1997 Volvo 960 consumer reviews

I like the style of this vehicle and It runs very good, this car has problems with the power seat and A/C, a little noisy on the freeway

Bought this car to be my presentable daily driver: The car had been sitting for several years when bought it from the second owner. They had not cared for it well. And sitting out side it had issues. But that being said, I have owned up to the restoration. I rebuilt the rear and front suspension systems , braking systems, including the E,brakes. Put in a new rack and pinion, struts, and man y other supporting parts, also a new timing belt system kit, battery, alternator, etc. . Not overly cheap but doable as far as the parts go, around 2000, for all the parts-but I did all the work my self. I doubt this could have been done with many other cars. Being that the engineering was so well thought out for the most part. It looked daunting at first but once I did the break down, it was fairly understandable. Parts were a bit more difficult to find then my GMC vehicle. But after a few searches most all were available either new or reconditioned. A fair amount of parts are discontinued by Volvo but are still available online through used and aftermarket manufactures. You may have to source some parts in Europe or even Russia, as the cars are still highly sought after in those areas. (Us Americans are fairly disposable and not to wise about repairs with aftermarket parts , DYI or a good Volvo repair shop) .If your upto to that ,It's is not nearly as expensive as the cost of new vehicles are. Certainly compared to cost per mile. I paid 1600 for the care in good running condition. around 2000 for the parts. about 40 hours of time tinkering with replacemt part, clean up and some added projects. about 20 hours of online tinkering Id say I have about 4500 in value, with a very respectable driver. the cars sticker was 37k new. so I'm good with that, especially considering the technologies,of today's cars are almost impossible to fix in the average persons garage. Doing this was worth it for me,and you'll still get a wonderful driving car. With all this done and the car in very nice condition, I would have had to pay over $700 per month to drive as nice a vehicle new, and thats with a lease, or with payment and insurance. These cars are very underrated and under valued. and in some way a best kept secrete. So I think its the best option for many who can do it or can hire our the work. The car is well build and fairly safe, in all its crash impact tests. So my wife and kids are better of in this car, then many lower priced newer cars. Overall I'd go for it, especially if the car is in good shape and free of rust. Just search and find a good one, I got a fixer upper and did much more work than had I passed and look further west or south. But, A car must be easy to work on for me to buy, and this one fits that requirement although, at the upper threshold. (Mostly because of the excellent rear suspension system. Its a Multi-link independent rear suspension with a locking rear differential.) Only the top cars of any "era" had this back in the late 90's and early 2000's. All that in consideration, the value of the drive quality and usefulness, and reliability seems very much worth it. Just make sure the timing belt system has been maintained or get it done, Don't risk this on any interference engine, its worth knowing no matter which car you drive. This car needs it every 65k. you can also opt for the 740. 940, and of course the 240 wagons for even more reliability, with almost the same ride quality. Defiantly a car worth fixing up and enjoying.

Bought it three years ago. It needed a brake booster. A brief undercar inspection found no leaks nor rust. So far no problems other than basic repairs and maintenance. I don't drive a lot and expect the car to last the rest of my life. It has never left me stranded. Problems? The leaky sunroof had already been sealed shut. It's still a moonroof but without wind in the hair. Minor electrical glitches that have been easy to fix.

i bought this car to use to haul dj equipment in . i desided rescently to retire . so i have 1 car to many and cant afford the insureance . i wish i could keep this car drives great ,handles and runs like a sports car , and rides well too .

the car is good except for leaking thru the manifold , runs ruff, the seat will not move up . broken . abs brake light stays on may need new booster. light stays on for the temp for outside.

The last of Volvo's best is what I like to think. Volvo still makes a good car, but not low maintenance as this one. I purchased mine about 2 years ago after I totaled one, a '95 model that looked exactly like it. I've owned several Volvos and call this one Big PopPa because it's the big daddy of them all. Very smooth quiet ride with great road feel. It holds it's own and gets me around town in class. I do ALL of my own maintenance, yes, including the timing belt. I picked up the car with only 53k on it and now have over 105k. I think it made the Cash for Clunkers list but I'm actually getting 25 mpg around town and 28 to 29 mpg (63 mph) on the highway. The exterior has held up very well and so has the interior. Good quality interior, built to outlast the parts suppliers. Common Issues: Power seat travel, Sway bar links, evaporator system age, sunroof leak. The Good: Very nice powerful stereo (deep sound), Nice cruiser, quiet, solid feel, safety features.

Just yesterday i picked up a 1997 volvo 960 to replace my aging 2001 pt. I have never driven a rear wheel drive full size volvo before and a 960. the car is a low mileaged 97 with just 94k. feel -- loved the interior and seats feels like a mercedes. handles -- feels like heavy GT sports sedan mileage-- cant say yet :) reliability-- too soon to say. over all-- I am happy and looking forward to put atleast 100k miles on this.

Car always runs, minimal breakdowns/ repair problems. At 217k miles, it is just hitting its prime. In-line 3 liter straight six is an inherently sound motor design, this one is designed by Porsche (modular engine) but is uncomplicated by extra bells and whistles and is quite reliable as long as timing belt is changed every 70k miles. At 181hp, this tank could use some extra oomph (Volvos have been somewhat underpowered as a rule) but has enough power to pass slow-pokes easily. Interior is quite roomy, a full size sedan. It is also a tank, built heavy and safe and has performed better than most in MVC's. Not the flashiest set of wheels but it was bought 2nd hand for $7k, no note, have already put over 100k miles on it and plan to drive it for another few hundred thousand. With just regular maintenance, this car will go 500k miles, still look good and perform. It just keeps on giving back.

It is a luxury vehicle that can haul a load. I don't understand why anyone would drive an SUV when they could have the handling of a 960 wagon. Maintenance is priced toward the luxury range as well, but it is worth it when you are running with the big dogs on the open highways.

The last year of the full size station wagons, and it will hold a 4x8 sheet of plywood or a twin mattress. No slouch for ride and handling, but isn't that what Volvo's are about!