I am considering buying a '98 V70 T5 5-sp with 60k miles from 2nd owner, and would very much appreciate hearing from other V70 owners regarding reliability, weaknesses, strengths, trouble spots, etc.

All V70s have their share of problems/weaknesses. Almost all fixes are much better than the problem they replace. The 1998 FWD or (especially) AWD is the most problem prone. Get a FWD of any year, unless you need AWD. Then get a 1999, 2000, 2002-4. We have had our 1999 V70 GLT for 2 years. Had the air mass flowmeter, turbo seals, upper engine torque strut rubber, "bubbling" door panels, and rear broken anti-sway bar replaced under warranty. All common problems.

The car has never left us stranded and is a fantastic riding, handling and performing wagon, the best I have ever driven. I've driven the Passat, Saab, Mercedes, and been in the BMW.

Strongly recommend an extended warranty. A pre-owned with the Certified 100,000 mile warranty is a good deal ($50 "copay" for anything after the factory warranty is gone).

Just go through the posts to see common problems and fixes. BUT REMEMBER, most people posting here are posting because they are having a problem This does not mean ALL V70s (or any Volvo if you visit the other model forums) will have problems. Several people have posted that even their 1998 has been trouble free (but in general you might want to avoid the 1998 or 2001).

I had a lot of electrical problems that were fixed during the warranty period. Now that my warranty has run out, I have had zero problems.

Our '98 XC with AWD had had the air pump replaced, and otherwise has been completely free of issues, only scheduled maintenance and brake pads. Actually, there was one other item: by 40k, it was going in and out of converter lock-up very harshly, particularly noticeable in mountain driving in teh 50 or so MPH range, up and dopwn hills. Local dealer response twice was its normal. Finally, before the warranty expired, I took it to a much more respected dealer a little farther away, who said nothing to it, just needs a flush. I really didn't believe them, but tried anyway, and it completely cured it, for free since they covered the flush under warranty too. The car gets very mixed use, from 3 mile commutes to skiing in Maine and NH, Boston city driving, shuttling kids, etc. So far its right up to snuff compared to the rest of our older Volvo's at the same point. I really believe that a lot of Volvo "problems" are directly tied to poor dealer service / knowledge, so find yourself a really well thought of mechanic and keep maintenance current for a great Volvo experience.
Mike
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Mike Sullivan ('91 745 (171k), '93 965 (147k), '95 855T (60k), '98 V70XC (78k). Past Volvo's: '85 744 (256k), '86 245 (165k), '86 245 (195k), '88 745 (208k).

Thanks to all for the input. I get the sense that you responders, and other posters, are very happy with their car when things are working right, that the cars must have scheduled maintenance performed, and dealerships - at best - have a spotty record.

In case you're interested, I had the car inspected yesterday by a co-worker's brother who used to be a Volvo mechanic and owns several himself. He was very thorough and found some problems: leaking radiator, bad fr tranny mount, bad fr mtr mount, original coolant and fuel filter, bad front tie rod bushings, bad front stabilizer bar bushings, oil leak around turbo, worn timing belt, bad fr strut, needs tune-up, dirty throttle-body - basically the car has not been well maintained. Mechanic also mentioned that ABS modules, and A/C evaporators are prone to failure around 70-75k mi. But engine and tranny are tight, with good exterior and VG interior, so I haven't given up as long as price is right.

What about city/hwy gas mileage? tire wear (car is fwd)? were roof racks an option with these?

It sounds like your mechanic friend has identified most of the trouble spots. The A/C evaporator can fail at ANY time, though -- ours died at 36,000 miles -- and be prepared for an expensive fix, because they have to pull the dashboard to get at it.

Broken motor mounts are par for the course as well but not so expensive to fix.

You're wise to avoid AWD cars because they're ultra-sensitive and are known for having their bevel gears go south. We have a '99 AWD, wouldn't do it again.

The electrics on '98s and '99s are congenital problem areas, especially things like power doors/windows, and the glue that holds interior door/ceiling materials on is known to fail -- Volvo used some eco-friendly glue that doesn't hold up.

You will also have to do the timing belt shortly.

The cars do demand rigorous, regular, time-consuming maintenance so if your prior experience is with Japanese or US cars you should brace yourself for a little culture change. They are definitely comfortable, a ball to drive when they're working right, and safe as the Bank of England, but I do not think they are generally "reliable" in a peace-of-mind, Consumer Reports kind of way.

We bought our '99 V70 new (got it from Sweden via the European Delivery plan -- very fun) and had fantasies that we'd send our son off to college with this "brick" when he's a freshman in 2012... well, after four and a half years with the (faithfully maintained) car, we understand the car is no brick at all and it's not going to live to be fifteen years old... not without insane ownership costs, anyway... two or three more years, max, and I expect we'd be looking at a Lexus or Infiniti next time.

I would be terrified to try to keep my V70 around over the 100,000 mile mark, which is a shame... Volvos of a generation ago were said to be "just getting broken in" at that point, but these are not those cars.

Good luck with yours, though, and keep sticking dollars whenever you can in that car-repair money market fund.

As an earlier poster mentioned, experiences vary greatly. I just passed 110K. Very minimal issues in the 2 years I've had it (mostly interior bits and pieces)--nothing terrifying. These cars do seem to do better as they age--forum is littered with stories of huge warranty repairs back when these cars were newer. I could just be lucky but I'd also caution you to keep a "big picture" view as the car ages--running to the dealer for every non-essential or cosmetic issue just burns money with no real payback. Older 850/70's aren't worth much. Just sit back and enjoy--they really are great driver's cars.
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Scott - '98 V70 T5M