Should I sell it???

[anna123]

I recently purchased a 2001XC which I love, but I have gotten very nervous reading through the archives. I have all of the service records and the previous owner spent thousands in repairs which included the throttle body, sway bars, motor mounts, brakes, etc. The car has 66,000 miles and the original build was 06/00. Should I consider it lucky that everything has been replaced and maybe can anticipate trouble-free driving from here or would this be a very unreliable model. I have college costs for a teenager coming up ahead, so anything newer than an 02 would be out of the question. Should I look for an 02 which appears to be considerably more reliable? I wish I had found this forum sooner.

[jbl]

I think you are on the safe side for some years since previous owner had to replace known defects.

Check the colour of the AT oil. It should be red and not brown and smeeling burned. If so let your dealer replace the AT oil.

Be aware of uneven tire wear and check your tire pressure on a regular basis as every week. If you follow these advice you will keep loving your XC-01 :)

If you would go for a newer XC set your mark on 2003 since these have the Haldex AWD and not the famous visco coupling.

[tgrumaj]

Sounds like the prior owners did the heavy lifting of addressing these issues. Yes, there's still a possiblity for another ETM failure but sounds like you've got a long way to go before that happens and if Volvo ever wakes up out of it's deep "Ford" sleep they might even do a recall and replace with a reliable model by then. Brakes, etc. are normal wear and tear and while not cheap aren't that much different from any car of this caliber. Your've got the motor mount replaced but that's not a big deal anyway. As said above, keep you tires rotated ever time you take to get the oil changed, make sure you keep them inflated properly (a good idea anyway for a lot of reasons!) and check that transmission fluid (the dipstick is right in front by the radiator) and have it flushed and refilled if needed.

I would recommend switching to synthetic motor oil (like Mobile 1) but that's up to you. Good luck and enjoy you XC.

[PlaysWithCars]

Anna,
I think you bought at the right time, with the previous owner footing the bill for the repairs. Many sellers will get rid of a car without doing the repairs, and hope they can get out of the car for less of a loss than doing the repairs. With the receipts, you can tell if the repairs were done by a Volvo technician, dealer or independent. It is only if they were done by "Billy Bob and Son Auto Repairs" that I would question the repairs.

Brakes and suspension components are a regular service item for cars. If these have been done, then you should be fine for a while. The key is knowing to have them checked on a regular basis, so any problems can be caught early, before they create larger ones. Ex: worn steering rod ends causing accelerated wear on front tires. Check to see that the rubber boots on the output shafts of the transmission are not torn.

If the ETM has been replaced, that is a good thing. I think there is only one case on this forum of a failure of the replacement part.

Two other items to search for in your repair records are the ABS module, and flushing the cooling system/ radiator inspection. ABS modules have a weak solder joint, prone to failure. However there is a guy on eBay selling repaired ones for ~$100, with a lifetime guarantee. As for the cooling system, my '99 has 74k on it, and the radiator had been replaced. I wish they had also replaced the heater core, but that is an easy job for me later this summer.

Tranny fluid flush is a good idea, unless it has been done already. Not cheap, but cheaper than a new AWD transmission. Same for a brake fluid flush, good time after 5 years and 60+k miles. Save a few bucks over the dealer by having the work done by an independent Volvo technician RECOMMENDED BY OTHER NEWER VOLVO OWNERS.

And get a new set of 4 matching tires, if not already done. Again, cheaper than a new transmission, plus new tires are a safety item in my book. I never cut corners on tires, because they keep me on the road.

As long as you got a fair price on the car, and you are fortunate to have the documentation of previous repairs, IMHO you made a wise purchase. The maintenance costs will be comparable for similar brands of similar age, in my experience.

[anna123]

Thanks for the suggestions since I have scheduled the 67500 check up. All of the work has been done by the dealer. Some of the other work done included the brake booster, air flow sensor, rear axle bearing, front lower arm with bushings, and front strut seat mounts. The last thing that appeared paid for, but was not indicated as replaced was the ABS module. Will my dealer know if it was put in. I replaced the tires before I even had the state inspection of the car. I will have them replace the transmission and brake fluids since they were probably only checked at 60,000 miles, but not changed. The previous owner had leased the car and then purchased it. I think they must have sold it after all the "heavy" expenses started occuring. The only other concern is that the car "sat" for six months at the dealership according to car fax. Would that be a problem? Thanks so much for all your help. As I mentioned, I love the car and really want to keep it.

[rojah the boggah]

Anna,

To the team, I have not posted for some time, but I feel that my story may be of interest to many.

I purchased a 2002 Vehicle (Imported to UK from Denmark) and registered it in Sept 2002. It was actually manufactured in November 2001, and was a V70XC 2.4 Turbo Automatic "S" model (full leather, winter pack etc etc).List price in UK at time was £30,500, and paid £23,500 from importer - so seemed like a good deal.
It was my second Volvo, my previous being a 1999 V70XT 2.4 litre normally aspirated manual (sold to sister now with 120K miles and running sweetly).

The V70XC was a great car, serviced according to Volvo UK, and was used quite hard for commuting, business and ferrying family around.

I sold the car a few weeks ago for £10,500 with 69,000 miles to a trader.

Why did I sell, well it was Knackered.

Warranty was up (60,000 miles)
Steering pump failed
Suspension was best described as "loose"
Brake discs were worn
Steering had lots of "play"
Handling was bouncy, and car creaked, rattled and ground on bumpy roads
When starting from cold, engine was lumpy and sluggish and exhaust was smoky (lasted for about 10 seconds before it cleared its throat)
Top end tappets were beginning to sound noisy
Auto transmission was jerky in lower gears, especially when changing up at low revs.

Car didn't use any oil, never let me down, first set of tyres lasted approx 40,000 miles, only had one front set of brake pads replaced, and performance never suffered. Fuel consumption was 27 mpg (imperial) overall, and performance actually improved with age with kickdown and 0 to 60 times feeling much better as car got older.

With all of these issues I thought that I would cut my losses and get rid before I got a really big repair bill.

Having discussed trade in with many dealers (Volvo) around the UK, they were not interested. Why? Simple it was an "import" and it had done more that 60,000 miles - which meant it was untouchable for a main dealer. In UK to get best value you must sell before 50,000 miles or sooner.

I was quite sorry to see it go, but compared to my old V70, the longevity and build quality was much poorer. I believe that things had improved on 2002/2003 models.

Well what have I got to replace my V70XC I hear you ask?

I am renting a brand new fully loaded V70 D5 Tiptronic. It is BRILLIANT!
So much better than my old XC in every respect apart from one, and that is it is not a 4X4, and is not suitable for off road excursions (but as I didn't buy the XC in the first place I'm not that bothered, and weather here in Lancashire is rarely inclement).

My brand new V70 costs less than £500 per month, fully maintained for 24,000 miles year. After a year just hand it back and get a new one and start all over again. Has Sat Nav, TV, integrate phone, Sunroof, Winter PACK, park distance control etc etc.

It handles much better than the XC ever did (it feels taught, doesn't rattle over bumps), it is quiter (jeez for a diesel it's quite sporty), does 46 mpg on a long run, and 42 mpg commuting.

It is so much better than a 2001 model XC - and cheaper to run.

The best thing of all is that it actually feels like it will last, I never had that level of confidence with my last Volvo.

I do hope that you will find useful. I would steer clear of a second hand 2001/2002 model, unless you can get one for a song (as a rule of thumb these depreciate at approx 50% of list price every 2 years).

Regards Roj

[AWD*V70XC]

I agree with Rojah, and a lot of it has to do with respect. The sooner Volvo start to give us some respect I will start to consider buying another Volvo. I have just been informed by Volvo that my car is too old and what do I expect from a car of that age?? Problems started to happen, under warranty when the car was three years old :confused: and they think it is too old now. Volvo - one word - RESPECT. Look it up and figure out what you are going to do about it, without us, your customers, you will have no sales. Start figuring......

[Southern Volvo Owner]

I have been unlucky to have purchased a 2001 XC70 new.

I am about to have my wife pickup the car from the dealership after a 3 day visit there - I haven't even been brave enough to ask all that has gone wrong with it this time.

It was driven there on the weekend by me then pickup by my wife on Monday - then towed back to the dealership. I am still discussing with Volvo extended warranty if I have to pay for the tow back to the dealership. They didn't seem like it was important to get the car back and running again. Can't you jump it they told us on the phone. I told the lady on the phone that it's not adviseble to jump a Volvo with another car. Plus I don't think it's only the battery this time!

So after two days in the shop the second time maybe it will run for another 6 months.

Volvo has lost my respect during the first year of ownership back in 2001 and now in 2005 my wife the primary driver said "This is the Last Volvo she ever wants to own - she is done with Volvo"! Those are might powerful words that I hope Volvo listen too since she has now become as big of spokesperson of bad for Volvo as I have been. Everyone I talk to about cars I tell about our "Lemon" 2001 XC70.

I am so glad to see some posting of good Volvos on this site - keep them coming. I think next year the XC70 2001 is being traded off for good! It will be a happy day for me and now my wife!

[peter2001xc]

I bought my 2001 XC new and it has 85K miles on it. The car has been great. The only parts I have replaced not including the normal service parts are, two front axle boots, 1 Ball joint, upper motor mount and a power streeing reservor cap and return hose. I follow Volvos recomended service list in the cars manual and I use Mobil 1 syn. I would buy anther one. Remember when you read these forums you are only hearing about the problems people are having, so any car you read about sounds bad.

[XCSwedie]

Exactly!

The internet is a magnet to people with problematic cars.

[ashotwell]

Hello All,
I decided to jump in with some good news. I have a 2001 XC70 and I love it. It has 87K and I bought it used with 70K. It is my daily driver and our family's winter ride to Lake Tahoe. I replaced the tires right at purchase. The only thing that I have had to replace are an oxygen sensor and some light bulbs. I do all of my own work. I just finished a tranny flush and a motor oil change. It is easy to work on and enjoyable to drive. I follow the service intervals carefully, keep on top of the fluids, and air pressure. I find it to have plenty of power for this type of vehicle in addition to great gas mileage. We have made several trips from SF to LA and get 24+mpg. at freeway speeds. It corners well and lane changes are quick without much roll. I will probably add IPD sway bars and the IPD upper engine mount as upgrades.

A word on the tranny flush, do it yourself or get it done by an independent and provide your own fluid. Volvo charges $500+ because of the magical mystery fluid. I did some research and confirmed through several sources the the mystery fluid is Mobil 3309. My local auto parts specialty shop carries it at $4.00/qt. v. volvo at $21.00/qt. I did a 12qt. flush until it ran clean. It shifts smooth and easy. I will also add a magnefine filter in-line when I get the time.

I also own a 97 850T-5 sedan with 125K. It is great and runs with no problems. I have a few IPD mods. on it with sway bars in the near future. This is my wife's daily driver.

Our third Volvo is an 87 740GLE with many IPD mods. I picked it up years ago as a park-at-the train thrasher for $1800. It gets 33mpg. and rides better than showroom. I've put about $700-900 into it to over the years to restore the interior, exterior, and suspension. My daughter drives it at college.

My first Volvo was a 1971 P1800E stick with OD. I loved it and wish I had never let it go. I had to buy a wagon as we were building a family. Baby seats do not go well in an 1800!

Over all, my Volvos have never seriously let me down. I can't say the same for the GM and Dodge products I have owned. My VWs were okay, but not in the same class as the Volvos.

Anyway, I am sold on them and I have found if you treat them well they will last a long time.