this regard.

Overall the car has met our needs quite well. Am hard pressed to find a suitable replacement. Am not convinced that the XC is going to be as reliable as the 960. Am considering leasing the XC as a lemon hedge, but have not decided. I shouldn't have to think about this at all.