I found a 1998 V90 with what appears to be a legit 20,000 miles. It's got a leather interior, looks like aluminum wheels, pretty nice shape. I'm currently a 240 owner and I really like my current wagon. I don't know anything about the V90. What should I look for when I go to test drive the car? Any rust issues? Known mechanical issues? Things to look for interior wise? Please educate me.

Hello.I was wondering if you bought the 98 V90... I recently bought a 98 V90 wagon with the inline 6 cyl. If yours has the same engine,could you please check the vacuum hoses routing at the intake manifold? At the vacuum block. It has 6 ports.

The seller had pawned the title at Titlemax 2 days before I got there to look at the car. No title, no deal. The car was very nice and I made a deal to buy it. Then he hit me with the title issue. I walked away.

I agree. Title in hand. I went with a seller to a bank a few years ago and they said they would mail the title to me and I said no deal without the title and they got it out of the vault notorized it and gave it to me.

Jim

That would be the same as a title that a bank had possesion of. You could go with him to titlemax and settle with him and titlemax and they could notorize the tile.
Assuming that the amount owed was not more than you were willing to pay.

Jim

No, they don't keep the title at the location. They store them off site. They would give me a letter that the title was being sent to the seller to clear his debt. It would have taken 5 to 7 business days for HIM to get the title, and then the title would still be in Augusta, GA with him while I'm in Columbia, SC. I have a firm policy, title in my hand when I give you cash. I don't make exceptions.

Thank you to everyone that has responded. I have spoken to the seller and will look at it one day this week. If it is as represented I will buy it. Unfortunately, I will have a 1.5 hour drive on the interstate home. But once i get it here I will swap the belts, hoses, fluids, fuel filter, plugs and wires, and timing belt. I bet I end up putting tires on it.

Speaking of which, will a set of Hydra wheels from a 740 fit on this car? I have a set with some tires with 85% tread left on my 240. I could just swap them over.

This car does not have spark plug wires to change. There is a coil per cylinder mounted on top of the plug.You remove the coils to change the plugs.
When you change the timing belt also change the tensioner the idler bearings and the water pump. The water pump is driven by the timing belt.
When changing the hoses, also change the heater control. As you are looking from the front of the car it is on the firewall to the right of the engine in one of the heater hoses.
On the rubber air intake mounted to the throttle body there is a flame trap that releases internal crankcase pressure into the air intake. Remove it and clean it. More info in Frequently asked questions.
Other tan the obvious like filters plugs, etc. these are some things to do to have a dependable car.
As far as the 740 wheels, I don't think they will work as they may not clear the caliper on the front wheels.
Bottom line V90 is a great dependable car if you take care of the maintenance.
One other thing-get a code reader and carry an extra coil or two. They are easy to change with some basic tools.

Jimo

After you test drive it and find that you like it make a deal to buy it if the owner will permit you to take it to a Volvo mechanic/shop to give it the once over.

A Pre-buy check is somemthing that most Volvo shops -- even dealers--- will perform for a reasonable fee... Usually billed as an Hours Labor at whatever rate they normally charge/hour.
The Volvo shop will most likely be more familiar with the V90 than a 240 these days.

Find out when and if the timing belt was changed, it' too old to be trusted!
Dan

Yep, belts and hoses and seals, too. And it may be worth the 25 bucks to invest in a bore scope for an iPhone. A 22 year old car with 20k can be rusting from the inside out.

Check the condition of all rubber components! It is a 21 year old car and rubber deteriorates especially if the car has been kept outside. As mentioned check tires, also suggest eyeballing all hoses, belts, bushings etc. Speaking of belts, check to see if the timing belt has been changed. That car has an interference engine and if the belt is more than 10 years old it needs to be changed ASAP. While there check the condition of the serpentine belt too.

Check it over for rust. However, V90’s, S90’s and 960’s (essentially the same car) are much less prone to rust than 240’s. Being a newer design, they have more modern rust protection technologies applied to them. I don’t recall ever seeing a rusted one and I live in the NE rust belt!

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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....

As with any car -- find out as much about the history of it as you can. If it's from the S.E., rust shouldn't be an issue, assuming it didn't come from the coast. Get it on a lift if you can --- nothing like getting under one. Corrosion and leak checks will tell the tale. See if there's any history on regular fluid changes -- all of the fluids. 20+ year old PS, brake and driveline fluids are not ideal. Not a deal breaker -- just something to tend to quickly and help you with price negotiation.

If it sat outside, ungaraged and undriven for long periods of time the interior plastic bits may be in rough shape. Check the date codes on the tires. Probably not worn out in 20k miles - if the original tires are on it (22 years old) -- I wouldn't go very far or fast on them.
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82 242-6.2L; '17 Mazda3; '16 Crosstrek