90LS400Lexus Posted November 6, 2007 Posted November 6, 2007 I am looking for a Lexus, but really any car in general.. something safe and economical to drive to work. My uncle had good luck with the older Volvos, but never had one this new. I do not know anyone that has owned one this new. I am wondering if anyone here has ever owned one, or knows anything about them. I found an excellent 1999 S80 (2.9L), in EC, with 135K for $4800. Everything has checked out fine. I am just wondering if anyone knows of any trouble spots w/these cars. Thanks in advance.
90LS400Lexus Posted November 6, 2007 Author Posted November 6, 2007 Nevermind (and/or please delete). I just went and found a Volvo forum and did a little searching on the S80 forum. Well, I found a person that posted, also considering the same year of S80 and many replied and advised to stay away from the 1999-2000 S80. Obviously, they are not like they used to be in the 80s and early 90s. :(
nc211 Posted November 6, 2007 Posted November 6, 2007 Volvos have a bad habit of burning out light bulbs, lots and lots of light bulbs!
98es Posted November 7, 2007 Posted November 7, 2007 My stepmom had a 2000 S80 turbo... it was a big piece of crap when it came to electrical issues. It was a really nice ride but they spent thousands on electrical issues. I remember the first time i took it out by myself i was driving and all of the sudden all these buzzing alarms started going off and the display read: BRAKE FAILURE PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY! I pulled over and called my dad, who told me it happens to them all the time and its okay.... haha. Anyways, i would stay away. Good Luck!
90LS400Lexus Posted November 7, 2007 Author Posted November 7, 2007 LOL.. thanks! That kinda reminds me of my aunts 2002 GMC Yukon XL SLE. Her fuel gauge always reads "empty" and the message center always has a huge and brought orange square that blinks "LOW FUEL", even when the tank is full. GM said its a computer glitch. This SUV has always been babied and garaged and still looks like new, inside and out. Strange thing is that I have an uncle that has a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban... his does the same thing, but his also flashes over to "HAVE ENGINE SERVICED" as well. He has taken to the dealer and they say its just a computer (thats about $700) and not to worry about it He finally had it repaired though. My stepmom had a 2000 S80 turbo... it was a big piece of crap when it came to electrical issues. It was a really nice ride but they spent thousands on electrical issues. I remember the first time i took it out by myself i was driving and all of the sudden all these buzzing alarms started going off and the display read: BRAKE FAILURE PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY! I pulled over and called my dad, who told me it happens to them all the time and its okay.... haha. Anyways, i would stay away. Good Luck!
option00002 Posted November 7, 2007 Posted November 7, 2007 Well, it appears you have already found your answer. Regardless, I will confirm that the '99 S80 is an utter toilet. Mind you the 2.9 engine originated in 1995 and was well suited to its original application e.g. rear wheel drive sedan. That said, I owned a 1998 V90 and it was a phenominal car owed in large part to the rear wheel drive. I sold it w/ 175k on the clock and it was still running extremely strong with relatively minimal issues. The 2000 S80 2.9 is arguably much better (than the '99) and I have a number of friends who currently own/have had them and all in all could not fault them. (I would seek out a '97/'98 S/V 90 or a '00 S70 SE - these are boxy .) Otherwise, the newer the model, the better it gets. As another poster mentioned run away from the T6 version (twin turbo) as that is the biggest toilet of them all. Lastly, Volvo incorporated the 5cyl Turbo into the 2004 S80 and on. That is an excellent drivetrain and can also be found in the s60,v70,xc70 and xc90. And no the brand is nothing like it was in the mid 80s to mid 90s.
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