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C70 WORST VOLVO EVER?!

9K views 28 replies 13 participants last post by  volvowna 
#1 ·
just took my car into the dealer to get my car serviced after buying it used...

they told me its the worst volvo to come out, which is why they are discontinuing it. there are so many problems with it, that vovlo stopped total production.

the biggest problems are electrical problems, window problems, along with many other things.

NOw is that kinda scary for a new owner? eep!
 
#2 ·
What a dealer do you have?!?

it's probably one of the best Volvo's ever made...

Never heard of such problems, My parents C70 has got no single problem... not one!

That wasn't the case with previous models 144, 244dl, 244 gl, 740 GLE, 480ES... (altough they where also pretty good)

You can't go wronge with a C70.

And it's only the coupe that the production stops, the Convertible will still in production.

Enjoy your car, it's the max!
 
#4 ·
quote:

Originally posted by GShyneDM:
just took my car into the dealer to get my car serviced after buying it used...

they told me its the worst volvo to come out, which is why they are discontinuing it. there are so many problems with it, that vovlo stopped total production.

the biggest problems are electrical problems, window problems, along with many other things.

NOw is that kinda scary for a new owner? eep!
Please tell me who your dealer is so that I may never go there and get my car serviced there. I'm biased but I believe the quality of the C70 is very high. Granted you have a few nicks and nacks here and there but which car company doesn't? Have you checked BMW lately with their M3 engine problems? IMO, the S80 has the worst build. Yeah, it's the flagship and all but the salesman at my dealership recommended my dad against buying one (what salesman would do that?). He said that they got so many recalls on the S80 for electrical problems, the service garage was packed with them.
All in all, I think the C70 is fine. It's showing its age but in no way is the build quality poor.
 
#6 ·
Well here goes flame suit on !

I bought a 99 C70m HPT and I loved the car I still miss it in some ways, but reliability was a real problem for me, I had noisy rear brakes on delivery, 2 CD changers because they jammed, engine management was reflashed twice due to rough running in traffic, a new engine because it drank a quart of oil a week (at 30,000 miles), the passenger window was adjusted twice because it was noisy, the driver seat squeaked and was never fixed to my satisfaction despite new rails, the seat heater shorted, it had numerous turn signal bulbs replaced until I had the recall done, a blown headlamp, rattling sunroof shade. I am sure that I forgot some other stuff but you get the picture. The dealer bought it back from me at 42000 miles, so I guess I didn't have the best experience with it. I now have an S60 that I am very happy with and has been reliable. I miss how beautiful the C70 is and I liked the stereo much better than the AudioMax in the S60. I guess I got the bad one and despite all the pain I really love that car. If I had had a reliable C70 it would still be with me. I personally don't think they should discontinue it they should update the design a little and carry on I think its a Classic.
 
#7 ·
Of course you can probably guess what I'm going to say..YES, I do agree with what everyone has said so far. I don't own any other 70 series to make a fair statement about overall 70 series reliablity, but I know for sure that my C has never given me any hiccup yet.

So far, the recall I had was that turning signal socket thingy, which I think many if not all the other 70 series needed that, too.

The driver seat back support had a little glitch, but nothing a visit to the dealership can't do. That's about all I can think of. NO leak or whatsoever anywhere...no quarter panel flying off at hgh speed. Hardly a squeak before I change out the center console to the V70R one.

I can only comments like that from very ignorant car sales person (no offense our dealer guys here, you guys are far from ignorant
). One of the main reason I can think of why they have stopped the production for the coupe is...it's been out for so God damn long~!! And the sales on this model has never been that high...at this price range, you have many other choices..but still the smart buyers will know better.


You can also say few even more seriuos potential buyers might have looked into the depreciation rate of the C before they make their investment and chosen something else. But I doubt any of them chose not to buy them b/c they KNOW or HEARD that the C is in fact the worst volvo ever built. Whoever told you that was obviously not an expert on any of the Volvo cars....sounds more he was talking trash for the sake of striking a conversation with you or trying to convince you to look into buying a new car from them.

The C70 is basically the same car as any other 70 series in terms of electrical components, engine, drive train, and pretty much eveything else beside the body and....nothing else~! Maybe Delta-Link...if the others don't have that.

Don't be surprised, many of these sales people don't even know what they are selling. They are obviously not fanatics like us here...can't blame them for being so.......CAR SALESPERSON!!
 
#8 ·
quote:

Originally posted by volvowna:
Well here goes flame suit on !
I had noisy rear brakes on delivery, 2 CD changers because they jammed, engine management was reflashed twice due to rough running in traffic,......
I can see how one or two people get a lemon or something and how you won't really see the seat problem and the window problem in the other 70 series....but how can you be so sure all the other problems would not occur if you had bought a same year S70 or V70?

Kinda hard to make that judgement.
 
#9 ·
I agree the pieces are the same, well mostly better than the rest of the 70s I think the problem is that the C70 is built in a different facility and I read that they had some problems and the management was changed at one point the cars were a problem I think from my experience that late 98 to early 99 was probably the period! I am sure that the decision to discontinue is based on economics and I am sure that it costs more to produce that car than the common platform S60/V70/S80. I agree that the S80 was early on a problem but I think they fixed their production as the new V70 and S60 have been very good judging by the traffic on the boards.
 
#10 ·
I think it's the common problems that seem simple to us, but are really a PITA to fix that gets the service people to not like a car. They want the gravy work, like major services, a brake job, and stuff like that which earns a lot of hours and doesn't take long to do. Preferably a job they do often and can do quickly to get the car in and out.

When the door panel has to come off to fix a window problem, or the electric seats mysteriously don't work right, then they're not happy. The C70 is probably a lot like the S/V70 in most areas, but I bet there are some little things about the C70 that are annoying to fix. How about that convertible top for one? It doesn't help that the C70 is a lot less common than the S/V70 too.

This is not the first I've heard of the C70 being unpopular to the service department, but that doesn't mean it's a bad car.
 
#11 ·
quote:

Originally posted by The_one_n_only:
Don't be surprised, many of these sales people don't even know what they are selling. They are obviously not fanatics like us here...can't blame them for being so.......CAR SALESPERSON!!
Spot on.

A lot of the time, its due to a mechanic who can't be bothered, its the last job of the day or simply that its not his car.

Again, not all are like this and thats why when you find a good garage, you return time after time.
 
#12 ·
I ordered my 99 HPTM with all options pretty late in MY 99 (April). In the first two years, I had two failures of the famous window regulator on the driver's side. One headlight, one turn signal (both of course taken care of promptly under warranty, and no longer a problem because of the recall, like everyone else) and one passenger seat memory module needed replacing.

(I sure hope they've fixed the window regulator problem for good...)

I traded in a nearly perfectly reliable 95 Honda Accord for this, my first Volvo. I resigned myself to expecting to have more problems with the C70 than I had with the Accord, because 1. It's twice as much car to have something go wrong, 2. Volvo sells many fewer cars than Honda does so it has much less of an opportunity to perfect design and production, 3. Volvo sells many fewer C70's than other Volvo's so extend 2. to the C70, and 4. The C70 is hand-built separately from the other Volvo's.

I'm far, FAR more tolerant of "quirks" in my C70 than I'd be with, say, a 330ci.

I THINK I have the same sunroof rattles that others complain about, going over bumps. It sounds like something in FRONT of the sunroof though, like something's banging around up in there.

Other than that, the stiffness of the suspension makes me worry about rattles developing in the long term, but I fully expect to be driving this beautiful machine at 200k miles (160k more to go).
 
#14 ·
quote:

Originally posted by autofile:

What is this "famous" window problem? My 2001 has a "clunk" when the drivers window is lowered all the way........

the famous window problem is because a lot of c70s have a problem with the adjusment. it creaks.. it leaks.. it has windnoise... it also is SAID (havent seen it myself) falls out of alignment over a period of time. which is why your window and your seats will cause you to be in the dealer a lot.
 
#17 ·
wow thanks for all the replies...

personally i dont care too much for the guy that told me this. he seems very sneaky. the thing that makes me feel worse is that my dad has been going to him for a while with his volvo. i guess its ok... its only talk, and he didnt do anything to hurt the cars.

i got my car back finally.. but what did i find when i drove out? a hole in my speaker grille (and NO not the regular ones) the repair man trying to fix my driver window must have hit it. so i went back.. they ordered me a new one. have to wait a week till they get it.

my chair is fixed! yay! hehe.. they spent a LOT of time trying to fix the window though. they said 6 times trying to adjust the pressure of the window for less wind noise and water leakage versus ease of the door handle. i hope there isnt much wind noise now that the door handle is easier.
 
#18 ·
quote:

Originally posted by autofile:

What is this "famous" window problem? My 2001 has a "clunk" when the drivers window is lowered all the way........

I guess no one else here has had the same problem I've had. Short answer: The window gets stuck open. The window won't close. The problem starts out as intermittent, where it will get stuck open for a little while, but then a little bit later, it will close.

It got worse over a couple of days, until it just would not go up at all after opening it.

This happened twice. Both times, the dealer had to order a "regulator", and had to keep the car overnight. The first time, the tech broke something in the door panel, requiring replacement of the panel at US$670. Only...the new door panel had real, stitched leather inserts, vs. the vinyl(?) pieces, so I had two different door panels. They ordered a replacement for the passenger side, so now I have two real leather stitched door pieces...nicer than the original.

Does anyone else have these stitched leather door pieces? I guess I post a picture if no one understands what I mean.

The second failure was irritating, because my dealer wouldn't simply order a part when I first told him that it was failing, he made me wait until it was totally dead, which meant another day's delay in repair, and driving a $hitty S70 for a loaner...
 
#19 ·
quote:

Originally posted by GShyneDM:


my chair is fixed! yay! hehe.. they spent a LOT of time trying to fix the window though. they said 6 times trying to adjust the pressure of the window for less wind noise and water leakage versus ease of the door handle. i hope there isnt much wind noise now that the door handle is easier.
Yeah, tell me about it. I'm going in to get it adjusted for the THIRD time!
 
#20 ·
quote:

Originally posted by NickC70HPTM_S60T5:
I guess no one else here has had the same problem I've had. Short answer: The window gets stuck open. The window won't close. The problem starts out as intermittent, where it will get stuck open for a little while, but then a little bit later, it will close.

It got worse over a couple of days, until it just would not go up at all after opening it.

This happened twice. Both times, the dealer had to order a "regulator", and had to keep the car overnight. The first time, the tech broke something in the door panel, requiring replacement of the panel at US$670. Only...the new door panel had real, stitched leather inserts, vs. the vinyl(?) pieces, so I had two different door panels. They ordered a replacement for the passenger side, so now I have two real leather stitched door pieces...nicer than the original.

Does anyone else have these stitched leather door pieces? I guess I post a picture if no one understands what I mean.

The second failure was irritating, because my dealer wouldn't simply order a part when I first told him that it was failing, he made me wait until it was totally dead, which meant another day's delay in repair, and driving a $hitty S70 for a loaner...
i got the driver door window regulator replaced. it was because the window would not go up anymore. i think thats where all my door problems started. they never gave me leather stitched insters though. i WANT THEM.. i think they would be really nice :p how do we break these things again? heheh j/k. my speaker grille is broken.. so they are getting me a new one. does it come with the leather? :p
 
#21 ·
quote:

Originally posted by mike_c70:

Yeah, tell me about it. I'm going in to get it adjusted for the THIRD time!
barely on your third? :p the mechanic told me the previous place that adjusted the window.. has been doing so MANY times.. the screw to adjust is getting worn
and this visit had 6 tries....

i just washed the car... no water leak... wonder how the wind noise is :\
 
#22 ·
Man...sounds pretty serious about these windows. Last time talking to Sean(1Fastbox), I learned that these windows on the C do require lots adjustments to make them fit right.

I'm just glad I haven't run into that problem yet. Hmm.....once I do run into that problem...you probably will see my car on the classsified section.
Discouraging, sad, but true.
 
#23 ·
quote:

Originally posted by The_one_n_only:
Man...sounds pretty serious about these windows. Last time talking to Sean(1Fastbox), I learned that these windows on the C do require lots adjustments to make them fit right.

I'm just glad I haven't run into that problem yet. Hmm.....once I do run into that problem...you probably will see my car on the classsified section.
Discouraging, sad, but true.
hehe just cuz of a window problem you are goin to give up on all your MODs and work you did to your c70?! i mean.. what other car can you get after a c70 :p heheh
 
#24 ·
quote:

Originally posted by mike_c70:
IMO, the S80 has the worst build.
HAD, is the correct tense. MY1999 (for the most part) and some MY2000s were a bit problematic. MYs2001 and 2002 are almost flawless. Same goes for quite a few MY1998 C70s; there were a pain in the a$$.

quote:

Yeah, it's the flagship and all but the salesman at my dealership recommended my dad against buying one (what salesman would do that?)
Well, before I bury the "salesman", if your father were looking to buy a 1999, then yes. But if your father were interested in a brand new S80, then he was done by an idiot and a moron who is not really a Volvo salesman, at heart. With all my bias, I would not recommend someone to look at a 1999 S80 (althoug I have COUNTLESS customers who have never had a problem with their 1999 S80). But I would not have any qualms in recommending either a 2001 or 2002 S80.

Yannis
 
#25 ·
quote:

Originally posted by GrecianVolvo:
Well, before I bury the "salesman", if your father were looking to buy a 1999, then yes. But if your father were interested in a brand new S80, then he was done by an idiot and a moron who is not really a Volvo salesman, at heart. With all my bias, I would not recommend someone to look at a 1999 S80 (althoug I have COUNTLESS customers who have never had a problem with their 1999 S80). But I would not have any qualms in recommending either a 2001 or 2002 S80.

Yannis

HAD, that's what I meant. Well, my dad wasn't looking for a new one back then because it was a little more than what he wanted to pay for. We checked out a few S70s but there wasn't any oomph behind it for him. So we are still stuck with out Ford Explorer (Hopefully, we'll get a Tahoe soon). I had a 2002 S80 as a loaner/rental. Man that thing was SHUUWEEETTT! Ride likes a caddy and still has enough power to dust a few cars
 
#26 ·
I have to admit, I'm on the C70s suck side of the fence. Had both the driver and passenger windows adjusted multiple times and still are too loud at freeway speeds - especially for a $43k car. The e brake cable loosened up at around 30k and the technician said that it was typical. Then there was the motor mount recall, the 'bubbling' sound the sunroof makes after a rain shower, the ****ty clearcoat and paint job - I'm almost out of warranty, and I'm terrified. I wish I never bought this POS.
 
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