1996 850 - That's all she wrote

Well, so much for that one.

A couple of days ago, doing about 65 mph in the passing lane of Route 128 around Boston, my 1996 850 suddenly decided to shift itself into neutral and stay there.

Fortunately, I managed to coast safely across two lanes of traffic to the side of the road. I had it towed to the nearest Volvo dealer where they've determined it needs a new tranmission ($3200). While they were at it, they pointed out that I need new tie rod ends, steering knuckles, and motor mounts. Also, at 65,000 miles I'm almost due for a timing belt. They offered to do it all, in two weeks, for a mere $ 5500.

So, that's it. It's over. Just two weeks ago I gave it a new exhaust system ($650). Now I've paid for the tow, a $50 cab ride, missed a day of work, and I've got to get it out of the dealer's lot before they start charging me for storage. I'll probably have to donate it to charity, which means I have to pay them to tow it away. I've spent a fortune on this car, including the purchase two years ago and the fact that it now has zero value, it's cost about $500/month.

65,000 miles and not worth the price to fix it.

Anyone out there want it?

I will never buy another Volvo (though my wife still drives our other '96

850).

-----

-RL ('76 262, '78 264, '87 240, '89 240, '96 850)

Reply to
Robert Lutwak
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Did you buy it new? It is hard to believe there is a '96 850 out there with less than 100K on it.

If it was a wagon, it would be worth fixing even if you just sold it.

Reply to
Stephen Henning

find a used tranny and sway it out for $800 including labor.......there are prob 100k miles left on the car....

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

find a used tranny and sway it out for $800 including labor.......there are prob 100k miles left on the car....

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

find a used tranny and swap it out for $800 including labor.......there are prob 100k miles left on the car....

don't take an old volvo to a dealer...ever...they just want you to get into a newer one....find a good local machanic/volvo shop......

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

I'd sure take it if I were nearby, junkyard tranny $150, timing belt and water pump $150, motor mounts and tie rod ends $100 or so, figure about a weekend and it'd be a heck of a car at a great price.

Reply to
James Sweet

Is this car turbo?

Where are you located?

What is exterior color? Interior color?

Reply to
Pat Quadlander

Erm...the OP did mention 'the purchase two years ago'.

We just this week went over 69 000 _kilometres_ (

Reply to
Henry

Second opinion?

Junkyard Trans?

Independant shop?

Transmission shop?

Sure Volvo might be a better idea, but I am sure the trans can be repaired by any shop that has experence with european transmissions--Volvo, good as they are does not make their own transmissions, and I suspect that soon enough the jointly developed and (?) produced GM/Ford 6 speed slushbox will find it's way under Volvo hoods as well...

Click and clack are in your city too, you know...

Reply to
Steve

I think that vehicle has a Japanese Aisin-Warner transmission, so a tranny shop which works on lots of Toyotas would be a good choice.

John

Reply to
John Horner

Thank you all for your condolences.

The car is dark gray, has a perfect black leather interior and drives beautifully (up until last Monday, that is). The AC works (probably still does too). It's got a factory stereo with CD (sorry I don't recall the SC#) to which I added Infinity speakers and a 12-disc Pioneer CD changer.

KBB value is somewhere betweeh $3-4K.

I bought it two years ago for $3000 at 58,000 miles. The reason I got it relatively cheap is that it had been in a an accident, and the hood, grill and front left headlight and fender were replaced. It has a "reconstructed" title. Perhaps the accident was the origin of the tranny problem, but I doubt it, beyond the front left corner, there is no sign of damage under the hood.

I first saw the dreaded "flashing up arrow" over a year ago. I took it to my foreign mechanic, who sent me to a tranny shop where they said they couldn't work on it because they don't have the VADIS computer. They sent me to the dealer who told me then (a year ago) that I needed a transmission. On the advice of this group, I instead had the tranny flushed and it has worked pretty well ever since. I've occasionally gotten the flashing up-arrow but it usually went away after a couple of restarts (see my earlier posts to this group).

Now the car is parked at a different dealer, 30 miles away. It's undrivable and this dealer also declares that it needs a new tranny, for $3200. The car is obviously a lemon and wouldn't be worth $3200 after the repair. I need to get it towed away by the end of the week or the dealer will start charging me storage.

Just getting it towed home would probably cost me $100. I suppose, if I owned a tow truck, I could drive it around to tranny shops until I found someone who could fix it, but I don't own a tow truck. Nor do I have the time to shop for a tranny in a junk yard and install it myself. Perhaps most importantly, I need a car to get to work.

If you would like to have it towed away from 128 Volvo, at the intersection of 128 and 93, just north of Boston, you can have it for $500 (the stereo alone is worth more than that). Send me an Email quickly.

I've always loved Volvos, this is my 7th in 30 years. I've had all of the usual problems over the years, collapsing seats, failed wiring, failed tankpumps, etc., which I took with good humor, but this is totally unacceptable. I will never buy another Volvo.

-----

-RL ('76 264, '76 262, '78 264, '87 240, '89 240, '96 850, '96 850)

Reply to
Robert Lutwak

just swap it out w/one running ok...it is cheaper and faster...in my expierence...(on my 3rd one in a 1993 940t)....aprox

3 hrs labor...
Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

Probably more labor in an 850 since they're FWD, but I've never done major work on one so I can't say for sure.

Reply to
James Sweet

"reconstructed"

transmission.

Location?? If it's near Seattle I can go pick it up this weekend and pay the storage fee.

A dead transmission hardly makes the car a lemon, it's just a dead transmission. Now if the car had the same fault multiple times then it could be considered a lemon, but most of the time "lemon" just means the mechanic is incompetent.

Reply to
James Sweet

I'm pretty sure you have to pull the engine to pull the transmission on the 850s. Not a fun job, also why replacing the clutch on said cars is quite spendy.

Reply to
Alex Zepeda

Robert, I would reconsider your decision to let it go. The car is worth a lot more than you think. Don't let you dissapointment over ride the real value of the vehicle which is a lot more than a mere $500. Spend an afternoon to find a used transmission on the net or a local salvage yard. I think that's what I'd do if I had your problem.

Best of luck.

Reply to
bitstream

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