Hello,
A friend of mine is interested in buying an XC90 and I know nothing about the older Volvos, only the older rear wheel drive Volvos. I am looking for feedback on any problem areas on the car, and what to look for when buying a a used one please. Thanks!!

Does she need AWD?

In July, I purchased a FWD base 2012 XC70 for $29,500 - less $1000 loyalty bonus and $860 cash for the first three payments. I paid cash. I think that $27,700 was a real nice deal - we love it and its 5 year wear and tear warranty.

BTW - We test drove a turbo XC60 for about 100 miles - What a hoot!

The full torque comes on at 1500 RPM! Touch the pedal and GO!

I had to lock it in 1st gear in order to drive in stop and go traffic and parking lots - my wife hated the over run when taking a highway exit - it doesn't slow down - the ride is jiggly.

Plain Jane just soaks up pavement breaks and small holes with her relatively fat tires.
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'96 855R,'64 PV544 driver, '67 P1800 basket case, '72 Yamaha Rd400, '68 Honda 350-4, '12 XC70, the first 5 are mine, heh, heh, 525,000 miles put on 10 bricks James A Sousa

IMHO - Anyone buying a decent newer car of any make is remiss if they do not have their dealer check the car out. Cars just cost too much these days.

There are too many expensive problems that cannot be seen in a short ride.

Doesn't have a Volvo dealer? - He will need one some day - find one now.

My dealer ran my last two used cars through their certification checklist for one hour's labor - when the cars passed without major problems I had them do a compression test and put new plugs in for a second hour's labor. I got a two page report.

We drove both cars for 11 years and over 100K - one has been traded in, and the other we still drive every day.

It is easy today to speak ill of the XC 90, but when they came out they were ahead of their time for a SUV, many of which were based on age old truck chassis. Most others just caught up a few years ago.

Keep in mind that most people who post answers on this board are intelligent, sophisticated, and opinionated Volvo lovers who deal with problems and are jaded a bit by the process - there are plenty of old ladies who just drive and love their bricks.

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'96 855R,'64 PV544 driver, '67 P1800 basket case, '72 Yamaha Rd400, '68 Honda 350-4, '12 XC70, the first 5 are mine, heh, heh, 525,000 miles put on 10 bricks James A Sousa

Do watch out. Many of those cars eat brakes and suspension parts quickly.
Terrible gas mileage.
Other than that...

Guy, Since my post was about a XC90 in the XC70 forum, which vehicle are you referring to?

There is less traffic in the AWD section than for the RWD 'older cars', so some of us just use the 'all' option.

Both the XC70 and XC90 must be newer than 2003, the newer the better until 2009 when the XC70 got the 6cyl gas guzzler.

I would go 2005+ to eliminate most of the tranny problems. The electronics are amazing! There are more computers on these cars than my 220 had fuses. And electronics are a pain, they never get repaired, just replaced at mega bucks.

Make sure the teenage son wasn't the primary driver! Shifting into drive while rolling backwards will kill the tranny. Make sure the fluid is reasonably pink, the dipstick is hard to find. It is yellow and behind the driver's side headlight. Don't break off the handle! They pull straight up only.

Try to find an XC that has maintenance history, not one from a 'car broker'. If it was always maintained by 1 dealer, the service records can be printed for the owner of the car.

Stay away from Ebay. Once a car is 'detailed', you never know how the owner treated it.

I prefer the XC70 over the XC90, less weight and better gas mileage. If you only need 5 seats, the XC60 is better than the XC90. I test drove a 2013 XC60 T5 with 300bhp, and it has a real throttle response!!!

A 30 minute test drive is a must for any car.
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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

stay away from a t6, and look for oil change records the turbos do not hold up to neglect, and of course electronics are expen$ive on all new cars
ive seen a 2006 xc90 5 cyl with 250k, no issues, ive also seen a 2007 with 125k
that needed a turbo, throttle unit and about 2k worth of oil leaks fixed
all depends on maintenance history, get it checked and make sure there is no crust on the oil cap/grate
and yes the 3.2l is a gas guzzler

Sorry,I have tried to edit my post as I made a few stupid mistakes in my presentation of my post, DUH! My Friend is looking to buy an XC90 for the wife, and possibly an XC 70 for himself. I also meant to say that I know nothing about the NEWER Volvos, only the older RWD cars. Thanks!

Just bought an 05 xc90 with the 5 cyl turbo. My mechanic and others told me to definitely avoid the T6's. They had automatic transmission problems.