The model years change at different times in different countries. The 850 began as a 1992 model in the rest of the world, but as a 1993 in the US, with a 50k belt change interval. 70k miles post-1993 in the US, I believe. Usually. (It's probably reasonable to have the belt changed at slightly earlier intervals on USA cars than European deliveries, not because of North America's fierce rubber-eating bacteria, but because of the extremes in the weather.) Similarly, the SVC70 evolution of the 850 began with the 1998 model year in the US but 1997 elsewhere. The 105k belt arrived in the middle of the 1998 model year in the USA ... but .. well, based on the various recommentations about belt changes that have been posted on the Volvo NA website over the years even the company can't get this story straight!

The mile-kilometer recommendations are of course approximations, there is some fuzz built into the numbers. I mean, the 70k belt isn't much more likely to break at 70,500 miles than 70,000 but you really ought to have had it changed by 80,000. Of course, the serpentine belt can always break and take out the timing belt. The belt tensioner, idler or water pump can also fail randomly at which time the game will be over even if the belt doesn't break by itself.

My next car will have a timing chain, for sure!

-Punxsutawney Phil

'98 V70T5m, 122,222 paranoid miles so far