My 98 S70 T5M had some initial problems. But, it has not seen
a mechanic after the first 18 months (other then maintenance).
Once the initial problems are sorted out it will probably be as
reliable as any other 850/70 series. Thats not to say it won't
have problems -- it eventually will (as do all things mechanical)
but I'd say no worse then any other modern Volvo. I'd buy another.

I do maintian mine by the book, garage it and live in an area
with moderate climate (which all help).

as far as im concerned , i would say NO ...

I´ve had my 1998 S70 2,5 SE for about a year now , putting almost 20.000 miles on it myself, the odo says 98.000 miles and still runs like new..

I change the oil about every 5k miles , ive got a good indy shop doing the regular service and i take a look under the car once every month.

Its an automatic transmission and the car is loaded with all equipment except for the sunroof.

I care for my car , meaning that i care more than the standard car owner. I always let the car run idle for a minute before driving off ( give the oil some chance to reaching critical engine parts ) and i always turn off AC some time prior to shutdown. I try not to give the car to many "starts and stops" meaning that i never take the car when only going short distances.

Maybe I´m beeing overprotective in my car ownership , but im certain of one thing.. The more you care for your car , the more your car will care for you.

Car care is more than just making it look good (many people tend only to do this)

Its about caring and maintaining you car in the best possible way , maybe you americans have another way of seeing things here , i´ve seen lots of examples where people just out of ignorance are treating their cars as if they where toys and then beeing angry when things break.

I paid lots of money for this car , i belive by maintaining it right , the value will stay above similar cars who been owned by ignorance ..

Sorry for bad english , i live in sweden but i hope you got my point.

Buy a S70 1998 with more than 80k miles on it , never buy if not the service record is completely satisfying.

Just my 0.2

// ermik , 1998 S70 2,5 SE *** 1992 850 GLT *** - Both auto tranny , love em!

My '98 was absolutely awful when it was new.

However, most of the originally defective parts have been replaced now, so it's settled down to the same background level and type of 850-70 Series failures.

So mine continues to demonstrate less-than-remarkable reliability but at this point is probably no worse than any other 850 or 70 Series example with similar mileage.

I keep it because it's safe, comfortable and still fun to drive. I plan to pass it on to my daughter, soon, just because it's safe and because I know how well it's been maintained.

Considering the power, after 121,000 not-exactly-trouble-free miles, it's still EXCEEDED my expectations in that the motor still uses no oil, a connecting rod has not flown out of the side of the block (so far), the manual transmission still shifts like new, and the clutch is still the original one. It's been a disappointment from the perspective of the electrical components, AC system etc.

All things considered, I wouldn't recommend anyone else buy a used 1998 Volvo T5.

But I wouldn't recommend a used '04, '03, '02, '01, '00, '99, '97, '96, '95 or '94 Volvo, either.

-Punxsutawney Phil

'98 V70T5M, 121k mi., iPd stabilizer bars, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, Valentine-1, Mobil-1 always, e-code headlight lenses, Dunlop SP5000s

I would say a qualified Yes. From what I have gathered informally over the last few years, the earlier the manufacture date the more problems. (Alas, mine was built in 8/1997!)

Whenever you ask such a question, you are going to get a range of responses. Even with the votes in, it's difficult to assess the responses. For example, I have very little good to say about my 1998 V70. Now you have to decide if:
i.) I am a whiner;
ii.) I pulled an unlucky draw from the distribution; or
iii.) the car is basically a lemon.
(I am still trying to figure out that answer myself.)

As far as your purchase, I would avoid it unless it's a very good deal. Go another year newer and many of the problem components were redesigned.

If your still thinking about it, find out the ABS module was replaced. The original was very prone to cracking and cost $600+ at the dealer to fix.) Also, find out if the air-conditioning is OK. I guess the compressor wasn't the best.
Were all the factory recalls done? (I believe secondary owners can still take advantage.) Expect that you will have continued problems with automatic door locks if kids or ice are in the picture. (The lock is actuated by a plastic part that would have been failed by McDonald's toy inspector...You have to have a kid and go to McDonalds to get that one.) Underneath all of the problems, the engine and body are still solid.

Regarding what Frank said I can't agree with him. I had a '98 S70 GLT and put 50,000 miles on the car before trading for an S80. Still had original tires and the only problem I had was warped rear brake disks which were replaced under warranty @26,000 miles. I'm sure there were others that had a lot of issues with the S70 but I was not one of them. About the only thing I did not care about was the rather harsh ride which was corrected with the S80. Like Frank said many of the earlier problems should have been corrected under warranty by now. All in all I considered it a good car.
Eddie W. in FL

Your friend is correct. Although mechanically the same as a '97 850, in '98 Volvo changed many body and interior parts and went with several cheaper parts venders that ended up creating many problems due to poor quality. It's mostly minor electrical things but it all ended up in putting a bad taste in most customers opinions, nickle and diming too often.
Alot of it was probably already fixed while still under warranty but the car could still have a few surprizes.