1999 Volvo S80 T6 from North America - Comments

We purchased the car 90 days ago from a local car dealer. Within 2 days of purchasing the car, the sending unit in the gas tank failed. The repair cost more than $500.

Three weeks later, the warning light came on and warned of an emission system problem. We paid $75 to have the check engine light turned off because the gas cap was not on tight enough.

At that time, the repair shop recommended that we have the engine and transmission serviced. We waited two weeks and then had the service work done for $530 which included a tune up, oil change, belt change and transmission service. We have had a "clunk" in the right front when you turn a corner since we have owned the car. We had that checked by two different shops and no one can tell us what is causing it. Part of the $530 was a $70 charge to investigate the cause of the "clunk".

Then this week, the transmission failure light came on and we took it into a transmission shop thinking that we had just had the transmission serviced so it could not be a major issue. We have now discovered that the transmission has to be replaced for a cost of more than $2500.

In the last 90 days, there has been or will be more that $3500 worth of repairs/service done to a vehicle that has a reputation for being reliable and lasting for more than 200,000 miles. I would beg to differ given my personal experience.

"In the last 90 days, there has been or will be more that $3500 worth of repairs/service done to a vehicle that has a reputation for being reliable and lasting for more than 200,000 miles."

No surprise. All used cars are junk like this.

2 comments on the person who had repairs of $3500 shortly after buying:

a) If you are not mechanically inclined then have the car checked out by a mechanic who knows Volvos before buying,

b) Volvos have a well-deserved reputation for longevity. Now that you've fixed the major problems, drive it 'til it drops - you'll discover that it'll go a long time!! I've owned over 30 Volvos and currently own two 850's and a P1800ES so I've had plenty of experience with them. I never buy them younger than 5 years old or 100,000 miles. Note: the reason it is essential to have them checked out by a Volvo knowledgeable mechanic is that Volvos fail in the same areas/ways every time and the Volvo mechanic knows where to look for the early signs of failure.

I bought a used Volvo S80 and had it checked independently by a Volvo main dealer. Some minor work had to be done and they said it was good. Since then thousand's spent. In & out of the garage 10 times in 12 months. Every time you go into a dealer for something simple you are informed about all these additonal faults. This is a scam, computer diagnostic's are a money spinner for dealers and Volvo parts. Rubbish car!! Not safe due to faults. This will not stop. Later models maybe better, but I will never touch another Volvo again. Good night Irene!!

Same bad experiences with the S80 T6. Volvo is absolutely shameful for putting out such a piece of junk after having owned two previous premium Volvo's, a 780 and 960. The front wheel drive cars are an experiment that failed. Weak transmission (GM built - Mine failed at 29K), numerous electrical glitches, coking in the intake manifold (960 with same engine never did this!) due to faulty firmware in the engine computer that is only available through a Volvo dealer, faulty ball joints, too much weight bias to front end (car bottoms out unless one creeps over uneven surfaces), and poor interior fit quality. Never, Never again will I buy a Volvo product. Local San Jose representative at Auto Show had the audacity (stupidity) to claim user Volvo's bring more than blue book (retail) value. Save your money and buy a BMW or Buick that actually has the best warranty around, both of these two brands produce cars that rarely fail and therefore don't even need warranty or out-of-warranty repair work.

Are there any good S80 T6’s out there? I truly doubt it. My 1999 with only 34,000 km on it when purchased in 2001 had ball joints and tie rods replaced twice,the ignition system replaced light bulbs replaced regularly, door hinges tightened, expansion tank replaced, power steering pump replaced, 0 2 sensors replaced twice, and at 54,000 km and using a liter of oil / 2000 km. the engine was replaced.

My S80 T6 is not just an extremely attractive luxury car that does not live up to the legend, it is backed by a dealership that during all that warranty work and more, with no end in sight, would not consider taking their car back on fair terms. The manager was arrogant and unapologetic when greasy fingerprints were left on the hood, tools were found in the engine compartment, and steel turnings were found in the driver's area after servicing (the ignition replacement).

There ought to be a law against selling cars like that.

For the "clunking" sound or noise in the front look no further is one or maybe both, they usually break in pairs, the shocks mounts and if you are charged more than $150 to fix that they are stealing you.

I'm a Volvo fan and I have right now a '84 240 coupe turbo, '93 850, 94' 940, in the past a 86' 740, 92' 240 and my mother has a 2000 S-40 and a 98' S-70 (almost a copy of a 850) and I fix them all. The 240's,740's and 940's are tanks, they all share the same engines, designed in the early 50's and will work with little care till 400K miles, with no care at all and this means forgeting oil changes for a year or two! will last close to 200K...NOT the same with the front wheel drive ones, the engines are really good almost unbreakables if the timing belts are taken care really good, a broken one can cost more to fix than what the car actually cost depending on the year but the transmissions are really a problem, I guess they are to weak for the power of the engine, also the engine and tranny weight so much that they are always breaking ball joints, plates, tie rods, bushings, etc... in the front of the car, too often to be funny and even less funny if you depend on someone to fix it because the parts are really expensive in this cars. Just to give a hint, 1 engine mount of a 850 or S-70 or S-80 costs $90 to $95 compared to a 240 series engine mount that cost a rotten cheap $10 bucks and can be changed in about 10 or 20 minutes if you know how to do it. I hope this little info helps someone when deciding to buy one of this cars. If looking for a cheap, reliable and safe car, easy to maintain car go for the 240, 740 and 940, they are good and have very little technology munbo jumbo which means they are cheap to fix. If you are in a tight budget and know nothing about fixing a car then don't even look at the newer models. OHHH by the way someone mentioned that whoever thinks about buying one of this car should consider a BMW or a Mercedes, well let me say that he knows nothing of whats he is saying, great cars don't get me wrong but so advanced with electronics everywhere and this is a math thing, with more features you end with more things to fix, who needs cam that follows your eye movements and tell you if you are sleepy? its just irresponsible to drive any car in that condition... STOP AND TAKE A NAP... give me a break!