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Do you like your XC?? V70-XC70 1999

posted by darius on Fri Jan 30 07:17 CST 2004
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last visit: Sat Sep 20 19:24 CST 2014

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I am considering giving up my old 1991 745 turbo for a 1999 V70 Cross Country. Can you tell me what you like about your XC and what have you found difficult? The car I am considering is a 1999 with 67000 miles on it. Any and all comments are very welcome. I really appreciate it!

--
Darius in Albany NY '86 744 GLE (176K); '91 745 Turbo (166K)

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Do you like your XC?? V70-XC70 1999

posted by prehlb on Fri Feb 20 16:35 CST 2004
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Did you end up buying it? On the day you posted this question, I made just the same kind of jump. I went from '89 760 Turbo wagon to a 1998 V70 XC. I had basically come to a point on the 760 that I just didn't have the time or money to deal with all the engine work (Tappetts, valves, rings, etc) that needed some TLC. In addition, I needed a car with the 3rd seat and I wasn't so sure I wanted to invest into the 760. Plus, I was getting very tired of RWD. My wife needs a low-lift wagon for her home-based business. SO, I spent about 2 months searching for a 1998 V70 AWD. This XC fell into my lap. It was the perfect color and options minus the 3rd seat. Even has the gray interior, not beige which hides the kids abuse.

I knew about the viscous couping problem and I'm not surprised to hear about items getting fried by the heat in the engine compartment. I was fortunate to have a local used dealer sell me a Guardian warranty - no deductable, comprehensive coverage for 3 years, 60,000 miles from the current Odometer reading. I bought the car with 88,000 miles.

It's been a dream. The "boost" is not nearly as strong as the high-pressure turbo of my 760, but it's still gets you movin' fast.

Rotating tires more frequently is not a huge issue if I get AWD out of the deal. The 760 was constantly coming up with new issues with 165,000 miles and 14 years of age. I decided to finance my XC on a 5 year loan so I'm only paying $200/mo until I pay off my 1997 Chevy Suburban in April 2005. SO, $2400/year into the XC was looking about the same as the repair costs for my 760.

That was my rationale and purpose for moving forward. What I find now is that investing $500 to $1000 for a 3rd seat kit will be a better investment since the car is not rusting and most components are in much better shape (hoses, bearings, etc). I look at it this way, I bought the 760 in 1998 (it was 9 years old) and I drove it for 5 years. Now, I bought the 1998 XC (it was 5 years old) so I should drive it for 9 years! :)

Bill Prehl
Allentown, PA
'97 Chevy Suburban, '98 XC, former owner of '89 760 Turbo wagon.

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Do you like your XC?? V70-XC70 1999

posted by someone claiming to be T.K. on Thu Feb 5 12:41 CST 2004 [RELATED]

I have a 98 XC. It seems to be the most finiky car yet. The tires seem to need to be rotated and balanced about every 3,500 miles in order to maintain vibration free and good wear. We currently are using Michelin tires. The drivetrain seems to be sound and we currently have about 85,000 miles. We have had a lot of suspension parts along with a brake controller replaced but from reading reports on brickboard it seems that it is not just about the XC. The all wheel drive is excellent for all types of adverse weather.

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You won't like.................... V70-XC70 1999

posted by someone claiming to be Mickey on Fri Feb 27 09:57 CST 2004 [RELATED]

the "increadible" hunger these swedish cars have for American dollars being dumped into the service departments! This is NOT your fathers oldsmobile or Honda for that matter.

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You won't like.................... V70-XC70 1999

posted by steve_v70xc on Mon Mar 1 14:48 CST 2004
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Let me add my list of complaints regarding my '99 V70XC:

-Viscous coupling went out at less than 20K miles (under warranty)
-passenger side door switch went out twice (under warranty)
-off and on rattle from sunroof which the dealer hasn't been able to fix
-needed the headlight harness replaced (recall) after burning out many bulbs
-driver's seat had some play in it that the dealer claimed was "normal" and never fixed. As soon as the car was out of warranty by a few months the dealer determined that the seat rails were broken and needed to be replaced
-clunky shifting requires frequent transmission fluid change (noted by many owners as well as the dealer). Maybe the fluid is being burned, I have no idea.
-lots of creaks in the dashboard area is annoyed and unexpected
-brake discs are thin and require replacement after second set of pads (I've been told)
-seems to go out of alignment pretty easily
-burns tires faster than any other car I've owned
-many other issues that I'm probably forgetting (or blocking!)

I think I've been pretty lucky so far compared to many of the stories I've heard. I'm just not used to all the maintenance/repair expenses since I've only owned Nissan, Toyota, and Honda in the past. I've spent more on this XC in the past 4 years than I did on my '89 Honda Prelude which I drove for 11 years and 175K miles!! I currently have 59K miles on the XC.

However, the XC does give you a feeling of incredible safety in any weather conditions and the seats are very comfortable. It's enjoyable to drive in general so if money is not an issue then this is a great car.

--Steve

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Do you like your XC?? V70-XC70 1999

posted by kittell on Sat Feb 14 16:53 CST 2004
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I've got a 99 XC at 67K miles. I've run into some problems that seem to face V70s around 60K (give or take a K). First, I had to have the ABS control module rebuilt to turn off the ever-present ABS/TRACS lights. The ABS module holds the selenoids that control your anti lock brakes. Well, it's located too close to the turbo, and it burns out around 50 to 60K. The module costs $500, not including labor. I've posted an in depth message about this on this site. Just search for ABS/TRACS and you should find it.

Second, The Electronic Control Throttle goes out on these babys. Mine did, and luckily the replace was still covered by the 70K electrical warranty. (PS the ABS module isn't). Other people on this site weren't so lucky.

Third, rotate your tires often! When I bought the car (used) it seemed to have new yokohamas on it. Well, I was experiencing shaking at around 60mph from the tires. So I rotate and check the PSI regularly.

So, that seems to be my gripes. I do love the "leather everything" and the heated seats. The seats themselves, are so damn comfortable. It's a nice looking car too! I've got my Thule rack up and it matches my personality to a "T". Sporty, yet useful. Best of luck!

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Do you like your XC?? V70-XC70 1999

posted by stevewa on Tue Mar 2 20:52 CST 2004
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How did you get warranty coverage on your ETM? On my 2000 I was told it was only covered under the 50K bumper-to-bumper (of course mine failed at 54K)

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Do you like your XC?? V70-XC70 1999

posted by gauteng on Tue Mar 30 08:22 CST 2004
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I have a love/ dislike realtionship with my XC. I have owned it through two Moscow winters and now a winter in Poland. The interior is a wonderful place to be, particularly with the heated seats. A heated garage will bring out the fragrance of the Volvo leather overnight which made it that much more inviting.
The AWD system is a little crude and in extreme snow and ice conditions the car will oversteer quite easily ( I have a bent rim to prove it ). Given the nature of the mtor ( small displacement, turbocharged ) it is reasonably linear in throttle response and not harsh. It lacks the refinement of a BMW six but it's voice at full throttle is quite satisfying. I find that it has excellent utility - the cargo area is capacious and the built in restraint nets are a very nice touch. I just took it on a ski trip and we loaded it to the gills but it swallowed it all. My car has only 29K original miles on it so I have yet to experience some of the woes that others have.

The things I don't like is that it has not been reliable as a car should be at this proce point. I had to replace two windshield washer nozzle components in the middle of winter when it only had 16k miles on it. The power door lock failed at 20K miles. At minus 20F, a warning light came on once indicating transmission problems. It's related to a coupling under the hood that doesn't like low temperatures. I can't remember the name. The dealer cleared the light and it never happened again. The brakes are undersized for the mass of the car but this was probably a marketing decision so that they could get truckish looking high profile rubber on 15 inch wheels in the package.

I have done the following mods/upgrades and have been very satisfied with the results.

Volvo SC-901 stereo head unit ( bought from e-Bay) - plug and play - gives you a considerable upgrade in sound quality and features.

Volvo 4x60W factory amp - ( bought from e-Bay ) plug and play if you get the harness from the dealer. It goes under the passenger seat - worthwhile upgrade - wont't wake the neighbors but bumps up the dynamics.

Volvo/Dynaudio speaker upgrade ( bought on special from dealer - very expensive but I got it for less than half) the sound is very detailed and silky smooth. Bass transients improved - could still use a subwoofer but I don't want to spend any more.

Volvo V70 Type R Muffler Section - great upgrade - puts some bass into the exhaust note but does not drone like aftermarket pipes. Improves the appearance of the rear by getting rid of the bumper cap on the left side.

Reverse Flow Intercooler Piping from Volvo 850 - this noticeably improves transient throttle response but also increases induction noise marginally. Probably best if used with an ECU upgrade to exploit improved airflow.

O.E. Third Seat Kit from Volvo World (Price mistake ? -$ 220 shipped)

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