Need advice on 1998 S70 w/ 26,000 miles...

I have a S70 '99, my wife loves it. It is a very pretty car, drives well, good stereo, dual ac/heat control ( more important than you know), comfortable on long trips.

We paid $9k for ours w 80k miles

j.

Bo wrote:

Bo,

I don't own this model, but have been looking. Here's what I've been told:

1. The non-turbo has adequate performance, without the turbo maintenance/replace expense around 100k (your mileage may vary :).
2. 1998 is a good year for S70, general statistics-wise, for fewer problems.
3. It's a luxury car, be ready to pay the price with regular maintenance from a qualified provider. This means the expensive dealer, or if you are lucky to find a truly experienced Volvo mechanic who works independently. I.e., Bubba's cousin down the street probably does not qualify.

Unless there's something wrong with this car, it should last as long as you want it, and then some. Highly recommend that you take the car for a very inexpensive pre-purchase inspection by a qualified Volvo mechanic. They should confirm for you if the bumper scuffs are only cosmetic, or not, plus give a thorough inspection of all the mechanicals. The notion that little old ladies' cars are good used car opportunities is a myth.

Pat

It *might* be a bargain - but be a *bit* careful!

I'm not quite sure what you'd need to do to an S70 to get through a set of brake pads in 26,000 miles (*and* require the discs to be skimmed)! Is the mileage genuine? Has this old lady owned it from new, or could it have been "clocked"?

If the mileage *is* genuine, she has probably done a lot of short journeys - where the engine has not had time to warm up properly - resulting in a lot more wear than you would otherwise expect at this mileage. If she has made a habit of bashing the corners, what *else* has she done to it? [I assume it's probably an automatic transmission? If it's a manual, the clutch and gearbox has probably had a bashing!]

As someone else has suggested, you should have it expertly inspected by someone who knows what to look for.

Turbo replacement at 100,000???

Are you sure?

I would have expected them to last at least 150k.....

I have to agree with the question about the brakes needing doing at that mileage. Is it worth checking for further signs that it has done more miles, such as seat wear, etc. My V70 has done 26k & pads & discs are still original. I would expect an old lady to have treated hers much better. Buy in haste, repent at leisure...

I would hope current Volvo brake pads can do 26K miles... The rotors on our

maybe grandma drives with 1 foot pushing and receeding on accelerator, alternating with the other foot pushing/receeding on the brake? can't say this is the preferred grandma style, but we've all driven with or driven behind someone like this sporting some sexy gray-blue hair do? sorry for the age-stereotyping. not meant as a universal judgment, but simply alluding to a noticeable tendency. correspondingly, i would refer back to my earlier post that not all "little old lady 1st owners" are necessarily a well treated vehicle.

That's one possibility. Another is that her reaction time is a bit slow, requiring harder stops. A third, as stated earlier, is the around-town driving regime: short trips cost more in brake usage. (Those trips may, however, still be long enough for proper engine warmup.)

Many drivers simply accelerate up to the stop sign rather than letting off the accelerator. If they did, they'd see thta the vehicle doesn't slow appreciably in a short distance. It slows enough,though, to require less braking force.

Rusty rotors from lack of use could cause accelerated pad wear.