1992 Volvo 960 Wagon review from North America

Cracked oil pan (my own fault) 110,000 miles

Oil pump died (fallout from oil pan incident) 110,000 miles

Radiator cracked (while fixing above problems) 110,000 miles

AC lost R-12 charge at 126,000 miles

Rotors--all the time!

Pads--whenever you need new rotors

Heated seat wiring cracked 120,000 miles.

It's a real tank of an automobile. For being 15 years old, few of my friends or acquaintances know it's age. The body is in excellent shape; there is no rust and the paint still looks very good.

The seat leather is in quite good shape although the driver's side seat is starting to crack a bit. For weighing as much as it does, the 200 hp engine does a good job of moving you along when you want to push it. However, mileage at this point is pretty poor at about 15 MPG in the city--maybe 22 on the highway. Combined with a small gas tank (wagon tank is smaller than the sedan) frequent fuel refills are necessary on long trips.

The seats are extremely comfortable and the heated leather is very nice in those nasty winter months.

The biggest feature of this car is the amount of cargo room available when one folds the seats flat. I've fit a dishwasher, a stove, a dryer, an entertainment center (assembled), an overstuffed chair and ottoman, almost an entire sheet of 4x8 plywood (had to leave hatch open) and the meanest thing I ever put into it was nine full-sized railroad ties. That was actually a bit dumb as they were extremely heavy and I'm sure went well over the recommended cargo weight. However, she's still running.

One of the main mechanical problems is the brakes. This car eats rotors for lunch. I try to drive as gently as I possibly can, but the weight just ensures that one tears through pads and rotors. Perhaps some additional ventilation might help.

Also, the transmission seems to have a mind of it's own when it comes to choosing a gear--no logic behind when a shift happens, but it's a 15 year old car so I can live with it.

I've heard that there are many problems with the PNP switch (transmission mode selector), the automatic climate control system, the engine block, and the rear Nivomat self-leveling suspension, but I've never experienced any of them. Partly because I understand the previous owner replaced most of these items (excluding the engine block) before he sold it to me.