Top things to check before buying a Volvo 850, S70, V70, XC70, etc., Pre purchase inspection.

The Volvo 850, S70, V70 are great cars to own and drive. I believe they are designed to last 500,000 miles. There are a few costly things that you would want to inspect if buying one. This video will explain what you should be aware of when looking to own one.

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[jimrollins]

Absolutely outstanding! I have been working on these Volvos for about 15 years and I have never seen better explanation of its weaknesses and symptoms!

[Dualhammers]

Just bought a 1998 S70 with 136, 000 miles. It is my first car ever and these videos are precisely what I need to learn how to take care of this car.

[xperinfe]

9 years later and this video is still super helpful, thank you. Planning on buying a 2000 volvo glt se tommorow!

[gwgrote]

I know this video is 2 yrs old. Thank you for taking the time to educate everyone on what to look for in purchasing a used Volvo. I have a 2000 S70, and I know most people do not keep their cars for 16 years. I had to replace my A/C evaporator last year and it was very labor intensive. The entire dash had to be removed. I was able to prolong the inevitable since a mechanic had told me to always keep the fan on, just on low. I had already replaced the A/C compressor years ago. I have 158K miles and I have an "old fashioned" mechanic who is honest. The other issue you need to look at when buying a used Volvo, is the exhaust system. Volvo doesn't sell it in parts, it is all or nothing. My mechanic just welded my catalytic converter but this will be the last time he can do a quick fix. I have a hole developing in my tailpipe and once that is bad, I will have to spend the $1, 700 to replace the exhaust system.

I've asked around if it would be wise to invest $2, 000 into a 16 yr old car and the answer has been yes by most people who know my car and Volvo in general. If I bought another used car, I'd be possibly buying someone else's problems.

I researched older model Camry's (a popular car) and found that some people replaced their catalytic converters more than once and the price was slightly less than that of a Volvo.

I am not a mechanic and freak out when something goes wrong on my car. I have not replaced many things. 2 yrs ago I replace the original starter. I've had American made truck before this and I can't tell you how many starters, oxygen sensors, alternators, etc. that I replaced. If a Volvo is maintained, it should last up to 400K miles.

Lastly, if you read or get a chance to look at a CarFax, it is important to note the number of owners. I'd be hesitant to buy a car with more than 2 owners. A friend purchased a Volvo wagon and at first glance, it appeared to be a great car for little money. It was a bad investment and it had 5 owners.

Again, thank you Robert for posting the videos.

Wade

[kylecanavan]

At about the 3:30 mark, I decided to start taking notes. This man is an inspector with a detailed report.

[Alan-rbrx]

I really like this guy. He has the right mixture of simplicity of presentation while preserving the delivery of a lot of information. Good job! I wish my car looked as nice as yours. The gloss coat on my paint is coming off and it looks terrible.

[Couch]

Glad I know how to service all of those issues myself! There is no way I would pay so much money to have a shop install a $30 Head Gasket. I mean, it's a day job on an inline engine! I would gladly give up my day to save $5, 000!

[luisgarcia-elxr]

I bought my 95 850 turbo for 2000$ not knowing that my pcv system was bad, my ac wasn't working, and the turbo hoses were cracked. I installed a new pcv system myself and replaced all my turbo hoses myself and recharged my ac too. Saved myself about the cars worth in repair. It now runs like a champ

[charlesgraham]

My grandmother bought a new 240 in 1987 In 07 i bought it off her. 2017 im still driving it. Iv put 3 timing belts on myself. About to do a 4th because im about to take a over 3000 mile vacation trip. Love this car.

[devinmillermedia]

Robert, you are the Volvo Zen Master. Thanks for all of your videos.

[TheSavvySwede]

Thanks for the awesome video. Usually ride a scooter to work, but wanted a rainy day car. Just bought a '96 850 wagon. Paid a few hundred dollars for it from a coworker. 136k miles. Has some front end damage but still runs like a champ. Glad I found your videos. Thank you very much!!

[andrewbilodeau]

I own a 99 s70 and I've gone through issues with trying to work on it and get it inspected. I just saw that a 97 850r is for sale down the road from my house. This video is kinda scaring me with the prices lol because I really want it xD.

[kaktusjack]

God bless you Robert for uploading this video. I'm thinking to buy a 850 and this is gonna come in handy :-). As a matter of a fact these instructions also apply to a wider range of manufacturers.

[KN-rjto]

Hello Robert. Thank you Sir! Your videos made recently purchasing a '96 850R a much easier decision and saved me several hundred dollars. I found one with 85k miles and now know what needs to be done and what to be aware of. All of your videos were of great help and very informative. After owning Buicks' and Chevys', I never thought I would own a Volvo. Yet, Its a quick, well built car. Thanks Again!

[rastolewandowski]

I rarely heard a man speak American English so beautifully. That's the accent that should be taught in schools across the globe.

[unterkupfer]

I was about to buy one today but then I tried the rubber glove trick - no compression, also the coolant level was higher when I came back from testdrive.. thank you for the video totally wouldn't recognized the issues without you!❤

[williecaldwell]

Very valuable information. I plan to purchase a 1999 V70r and this video has prepared me much better than I was before. Great job brother.

[MsRunofthemill]

Thank you, I wanna be well armed when I go shopping. U have provided me with sufficient understanding so I can be more aware of what to look for and not be too easily fooled and have some bargaining backup info..Again THANKS a bunch!!!

[baillerita]

Wow! Great video, Robert. I own a 2001 V70 non-turbo with 258k+ miles which I inherited from my ex and sold off my Lexus E300. It was a really hard decision. It has been serviced by the dealer until a year or so ago when I found an honest, independent mechanic who has saved me a ton of money - just hard getting him to find time to do the work, and these videos give me some peace of mind so I know what's going on and how much things should cost. The Volvo dealer has been charging me a bit more for doing some of these repairs than as stated in the video. I figure on spending a couple thousand or more every year to maintain it, which is still way less than having a car payment. Looking forward to getting another 1/4 million miles with the old girl! Super encouraged to hear you've done so much cross country driving. Keep up the good work!

[carolyncanady]

Hello Mr Robert. I Carolyn. I have a 1998 Volvo Wagon with 200, 00 plus miles. And I love it. It runs great. I like to pamper any car that I have. So I thought I see what information I could get to help me keeping it running good. Watching your video of the 5 top things/ extras was great. Thanks so much. Very beneficial.