Just like EVERY car manufacturer out there, some cars that come off the production line, are lemons. Other times, a good car is bought by a bad owner, that doesnt care for there vehicle, then sells it to some unfortunate person, like yourself. I traded a 2001 VW Jetta TDi (long time VW driver), with 80,000 KM, for my 1993 850, with 95,000 KM, and I have no regrets. I owned the VW since new, and in the two years that I had it, I went through 5 turbos, 7 mass airflow sensors, 4 O2 sensors, and I cant count how many times VW replaced the airfilter in the blasted thing. Yet I had a 1982 VW Diesel, bought with 178,000 KM, and the only major repair that that car ever needed was a clutch at 200,000 KM. I drive that car for 401,000 KM.

This is the first Volvo I have ever owned, and like I said before, have no regrests about trading to a car that is 8 years older. I now have 136,000 KM on my 850, the only things that I have had to do it is brakes & rotors, and replace a broken engine support rod. The support rod happened when my foot slipped off the clutch while downshifting to second, so I cant really say thats shotty workmanship of Volvo. I plan to drive this Volvo for a long time, but if heaven forbid it got totaled, or stolen, you can bet your bottom dollar that Id be going straight back to my Volvo Lady (volvolady.com) and get another Volvo.

There are bad VW's, Audis, BMW's, Mercedies', Lexus' (opps did I say that word out loud.) And yes there are bad Volvos out there, but that doesnt mean that all VW's, Audis, BMW's, and Mercedies', Volvo's, and yeah Lexus too, are bad cars.

The fact of the matter is if your looking for a European cars, maitence is the key, and maitainance can more pricy than American Cars. Granted that a major repair is more costly in European cars. But when the car is maintained properly, the major repairs, happen FAR less often then any American car.

If your are looking for a car that you never have to maitain, and I mean never change the oil even, that the car you NEED is a Honda. Most Honda's can make about 300,000 KM (remember, Im in Canada) and will die. And still, when one of these little punks in a Honda comes up to the light, and pumps his gas pedal, The Green Brick usually dont beat them off the line, but when we get to the corners, well lets say, "Get a real car punk."

Dont judge Volvo badly just because you have boughten someones ignorace towards maitainence. Hundreds-of-thousands of people drive Volvos, of all different years, and models And Hundres-of-thousands of us, are very much still happy with our Volvos. Think of it this way, you would have payed probably 35,000 to 45,000 CDN for that car if you had bought it new, just cause you only payed about 9,500 CND for it, you still have to maintain it like you paid 35,000 to 45,000 dollars for it.



Tony!!
AKA: Oh look here comes the Green Brick!