1999 Volvo S70 from North America - Comments

Problems before the warranty went out:

1. Transmission wouldn't shift properly.

2. Headlamps had to be replaced frequently until a recall was finally made and the problem fixed.

3. When the car was idling, a strong smell of gas would become noticeable.

All of the following has occurred after the 50,000 mile warranty ran out (2,500 miles ago) :

1. The headlights stopped working. This headlight switch had to be replaced. The switch was not even used to turn the lights on and off (I just left it in the position where the daytime running lights would be on and the headlights would go on and off automatically). But somehow the switch broke.

2. The ignition had to be replaced.

3. Two spark plugs popped off.

4. The knobs used to adjust the air/heat no longer correspond to where the air/heat is supposed to be coming from. For example, when I turn the knob for the air to blow in my face, it comes out on my feet as well.

5. There is a loose wire related to one of the taillights. The light seems to work, but an indicator light tells me something is wrong with one of my lights. Shaking the wire in the trunk corrects the problem.

6. My right passenger door will not lock. The knobs are in the locked position, but I can walk up to it from the outside and open the car right up.

When I first bought the car, the dealer was so concerned about customer service. While under warranty I used 3 dealers. The older the car became the less concerned they became about customer service. At first, every time I took the car in I would get a follow-up telephone survey from Volvo.

After it went out of warranty I have yet to receive a call from Volvo asking me to rate my satisfaction.

Pay no attention to all that stuff about how Volvo is rated so highly for customer service. I believe it they only survey people who bring in the car for routine maintenance, not the ones having actual problems (this seemed true in my case).

My wife bought a 1999 S70 Volvo 4 door brand new. Since the purchase, the electronic throttle control has gone out twice. The car only has 74,000 miles on it and since the latest burned out today, it is not covered by warranty.

The cost for replacement and programming, $855.00.

This car has been an electrical nightmare. The radio went out at 8,000 miles, the dashboard and console lights continually go out and even after the cable replacement done by recall, it still burns headlamps out about every 8 to 10 thousand miles. I will not own another Volvo! I would be curious to know if the throttle problem is consistent and should be looked into for possible liability on Volvo's part for replacement. Thank you, briansmit@juno.com.

Like nearly everyone else who owns the S70, my throttle went out as well around 70k miles. This is indeed a defect in workmanship, yet Volvo would never recall the car to replace what I view as a fatal defect.

Since I have owned my S70 I have had the following work done (all after warranty)

1. Driver Door had to be removed, and re-welded onto the frame after the door mounts had cracked off.

2. All 4 struts failed before 80k miles and needed to be replaced.

3. Radio died twice.

4. Front engine mounts replaced after they had cracked.

5. Antenna motor replaced (still doesn't work well)

6. Massive front end work.

All-in-all the car has cost me $4000 in maintenance since it hit the 75,000 mile mark. I am not pleased and I would not recommend this car to anyone. Volvo dealer service is appalling, parts are pricey, and dealers are not responsive to owner concerns. I will never buy another Volvo.

I have 76,000 miles on my Volvo and have owned it for only 5 years. I bought it used in 1999 with 30,000 miles on it. I have only put 45,000 miles on it myself and have spent approximately $3000 in the past 2 years alone on an electronic throttle and other "emission/electrical" related problems with the car.

I am seriously concerned that Volvo has defects on the car that they need to recall concerning the electrical/emission system. It seems once I fix something something else breaks in this area.

I am extremely unhappy with my purchase.

I bought a 1999 S70 T5 4 years ago. It had 183,000 miles on it. It now (7-09) has 232,870 miles on it. The ONLY thing that we have had problems with was the Electronic Throttle Sensor. It went out at 184,000 miles. The local Volvo dealer checked on the warranty for me and found out that it was warrantied up to 200,000 miles. Therefore, they fixed a $975.00 problem and then a couple of months later, reprogrammed the computer ($375.00) for nothing. I absolutely love my Volvo. People cannot believe she has that many miles on it until I show them the odo. My a/c is going out, but we all need a little adjustments after that many miles. I would recommend Volvo to anyone, as long as you have the right dealership.