Volvo Community Forum. The Forums of the Volvo Owners Club

Forum Rules Volvo Owners Club About VOC Volvo Gallery Links Volvo History Volvo Press
Go Back   Volvo Owners Club Forum > "Technical Topics" > XC90 '02–'15 General

Notices

XC90 '02–'15 General Forum for the P2-platform XC90 model

Information
  • VOC Members: There is no login facility using your VOC membership number or the details from page 3 of the club magazine. You need to register in the normal way
  • AOL Customers: Make sure you check the 'Remember me' check box otherwise the AOL system may log you out during the session. This is a known issue with AOL.
  • AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net users. Forum owners such as us are finding that AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net are blocking a lot of email generated from forums. This may mean your registration activation and other emails will not get to you, or they may appear in your spam mailbox

Thread Informations

Land Rover...

Views : 1088

Replies : 18

Users Viewing This Thread :  

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old Oct 11th, 2021, 14:55   #1
bensz1
Junior Member
 

Last Online: Oct 11th, 2021 22:26
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Edinburgh
Default Land Rover...

All,

I have been researching what family car to buy next and had settled on a XC90 given I had an 850 T5 in the past and it was bulletproof. I should never have my 850!

A friend heard I was looking for a 4x4 and said why don't I lend his Discovery 3 in the meantime till I find what I'm looking for.

Less than 500 miles of "looking after" the Disco 3 I am already booked into a LR specialist in 1 months time. That's the earliest they could see me....!

So, this has sped up my search for an XC90.

I want the D5 engine but for no more than £8k is there a model I should specifically look out for in terms of reliability etc. I plan on being pretty fussy with regards to history, no. of owners etc.

As I'm fast becoming a LR expert it sounds as though I am driving the model known for its issues, so keen to avoid making a similar mistake when buying an XC90.
__________________
Volvo 850 T5 1997
bensz1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Oct 11th, 2021, 16:58   #2
Familyman 90
The Brit Brick
 
Familyman 90's Avatar
 

Last Online: Aug 13th, 2023 10:39
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Warwickshire
Default

That puts you well into 2010 on "200" territory, the most reliable of the bunch.

They don't suffer AWD transmission, injector and leaky core plug issues like the 163 can (although owned my 163 from new and suffered none of these).

They're less prone to swirl flap issues like the 185 (although my 185 has been owned from new and not suffered either).

They do have a DPF, but don't suffer problems on their own - if the DPF acts up its invariably a symptom of a fault somewhere else.

The 200 is the best equipped and has the benefit of having had most of the niggles designed out, and your budget gets you into range of a decent one. Its the best equipped, most refined, most economical model...although economy is relative.

Watch for evidence that someone has tried to run it on the cheap, stuff like budget tyres, cheapo garage servicing instead of dealer or a proper volvo or XC specialist - they are fearsomely complex machines and Fred in a Shed might be able to handle a Focus, but these ild buses are a different league altogether.

Most will be at the age/mileage that the timing belt will have been done. Its imperstive that only genuine Volvo belts have been used, so check the invoices. Pattern aux belts have a habit of failing, becoming entangled in the timing belt and causing a lot of damage.

Check the transmission is smooth and takes up forward and reverse drive without any undue knocks or jerks. Ideally you want evidence of a proper fluid change, but provided the box behaves itself you're good and you can get the fluid done ASAP after purchase.

Our 200, like our others was utterly trouble free, but then I never tried to cut corners or save money on maintenance. If it needed doing, it got done immediately and no messing. Great car, and we only traded in that one instead of my 185 because my 185 has Polestar and is punchier than the 200, and because the 185 is an R Design and I prefer the slightly sharper steering on the country lanes around these parts.

I'm sure the rest of the team will be along soon with sage and sensible advice, so I'll wish you au revoir and the best of luck. Hell, you might even end up with our old car...!
__________________
2005 C70 2.4T Collection convertible. 40,000 mile sunny day toy.
Familyman 90 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Oct 11th, 2021, 17:46   #3
bensz1
Junior Member
 

Last Online: Oct 11th, 2021 22:26
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Edinburgh
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Familyman 90 View Post
That puts you well into 2010 on "200" territory, the most reliable of the bunch.

They don't suffer AWD transmission, injector and leaky core plug issues like the 163 can (although owned my 163 from new and suffered none of these).

They're less prone to swirl flap issues like the 185 (although my 185 has been owned from new and not suffered either).

They do have a DPF, but don't suffer problems on their own - if the DPF acts up its invariably a symptom of a fault somewhere else.

The 200 is the best equipped and has the benefit of having had most of the niggles designed out, and your budget gets you into range of a decent one. Its the best equipped, most refined, most economical model...although economy is relative.

Watch for evidence that someone has tried to run it on the cheap, stuff like budget tyres, cheapo garage servicing instead of dealer or a proper volvo or XC specialist - they are fearsomely complex machines and Fred in a Shed might be able to handle a Focus, but these ild buses are a different league altogether.

Most will be at the age/mileage that the timing belt will have been done. Its imperstive that only genuine Volvo belts have been used, so check the invoices. Pattern aux belts have a habit of failing, becoming entangled in the timing belt and causing a lot of damage.

Check the transmission is smooth and takes up forward and reverse drive without any undue knocks or jerks. Ideally you want evidence of a proper fluid change, but provided the box behaves itself you're good and you can get the fluid done ASAP after purchase.

Our 200, like our others was utterly trouble free, but then I never tried to cut corners or save money on maintenance. If it needed doing, it got done immediately and no messing. Great car, and we only traded in that one instead of my 185 because my 185 has Polestar and is punchier than the 200, and because the 185 is an R Design and I prefer the slightly sharper steering on the country lanes around these parts.

I'm sure the rest of the team will be along soon with sage and sensible advice, so I'll wish you au revoir and the best of luck. Hell, you might even end up with our old car...!
Thanks alot for the very detailed advice. Certainly narrows down the shopping list!
__________________
Volvo 850 T5 1997
bensz1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Oct 11th, 2021, 19:08   #4
ltec
Member
 

Last Online: May 27th, 2023 23:47
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Northern Ireland
Default

The xc90 has more failures on handbrake than any other make of car. The handbrake is an absolute joke. And to make it worse is pressed on with your wee toe.
It has to be automatic as its not suitable for manual which increases fuel consumption.
Mine is sore on fuel at about 27 mpg. You would think the mpg would have improved from the early one to the 185 but its actually worse. I dont know if the 200 has improved mpg.
Its towing capacity is very low for the weight of it. The disco is twice the towing car.
The dpf does give trouble, the automatic gearboxes give trouble, the haldex diff gives trouble. Take a wee search through this forum if you want proof.
They don't handle well cornering on twisty roads but are comfortable on long journeys.
They are now starting to show signs of rot.
My 2010 rear subframe isn't rotten but looks rough enough. Im going to get it treated. I believe another 3 or 4 years will make a big difference.
Volvo try to tie everything up to make you go back to the dealer which are absolute rip off.
A lot of members on here look after their own cars so they are not hard to look after.
Get decent quality parts like lemforder suspension and skf bearings. Sometimes half the price of genuine and just as good. The park shoes need to be genuine though.I've just bought mannol transmission oil at nearly half the price of genuine. Volvo say it doesn't need changed but on here disagrees. Some dealer quotes on here for fixing things would right the car off.
I would recommend the vida computer they use on here as running back and forward to a dealer would put your smoke out.
There are some good mechanics on here with a lot of knowledge of the xc90 so you won't be stuck.
They are very comfortable and safe and well put together.
The disco 4 is supposed to have a lot of the disco 3 problems sorted out.
The problem is all cars have got worse. I used to judge a car on how it went through mot. Now mot is the least of your worries.

Last edited by ltec; Oct 11th, 2021 at 19:24.
ltec is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Oct 11th, 2021, 20:09   #5
bensz1
Junior Member
 

Last Online: Oct 11th, 2021 22:26
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Edinburgh
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ltec View Post
The xc90 has more failures on handbrake than any other make of car. The handbrake is an absolute joke. And to make it worse is pressed on with your wee toe.
It has to be automatic as its not suitable for manual which increases fuel consumption.
Mine is sore on fuel at about 27 mpg. You would think the mpg would have improved from the early one to the 185 but its actually worse. I dont know if the 200 has improved mpg.
Its towing capacity is very low for the weight of it. The disco is twice the towing car.
The dpf does give trouble, the automatic gearboxes give trouble, the haldex diff gives trouble. Take a wee search through this forum if you want proof.
They don't handle well cornering on twisty roads but are comfortable on long journeys.
They are now starting to show signs of rot.
My 2010 rear subframe isn't rotten but looks rough enough. Im going to get it treated. I believe another 3 or 4 years will make a big difference.
Volvo try to tie everything up to make you go back to the dealer which are absolute rip off.
A lot of members on here look after their own cars so they are not hard to look after.
Get decent quality parts like lemforder suspension and skf bearings. Sometimes half the price of genuine and just as good. The park shoes need to be genuine though.I've just bought mannol transmission oil at nearly half the price of genuine. Volvo say it doesn't need changed but on here disagrees. Some dealer quotes on here for fixing things would right the car off.
I would recommend the vida computer they use on here as running back and forward to a dealer would put your smoke out.
There are some good mechanics on here with a lot of knowledge of the xc90 so you won't be stuck.
They are very comfortable and safe and well put together.
The disco 4 is supposed to have a lot of the disco 3 problems sorted out.
The problem is all cars have got worse. I used to judge a car on how it went through mot. Now mot is the least of your worries.
A bit disappointing to read that rot is an issue on these.

My 850 didn't show any signs of rust after 20 years and unless properly sorted you can be chasing your tail with rust/rot.

I've taken my cars to a place in Glasgow that properly treats and underseal cars so if I find an XC90 worth keeping I'll probably do that.
__________________
Volvo 850 T5 1997
bensz1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Oct 11th, 2021, 21:36   #6
AB-UK
Premier Member
 

Last Online: Yesterday 08:21
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Nottingham
Default

No rot or rust on mine.
__________________
2010 XC90 Exec (m/y 2011), Electric Silver
2003 XC90 SE, Ash Gold
1996 850 GLE Estate, Olive Green Pearl
AB-UK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Oct 11th, 2021, 22:13   #7
Tannaton
Bungling Amateur
 
Tannaton's Avatar
 

Last Online: Today 01:22
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Beverley, East Yorks
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ltec View Post
The xc90 has more failures on handbrake than any other make of car. The handbrake is an absolute joke. And to make it worse is pressed on with your wee toe.
Hmmm.... the parking brake is the same as on any P2 Volvo, the issue is the foot pedal operation which drivers do not habitually use when parking up. But the Disco has a joke of a handbrake too which is an electronic conversion bodge job and costs substantially more to fix.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ltec View Post
It has to be automatic as its not suitable for manual which increases fuel consumption. Mine is sore on fuel at about 27 mpg. You would think the mpg would have improved from the early one to the 185 but its actually worse. I dont know if the 200 has improved mpg.
The 185's are more thirsty than the earlier 163's but the 200's are nearly as good as the 163's. But manuals are more economical than the auto's - especially on the E3 163 cars. I think I'm correct in saying manuals were dropped from MY2012 when the 200 BHP cars arrived.


Quote:
Originally Posted by ltec View Post
Its towing capacity is very low for the weight of it. The disco is twice the towing car.
At 2.25 tons it's not bad - the low limit is the 90kg nose weight. The only reason the Disco is 3.5 tons is because it has a low range gearbox (the towing capacity is based on the maximum weight the car car set off from rest on a 1 in 10 hill). The Disco is a better towing car no doubt - it's also a car this is towed a lot more often!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by ltec View Post
The dpf does give trouble, the automatic gearboxes give trouble, the haldex diff gives trouble. Take a wee search through this forum if you want proof. They don't handle well cornering on twisty roads but are comfortable on long journeys. They are now starting to show signs of rot. My 2010 rear subframe isn't rotten but looks rough enough.
The DPF's are fine on otherwise healthy cars - very reliable - as are the later 6 speed boxes and the haldex system is very reliable (as used on VAG 4 Motion cars). Rear subframes do get grotty but only now are we seeing a very few 2003/2004 cars fail MOT with it. You won't find one with body rot - not even the cars nearly 20 years old now - unless it's been repaired/repainted badly.
__________________
2011 XC90 D5 Executive
2003 C70 T5 GT
2012 Ford Ranger XL SC
1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500
1976 Massey Ferguson 135

Last edited by Tannaton; Oct 11th, 2021 at 22:16.
Tannaton is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Tannaton For This Useful Post:
Old Oct 11th, 2021, 22:56   #8
ltec
Member
 

Last Online: May 27th, 2023 23:47
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Northern Ireland
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tannaton View Post
Hmmm.... the parking brake is the same as on any P2 Volvo, the issue is the foot pedal operation which drivers do not habitually use when parking up. But the Disco has a joke of a handbrake too which is an electronic conversion bodge job and costs substantially more to fix.



The 185's are more thirsty than the earlier 163's but the 200's are nearly as good as the 163's. But manuals are more economical than the auto's - especially on the E3 163 cars. I think I'm correct in saying manuals were dropped from MY2012 when the 200 BHP cars arrived.



At 2.25 tons it's not bad - the low limit is the 90kg nose weight. The only reason the Disco is 3.5 tons is because it has a low range gearbox (the towing capacity is based on the maximum weight the car car set off from rest on a 1 in 10 hill). The Disco is a better towing car no doubt - it's also a car this is towed a lot more often!!



The DPF's are fine on otherwise healthy cars - very reliable - as are the later 6 speed boxes and the haldex system is very reliable (as used on VAG 4 Motion cars). Rear subframes do get grotty but only now are we seeing a very few 2003/2004 cars fail MOT with it. You won't find one with body rot - not even the cars nearly 20 years old now - unless it's been repaired/repainted badly.
The disco handbrake isn't more to fix if you know what your doing. But more importantly when fixed will have 3 times the stopping power of an xc90 park brake.
Its still a very poor towing capacity for the weight of the car compared to a tiguan for example which can tow up to 2.5 ton and is considerably lighter. I wouldn't even want 2.25 ton on a steep hill though with the crap park brake.
And yes its subframes I'm talking about rotting. Doesn't matter if the body is good if your suspension arms are attached to a rotten subframe. You say 03 and 04 but I've seen fresher and I said in 3 to 4 years so then the rot will be up to the centre years of the xc90
ltec is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Oct 12th, 2021, 07:19   #9
Familyman 90
The Brit Brick
 
Familyman 90's Avatar
 

Last Online: Aug 13th, 2023 10:39
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Warwickshire
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ltec View Post
It has to be automatic as its not suitable for manual which increases fuel consumption.
Mine is sore on fuel at about 27 mpg. You would think the mpg would have improved from the early one to the 185 but its actually worse..
Sorry, I have owned all 3 flavours simultaneously and my first hand experience over more than 150,000 miles in each of them would suggest that, is simply incorrect. The economy improves with each generation, and the 200 is markedly better than the 163, which one would expect from an engine with greater volumetric efficiency and an extra cog in the box.

27 is not good. Either you have an issue, or you're driving it about town all the time. My 185 returns 34 to 36 average in mixed motoring, and at legal speeds on a long journey easily gives 42. The 200 was a fraction better still, but the 163 managed 32-33 under my supervision, driven over exactly the same journeys on the same roads.

Of course, as I mentioned previously, it's all relative. If economy is of great concern then a 2.2 tonne SUV is not an appropriate type of vehicle to select in the first place. In any event, I have previously owned an X5 3.0 and a Lexus RX300h and the XC's drink less than both of those, so we can't really grumble.

And finally, the 200 only came with the auto box.

The parking brake is an interesting point. None of mine suffered, and all would hold the car properly on any incline. However, all have been serviced properly over the years, and all regularly have the parking brake used so they do not start to seize up and lose efficiency. When my Dad had his Mk1 he never used the brake, only ever left the car in P, and he too started to have problems later in his cars life.

Subframe rotting seems confined to the 163, and with a budget like the OPs hes not be going there - he'll get the nicest, newest, lowest mileage example he can find, and he'll be well into 200 territory.

Something to consider...the chaps above mentioned towing. If thats important to you then stay away from the R Design model, as the 'sporty'exhaust arrangement makes fitting a towbar impossible, as I discovered to my cost after I'd bought mine! That is how I ended up with multiple XC's as instead of selling on the 163 I ended up having to keep it to tow the horse box. In the end my Daughter sold her car and started using the 163 as her own so we didn't have a surplus car knocking about. 13 years later and she's still driving it, and neither of us are sure what it should be replaced with.
__________________
2005 C70 2.4T Collection convertible. 40,000 mile sunny day toy.

Last edited by Familyman 90; Oct 12th, 2021 at 07:50.
Familyman 90 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Oct 12th, 2021, 09:06   #10
Tannaton
Bungling Amateur
 
Tannaton's Avatar
 

Last Online: Today 01:22
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Beverley, East Yorks
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Familyman 90 View Post
Sorry, I have owned all 3 flavours simultaneously and my first hand experience over more than 150,000 miles in each of them would suggest that, is simply incorrect. The economy improves with each generation, and the 200 is markedly better than the 163, which one would expect from an engine with greater volumetric efficiency and an extra cog in the box.
I had in my head that the 163 was the most economical - but I've never owned a 200BHP MY2012-> hence I would graciously defer to your real life experience.
__________________
2011 XC90 D5 Executive
2003 C70 T5 GT
2012 Ford Ranger XL SC
1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500
1976 Massey Ferguson 135
Tannaton is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:26.


Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.