1998 Volvo S70 review from North America
"A well designed car that falls apart and leaves you dealing with repair staff that simply don't care"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Electrical problems, this car eats light bulbs for lunch.
Suspension problems, creaks constantly.
Interior and accessory problems.
Engine problems runs rough in comparison to other cars.
Power steering problems.
Brake problems.
Volvo does not provide loaner car services like other high end makes - some dealers have them, some don't.
Too many others to list, the car has been into the shop at least 30 times while under the "factory" warranty.
General comments?
Car has had a number of problems since I have owned it. There are simply too many to list.
Volvo and the multiple dealerships I have taken the car to have been very unsympathetic to the problems and have done very little to try and correct a bad situation. The warranty fails to cover a huge amount of defects with the car and the dealerships and Volvo are waiting with open hands ready to collect my money for repairs.
Vehicle was a "Certified Preowned" with a "Volvo Factory Warranty". This was misrepresented to me by the dealer. The vehicle's warranty is not handled by Volvo at all and is almost like a managed health plan for a used vehicle. Volvo Increased Protection is a completely separate company that sells warranty services to almost any used car dealer that can dial their 800 number. This is Volvo's normal warranty for their certified program cars.
Very comfortable with a well designed interior and body.
Great road feel and handling.
Plenty of power in the base model with a manual transmission.
Shockingly bad resale value.
Shockingly bad dealer service.
A great car if you have the time, patience and money to repair it.
Free coffee and danish while you wait in the customer waiting area for your car.
Recommended reviews
  | Great car thanks to 1st-rate previous owners and overall excellent quality to begin with |
| Love it - a solid car! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4 non turbo Manual |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 0/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 48000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 77000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Accord |
| Date of Entry | 18th December, 2001 |