1996 Volvo 960 Sedan from North America - Comments

I have only owned this 960 for a short period of time, but in that, I have had to replace a few exterior light bulbs, a flat tire, and a few trim pieces. Beyond that, the car has a very, very slow oil leak (common on the 2.9L 6-cylinder units) and can get lagged when the air-con system is at its highest setting (which is an understandable issue with any car)

I absolutely love this car. I am, and always will be, a huge fan of the rear-wheel drive, blocky Volvo's (ie. the 700 and 900 series)

This car lives up to every expectation one might put to it, and even surpasses some. The 960 is not the type of car to throw into corners at high speed, nor is it good to dart through traffic in, however given its small turning radius, good road feel, and well modulated brake and accelerator pedals, the car is easy to drive around town, and an absolute pleasure on the highway.

I have read some bad reviews on post 1990 Volvo products, and in the end it all comes down to the condition of the vehicle at the time of purchase. Volvo's, like any other kind of European car tend to be finicky when they are left unmaintained, and driven hard. However, if you take good care of these boxes by cleaning them regularly, and ensuring that all the fluids are topped up and in good shape, and you'll be driving for many many kilometers.

Luckily I purchased this 960 from my independent Volvo mechanic, and the last (and only previous) owner of the car took great care of it.

So far I have been averaging a fuel consumption rate of under 10 Litres/100KM or roughly 24 to 25 Miles per gallon (on a mixed commute)

I would recommend Volvo's to anyone. As a teenager, we are often the ones known for planting Civics into oak trees, but for me safety is key above go fast performance, and you can't get any safer than the last generation Volvo 900 Series.

I am the original author of this review, and I felt it was time to update my experience with this Volvo. I have had the car exactly 5 months to this day, and very little has gone wrong with it, aside from a drivers side signal light bulb that melted itself into the bulb housing.

So far I have put on about 10,000KM, replaced the oil once, changed 3 light bulbs, and that's all. Its been extremely reliable, and noticeably excellent on long trips over 5 hours.

So far, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It's also been interesting finding little notes left on my windshield from people wishing to make an offer on my car. I would recommend the last generation 960 to anyone looking for an excellent long lasting old school European luxury sedan.

I have had my 1996 960 for half a year now and I love it! The previous owner did not want to pay for the engine swap that he wanted so he just handed the car over to me. The car has 140k miles on it and the new engine has about 60k and runs like excellent.

No problems with the car since I have had it, I do not know why the engine was replaced and neither do I care.. as long as it runs fine with the new engine in it. Only problems were some of the tail lights were dying, not sure if they were burning out or if it was my sub woofers rattling them appart. Those were easy fixes, the brakes are starting to feel soft and some vibration while braking hard on a downhill slope, but they are still very responsive and not ready for a swap yet.

Other than that I can't complain, a great car, a safe car, and a fast car... what more could you ask for?

I love my Volvo. I just bought a 96 960 that is a beautiful car and I have all the service records on it and everything. 110000 miles for 4200.00. No complaints... I have put about 10k on it and not had one problem. Before this car I had a Jeep that I practically gave away because it was such a piece of junk and before that I had a 94 Volvo 940 turbo-THE BEST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED-. I sold the car for 2000 with 432000 miles on it-haha- I had no problems except for regular maintenance, a starter, plugs, belts, tires. The only thing I was ever mad about was how much the suspension cost to replace but after that it was amazing. GO VOLVO... They make an awesome car!

Hey there.

I am the original author of this review, and I felt it's necessary to report on the current standing of the car. I've put nearly 55,000 KM on the car since I purchased it, and I can honestly admit that this has been one of, if not the most reliable car I've yet to see. Still running like a watch with almost 220,000 KM on the odometer, the only thing I've had to replace in my two year ownership has been one ignition coil for the second cylinder, a gasket for the oil filler cap, six plugs, and the necessary oil changes.

It does some random things electrically depending on how humid it is outside, but I look past it and think of it as character, which this car holds a lot of.

I cannot explain how impressed I am with the longevity and reliability of this car. It's surprised me with the passing days and kilometers, needing only regular maintenance to run like a watch. I often think about how hard it is to find a twelve year old car in Southern Ontario that has absolutely no rust anywhere.

I've been considering changing up cars, but I can't lead myself to getting rid of this 960. It has honestly been the best vehicle I've ever had.

If only they built them like they used to...