Need advice - Should I sell?

[Hopkey]

I'm kind of frustrated and need some advice. I have a 2003 XC70 with 75k on the odometer and no extended warranty coverage. I take very good care of my cars and currently have 3 cars. In the past month I have had the replace the catalytic converter ($1750!!) and this week the ABS module needs replacing for another $850! Is this what can be expected in the future? I know nobody can really answer that but I can't afford this car anymore. It's in fantastic shape but repairs like this seem completely unreasonable.

To contrast, I have a 1995 Mazda Millenia with 155k and have only had 1 minor problem. Starts every day for me. My fun car is a 2001 Boxster S with 65k with a bunch of track days and has NEVER given me an issue.

It seems crazy that a semi-luxury brand has these kind of issues with relatively low miles. I also can't see how people are such die-hard crazy for Volvo's with these kind of frequent(?), expensive repairs. Maybe most Volvo owners have a lot more money than I do...

Somebody told me that "Volvos are great cars but never own one out of warranty." I laughed but can certainly believe it.

Are these the sign of more sensor/mechanical failures to come? Do people have lots of miles on these cars?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[Forkster]

Advanced cars require advanced repairs. Your Mazda is comparable to the Volvo XC70 is like a hot wheels dinky vs. an remote controlled 4x4 gas powered 4 channel RC buggy. The Volvo XC70 is a complex, computerized marvel of engineering. More stuff to go wrong and around 3-4x more complex. Even your Boxster is a fairly simple sports car compared to our highly computerized XC.

If you sell it, you'll have to replace it. To replace a XC70 with a comparable as-safe family all-wheel drive wagon, you'll spend $20k. Is your XC70 likely to cost you 20k in the next 5 years?

[uscgc70]

you can probably get most things replaced much cheaper if you remember, avoid the dealership as much as possible. there is no way a cat should have cost you so much, and contact Vic Rocha about the ABS http://home.earthlink.net/~vicrocha/ these cars do require maintenance and sometimes it seems like they need more attention than other cars. instead of throwing money at your dealer, shop around, you are not the first person to have these issues, and people have found ways to fix them. if you are at all mechanically inclined, these cars are very easy to work on.

[Mink]

if you are at all mechanically inclined, these cars are very easy to work on.
Is this true? I sorta understood that they are very fiddly and complex. Even something like replacing a headlight bulbs seems to require a list of instructions, lots of patience and access to disinfectant and bandages...

I serviced my own cars for years - had timing light, feeler gauges, torque wrench, workshop manuals - but today I open the hood and I can't even see the distributor or the carburettor! (Don't point that flamethrower at me, JRL, I was only joking).

I have to decide whether I'm gonna keep my XC70 when my maintenance plan and warranty vanish in 35,000 km. I really like this car, but I'm no Scotty (as in 'beam me up') nor am I a gamblin' man. But I'll carry on fixing my bicycles...

[JRL]

What, the carburetor or your spelling of it?[sly]:D

[Mink]

People in glass houses... Fair cop, since I chose to write in American, but as a point of interest carburettor is spelled with two t's in most of the world, including the parts I inhabit.

[uscgc70]

You won't see a carb or distributor because this car has fuel injection and individual coil packs. just like everything else, cars have evolved over the last 20 years. spend some time researching and you will learn how to work on these cars, it's not hard, just different. Or, you can complain about how everything is computerized and to difficult and continue taking it to the dealer and then complain about how you can't afford to keep the car. Just my opinion, but i think everyone should be able to work on their own car.

[JRL]

..... but i think everyone should be able to work on their own car.

All well and good but except for oil changes, brakes, coolent changes, etc, you (the owner) can't do very much as most repairs need VIDA (the Volvo computer) to accompany it.
You cannot put a door or window switch in, it has to be initialized by the computer.
You can't install or replace ANYTHING electrical as it needs to be initialized

[dlr97]

In the past month I have had the replace the catalytic converter ($1750!!) and this week the ABS module needs replacing for another $850! Is this what can be expected in the future?

Is not the cat converter covered under a Federal required 8-year, 80K warranty? It is for 2004 (P. 32-33 of my 2004 Volvo Warranty book.)

[uscgc70]

All well and good but except for oil changes, brakes, coolent changes, etc, you (the owner) can't do very much as most repairs need VIDA (the Volvo computer) to accompany it.
You cannot put a door or window switch in, it has to be initialized by the computer.
You can't install or replace ANYTHING electrical as it needs to be initialized

I believe you mean coolant. and the Cat can be replaced w/o a computer upgrade, the abs (electrical) should be alright too. the motor mounts that so frequently fail can be done at home, and the immobilizer antenna (electrical) takes 5 minutes to change. I've changed a coil pack (electrical) in a Best Buy parking lot. shall i go on or have i proven my point. the reason everyone is so terrified to work on these cars is because people who supposedly know more say that everything requires a Vadis upgrade. So i stand 100% behind what i previously stated, these cars are not difficult to work on, and you should know how YOUR vehicles works and how to fix it. Otherwise they are VERY expensive to own.

[goldxc70]

Advanced cars require advanced repairs. Your Mazda is comparable to the Volvo XC70 is like a hot wheels dinky vs. an remote controlled 4x4 gas powered 4 channel RC buggy.

Forkster, the Millenia is not just any old Mazda. It was the first model in what was going to be Mazda's luxury model lineup, Amati. Everything about the Millenia is a step up from the normal Mazda line and it can, IMHO, be reasonably compared to Volvo. It was the first production vehicle to use the Miller cycle engine, it had an aluminum hood to save weight, it's handling is superb. I think there even was a model with 4-wheel steering although I dont know if that was ever available outside Japan.

[colin]

Pretty much all new vehicles depend on computers to make them operate. This is a double edged sword of course. Changing parts usually is pretty simple. Knowing what parts to change sometimes is not. While in many respects older vehicles were much easier to work on, newer ones just tell you what is wrong with them. Whether you choose to do the repairs yourself or not is up to you of course but at least you know what you are getting into. As with any high end vehicle, parts cost more. There are often after market parts that are every bit as good at a fraction of the OEM price though.
I love part of the computer reliance but things on the XC70 that drive me crazy are simple things that require a VADIS connection. I mean really, why should I have to have the auto dimming of the rear view mirror adjusted at a dealer?