I presume that you are somewhat familiar with the Volvo 850 history. My questions would be are you going to work on it yourself, and how much would you think was acceptable expenditures for routine maintenance. These are not inexpensive cars to maintain. Also, is there a service history available for the car.

Good that the A/C is working now, but you might want to find out if the evaporator has been replaced and when. Lots of history on that here on the board. Also, I had to replace the compressor on my '93 last year at 125,000 miles.

It sounds like the front struts need to be replaced. I did the work myself, paid $400 for Bilstein Heavy Duties (struts and shocks). Boges or Bilstein Touring Class would be a little cheaper, and give a little less firm ride. The suspension is stiff, no getting around it. Also replaced the spring mounts, the sway bar bushings and the sway bar links. Total was over $500 for parts. Stopped all the clunks and groans.

Check the flame trap (Bay 13) and also look to see if it is leaking oil from the rear main seal. If no problem with either one of those, then probably just need to replace the gasket on the oil filler cap. If the oil trap hasn't been kept clean, it can lead to crankcase pressure and rear main seal failure which is expensive to fix.

If the service engine light goes off a few minutes after you start the car, it is just a service reminder. You can reset the service light yourself. Bay 13 or the Haynes manual tell how.

Has the clutch been replaced? The previous owner had the clutch in my car replaced at the dealer. The repair bill was over $1000 (I have the receipt). Much less if you did it yourself. I'm hoping that I will not have to replace mine while I own the car. The clutch should last a very long time if not abused.

The timing belt replacement interval for the 93's is 50,000 miles. That's what the sticker should be for. Not very expensive if you do it yourself, and not unduly difficult.

The lifting of the vinyl around the air bag on the passenger side is fairly normal for these cars at that age.

The clutch and transmission are nice and smooth on my car. I wouldn't drive an automatic unless forced. 5-speeds are hard to find.

I don't know if you should buy the car. The price doesn't sound too bad. Could probably get it down a little more, note the work that you know needs to be done. What's not exactly right?

If you're debating between this and a Honda Accord, then I don't predict a happy marriage. I owned a Honda Accord. It never needed anything but gas and oil. Ran great and got good gas mileage. I've never owned another car that I hated as much as I hated that one. Now, if your debating between the 850 and a Jaguar XJ6, then it might be different. Bottom line, I love how the 850 looks, feels and drives. I don't expect it to be maintenance free. I do all work myself except for the A/C and climate control to keep costs down. Your mileage may vary.

Phantom