I bought the Volvo brand new from Orange County Volvo dealer. I got it last year as a black 2001 model. Out the door it was $36,000. At 12K miles, it had shifting problems. Took it to the dealer twice and they could not fix it. The third time they just decided to give me a new transmission. A month later my power steering fluid reservoir was replaced. Twice now the alarm went off for no reason at all. The brakes are way too sensitive. Even after a year of driving this car, braking smoothly is an effort. The throttle by wire is horrible. Throttle response is laggy at low speeds. Paint from the silver interior door handles is starting to chip off. Excessive brake dust in the front wheels. The two front wheels are pitting and discoloring. After the transmission was replaced a scrubbing sound occurs once around the drivetrain area during takeoff. The stereo sounds good but the controls are the worst. I still fumble in changing channels or setting memory. Wipers are always skipping ans squeaking.

On the good side, the car is quiet. The ride is still solid andâabsorbs bumps well. Paint is very good (I have black). Gas mileage is good, avg about 22-24. Dual climate is very good in hot weather. The leather seats are wearing out nicely. Seats are very comfy. Trunk is very roomy and versatile (roomier than my Jeep Cherokee). Good mid range power but not much there in higher rpms.

Would I recommend buying this car? Absolutley not! However, our Volvo is proven to be a safe car and it gives us a sense of security. The car is like a vault and has good interior quality materials. If I had to go back, I would have bought a BMW 5 series wagon or a crossover vehicel from Lexus, Infiniti, or Acura..