How many miles on average does a volvo before they start to brake down?

My wife an I need a second vehicle, and a friend of ours is recommending us to buy a '93 volvo with 218,000 miles on it.


Any thoughts about that kind of car?


the year with that many miles?


How many more miles can I expect to get out of it b4 it starts to brake down bad??


Thank you for your time!!


I welcome any advise you can give me!!|||Depends on the maintenance performed and who owned it.





I had a 1999 Volvo XC70 AWD with 255k miles and still runs great. It was well maintained and had a great service history.





Yes they are more expensive to repair than a Chevy, but alot more fun to drive.





Two things to watch out for on the 1993's are automatic transmissions. Very bad design for that year and 1994, and have seen a lot of problems.|||218,000 is a lot of mileage for any used car - it will need work almost immediately and constantly at that stage. The timing belt will need to be replaced, the strut plates will be squeaky and need replacing, depending on the model it is going to be a high maintenance vehicle. I own a 96 Volvo 850 with 160,000 miles and although I love my car it is an expensive beast to repair. A new starter costs nearly $200.00 and takes a couple of hours to replace.





Heater cores are notoriously bad in Volvo cars, as well as the A/C compressor. My advise is to take it to a trusted mechanic and let them check it thoroughly before you buy|||First, it would depend on what model Volvo it is. If it's a 240 series, they were pretty much perfected then (it was their last year) and if it's a 740 or 940 series, they were even better than the 240s with less rust, more sound proofing and more creature comforts.


If it's an 850, run like the wind! They had all sorts of problem that year, plus one-year-only parts like headlights and wheels etc.





218000 miles isn't bad if you get a solid maintenance history. If it's the little 4-cylinder engine, they can take a LOT of "abuse" and not suffer for it. They are also non-interference (unless its the 16 valve GLE, which rumor has it was interference) which means that a broken timing-belt is an inconvenience and you just replace it (90 minutes) and drive off again.





I would look at it, then gauge the owner. Does he look like a slob, or like someone who takes care of himself and his vehicles? Does the car look clean and cared for? Is the engine compartment clean and neat instead of oily and messy (bad juju). What about the inside of the car? Clean and cared for or smoked in, spilled coffee/soda stains? Do all the electricals work (seats/sun roof/heater/fans/lights/buttons/windows etc) and do the heater and A/C work?





What sort of rust do you see under it? Any major rattles and sqeaks (other than interior pieces that do age) and is this somewhere sunny where the sun could fade and wear interior plastic?





If you get a good history that details parts/service and fluid changes, then I wouldn't hesitate to buy it and expect it to last to 300K.











Here's something I wrote in another answer regarding the VOlvo longevity;








That depends on so many factors that it's hard to answer.





Do you live in sunny California or salt-on-the-snowy-roads Wisconsin? Do you neglect maintenance, or stick to at least the manufacturers recommended intervals?





A pristine car can be junk if the timing belt breaks and the engine blows up (valves impact the pistons and get bent etc).





A couple of guide lines that I go by;





1, "redblock" Volvos take more abuse without leaving you stranded. They are the ones with the old 4-cylinder engines (painted red, thus the name). Basically all the 4-cylinder REAR wheel drive Volvos.





2, The "whiteblock" (Volvo 960, V90, S90, S70, S80, V70's and newer) need a little more care like synthetic oil and rigorous adherence to timing belt changes.





Mostly, I've found that my Volvos like regular maintenance. Replace oil every 5000 miles, the rest of the fluids every two years (roughly) and transmission oil every five years even if Volvo claims "life time oil".


Replace shocks and springs when needed, and if windows get sluggish, repair it before they break. Same thing with anything else really.





The basic (manufacturers) maintenance will easily let your Volvo go well over 200K miles without any major overhaul. You'll need to keep it clean and wash off any road salt and touch up any paint dings/scratches to protect from rust.


Source(s):


Years of experience with many different Volvos and quizzing the techs at the local Volvo Shop (Voltek in Denver and Carl Duke in Loveland, CO) when there's something I can't do/figure out.