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View Full Version : Need advice on 2004 XC90 - 90K miles - should I buy it?



cambridge1
09-14-2008, 05:33 PM
Hi,

This is my first posting, hopefully of many. I am deciding on whether to buy an XC90, 2.5T, 5 seats, from a friend, with 90K miles on it. I am interested in advice on maintenance costs, and general aging of the car.

The car has been bought new by my friend back in 2004. He has been servicing it at the dealer, and as far as I know following 'the manual' on keeping it in good shape. The car has some very minor details on the outside (the trim chrome, near the window looks a bit worn, the headlight's cover are a bit white due to aging), and the leather looks a bit worn on the inside. Other than that, the car looks just great, and the engine sounds even.

I would like your opinions on what can I expect on maintenance costs going forward. What should I expect as a normal out of pocket cost for maintenance? How often will the car end up at the mechanic? What can 'go wrong'? I dont want to buy a car with it's best years behind, and requiring constant visits to the mechanic. I am especially concerned about the 90K miles; do these cars 'turn off' at 100K miles?

If I need to bring to car to servicing, any advice on a great place, in Massachusetts? Is it worth buying an extended warranty? Is it possible with the mileage the car has on it?

Thanks very much for your help!

dmd
09-14-2008, 08:17 PM
OK, where you are you have snow, XC90 can loose the rear wheel bearings with
lots of snow/slush.

The 2.5T is the most proven setup of all XC90's, very stable and reliable. I am sure
other will add also.

What is the price, that is a factor also. Go to a dealer and pull a report on what
has been done to the car.

Is it AWD or FWD?

cambridge1
09-14-2008, 09:15 PM
Hi dmd,

The car is an AWD.

Price-wise, I am getting a good deal, below to what edmunds/kbb quote for private party deals.

My main concern is that, at some point, cars get to a downhill slope. Because of aging, they start spending more time in the shop, with increasingly expensive repairs, than rolling on the street. And with volvo prices for parts and maintenance, buying a 'dying' car can become a very expensive mistake.

I would be very interested in XC90 owners with over 150K miles, to know about their experience between 100K and 150K miles. Did the car do well? Was it often at the repair shop?

Big
09-15-2008, 09:26 PM
I would be very interested in XC90 owners with over 150K miles, to know about their experience between 100K and 150K miles. Did the car do well? Was it often at the repair shop?
As my XC90 approaches 100K miles I would like to know this, too. I'm not sure how many of us have gone 150K, though, because the model was introduced in late 2002. It's a well built vehicle but complicated. Over the long haul I would guess that the suspension and electronics would require the most attention. In a few more years some of the many plastic parts may decay. Not much different than most cars of this generation, I suppose.

dmd
09-19-2008, 06:43 PM
We have 35k.... Close enough??

cambridge1
09-19-2008, 07:59 PM
Hi Big,

I am interested in your experience: you have a 7 seater, and you do some towing (the car I bought seems to have had a very light load)

Any symptoms of transmission / engine problems?
What about wear on the interior? Anything broken?
You did mention electrical, What is your experience with the 'check engine' indicator?

Anyway, I already took the plunge, and bought the car.. So, I'll be posting around here on the problems I find (hopefully not posting much!)

Thanks a lot!

Big
10-01-2008, 05:13 PM
Hi Big,

I am interested in your experience: you have a 7 seater, and you do some towing (the car I bought seems to have had a very light load)

Any symptoms of transmission / engine problems?
What about wear on the interior? Anything broken?
You did mention electrical, What is your experience with the 'check engine' indicator?

Anyway, I already took the plunge, and bought the car.. So, I'll be posting around here on the problems I find (hopefully not posting much!)

Thanks a lot!
Sorry, I just got back from vacation. After 2000+ miles towing our small travel trailer (about 1400 lbs) the XC90 is getting close to 100k. Smooth trip.

To answer your questions, there have been no problems with the tranny & engine. I did have the tranny fluid changed at 60k, and I replace the Mobile 1 engine oil every 7500 mi. No leaks.

Several suspension components and the rear bearings have been replaced over time (some were recalls and all were covered under warranty). Have had a couple of front end alignments to correct tire wear.

Interior is in pretty good shape. Just normal wear. The only problem has been with the tailgate; both the top and bottom cables had to be replaced after their respective doors stopped opening.

There was a strange electrical problem that affected several systems including the lights, air bag, interior fan and radio. That was fixed with a software reload. It has not happened again. Several bulbs have been replaced over time which is normal. When the car was new the stock trailer harness had a factory problem that took a while to troubleshoot (the regional tech finally figured it out).

I'm probably forgetting something but it has been a reasonably dependable car that has consistently gotten around 21 mpg (17.5 towing) at prudent speeds.