Besides ETM problems you feel ur XC is reliable?

[Giltweasel]

I am newly into a '99 v70 XC and first day I pulled a flashing arrow with CEL. I let it sit then took it out and the arrow would go away. The CEL was a P0705 and P1618. Got the transmission unit taken care of and it drives nice.

I haven't been in this car for long, but I'm impressed by the way it handles.

Still waiting to see how it will be long-term, but one reason I like the car is it will be relatively easy for me to do much of the maintenance and repairs myself. That's worth quite a lot on its own.

I think if you're the sort of person that takes every single problem back to the dealer, you're going to have a lot of costly problems.

If you're the sort to work through something on your own, you can really get a lot of value out of this car.

Of course my opinion may be vastly altered this time next week, next month, or next year.

Time will tell.

Giltweasel/Joe

[JRL]

These cars are just fine, no great WHEN MAINTAINED.
The problem is many 1st owners just drove them and serviced them like a Camry, never really serviced, and now you 2nd and 3rd owners are having issues.
Unfortunately this requires money (unless you can do the work yourself), but when these cars are brought back to stage 0 what a lovely vehicle they are.

[nortons]

Would I say my 2000 V70XC is reliable?
It is absolutely reliably UNRELIABLE!
Owning this car is like a never ending game of Whack-a-mole! Fix one thing, 2 more problems arrive. Fix the trans, the front suspension needs money poured into it. Fix that, ANOTHER electrical problem shows up after the countless other ones of the past. Fix a sunroof water leak, a door lock motor dies. Replace the low quality front seat covers, the seat motors quit.
Comfortable, good brakes, nice handling, but jeez! I'm sick of working on this car!
At 106k miles;
transmission, ABS sensors, ABS module, 3 door lock motors, front ball joints/lower control arms, 2 inner and 2 outer tie rod ends, alternator, struts, all 4 rotors and pads, AGAIN!, sunroof leaks, seat trim, all 4 door panels glue failed, 2 power window regulators, (both front), charcoal canister, (a real PIA!), hoses, hoses and more hoses, timing belt and tensioner assy, L/H headlight wiper motor, 3 door weather seals, many, many interior trim parts, sagging headliner, failed door latches, both rear speakers, exhaust, radio problems, endless electrical gremlins, wind noise, water leaks, etc, etc, etc.

[JRL]

We know how you feel, enough already
You bought a REAL POS, so deal with it or sell it

[budrichard]

My 1999 XC70 is around 145k miles.
I have used the same independent Volvo Garage/mechanic for over 20 years.
I'm an engineer and we work closely together to keep the 1999 and 2003 running safely and reliably with repairs and Preventative Maintenance.
I thought I would sell the 1999 when I purchased the 2011 for my wife but it drives the best of all of them on the road so i put Michelin road tires on it and regularly drive it between Milwaukee and Chicago areas.
Yesterday I was on the Edens Xpressway in Chicago at 75 mph in the hammer lane, but of course a Porsche Cayenne cannot let a 1999 Volvo get ahead of it, so I moved over and let it breeze on by. I feel perfectly secure and safe in the 1999 except for the lack of head bags, it has many of the features of the other two XC's I own and is still superb in the rain as when it was new.-Dick

[nortons]

Yeah, well, don't want to palm it off on some other schmuck unless it works. Screwing people is just not how I operate. It's just a machine and machines can be fixed. Local shops, (Dearborn, Michigan), don't like working on 'em, (Why do you think Ford got rid of them?" local import car whiz says). Nearest Volvo dealer is about an hour away in wealthy suburb and sniffs with disdain at "old cars" (2000 XC).
I have owned Volvos for 25 years;all RWD, pre-FoMoCo. Currently working on '84 242/Mustang 5.0V8 project, my '83 242 Turbo has over 200k miles on it. . All were good cars, good quality, cheap and fairly easy cars to fix. Had to buy a few tools, (why do all Euro cars need a shop press to do so many routine repairs?). ALL were a lot easier to own and maintain than this one.
I want to like this car; it's great in snow, it's comfortable, etc, etc. But it just requires an amazing amount of time and handfuls of cash thrown at it more than anything else I've ever owned! And I have 6 vintage British bikes and I have owned and rebuilt MGs, Healys, BMWs and a ton of Fiats. None of 'em drove me nuts like this car.

[JRL]

You keep saying FORD, FORD FORD
Your XC was designed, built and possibly even delivered BEFORE FORD even took over Volvo!
These cars are 110% VOLVO designed and built.

I'll say it again, you bought a higher mileage GEN 1 that was most probably neglected, one of these requires an enormous amount of work from the big issues to the smaller details to get them right.

Once all done (fixed) and fixed PROPERLY, it's usually good for a very long time before more work is needed.
They're weird and have their own weird issues and living in the heartland is not the place to own one of these

[JRL]

Hell No I want to get rid of it... Not really a fan of it.

'See above

[nortons]

Hey, JRL, since I've poured so much money and labor into this car, (see "V70Xc reliability" thread for current update), and they are such great cars and all; do you want to buy it? I figure I have about $3700 in it, not counting my free labor, (did I mention I am a retired former BMW mechanic?) Wife won't drive it, bought a new minivan. I'm sick of working on it.

[renwickijai]

Hell No I want to get rid of it. I'll get rid of it once I have the time. Kinda busy right now.