1998 Volvo S70 Sedan from North America - Comments

I've had my S70 for 13 months now and I absolutely love it!!! I have never had a better car and I got it with 148k. The only thing I've had to fix was the thermostat. The brakes are just now starting to let me know they need to be changed, but we will do it ourselves before it gets so bad that I have to take it in somewhere. That is a big part of saving money on repairs; If you know your car well you will be able to tell when something goes wrong before it's too late. I definitely would buy another Volvo some day. I was told I could get at least another 1k out of it by the garage when I had the thermostat changed.

I own a 1998 Volvo S70 T5 with the winter package and all the trimmings, I got a killer deal on it because I worked at a dealership. $4000 for it with 80,000 miles on it at the time. I am now at 180,000 miles and it has been nothing, but reliable, I am just doing the brakes now (original set of rotors still!) I chose to go aftermarket slotted and drilled because my old ones warped after hundreds of high speed slow downs in mountains due to wildlife. I have never seen a better braking car, I have the 16" wheels with the 12 inch rotors and they bite like crazy. My cruise still works same with my radio, sunroof and power antenna. I do all my own maintenance. I change my oil with synthetic at 4000 miles as it seems to get dirty fast (high pressure turbo possibly???) This car is faster than any similarly classed BMW, Audi, Mercedes or Saab; and is such a masculine looking car.

All in all it has been very good for me, only scheduled maintenance on my part. It is extremely tight and good at handling. I generally drive it easy, but sometimes I put the pedal to the metal under the right conditions for the car (warmed up, I use my foot with predictability for the engine and tranny (no abrubt moves and I use electronic dudads to a minimum to prolong their life. I have never had a bulb go out on this thing surprisingly in 80,000 miles.)

The car is so stable at speed than I can go 150 MPH and take my hands of the steering wheel and take a picutre (yes I have done it) Very stiff steering, wobble free; confidence inspiring on the highway. My biggest complaint with this car is that the chrome exhaust tip is corroding from carbon buildup from the exhaust. At 180,000 miles I would still take this car accross the continent (and I have). Just do your maintenace so you can avoid going to a costly volvo dealer on a trip (a lot of places don't carry volvo parts)

The stereo system in this car is top notch, I have the SC-816 unit with 2 factory 3 way 8 inch subs in the back as well as a high line input into an aftermarket amp powering a 10" sealed sub. The factory tweeters and door speakers do a marvelous job of keeping up and sound really defined and clear.

For those of you who think Volvo electronics suck, and have had problems with them, consider having failed components rebuilt; way cheaper and generally a failure is caused by a weak component which most companies will upgrade thus making the unit better than new generally.

I would recomend this car, but only if you realize that a major failure will cost you money; something that can be mostly mitigated by taking care of your vehicle. yes, Volvos are known for weak electronics, but smart use of buttons etc should help that a lot (as it has me) Sorry for writing an essay lol :)

Regards.

- Jesse.

Why.. I get a notion that buying a used European car is a risky undertaking compared to buying its Japanese counterparts. Seems that the latter can take way much more abuse than the former, and still please its next owner. I think that's something we must admit. (no offense intended).

But if you insist on purchasing European used cars, you got to get to know more about your targeted car BEFORE you spend that transportation budget. Find a friend, a neighbour, or office colleague who own S70 and ask him/her about it. If possible, join the ride with him.. listen to his/her complaints or praises.. and most importantly: how he/she treats the car.

Alternatively, just buy a new one.. so that you'll be the one to enjoy it hassle-free, and make a good track record for the next owner.

That way, you would not regret your purchase.. That'll be silly if we feel such a remorse, but knowing very much that we knew very little about the car's previous "life".

Be a smart buyer. Do your homework.

Regards from Indonesia.

Every front wheel drive car eats rotors and pads. Learn to fix them yourself. On this car it takes 2 hours. Easy.

Change the oil and fluids periodically. Do this at Valvoline or some other instant oil change. Never at the dealer. The car also eats tires in front --- especially my GLT -- small tires, big engine.. By long wearing tires from Sam's club, obey the rules of tire rotation (which they offer free every 7500 miles) and get an extra set free.

Delamination of door panels is a recall issue.. as is the headlight switch. If you blow the radio, pick one up on ebay -- I did when my 2 year old emptied his piggybank into the CD player.

This car is made to stand up. I have 120K miles no problems, doing my own service and brakes. The only lingering issue is the clanky front suspension, which is probably the ball joints in front, but the car still tracks great and wears the tires evenly so who cares.

My last HONDA and MAZDA were done at 130K. Transmission, engine, interior, electrical.. everything.

I have owned a 1998 S70 since purchasing from local Volvo dealer's used car lot (stickers on car indicated that it was formerly a Hertz rental in L.A.) with 20,000 miles on it.

It now has 185K on it and has performed well, though it has not been trouble-free. All service work has been done by a couple of local Volvo dealers, and has not been cheap by any means. Most problems have been minor (e.g. ABS sensor, EGR valve) but some have been larger (e.g. A/C compressor clutch).

Preventive maintenance is important to longevity (e.g. brake fluid flush/bleed refill). I have bought many regular maintenance items (e.g. ignition cap and rotor, Mann oil filters, brake pads and rotors) from IPD USA, who are Volvo performance specialists. I have used Mobil 1 synthetic exclusively, and the correct OEM oil filters which have anti-drainback valve built in to prevent dry starts. Don't go cheap on oil and filters, change the oil at specified intervals and the 5-cylinder engine will run and run and run. Mine is normally aspirated (non-turbo).

I recently installed a set of Bilstein HD shocks, IPD premium front brake pads/rotors, and a set of Goodyear Eagle Responsedge tires. This combination is fantastic, and the car drives better than ever. Smooth, quiet, composed. I'm determined to keep this car and drive it to at least 300,000 miles.

Summary: If you don't mind investing in periodic maintenance items and also in some (mostly minor) unanticipated issues, you will be rewarded in the long run. My S70 still looks beautiful and rides better than at 20,000 miles. The engine does not smoke or leak oil, and still gets 25+ hwy MPG (over 400 miles per tankful).

And as an added bonus, it has been paid for for many years. Even with maintenance costs, I'm still many, many dollars ahead from purchasing a new car (even a Toyota or Honda!).

I have owned two 1998 Volvo S70 vehicles. The first one non-turbo, the second one GLT (small turbo) LOVED both and only regret selling! After reading the comments, I have to say that anyone can be taken advantage of... my Volvo sedans (both bought used) were virtually trouble free - I have an excellent mechanic, and I also hunted for deals... need I say more? Both were purchased as a second car for winter driving and were excellent!! Can't say enough about how much I enjoyed my Volvo's...I am now looking for another!!

I live in Brisbane Australia.

We bought our 98 Volvo at 6 months old.

We have owned Fiats, Lancias, BMWs, and Volvos.

We have had absolutely no problems with our S70.

We have serviced it as per the book, and replaced things at times. Nothing like the horror stories I've read on your site.

We have done 106 000 K's and have no intention of parting with it yet. It's good for at least another 100 000 k's according to our Volvo mechanic.

It's a great mix of reliability, safety, responsiveness and pure driving pleasure. Jenny and Brian.

I've owned a 98 Volvo S70 for 8 years which is now at 112k miles. Mechanically, the car runs great. Never had any engine problem, though the check engine light has been on for quite some time. However, this car is absolutely the worst when it comes the electronics and lighting. I can't remember how many times I had to take this back to the Volvo dealer because the headlights or interior lights stopped working. The CD player has stopped working. And just the other night every time I stepped on the gas the instrument panel light kept going dim. The swedes are terrible with electronics. They should just hire some Japanese automotive engineers.

Also, the AC had stopped working so I popped in some r134a and its working great so far.

I'm not sure if I'll ever buy a Volvo unless they get the electronics straightened out.

Bought our S70 back in 2002, now it's got about 100k miles.

Pros:

1. Most beautiful Volvo up to date, boxy but very sporty

2. Very roomy both inside and trunk

3. The standard 5 cyl engine and tranny is also very reliable

4. Safety, Volvo is still number one

5. Very decent stereo system.

Cons: (wow where should I start)

1. My dash board looks like Xmas lights (check engine, ABS, maintenance, Airbag) you name them, all are on most of the time.

2. AC is shot, for a car with 100k mile it's a little disappointing.

3. Suspension is getting there. You can here the CV joints clicking from a mile away and my shocks are dying really bad.

4. Master cylinder replaced at 75k mile and now acting up again.

5. Cup holder is probably the biggest joke, broken and replaced twice.

6. Light switches (recall by Volvo)

Conclusion.

My wife was the sole driver of the Volvo since purchased 5 years ago, we really loved the car a lot, sporty, safe and best of all it was thousand cheaper than any other imports at that time. The car has been pretty much trouble free since the purchase, but now with a little over 100k miles it seems like it's going down the hill, and parts and repairs for S70 are not cheap.

Last week I ended up buying a 91' 740 Wagon with working AC for my wife to drive just for the summer, but honestly, I'm falling in love with Volvo again!! This thing is 17 years young with everything functioning as they should, my kids love the 3rd row seating, anyway, if you're looking for one of of the S70, I really think they're good bargain, being how affordable they are now a day, but get ready to keep up with the maintenance, and to some that might seem to cost a lot more than many Japanese cars out there, but in return you'll be getting a sporty, timeless styling, and world renown VOLVO SAFETY.

Hello, I'm in the market for a good used car and am a bit torn as to what to buy. I've found a 98 volvo s70 t5 that looks immaculate and the seller claims they've not had any problems with the vehicle and have kept up on all maintenance. Yes, it does need brakes which I can do my self however the vehicle has 180,000 miles on it which makes me leary. They are asking 3,000.

Would you buy it, and how many miles would you expect to get out of this vehicle?

Hi.

Have it inspected by a Volvo specialist.

Any older car has to have maintenance and many of the "problems" complained of are normal consumable parts such as pads, rotors, filters, fluids, hoses, ball joints, bearings, dampers, bushings, etc.

My S70 GLT will be 12 years old in January with well over 100K miles. I still often receive compliments on its classic style. It is a touring sedan that is brilliantly designed and engineered.

The 850/70 series are good cars. Base your offer on the FMV less costs for repairs that you would expect to have been completed based on the manufacturer's maintenance schedule.

Bryan.