With all the mixed/bad comments about the 960
should I sell mine before something bad happens?

Right now my 97' 960 runs very well and only had
to spend $300 in the 6 months that I have owned it for
repairs. My question is; If I keep up with
preventitive maintentence, timing belt and all,
do I still have to worry about the engine blowing
up unwarranted? Does this happen? Do driving
habbits help preserve its life, like not flooring
it all the time (keeping rpms low)

It would almost seem that they are more reliable in
some areas than other models. I observe the forum
and it seems that in the 900 section there are
more questions/problems with 940 than 960, but
that may also be because there are more 940 owners.
(infact im sure there are)
Another oberservation; that 960 are good til there
is a problem and when there is its very very bad.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Thanks Jay

91' 744 145000miles and 97' 960 52000miles

i have 2 on the road and have been blessed to not have the nightmares some have.i drive mine with a heavy foot but not abusive and it's closing in on 200k and still running great.just put a CMP sensor on the wifes yesterday and thats the most single expensive part replaced yet on either one at $151.00.i'll drive them as long as i can, great cars!
--
83 242 DL -120k, 92-965-167k, 94-965-188k, 83-242 GLT-Gone, but not forgotten,83-245GLT-1'st one -the 1'st 3 currently on the road

Thankyou for all the responces. I am now
at more peace with the car from hearing from
you all. I'll have the belt changed right
away even if its not due, the 1/2 recommended
policy sounds to be a good one to follow.

Thanks again,
Jay

your mantra should be 'i must change my cam belt at 1/2 the recomended interval'

other than that just good maintenance...it will never not need fixing (all cars need fixing!) but look at it this way...it will cost you LESS a year to fix than the depreciation on a new car....and its a nicer car than most you could buy...

keep and maintain...and be paranoid about the cam belt...

bear in mind the b230 is nowadays VERY unusual in being non-interference MOST engines get trashed if you snap the cam belt....I never have and have done many 100's of thousands of miles in interference cars..but then again my garage ALWAYS changs cam belts at 1/2 the recomended (to quote them £120 every 40k....its cheap insurance!) I agree...
--
Old Volvo's never die..they just get more attention!

Jay,

If you maintain it properly, it will run for a long time. I suggest not babying it. These engines like to be run and lack thereof can cause problems.

Yes the upper radiator neck will crack, yes the PNP sensor will go out (but only if you don't use "L" for years, the HVAC vacuum bellows will leak, etc....

Nothing insurmountable and the engine will not blow up. These cars are fun. Just drive it like you want and maintain it well. You will know what to expect and this board will be here to help you when you need it.

my .02
DEWFPO
--
1998 S90 066,800 and 1995 964 150,200

Jay, IMHO you should be fine at least for another 35K or 40K more miles. I sold my 94, 965 last week, it had 90K. It was due for some major work - (A/C, PWR windows, front end, brakes, PNP,etc.) I did not want to put more $$ into a 10 yr old 960. Yes, this engine CAN be very expensive to repair, IF it breaks. Make sure you get that timing belt checked and changed EARLIER than required. This engine NEEDS to have an "Italian tune up" every 3 months - it really makes a huge difference. Hopefully, you are using ALL synthetic fluids. That engine is very smooth and powerful, enjoy it. You do NOT have to "baby" it - feel free to rev it and have fun. I bought a Toyota Solara Coupe V6, 3.3; what an amazing car. Best of luck.

Jay,

I wrestled with this same question after I had owned my 94 960 (150k) for about a year and watched the posts on this board. At one time I was ready to unload it for a song just to avoid a major repair. Then I read a post this forum about a year ago about the 960 owner whose car went over the edge of a seventy foot cliff in California, and he walked away without a scratch. Didn't even deploy the air bags. I went home that afternoon and kissed my Volvo. Right on the hood.

Since that time, I've decided to stay the course. My 960 has experienced the usual list of problems (PNP switch, rotors, radiator, no start with collapsed valves, etc.). But all of the problems I've had are well-known and can be diagnosed and repaired by a shade-tree such as myself with the help of the people on this board. The consensus of collective wisdom here seems to be that the transmissions and engines are rock solid (excluding electronics), and that with proper maintenance will last hundreds of thousands of miles.

While there are the horror stories (remember the General's experience with "the Pig"?) of catastrophic failures that essentially total the car (e.g., timing belt failure that trashes the engine), I'm betting that proper maintenance can greatly reduce the chances of it happening to mine.

Plus I take comfort in the knowledge that I can always drop in a Ford 5.0, if it comes to that. It's a great road car. And it's a safe car for the wife and kids. That's my two cents worth.

Robert

Having worked in a shop at one time, dealing with foreign and domestic autos, I think it all boils down to preventive maintenance. I've seen models (Audi 5000 comes to mind) that are considered upkeep nightmares prove to be utterly dependable. And I've seen models (Toyota Camry comes to mind) that are considered rock-solid and dependable prove to be incredibly expensive to own and maintain. My 96 960, aside from getting rotten mileage, is in excellent condition, and I see no reason it won't run another 100k. It shows 115k right now.
Richard

I have an on again off again impulse to sell or keep this car. I've just had mine a couple of months and the maintenance/repair side is scarey compared to my 95 Taurus. On a recent trip though the value of the car was shown when arriving at my destination (500 miles) I felt unusually relaxed and fairly fresh. I figured it was just because the kids didn't come but I had the same result on the way home. It's a real cruiser. Maybe I'm ready for this.