2000 S80 T-6 Buying Advice

[greybeard]

I'm new to this forum but I've been reading a lot on Edmunds.com and other sites as well. I've never owned a Volvo before but am looking at a 2000 S80 T-6, 117k miles. It will be for my wife, and comfort is #I'm a follower, and reliability #2, but I still want decent reliability. From all my reading and reviews, it seems that people either love this car or hate it. Either their 2000 has been wonderful, or everything imaginable has gone bad and had to be replaced.

From what I've read, 99 and 00 were not good years. This car is at a small independent service center, and they have done all the maintenance on it since it was out of warranty, and it's a one-owner. A lot of stuff has gone wrong with it and been replaced (I've talked to the owner and the mechanic). ABS module was replaced, timing belt replaced at 107k, they are putting in a reman tranny as we speak. Owner told me she took it in every 30,000 for regular maintenance and also had repaired a lot of other stuff. It has brand new brakes, brand new tires, and a brand new sunroof. She unloaded it because after all the money she put in it, the tranny has crashed (slipping), and she said NO MORE.

Here is my question: Since she had to do so much work on it and had to have so much stuff replaced, now that it has been replaced, am I out of the woods on big expensive repairws? If there were problems with the ABS module but it has now been replaced, am I likely to have problems again, or has the "bad stuff" been repaired with "good stuff"? Will the new tranny hold up since this is 2006, or am I getting junk in there again? She never really reported engine problems, and the mechanic that did the work says he's replaced jsut about everythighn on it.

Is this a lemon that has now been de-lemonized, or am I in for more trouble? What things should I be asking the mechanic before I buy it? It comes with 100% 3k/3 month warranty on parts and labor.

Thanks,

Greybeard

[Lynn Brockman]

Hi, Graybeard - I understand that these years are problematic as well. My vote would be to either go towards a newer edition (04 or so?) or look towards an S60 or something. I have seen issues with the ABS modules pretty frequently, but I don't know that you would have to replace it again. Transmission-wise, you should be just fine, as long as they are putting in a quality replacement unit. Timing belt replacement at 105,000 would be considered normal, if not a little bit late. Engine wise, you won't find much wrong with the T6. It's just like the reliable T5 engine you'll find except with an extra cylinder and turbo. Drive it, have a specialist volvo shop, or Volvo look at it before you buy it, if you decide it is what you want. That's about all you can do..

- Lynn

[64pvolvo1800]

I'm new to this forum but I've been reading a lot on Edmunds.com and other sites as well. I've never owned a Volvo before but am looking at a 2000 S80 T-6, 117k miles. It will be for my wife, and comfort is #I'm a follower, and reliability #2, but I still want decent reliability. From all my reading and reviews, it seems that people either love this car or hate it. Either their 2000 has been wonderful, or everything imaginable has gone bad and had to be replaced.

From what I've read, 99 and 00 were not good years. This car is at a small independent service center, and they have done all the maintenance on it since it was out of warranty, and it's a one-owner. A lot of stuff has gone wrong with it and been replaced (I've talked to the owner and the mechanic). ABS module was replaced, timing belt replaced at 107k, they are putting in a reman tranny as we speak. Owner told me she took it in every 30,000 for regular maintenance and also had repaired a lot of other stuff. It has brand new brakes, brand new tires, and a brand new sunroof. She unloaded it because after all the money she put in it, the tranny has crashed (slipping), and she said NO MORE.

Here is my question: Since she had to do so much work on it and had to have so much stuff replaced, now that it has been replaced, am I out of the woods on big expensive repairws? If there were problems with the ABS module but it has now been replaced, am I likely to have problems again, or has the "bad stuff" been repaired with "good stuff"? Will the new tranny hold up since this is 2006, or am I getting junk in there again? She never really reported engine problems, and the mechanic that did the work says he's replaced jsut about everythighn on it.

Is this a lemon that has now been de-lemonized, or am I in for more trouble? What things should I be asking the mechanic before I buy it? It comes with 100% 3k/3 month warranty on parts and labor.

Thanks,

Greybeard

Personally, I would RUN like the wind from an S80 of this age no matter what.

[dmelviØØ7]

Personally, I would RUN like the wind from an S80 of this age no matter what.

+1 but the S60's of the same vintage are pretty nice cars.

[the underlørd]

just look at MY 02 +

[SkyWriter]

i've only had one repair on my 2001 S80T6 and i drive it very hard. i take it in for 3K maintenance. i have had far more repairs on my other volvos P1's and 240's in the past. not to mention the 7 or so domestic vehicles i've owned. I'm not confident in the '00's and definately not the '99's.

it is a very comfortable car. if it's for your wife i would get the most reliable platform out there (not that i've ever seen one)

but if you're looking for substantiated opinion i would take the detailed elaborated input over the one liners.

your choice.

[garbergtsi]

dont walk away from this vehicle, run.

like everyone says, 02+ for the s80's...