Volvo Owners Club Forum - View Single Post

NMB · May 17th, 2022, 07:20

CAREFUL!!!!!

These are expensive cars with alot of technology in them back when they were new. Yes they will last for ever if they are well looked after but you must watch out for cars that have been neglected by their last owner; that have basically been driven and not serviced.

Preventative maintaince and servicing is key else you could just be buying somone elses problem. For me, these are the things that I would check to get a story about the car you are lloking at buying:

1) Check the MOT history here: https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history - look for the fails and see what it failed on. Hanbreak will always be listed but check for other items such as poor tyres, bulbs etc for fails. Also check the mileage matches each MOT.
2) Look at the brand of tryes on the vehicle - Pirelli = suggestion that money has been spend on quality - cheap brands suggest low value spend on maintainence.
3) Check the service hictory with the car: if the car is on 200k miles then the timing belt will be very much due - any evidence this has been changed? If there isnt then remove the timing belt top cover and look for writing on the back of the belt to see the wear.
4) Look at the number plates, do they match? Are they origional? This will tell you about front / rear accident damage.
5) Checkl the dipsticks and smell the oil.
6) Check, the coolant tank for any unwanted residue.
7) Look underneath for any obisous clean areas on components like drop links, lower arms etc as this suggests maintainence.
9) Look at the interior wear on the drivers seat - - if high wear from getting in/out of the car then its likely that the car has done lots of low mileage trips - its not a warning but tells you about the car.
10) check for messages on the dashboard... Obvious I know!
11) Check the break pads and disks for wear

Most importantly, take the car for a good test drive in auto mode. Drive it very softly and look for clean gearbox changes with no judderinbg or "snappy" changes. The car should float about and be very smooth.

Lastly, forget the colour, wheels, interior or anything else. Buy with your gut listening to the story BUT make sure that when and if you shake hands you keep £1,000 in your back pocket from the deal for repairs in the 1st year of ownership. This is probably the most important part here.

These cars need to be loved and maintained so make sure that this is the case else make sure you buy it for a very good price with a view to spend to bring it up to standard. This could just mean servicing but will likely mean component changes and an unknown spend to get the car sorted.

Remember, if the gearbox is dead then its probably not worth spending money to buy the car as its a HUGE job to swap out a gear box on these.

Hope this helps.

Nigel.

May 17th, 2022, 07:20	#5
NMB Volvo XC90 T6 & XC90 D5 Last Online: Mar 19th, 2024 16:44 Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Marple	CAREFUL!!!!! These are expensive cars with alot of technology in them back when they were new. Yes they will last for ever if they are well looked after but you must watch out for cars that have been neglected by their last owner; that have basically been driven and not serviced. Preventative maintaince and servicing is key else you could just be buying somone elses problem. For me, these are the things that I would check to get a story about the car you are lloking at buying: 1) Check the MOT history here: https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history - look for the fails and see what it failed on. Hanbreak will always be listed but check for other items such as poor tyres, bulbs etc for fails. Also check the mileage matches each MOT. 2) Look at the brand of tryes on the vehicle - Pirelli = suggestion that money has been spend on quality - cheap brands suggest low value spend on maintainence. 3) Check the service hictory with the car: if the car is on 200k miles then the timing belt will be very much due - any evidence this has been changed? If there isnt then remove the timing belt top cover and look for writing on the back of the belt to see the wear. 4) Look at the number plates, do they match? Are they origional? This will tell you about front / rear accident damage. 5) Checkl the dipsticks and smell the oil. 6) Check, the coolant tank for any unwanted residue. 7) Look underneath for any obisous clean areas on components like drop links, lower arms etc as this suggests maintainence. 9) Look at the interior wear on the drivers seat - - if high wear from getting in/out of the car then its likely that the car has done lots of low mileage trips - its not a warning but tells you about the car. 10) check for messages on the dashboard... Obvious I know! 11) Check the break pads and disks for wear Most importantly, take the car for a good test drive in auto mode. Drive it very softly and look for clean gearbox changes with no judderinbg or "snappy" changes. The car should float about and be very smooth. Lastly, forget the colour, wheels, interior or anything else. Buy with your gut listening to the story BUT make sure that when and if you shake hands you keep £1,000 in your back pocket from the deal for repairs in the 1st year of ownership. This is probably the most important part here. These cars need to be loved and maintained so make sure that this is the case else make sure you buy it for a very good price with a view to spend to bring it up to standard. This could just mean servicing but will likely mean component changes and an unknown spend to get the car sorted. Remember, if the gearbox is dead then its probably not worth spending money to buy the car as its a HUGE job to swap out a gear box on these. Hope this helps. Nigel. Last edited by NMB; May 17th, 2022 at 07:24.