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Mine had so many problems as a newborn that it seems to have gotten better with
age. AT is as good as when new; engine is better. Parts (the inevitable brake
rotors, fuel filter, etc) are not excessively priced... You could do a lot worse,
though I think you need some kind of digital tool to be able to read ECU error
codes on the US '96. I've always run a cabin pollen filter and never had an AC
problem (that I'm aware of; haven't turned it on since last year), though I have
had blower motor and pollen filter (Volvo changed filters, I had to buy a new
housing to take new filters, newer Volvo filters totally SUCK; I have to make my
own now) problems.
850s have their idiosyncracies. Weak AM radio reception is usually messed up by
static the car makes while rolling, which varies according to tires and road
surfaces. My transmission-brake interlock microswitch sometimes doesn't release
the shifter solenoid any more. There's a rattle or two on unsmooth roads. And
ride quality was never these beasts' strong suit. The radiator reservoir cap
failed at a young age (they all did before Volvo came up with better caps),
but the underhood hoses are all still original!
This car has aged better than any other car I've ever known, except for its many
significant congenital/teething problems. I'm still being rewarded by it for
having endured them.
I left my distributor cap/rotor on until they failed at right around 100K mi.
- Dave; '95 854T, 139K mi
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