I have owned a 240 and a 740 in the past. They were quite economical to own and I really loved driving them. Recently I found a cream puff 1998 base S70. Not a single scratch or ding on it. The mileage is 93k and the price is $7995.00 from a small dealer. It drives very nicely and I really would like to own it. What specific things should I look for in a used S70 purchase? I am a decent shade-tree mechanic with the right service manual. Will this more "modern" Volvo let me do that?

Also my quick search of the WWW found many negative reviews of the S70. That really bugged me because I really like the car. I realize it's more the bad experiences that get ink but what is the real realiability/cost record of the S70? Any suggestions greatly appreciated and thanks in advance!

I have 72K on a '98 GLT (light turbo).

It's been a good car and is aging well.

Make sure you have service records and have it inspected by a mechanic who is familiar with the 850/70 series.

Be prepared to devote a certain amount of time and money to its care and feeding. Your particular ratio of time to money depends on the amount of work that you can do yourself.

Good luck,

Bryan

if its an auto ...check the box, then re check it, then find out when (if...) the fluid was changed, then pull a sample of the fluid and check if its burnt...

volvo do a sort of fluid for life line on these boxes, but also say ifthe cars heavily used (aka taxi) change every 35k...most people in the know change every 30k anyway..did mine at 60k (suspect original fluid as it had full volvo service history) and was VERY glad i did...

other than that check for oil leaks between the engine and box...leaks = blown rear seal...say hello to an expensive job, but bear in mind my indy mechanic says they ALL go in time (he says somewhere from 30k t0 150k no rhyme or reason when...)so unless its been done if i did find a leak i would use it to negotiate...on the basis of i would probably need to do it some time...

the uper engien mount will be shot (look for a tear in the central beam) easy fix (like $20 and 20 minutes and some ingenuity) - unless its been done, again a good negotiating point...

check the air con, if the core in the dash is leaking its BIG money - and not easy DIY...

but its rather like a 740...they have their week points but IMHO the 850/v70 is a good car..(and i have a 940 too, which by comparision is more grief..but higher milage and builti n belgium rather than sweden...)

Check out the owner surveys at Kino's Volvo website. http://kinovolvo.velez.ws/

After 146,000 miles, I've a pretty complete collection of repair receipts for everything except for the airpump.

My car still uses no oil between changes, the 5-speed transmission still shifts like new and the clutch is still the original one. Mine is a T5 and it's still fun to drive, the fact that it's fun makes up for a lot! I may buy a V70R next. Or maybe not.....

'98 V70 T5M, 146k, IPD stabilizer bars, Bilstein HD, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, e-codes, V-1

I had a '98 S70GLT ( traded it in for a V70T5) and put just short of 98K trouble free miles on it. The '98 was the last year with the mechanical throttle ( no electronic headaches ) and a regular distributor cap and wires ( no individual coils etc ). It was very easy to maintain and a joy to drive. If you like the car I would go for it. Just make sure that the timing belt has been replaced (big money if it fails), and see if it has maintenance records etc.

Things to look out for:
1) Timing belt replacement
2) Rear main oil leaks
3) Flame trap cleanliness (for non turbos)
4) Debonded interior door panels ( they were a factory recall)
5) Headlight harness recall action performed (longer bulb life)
6) All the other stuff you would look out for in a used car, tires, brakes, tools, spare tire, window seals, door seals, radio, etc.

I'm not sure this was a recall. My '98 S70 GLT had this door panel problem. My dealer refused to fix it due to mileage beyond warranty limits, yet the car was less than three years old. My gripe was that this failure was a well-documented problem with S70's, and not mileage-related. Bobby Rahal Volvo in Pittsburgh told me to 'pound dirt' anyway--and never said anything about a recall. (I haven't seen it on any recall lists either).

Check the search function on this site, if you have not already done so. The biggie may be whether the electronic throttle unit has been replaced--it's a $1K issue usually arising around 60 thousand miles.
Other than that, if you're comfortable working on front wheel drive vehicles, it won't be a lot different. I suspect that if the door panels on this car were going to delaminate, they'd have done it by now.
Do you have a continuous maintenance / repair history available on the car?
--
We have met the enemy and they is us. [Pogo] S70 T5 cop car : Rough Rider tires& suspension, Walmart fog lights, eBay speakers, ambiance by Pall Mall, trim by Le Duc d'Tape, 8-channel THD by OEM amps

Amen to all.....

I own a 98 S70 with 132000 miles and so far the list of repairs is as follows, obviously not including the standard maintainance.

1: Front and rear shocks/struts
2: Fan blower capacitor twice ($65 replacement)
3: Erratic door locks/fuel lid not opening. My fuel door will not open if the passenger side door lock button is used to open or close the door locks.
4: Top engine mount ($20)
5: ABS/TRACS module failing. Got fixed for $130 from a repair shop in CA. I shipped them the module and they repaired, tested and sent it back to me in 3 days. Volvo charges $650 for a new unit.

I change my oil every 7000 to 9000 miles (i use Mobil 1 Synthetic) and my S70 runs very well!!! I have heard some stories with 1999 models and up that had electronic throttle body issues.

So far the car has not left me stranded. It is a really reliable work horse! Solid, practical and nothing compares a volvo in safety

I would have the car looked over by a volvo dealer or a reputable import mechanic who knows their volvos. The best way to negotiate a better price is by spending about an hour or so of labor time to have the car checked over. Volvo dealers can do a 101 point inspection and can check everything and all the trouble spots.

The price sound about reasonable.

Good luck!