My wife and I are thinking about purchasing a 1998 Volvo GLT V-70.  I have no experience with these vehicles, I have never owned one or worked on one.  I am fairly knowledgable about cars, having rebuilt carbs, replaced heads, trannys, motors, etc., but not these.  It's an in-line 5 cylinder, turbo, motor.  190 HP I believe.

How well do these things hold up?  

Is there anything special I should check?

Are they really as safe as people say?  Anyone here ever wrecked one?

Do they hold their value well?

This one has 47,000 miles on it, and is in great shape.

Finally, does anyone have any experience with carfax.com


Balming

Balming:
See these folks for your "hot rod" parts [url]http://www.ipdusa.com/[/url] .

Volvos are very safe, second only to Saab.  They hold up very well in a crash. I used to work in a Volvo wrecking yard and can attest to this fact.
My only advice is please, please, please, check the title to verify that it is not a salvaged car. A clue that it might be: low mileage & low/below  KKB list price.
I say this because a Volvo is designed to give its life for yours in a crash, and nobody can repair them to 100%.

Hopes this helps.

Paul

Thanks for the tips/advice.

How does one go about checking to see if the car has been salvaged?  This one is off a lot and is certified.  Doesn't the dealer have to tell the buyer if the car has a salvaged title?  I am in Alabama, if that makes a difference.  I believe they passed a law here a few years back (it may have been Federal) about disclosing that sort of info.

DK-Prof, how much did yours cost, if you don't mind me asking?


Anyone else?  Even secondhand accounts are OK.


Balming

A few more things 11BC2, when you worked for the Volvo wrecking yard did most of the Volvos survive the accidents with the passenger compartment fairly intact?  I hear they are well designed in that respect.  Were the parts expensive?  I assume you guys sold parts from the wrecks?  Did you notice any parts being sold more often than others?

Thanks,

Balming

I had a 97 850 GLT with the exhaust turbo.  Only real problem we had is it went through a ton of bulbs, especially rear brake lights.  Gas gauge light went out but Volvo wanted the bucks to replace it because you have to remove the airbag. ABS computer also went out twice. It was a good car otherwise.  Put a 110,000 miles on it before I traded it in on a new AWD volvo wagon.

Balming:

On the older Volvos, like the 240, 740/760 series, these where the commonly requested parts:
Alloy wheels; easily bent.
Inside door/map pockets; easily broken.
ZF auto trans; failed around 70-100k miles.
Steering racks; leaks around 50k miles.
Tail lights; clear reverse lens falls off.
Lots of interior plastic pieces; fall off/break.

Most of the above do not apply to the model you're looking at.
One thing you MUST buy is ipd's front skid pan; if not, you will visit your dealer to replace the oilpan to the tune of $600 or so. The pan installs easy & isn't that much.
You can get quite abit more power from simple bolt-on parts; ECU change outs, turbo & plumbing up grades, etc. 250hp is readily available.

Yes, the passenger compartment remained intact in almost all crashes; got in an '88 760 Turbo wagon that hit head on into a concrete truck and I was surprised just how little damage was done to the passenger compartment. The woman still died, cuz she didn't have her belt on and stuck the steering wheel in her chest, breaking her spine (not too graphic, I hope).

Paul

Volvos are fantastic cars, I know of no one who got a lemon.  Mine lasted forever.

11BC2, et all


Thanks for the info!  It seems that they are as safe as their reputation.


Balming

I'm a pretty big Volvo fan.  I've owned three of them.  A 240 wagon the ex-wife sold with 186,000 miles.  A 240 sedan that I sold with 163,000 miles on it.  A 760 turbo (current car) that has 298,000+ miles on it.  I also drive a Volvo at work (though it's a semi).

When sold, both the 240s were running as good as ever.  I have lost a total of 4 quarts of oil in the 760 with nearly 300,000 miles.  That's when a front seal went and it started leaking.  The engine still blows no smoke, and with the seal fixed it burns no oil.  It starts first try, every time.  

As for problems, the 760 trannys from 86 and earlier sucked.  87 and later last forever.  

Volvo electrics on the whole are not the best.  I don't know about the 70 series, but in both my 240s and the 760 exposed wires and other shorts existed.  Annoying, but that's all.  The components themselves are great, but they wiring is poor.  Usually it takes about 10+ years to start having wiring problems.  Normally the insulation just gets brittle and old.

As for safety, most European cars are safe, and Volvos are tops in safety.  Even my semi-tractor at work has ABS and an aribag.  My 240s (a 81 and a 84) met side impact standards when the fed started requiring them of new cars in the late 90's.  

They actually don't hold their value as well as they should, which is great if you're buying one.  MBenz will remain expensive forever, but the Volvo's value drops quickly.  They retain value better than most American products, but not as well as most European products.  It's great if you buy used.  A couple years old, and they are very affordable without being worn out at all.

I'll continue to drive mine until it dies.  I think I'll be driving it a while longer.  I'll hit 300,000 before my next oil change (every 3000 is what I do).  I was going to sell it then, but I'm just going to keep it and see just how long it lasts.  It's not a brand new car by any means.  But if it blows-up tomorrow, I'll still have gotten my money's worth out of it and then some.

Ross

My wife bought a V70 in 1998.  The car has done well and is certainly a safe, sturdy vehicle.

My one complaint is that they reduced the leg room when they designed this model.  I'm 6'5" and it is not a very comfortable car for me...when driving the leg room is not quite enough and it is somewhat awkward getting in and out of the driver's side.  My boys (6'4" and 6'1" and still growing) feel the same way.

SO has the exact car your describing with 70K on it. We were sold on the car when we rented an 850 for three weeks before buying the V70.

Strong points:

Light pressure turbo designed by Porsche and built in Germany. One of the most responsive and smooth running engines in any car. 5 cylinders is actually a strong point of the engine and an advanced design.

Auto tranny designed and built in Japan. I'm not an auto fan but this tranny rocks.

Overall one of the most responsive handling and braking cars on the road. I'm not a FWD fan either but there is no torque feedback from the front FWD.

Low points:

Headlights burn out at an amazing rate but Volvo has a service bulletin to fix it at no charge. You can also disable the DRL's if you want.  Not sure if your car would be covered if it hasn't been fixed yet. Small things have gone wrong but nothing major.

Carfax has some useful information. Many dealers supply them for free. Have the car inspected by an independent Volvo mechanic if possible.  

You can get a free odometer check here: [url]http://www.carfax.com/cfm/general_check.cfm?partner=cfx_5[/url]