1997 Volvo 960 Wagon 2.9 inline 6 from North America

Summary:

Solid car, amazing flexibility, classic stodgy style, how long am I going to own this thing?

Faults:

AC Compressor and Condenser.

Sun Roof Leak.

Dash Lights Flicker.

Radiator Replacement.

Seats are wearing - not in garage.

Brakes wear quick and do not inspire confidence.

Dealership has difficulty fixing many things. Find I have to live with a bunch of issues. I bought service manuals and am fixing them, myself, now.

General Comments:

Picked it up at the factory in Göteborg. Great experience.

Car is solid. Just keeps going and going. Great capacity and flexibility. Can put a twin mattress and box springs in the back and close the tailgate. People in, people out, things in/out, seats up/down. Amazing Swedish engineering and flexibility, all in a matter of minutes. I can't find a car on the market that can do all of this today.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd May, 2006

1997 Volvo 960 3.0L inline 6 cylinder from North America

Summary:

It is an absolutely magnificent machine in all aspects

Faults:

The sun roof leaks on occasion, depending on severity of rain.

The leather wrinkles on the doors near the windows.

General Comments:

If possible, I would drive this car for the rest of my life.

It is a true pleasure to drive, both in performance and luxury.

Volvo parts are expensive to replace, but don't worry, it's worth the cost.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th April, 2005

1997 Volvo 960 from North America

Summary:

Wonderful Family Sedan

Faults:

Leather trim on the door panels shrunk and is now coming out of the weather stripping under the windows.

The sun visors do not stay up.

The cup holders will only hold very small cups and are not very solid/break easily.

Sunroof leaks in the passenger compartment after heavy rain.

General Comments:

Other than the few downsides I had listed above, this car is great! Has a lot more power than our older 240, and is good on gas for a 6 cylinder.

Passenger compartment is roomy, the seats have variable memory for different drivers, leather throughout, power everything.

The Bose stereo is fantastic. Sound quality is great, and the stereo comes as a radio/cassette/CD player.

Dummy lights in the dash are actually useful, letting you know if your coolant is low, when to service your vehicle, etc.

Trunk space is enormous. Great for long trips.

Seating for five is not impossible, and is even comfortable for three adults in the back seat with the front seats all the way back.

The automatic seats fully recline in the front, making a snooze on a long trip by a front seat passenger possible.

On the downside, for those out there that are smokers, the ashtray in this car is very small and in a very poor location, right behind the gear shift. You cannot remove the ashtray while the car is in "park".

The center rear seat back pulls down and has a storage compartment inside, and it is great for kids who want somewhere to put down a book.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st March, 2004

26th Feb 2007, 06:27

In regard to the leaking sunroofs on these models, try flushing out the drainage pipes. Lots of European cars were not designed with the dusty conditions of dry countries like Australia. Add a little moisture to a build up of dust in a small pipe = mud plug! It may be possible to remove the whole panel (follow a repair manual like Haynes) then source a high pressure water jet or compressed gas (CO2). Check the outlet points also (grease & road grime build up) These could be behind front wheel arch or over rear wheels. Happy motoring :)

1997 Volvo 960 6 cylinder from North America

Summary:

A luxurious old school sedan

Faults:

Thermostat.

Brakes.

General maintenance.

Timing belt.

Some minor electrical problems.

General Comments:

This car has style.

The last of the old boxy and I think most attractive volvo's just before FORD came along.

Ample leg room, great turning radius, luxury throughout including sun roof and heated seats.

Chrome accents and smooth 6 cylinder power make this a real cruiser.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd February, 2004

1997 Volvo 960 2.9 inline 6 gas from North America

Summary:

A very nice luxury car

Faults:

Sunvisors won't stay up.

Leather seats wear excessively.

Rear main seal oil leak.

Head gasket blown at 125000 miles.

Air pump brackets broke.

General Comments:

This is a very nice car that competes with the upper end luxury cars in price and features. It is the last of the rear wheel drives. Excellent turning radius. It has a great sound system. It is not as reliable as my older Volvo 740. It is a great car for trips and very comfortable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th January, 2004

1997 Volvo 960 3.3L from North America

Summary:

Great car

Faults:

Nothing that bad really.. except the RWD made it a bit difficult to drive during winter time... and the gas mileage isn't the best compared to my other cars.

A/C fluid was all gone at 25k.

Power brake fluid was all gone around 25k too..

General Comments:

Great performing car, doesn't take a lot of RPM to get up and moving.

It feels like the car can't take corners at high speeds though, but I've tried to anyway and it went through it with moderate body roll.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd August, 2002