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Make sure there are really no oil leaks....get under the car. If the rear-main seal is leaking...on driver's side between the transmission and engine, this is about a grand to replace as the engine and tranny have to come apart. A turbo return line leak is pretty common but can be fixed for cheap and only takes about an hour of your time. Trouble is, they are hard to tell apart unless you know what you're looking for. Also A/C Evaporators are prone to go bad on these. when they do the A/C won't blow cold. The fix is to take the dash completely out and replace it....about $1200+...a major pain. The cruise control is most like just a bad vacuum hose under the battery...easy fix and also typical. The biggest issue will be the transmission on this car. '95's when not maintained well tend to need transmission replacements. Pull the tranny dip stick (it's right of center, buried under the intercooler hose, just to the left of the battery...it has a yellow handle) and see what condition the fluid is in. If it's black and smells burnt you might just want to walk away from this car. Tranny fluid should be replaced (flushed and filled completely) by at least 60K miles the first time, then most do it every 25-30K miles or so. The suspension might rattle and need new struts, shocks, spring seats, shock/strut mounts and swaybar endlinks, but these are considered routine maintenance and won't set you back that much. Beware of the check engine light on the dash. If it is on, it could spell all types of issues, some that are problematic. You'll need to read the codes either from the OBD-II socket under the coin holder (front center dash) or from the black diagnostic boxes under the dash, if this car has them (www.volvospeed.com and then click on maintenance and you'll read how). Haynes also has a book that tells you what each diagnostic code means and the book is worth buying at most any autoparts store for less than $20. The Timing belt is every 70K miles on this car and the serpentine belt should be done with it or before it (suppose to be 60K miles, but they will usually last as long as the TB so most people do them together). If the TB breaks, there goes the engine...bent pistons, etc. Neither of these belt replacements are expensive, but should be done by the scheduled time. Guess that's about it. Good luck and hope it's as decent as the guy says it is.
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1998 S70 T5 Emarald Green Metallic, 2004 V70 2.5T Ruby Red, Previous Owner of Black '94 850 Turbo Wagon. My cars have been running so well lately they've got me worried.
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