I am thinking of picking one up. I see one for $2600, but it has 250K miles. The miles seem really high to me. KBB says the car should be around $2000 for excellent condition.
Is this something I should steer clear of? I don't want it to be a project immediately. I would like to drive it for about 6 - 8 months before I have to operate on it.
What thing should I be concerned about?
get as much maint info as possible. With those miles its either a money pit waiting to happen or a decently maintined car that should last for many more miles. My 850 is nearing that number and alot of little things are starting to come up. Granted, i got deferred maint that ive been putting off.
Lee will be jumping in shortly. He's got alot of great info.
Also, matthews volvo site is your friend...
Timing belts and automatics. Get solid records on both or walk away (or haggle way down). If the A/C doesn't work it could be the evaporator, which is a good bit of work to replace. Everything else is just regular old car stuff.
They tend not to hide their needs. Whe the PVC plugs up, it'll blow oil out the seals. When the transmission starts to fail, the shifts become very bad. Abs failure throws the traction control light on the dash. Throttle sensor failure makes really weird throttle response. When the doohickey in the power steering reservoir braks the steering groans.
Worthy things to check in anticipation of work, last timing belt change, ATF fluid condition, balloon over the dipstick tube. Otherwise, go through it very generally and take it on a good and thorough test drive.
Have I become "that guy?" 
Just like Will said, if it's got maint records to back it up I wouldn't let the number itself scare me. At that mileage I'd expect the turbo to have been rebuilt/replaced, tming belt is a 5 year or ~90K miles which ever comes first. Suspension should have been gone through at least once already. Other typical maint you'd expect on any car with similar miles.
If the accessories like A/C compressor, P/S pump, alternator are original I wouldn't expect them to last another 250K, but my 850 has similar mileage & all of my accessories are original. I finally replaced the steering rack around 250K.
The auto trans has a lifetime filter, that can be an issue if you let it. Drain & fill of fluid a few times 500 or so miles apart, stay away from power flushes.
That mileage wouldn't scare me, but I would use it as a bargaining tool with the hopes that the seller doesn't know any better.
Here's a big long post I wrote about Volvo Wagons a month or so ago, it's easier to just copy & paste it.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/teach-me-the-ways-of-swedish-wagons/75730/page1/
I think I've probably commented in every 850, V/S70, etc. thread over the past few years. I know there's a few threads on these already.
You'll be hard pressed to find a V70 with AWD & a manual that's not an R, 99% sure you won't though the P2 cars aren't my specialty. P2 are the later V70s, started in '01 and ended '07-ish. Mad_machine is right the first S/V70 was basically still an 850 with slightly rounder edges. I drive an 850, and have quite a few S70 parts on it.
There's nothing inherently "unreliable" with any of them, most all issues can be blamed on poor/deferred maintenance from the previous owners.
The non-turbos will give you the least issues with regards to maintenance, and aren't terribly under powered for the chassis. The 2.4l n/a still makes about 170 Hp. Many describe it as having driving characteristics similar to a larger 4 cyl, which makes since since it's a 5 cyl. Fuel economy ain't the greatest, I keep my foot in mine (non-turbo auto) and have been getting around 22 combined. Other people claim much better, but they obviously don't have my commute and heavy right foot.
Timing belt is probably the biggest killer, the engines are interference, bent valves will usually send the older cars to the scrap yard. It's not a hard job for an average GRMer, but can be time consuming. Volvo doesn't recommend replacing the water pump with each timing belt, but I and many others do. Don't skimp on parts, do everything, idler, tensioner, water pump, etc. every 5 years to 100K miles, which ever comes first. If it's not documented by previous owner, work the added cost into the budget of the car.
PCV systems can be a chore, it's a little more complicated than what's on the Jimmy. Some of the lines/oil separator can clog over time, then crank case pressures build up and cause oil leaks as seals are blown. Easy way to check is pull the dipstick out a bit with car running & up to temp. A little smoke is acceptable, a visible plume probably means it needs a PCV refresh. The parts aren't that expensive, but it's labor intensive, the intake manifold must be removed to replace most of the components.
The P80 cars (850 & S/V70 before '01) have been known to have A/C evap core issues. Some of the cars came from the factory without a cabin filter, years and years of dirt, pine needles, pollen, etc. build up on the evaporator, eventually they'll leak and the A/C won't blow cold/stay charged. If the A/C doesn't work, and there's not a cabin filter in place, I probably wouldn't buy the car. The evap core requires removal of dang near the entire front interior of the car to replace it. Check for cabin filter on the P/S cowl between the hood and window. You'll need to remove a couple torx screws to get under the plastic cowl and check. At least on the P80 cars. If it's an older car and the A/C still works, I probably wouldn't sweat it, it's either been fixed, or was never exposed to the conditions blamed for the problem in the first place.
As for the Volvo AWD, the later P2 cars are the one to get. Haldex get's a bad wrap, but it's a significantly better system than Volvo's earlier attempts. The early versions' bevel gear transfer case is susceptible to mixed/differing tire size/wear issues, and oil starvation. It doesn't hold much oil in the first place, and most don't catch a leak early enough to do anything about it.
You may notice when looking at used early AWD cars, that they ain't AWD anymore. Some one has removed the rear drive shaft, and using the car as FWD.
Volvo makes the most comfortable seats of just about any car make I've sat in, so they've got that going for them too.
I think that covers the worst of it. Happy to answer any questions. I've wrenched on 850, S70, V70, S80 T6, XC90 as they all are/have been in the family.
If it's a manual, it's worth that price...period. They are unicorns, believe me.
Thanks Guys. The Guy seems to know what he has, and is in love with it...based on our phone convo. I don't think he has service records. When I asked, he said he used to work at Volvo and would get the car serviced there regularly. So, it may have been off the clock work -- but I will find out. Are there good sources for rebuilt turbos? That seems like something I could do myself pretty easily. The biggest area that scares me is the auto-trans with the high mileage.
I sold a T5 a couple of years ago. The guy showed up with his mechanic and the two of them proceeded to nitpick the car apart for a half hour. When they were done I literally pointed out of my driveway and said "The highway is that way."
The guy paid full ask and left with his car. People get stupid about T5's.
A lot of folks upgrade their turbos, so there's usually a decent supply of good used stock turbos available on the forums/eBay. For that kind of stuff that "other" forum has some decent info, I bad mouth them a lot but Volvospeed's Bay 13 and similar info is pretty decent. Matthewsvolvosite is my preferred source of general info, and has a real good group of helpful and knowledgeable Volvo enthusiasts there.
That transmission really is pretty robust, especially at stock power levels, if it's been serviced at least a couple times in it's life, and not been driven by a wanna be Fast & Furious 'tard, there no reason to think it's going to E36 M3 the bed the first time you accelerate on to the interstate. The later transmissions aren't known for their livealongtimeness.
I've posted this here before too, but here's what I did for added peace of mind for my transmission when I changed to AMSOIL trans fluid not quite two years ago. I've used a separate aux trans cooler for about 5 years, and plumed a spin-on filter in line when I did the last series of dain-and-fills, changing the filter between each.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TGzXTbOBwM
Great info. Thank you very much
See?? Lee is "That Guy". This site and matthews volvo talked me into buying my first volvo and walked me through 99% of the repairs and maint that i needed done. If you can swing it def take a closer look. They have a certain feel and if its right you'll know it.
Oh, and the seats are amazing. Ive put maybe 25k miles on mine the first year I had it and was never "road sore" when I arrived. Firm and supportive in the right places but not too hard and good side bolsters.
Happy Hunting.....
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