issues related to the 70 series. Unless your fully knowledgable about the particular car you are buying, the certified is not a bad way to go. Problem is that it doesn't guarentee that the car is really any better or has not been abused. I was dissappointed in general at Volvo Certified cars....looked to be very weathered leased models. Be careful as that warranty does have limits! I bought private and have had good luck!

The Certified car program is a good idea, because warranty work is handled directly through the dealer. Because the warranty has milage and time limits, be aware of how those limits effect the car you are looking at.

Also, have the dealer show you the CarFax report. Chances are the car you are looking at was purchased at auction and is either a lease turn-back or a repo. In either case expect that no more than the absolute minimum in maintenance was done. Consequently look for a low milage car and pay the increased price.

My 2 cents. I now 3 Volvo, all bought used from dealers. Go for the "certified" or some kind of extended warranty. It's peace of mind. Some of the folks on this forum have had to have transmissions replaced. It doesn't take much to rack up $1000 to $2000 in vehicle repairs these days. Any kind of ECC fix could also rack up a few bills. Take it, you'll be glad you have it.

You don't say what year you are considering. 1997 and earlier are prone to A/C evaporator failures (~$1,400). Many years have A/C compressor problems (but not as common as evaporator problems)(~$800). 1999 (and maybe 2000) have MAP sensor and electronic throttle body problems (~$600. These two are covered by the 70,000 mile emissions warranty and then very expensive after that. Many years have ABS controller problems.

Find out if the extended warranty will actually cover these things. Find out if Volvo / Ford stands behind the warranty, or is it some insurance compnay that may go bankrupt. I'm not a fan of extended warranties, but some people like them.