I just did a complete check of the repair records for the car in question.

The car now has 103,000mi

At 77k the Strut Bushings were Replaced

At 87k the Lower Control Arms and Inner Tie Rod Ends were replaced, Front End Aligned

At 100K Volvo dealer did a timing belt change (Parts and labor $1600 just for the belt and tensioner change!! But they left the original water pump in place :( ). Their inspection recommended checking the inner tie rod ends as they noted some looseness.

At 101k the Inner Tie Rod Ends were Replaced Under Warranty AND the Front End was Re-aligned

It seems unlikely that in the last 2000mi anything major has gone out on the front end as they said they did a thorough inspection of the suspension AND did a complete alignment (perhaps poorly?).

Thanks for the point about the brakes vs. wheels. I hadn't considered that!