22nd Aug 2006, 07:35
I have an XC70 2002 with only 39,000Km on the clock. In that period I have had brake failures, fuel pump changed, wheel bearings replaced, engine mounts replaced This time round I hear gear transaxle needs replacement. It's a great car when it is not in repair shop and be prepared to pay for maintaining.
28th Feb 2007, 11:25
2001 Volvo XC70
I have a 2001 XC 70 with 66K miles and I have to say that again, most of the times the only comments you see are the complainers. In my case the vehicle has no issues other than routine maintenance oil changes brakes etc. The people commenting here are probably neglecting to tell you that they don't do anything to their car other than put the key in it to start it. When something starts to give them problems they ignore the problem till the car either won't start or stops dead. This car is as far as I am concerned the best engineered all wheel drive car out there which requires maintenance to keep it that way. If you don't want that then by all means buy the Subaru, it will servwe you well and you can throw it away when it dies and get another. If you want an all wheel drive luxury car that will go 300k + with routine maintenance then buy the Volvo.
2nd May 2007, 08:04
For the last posting, I disagree with the poster that the other drivers do not maintain their cars, and that they do not act when issues appear. As a son of a mechanic who is mechanically inclined, I can tell you for sure that this car has too many issues, and routine maintenance would not have prevented them. Read the other postings here and elsewhere and you will see the drivers are experiencing the same issues. Engine mount issues, rods, light bulbs, turbo seals, etc... I should not have to spend $3000+ at 70K. As for the Subaru comment a coworker has had one and she has had no issues. I agree the car does very well in bad weather, but the dealers are making a lot of money on common issues I have been seeing in the postings.
2nd Sep 2007, 18:58
September 3, 2007.
Yes, this car does eat light bulbs! At least 6 since I have had it and I got it in January 2005. It's a 2001 with only 62,200 miles and already the dealership has spent 3100.USD they know me by name with the many times I have been in. Despite all of that I still love the car, but if it continues having problems I will consider trading before warranty is up. We were right in purchasing the extended warranty.
20th Dec 2007, 15:01
I purchased an '01 V70XC in March of '06 with 29,000 miles on it. There were a few initial problems getting the dealer to complete the minor repairs that were listed on the contract at purchase, but that was all. This dealer is one I will not return to.
I switched dealers for servicing and have been pleased with their work so far. However, since June of '06 I have replaced 4 head lights, 8 tail lights, 4 brake lights, and had to re-seal the light housings to keep water from accumulating in them. I replaced the turbo seals, and the driver door stopped working remotely. All up until June '07. In July '07 my wife noticed a slipping in the transmission that, at first I attributed to her driving. But now I have noted this on several more occasions and it seems to be becoming more frequent. I have reviewed several blogs of this type and found that the transmission is one of the more expensive items that consistently has gone wrong with this car. Some people have had luck in badgering Volvo enough to get replacements with only labor costs. It just depends on the dealer. This is only my 2nd Volvo, but probably the last. I am disabled and the two reasons I went to Volvo from Toyota were because of safety and comfort. I wish I had checked this site before I went this way. A great portion of safety is the confidence you must have in an automobile to remain reliable and not strand you in the middle of nowhere. I was listening to the CAR TALK radio program just after I bought this car, and a caller told them the brand and model was the same as mine, and their immediate answer was "I'm sorry!" should have given me my first clue.
Most older Volvo's had the reputation of being dependable, but stodgy. Now they have lost both the stodgy appearance as well as the dependability.
To those who say that those of us with complaints don't take care of our cars I wholly disagree. I religiously have my service done, check all recommended items in the owners manual, and consult my dealership with any questions. The idea that spending gobs of money to keep up the primary workings of a car in this day and age is just bunkum. I have even had service people tell me that if I couldn't afford to spend the money to pay for the repairs, then I shouldn't have bought a Volvo. If that isn't an elitist attitude, then I'm a monkey. With the price they charge for even a certified "pre-owned" vehicle, the costs of additional repairs should not be the price for deciding to choose Volvo.
6th Feb 2008, 15:20
You get what you pay for. I LOVE my 1998 Volvo XCv70 with AWD and turbo. I bought it in 2000 with 70,000 miles on it for $20,000. I have put 110,000 miles on it and it has never broken down on me or not started. It is a luxurious, comfortable, safe car. It drives right through blizzards when big trucks with chains on can't even get through. I accidentally drove through a river and nothing happened. It has 182,000 miles and drives like new. The repairs on it average about $200 month. I'm happy to pay that, compared to $400 or so for a new car payment. All of my past cars: Nissan truck, Ford Ranger, Ford Probe, Chevette, broke down on me many times. I had terribly challenging problems and expenses with those vehicles. I bought this car expecting to get 300,000 miles on the engine, and it's going strong. I had a 1989 Volvo 740 which I regret selling, it was awesome too. Every time I drive by an accident and see what happens to vehicles, even in small crashes, I am happy to pay for any repairs my wonderful car needs.
15th Jul 2006, 10:06
I really enjoy our '01 Volvo V70 XC. Like any vehicle it has it's pros and cons. A lot of the criticisms on this site are what I have experienced too. Many bulb replacements and little things going wrong here and there. Right now, my cruise control works intermitently and the automatic seat memory does not work. We have had some brake problems too. I knew before I bought it that the maintenance on this car would not only be more expensive than my Toyota and Honda, but that I would probably have to bring it to the dealer more often too. So here is why I bought it. It's very comfortable, it rides well and the seats are like lazy boys. It gets very good gas mileage, compared to a small SUV. It handles well in the snow and has more ground clearance than most SUV's. It has excellent cargo room. It's also a great looking car! And perhaps the biggest reason, it's incredibly safe. This is probably why most folks consider a Volvo. I worry less knowing that my wife is hauling the kids around in this. One other comment, a lot of the criticisms are against the 2001 model, which is the first year Volvo introduced the redesigned XC70. Most first model years are going to have more problems, that has always been a rule of thumb. So go with a later model year and you will probably have less issues. All in all, I would seriously consider buying this car again, especially a more recent model year.