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Volvo 850 Wagons

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#272 of 491 97 850 glt wagon by nats58 May 27, 2003 (11:51 am)
beloved 97 850 glt wagon - 69K miles - verdict is that coolant leaking either from cracked head or blown gaskets, or... in all events 2.5K to 3.5K to repair- not sure what to do - is the overheating from cracked head or other been common to 97 glts?
#273 of 491 Sabary, '94 850 by javadoc May 27, 2003 (2:38 pm)
Well, that's alot of miles on any car. The things to look out for that could cost you alot of money are: tranny ('94s didn't have the strongest and it'll cost you $3k-$4k), a/c evaporator replacement, and abs module replacment. These are the main issues, and something I'd think about when buying the car w/ almost 200k miles on the clock already. Fwiw, the turbo shouldn't pose a big issue. Even if it goes out, you can get a replacement for a few hundred, and a decent home mechanic can replace it. You could pay a few thousand more and find an 850 with half the miles on it, imho.
#274 of 491 Scary--->maybe by FREDERICK May 29, 2003 (9:47 pm)
S-   Hey if it were my car with that kind of miles on it I say...sure why not, but then I know the true history of my car and it'll probablly be really dead (i.e. 197K) by the time I get rid of it.   Advice skip this particular car. 94's were very problematic. This one in my opinion probably has some serious repair bills undisclosed with it's sale. If U R shopping for a $5,000 car I would not get and 94 850 turbo.   Honestly, I think you might be barking up the wrong Volvo Tree. Go out and get a clean early 90's 240 for that kind of money and skip the head ache. The 850 is a really nice car and most every owner loves them to death outside of their sometimes astronomical repair costs.   We have a 96 non-turbo wagon with 75K on it and have had no major problems with it. 96 seems to be the year things got a little better at Volvo with their quality assurance program. BTW- regular maintenance on an aging 850 ain't gonna be cheap.   Best Wishes
#276 of 491 93 850GLT, 150000 miles by riverdrive Jun 22, 2003 (2:22 pm)
Hello everyone, I have been browsing through the messages here and appreciate hearing about everyone's experiences and expertise. I am financially challenged at present (!) (putting three children through college, etc, on my own) and am looking for a car in the 4000-5000 dollar range. I looked at this 83 850GLT, 2 owner, well maintained but not immaculate, asking price is 4500. It has a new transmission with 15K. Is this anything I should consider?
#277 of 491 Hoo boy. by lancerfixer Jun 22, 2003 (6:24 pm)
I write this as the owner of an older ('89) Volvo 740...I love my car, but it's gotten to the point where age, not mileage, is taking its toll. Maintenance has been heavy, especially over the past six months. It drives nicely and is wonderfully comfortable on longer trips (two trips from Cedar Rapids, IA to the Boston area and counting), but a maintenance-free vehicle an older Volvo is not.   To give you an example, this is the list of things I've done in the couple years I've owned my car:   Brakes (rotors and pads) $780.00 (I splurged a little and got Brembo rotors when OEMs were a little less.) Exhaust $300.00 Tuneup $100 (bought the parts and did it myself) Thermostat $100 Repaired exhaust manifold gasket leak $120.00 Battery $100 Tires $450   Stuff that really should be done:   New steering rack ~$600 (slow leak in the present one) Fix faulty A/C $? (I'm afraid what they'll tell me) Shocks ~$500   This is in addition to regular oil changes and routine stuff. A lot of the items on the list are wear items and can be expected to be done to any car, but Volvo parts are not cheap (you can source them yourself for some savings...there are many good websites for this.) My point is, although these are really great cars, very safe, etc., they're also progressively more expensive to keep running in top form as they age. This is true of any car, but European cars tend to cost more to maintan than their domestic or Asian counterparts. I'm not trying to dissuade you from buying a Volvo; I'm just giving you fair warning so you know what you're getting into.   Oh, and you should be able to get that '93 850 (I'm assuming it's a sedan; there was no '93 850 wagon) for about $4,000.   Good luck.
#278 of 491 As a Lover and A Friend- by FREDERICK Jun 30, 2003 (9:47 pm)
No way would I shop for a 150K used 850 on a budget.   Mind you, I have just spent $500 on a new set of not over the top tires, a third set of brakes brakes etc. know very well what a really nice older 850 can cost. I love the car and probable would do exactly as Lancerfixer has for his 940. However I have to agree that one should never own a modern Volvo on a budget. (BTW-a 93 850 is included as modern although barely)   After the trans has been replaced then you'll need a new airconditioning unit......which then after replacing that there always seems to be incessant rattles in the dash.....etc., etc., etc.   Do not buy a modern Volvo on a budget, they are seriously a luxury car with a low brow snob appeal. Believe it or not I bet we'd buy another one when our 96 850 is dead. Now how is that for a mixed review? Most modern Volvo oweners could have chosen and afforded a BMW or Mercedes but they simply liked the Swede better. Don't think you are buying some sort of modern European Chevy Caprice when you go for a Volvo these days.   2 cent from a low brow-   Peace,   F.   Now.... post that on your Volvo's bumper and people will believe you mean it.
#279 of 491 95 850 TURBO BUY? by phillyguy3 Jul 15, 2003 (8:38 am)
JAVADOC & FREDERICK: You seem to know these cars. My semi-retired father is looking at a sedan with 150K, Owned by a Volvo Master Mechanic for the past 3 years. A friend purchased another Volvo from him last year (760 Sedan) with same mileage and only had to replace the rotors. Price is $5,000 with new Turbo, Ac evaporator. He's also willing to repair anything up to 1 year for parts cost and he lives 1 mile from me. Yea or Nay???
#280 of 491 philly... by javadoc Jul 15, 2003 (11:53 pm)
A '95? I don't know... $5k isn't a huge risk is it? I like that it has a new evap. Those will set you back some bones when (not if) they go out. What about the abs module? Is it functioning properly?   How's the rest of the car? I can't imagine w/ 150k it's pristine, but has it been in a major accident? How does the transmission operate? What about the suspension? It'll ride stiff (turbo, and 850s in general do), but shouldn't have rattling suspension pieces.   However, $5k isn't a ton of money, right? But, that's just my opinion.
#281 of 491 Re:95 by volvomax Jul 18, 2003 (10:36 am)
The new evap is great, the 850's always had to have those replaced. What worries me is the new Turbo. The turbos in the 850's were pretty reliable, it should not have needed to be replaced. I'd take a long hard look at hte rest of the mechanicals.

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