[BenjaminD]

Hi SwedeSpeed,

I'm totally new here. (Please let me know if I should post this somewhere else or modify my behavior; this is my first forum and first post!) I'm a huge Volvo fan, have been for most of my life. I'm considering buying my first car; I don't have a ton of cash but something under $10k will be manageable for me & my family. I'm prepared to drive one of the cars in my family, but I've still been bargain-hunting for fun, and keep stumbling across S60s that I like (I would love a V60 but S60s are easier to come by online). My friend has a 2013 T5 Platinum AWD with about 52k miles on it and I'm absolutely in love with that car (to be fair, I found it for her on Craigslist).

So naturally, if I were to buy a car, it would be a P3 S60 (I don't think I could find, let alone maintain, an NG 9-5). Safe, stylish, practical, fast, comfortable, durable (depending on your definition of the word). I'm still conflicted between T5 and T6 (I was in an XC60 3.2 the other day and the Si6 smoothness won me over), as I certainly don't need 300 hp and would appreciate the T5 fuel economy, but I hear the T6 is more reliable and I repeatedly hear it referenced as one of Volvo's best engines. I know early ones are a bit heavy on the sauce [oil] but I figured the 2013s would have had those issues more or less sorted out. I hear the Aisin transmissions are good if a bit hiccupy, but the Haldex would probably need a filter change if I were to buy it. The door-handle issues might need resolving but I think that would be free.
____
Long story short: I found a 2013 S60 T6 Platinum AWD (non-P*, non-RD but LOADED) for $7995. It has everything I want - wood inlays, Sleipner rims, and a great color combo (grey over brown) with nav & all the Platinum accoutrements. It looks largely pristine inside and out. It's not the most babied example I've ever seen -- 142k miles and two front-end accidents early in life. (I would definitely be getting it inspected and thoroughly checked out if I were to buy it; two crunches does make me a little leery, but mileage is not the end of the world for me if it's been maintained). However, I am young, I certainly can't justify a super-high-end car, this is just the nicest S60 I've seen and it's aggressively priced. I know it will be safe and enjoyable and even if it only last 4-5 more years I wouldn't be pissed. The City Safety would also help a little with insurance costs.

Please let me know if this is a good idea, or, preferably, if I were to buy it (or a similar P3):

• What to look out for
• What to do immediately upon purchasing (timing belt? Haldex filter? etc.)
• Is it too cheap (or overpriced)?
• Would an older, lower-mileage S60 or even S80 T6 make more sense?
• Should I, as my father suggested, look for a slightly fresher S60 and expand my budget an extra $1-$3k?

Any input is greatly appreciated. (Yes, I know it's an awfully nice car for a young person. No, I'm not going to drive a Corolla because it's more reliable or cheaper to maintain.) Thank you!

 

[simmondsdt]

If it's a clean title, there is good history and the accidents on the front were considered minor and is stated clean after inspection, I would probably do it. Maybe negotiate a bit more if possible due to the accidents. The T6 is seriously such an awesome, powerful and smooth engine. I would recommend getting the polestar upgrade as well, but to each their own. Keeping up on maintenance is a must, but keeps things pretty stress free. I feel like my 12 S60 is the most reliable Volvo I have owned.

Some items to look out for or take care of

• Brake booster reseal, did mine at 65k and pretty easy to do
• PCV system, I've seen most people do this before 150k
• All fluid changes if not done recently (you should definitely at least change the transmission and awd fluids, haldex, diff and angle gear)
• At that mileage suspension components might need to be replaced if haven't, 4C is a bit more expensive

Only out of the blue odd things I have ran into from 60k to 82k now

• Replaced all my coils at 75k but are easy to replace and cheaper from FCP (I think it's FCP)
• Had to replace my radiator at 75k but looks like most people don't have issues with theirs

Might have missed some obvious stuff but I'm sure other members will chime in

 

[BenjaminD]

If it's a clean title, there is good history and the accidents on the front were considered minor and is stated clean after inspection, I would probably do it. Maybe negotiate a bit more if possible due to the accidents. The T6 is seriously such an awesome, powerful and smooth engine. I would recommend getting the polestar upgrade as well, but to each their own. Keeping up on maintenance is a must, but keeps things pretty stress free. I feel like my 12 S60 is the most reliable Volvo I have owned.

Some items to look out for or take care of

• Brake booster reseal, did mine at 65k and pretty easy to do
• PCV system, I've seen most people do this before 150k
• All fluid changes if not done recently (you should definitely at least change the transmission and awd fluids, haldex, diff and angle gear)
• At that mileage suspension components might need to be replaced if haven't, 4C is a bit more expensive

Only out of the blue odd things I have ran into from 60k to 82k now

• Replaced all my coils at 75k but are easy to replace and cheaper from FCP (I think it's FCP)
• Had to replace my radiator at 75k but looks like most people don't have issues with theirs

Might have missed some obvious stuff but I'm sure other members will chime in

This is awesome, thank you so much. Owner feedback is always the most useful!

Title is clean, but the first accident was 'moderate.' The car was a lease, so I would assume that a dealer carried out the repair properly. The second one was minor, and also during the lease, so I'm not super worried as long as the car is structurally sound.

I knew something about the PCV on the five-cylinders, couldn't remember if it applied to the Si6 too. Would definitely have that evaluated upon inspection. Fluid changes are definitely important, especially since the older Haldex angle gears were often what bricked the whole system (if I remember correctly). I was looking at a 2011 with Four-C but I figured it would be more trouble than it was worth, since I like the ride & handling of the T5 with 17" Njords enough not to need the Four-C on the 18s.

All in all, I would need all of this checked out (maybe even by a dealer) to evaluate what's been done and what would need doing. 142k miles is at the upper edge of comfortable for me, but the price is so tempting. Most S60s at that price are even higher-mileage with no features, front-wheel-drive and the ugly all-black or all-tan interiors. Needless to say I'm in love with this car, and if I don't buy this one, I'll look for one like it.

 

[Wayne T5]

Welcome aboard - there's a lot of good information in these threads.

This sounds like it may be a reasonable purchase but only if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and doing a lot of the work yourself. Otherwise, going to a dealer or paying a mechanic to do everything will make this car really expensive for you. At this mileage you're probably looking at full suspension rebuild and you're really close to the accessory drive belt service at 150k which tends to cost north of $1k, so that's $2k. Also, I tend to budget an additional $1-2k on top of the purchase price for stuff the prior owner didn't do - tires, full stage 0, other surprises.

I like to use kbb for pricing so when I look at this one with those miles and in good condition I get $8k. But with that accessory drive belt service right around the corner and the spotty carfax I'd be comfortable at much less than that.

Hopefully you have access to service records and definitely get it checked out by a mechanic. In the end I'd tend to agree with your dad and get something with lower miles where you aren't approaching these more expensive services. To me the sweet spot is finding something in the 70-100k mile range where at least you have a little more runway until expensive repairs start in the mid-100's - just my opinion.

If you want, shoot us a link to the car you're considering and we'd be more than happy to give you our thoughts. Good luck on the search!

 

[BenjaminD]

Welcome aboard - there's a lot of good information in these threads.

This sounds like it may be a reasonable purchase but only if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and doing a lot of the work yourself. Otherwise, going to a dealer or paying a mechanic to do everything will make this car really expensive for you. At this mileage you're probably looking at full suspension rebuild and you're really close to the accessory drive belt service at 150k which tends to cost north of $1k, so that's $2k. Also, I tend to budget an additional $1-2k on top of the purchase price for stuff the prior owner didn't do - tires, full stage 0, other surprises.

I like to use kbb for pricing so when I look at this one with those miles and in good condition I get $8k. But with that accessory drive belt service right around the corner and the spotty carfax I'd be comfortable at much less than that.

Hopefully you have access to service records and definitely get it checked out by a mechanic. In the end I'd tend to agree with your dad and get something with lower miles where you aren't approaching these more expensive services. To me the sweet spot is finding something in the 70-100k mile range where at least you have a little more runway until expensive repairs start in the mid-100's - just my opinion.

If you want, shoot us a link to the car you're considering and we'd be more than happy to give you our thoughts. Good luck on the search!

This is probably not the answer I wanted, but I knew it was coming, and I agree, the car would not be a low-budget operator. My rationale is, if I put the necessary money into it upon or soon after purchase, it would have a twilight period where the major stuff was replaced and it could run well for another 50k or 100k, etc.

I'm not really handy -- I would like to be, and would be willing to learn, but am not super interested in spending whole weekends doing my own maintenance. Smaller jobs would be good chances to learn; big stuff does not appeal. My local Volvo dealer is a favorite of mine and I like giving them business, but the high servicing costs would sting.

I figured the "$7995" S60 would still end up being a $10k car at the end of the day, so I would definitely budget some extra money for future repairs. I would hope that there were some old-fashioned service records, or that the previous owner would have done some preventative maintenance, but I couldn't count on that. The mechanical inspection would be my best tool.

The point you make about 150k suspension work is interesting -- does this mean bushings / shocks / springs, or like a COMPLETE rebuild? Is that a T6 thing (more force going to the wheels) or universal on P3s?

I've been looking at a few other T6s, and I scour Marketplace/Craigslist/Autotrader/Carfax every few days just for fun. There have been nice ones, but they don't come around often, at least not with lights + interiors + options that I want. There are a lot of T6s with the gross interiors and no multimedia, for example. (Lately it's been really slim pickings even if I extend my search radius to 500mi.) I know I sound picky, but if I'm going to be spending the money, I want a car that feels complete. What drew me to this particular one was the price and the specifications; in a perfect world it would have less of a past -- but its past is what makes it so temptingly cheap.

Would it be worth offering $6995 or $7500? Would that be lowballing, or is the car actually -- somehow -- overpriced?

I will attach the FB link in the thread below (the same listing is also on Autotrader and Carfax I think). Thank you so, so very much for all your advice so far. My first 24 hours in the Swedespeed community have been immensely helpful. I knew this culture was awesome and am so glad to finally be getting my toes wet. I'll probably have more questions in the future!

 

[BenjaminD]

2013 Volvo S60 T6 Platinum

Here's the listing. The CarFax is a little gory, so I'll reiterate that it would need a THOROUGH mechanical and structural examination.

 

[BenjaminD]

the other S60

This is another similar one I'm looking at, much lower miles and not too much more expensive. I hate the spoiler and the old shifter, so those would have to change, and I would probably have to retrofit some Urbane wood in the process. It also has no nav and no camera, so maybe I would look into aftermarket options.

I'm very close to considering this, but the powertrain is a major turnoff. I wish they had sold the V70 T6 here. I would be all over that!

 

[Wayne T5]

Regarding the suspension, that's not P3 or T6 specific and is not a hard and fast rule but pretty much for all cars when you get towards 150k miles control arms, struts, shocks tend to get tired and should be replaced. That would be the same for pretty much any car.

On the 2013 car there's pretty much no services listed on the carfax over the past 100k miles (one red flag) and then there's two accidents and moderate damage (another red flag). Has had pretty high miles put on it the past few years.

Given the two S60's you posted I'd lean more toward the '12 and try to negotiate that price a lot lower - looks like it was owned by enthusiast who at least indicated it had oil changes every 5k, has 50k less miles and I like the color better, lol. But if you're not handy and have no interest in doing work to it then I don't know how you'd change the shifter.

All that said though, using dealer service for a car like this will get expensive. Not the message you probably want to hear but it's better you hear it now than later.

I wouldn't consider that wagon.

 

[BenjaminD]

Regarding the suspension, that's not P3 or T6 specific and is not a hard and fast rule but pretty much for all cars when you get towards 150k miles control arms, struts, shocks tend to get tired and should be replaced. That would be the same for pretty much any car.

On the 2013 car there's pretty much no services listed on the carfax over the past 100k miles (one red flag) and then there's two accidents and moderate damage (another red flag). Has had pretty high miles put on it the past few years.

Given the two S60's you posted I'd lean more toward the '12 and try to negotiate that price a lot lower - looks like it was owned by enthusiast who at least indicated it had oil changes every 5k, has 50k less miles and I like the color better, lol. But if you're not handy and have no interest in doing work to it then I don't know how you'd change the shifter.

All that said though, using dealer service for a car like this will get expensive. Not the message you probably want to hear but it's better you hear it now than later.

I wouldn't consider that wagon.

Thank you so much for your time and input, this has been indispensable. The 2012 is very tempting. It's not that I'm completely averse to a little handiwork here and there, just wouldn't feel comfortable doing something mechanically important on my own. I would love to start small -- I could probably replace the shifter and trim with a little constructive cursing, as I've seen some amazing threads on here showing how to do it. Another example of this amazing community!

Dealer maintenance would add up quick. I may look into some independent Euro / Swedish specialists in my area. I live in NH so there's a real concentration of Volvos and even some resilient Saabs kicking around.

As for the suspension, I agree, it would probably be worth doing at that mileage. With luck, the mechanical inspection would help determine whether the car needed it. I was just unsure if you meant something more specific -- I heard that older Volvos got loose in the front and made lots of noise, for example. As for the service history, it is regrettably spotty. This car would definitely be a big risk. I'm in no hurry, so the perfect S60 may still be out there.

 

[Rally_V60]

Hi SwedeSpeed,

I'm totally new here. (Please let me know if I should post this somewhere else or modify my behavior; this is my first forum and first post!) I'm a huge Volvo fan, have been for most of my life. I'm considering buying my first car; I don't have a ton of cash but something under $10k will be manageable for me & my family. I'm prepared to drive one of the cars in my family, but I've still been bargain-hunting for fun, and keep stumbling across S60s that I like (I would love a V60 but S60s are easier to come by online). My friend has a 2013 T5 Platinum AWD with about 52k miles on it and I'm absolutely in love with that car (to be fair, I found it for her on Craigslist).

So naturally, if I were to buy a car, it would be a P3 S60 (I don't think I could find, let alone maintain, an NG 9-5). Safe, stylish, practical, fast, comfortable, durable (depending on your definition of the word). I'm still conflicted between T5 and T6 (I was in an XC60 3.2 the other day and the Si6 smoothness won me over), as I certainly don't need 300 hp and would appreciate the T5 fuel economy, but I hear the T6 is more reliable and I repeatedly hear it referenced as one of Volvo's best engines. I know early ones are a bit heavy on the sauce [oil] but I figured the 2013s would have had those issues more or less sorted out. I hear the Aisin transmissions are good if a bit hiccupy, but the Haldex would probably need a filter change if I were to buy it. The door-handle issues might need resolving but I think that would be free.
____
Long story short: I found a 2013 S60 T6 Platinum AWD (non-P*, non-RD but LOADED) for $7995. It has everything I want - wood inlays, Sleipner rims, and a great color combo (grey over brown) with nav & all the Platinum accoutrements. It looks largely pristine inside and out. It's not the most babied example I've ever seen -- 142k miles and two front-end accidents early in life. (I would definitely be getting it inspected and thoroughly checked out if I were to buy it; two crunches does make me a little leery, but mileage is not the end of the world for me if it's been maintained). However, I am young, I certainly can't justify a super-high-end car, this is just the nicest S60 I've seen and it's aggressively priced. I know it will be safe and enjoyable and even if it only last 4-5 more years I wouldn't be pissed. The City Safety would also help a little with insurance costs.

Please let me know if this is a good idea, or, preferably, if I were to buy it (or a similar P3):

• What to look out for
• What to do immediately upon purchasing (timing belt? Haldex filter? etc.)
• Is it too cheap (or overpriced)?
• Would an older, lower-mileage S60 or even S80 T6 make more sense?
• Should I, as my father suggested, look for a slightly fresher S60 and expand my budget an extra $1-$3k?

Any input is greatly appreciated. (Yes, I know it's an awfully nice car for a young person. No, I'm not going to drive a Corolla because it's more reliable or cheaper to maintain.) Thank you!

I do remember hearing that the earlier P3s had some issues regarding the rear diffs not fully sure on the exact detail of it but something to consider

 

[Rally_V60]

I do remember hearing that the earlier P3s had some issues regarding the rear diffs not fully sure on the exact detail of it but something to consider

Also the haled pump check that out and see if its been replaced

 

[billqueenis]

Hi SwedeSpeed,

I'm totally new here. (Please let me know if I should post this somewhere else or modify my behavior; this is my first forum and first post!) I'm a huge Volvo fan, have been for most of my life. I'm considering buying my first car; I don't have a ton of cash but something under $10k will be manageable for me & my family. I'm prepared to drive one of the cars in my family, but I've still been bargain-hunting for fun, and keep stumbling across S60s that I like (I would love a V60 but S60s are easier to come by online). My friend has a 2013 T5 Platinum AWD with about 52k miles on it and I'm absolutely in love with that car (to be fair, I found it for her on Craigslist).

So naturally, if I were to buy a car, it would be a P3 S60 (I don't think I could find, let alone maintain, an NG 9-5). Safe, stylish, practical, fast, comfortable, durable (depending on your definition of the word). I'm still conflicted between T5 and T6 (I was in an XC60 3.2 the other day and the Si6 smoothness won me over), as I certainly don't need 300 hp and would appreciate the T5 fuel economy, but I hear the T6 is more reliable and I repeatedly hear it referenced as one of Volvo's best engines. I know early ones are a bit heavy on the sauce [oil] but I figured the 2013s would have had those issues more or less sorted out. I hear the Aisin transmissions are good if a bit hiccupy, but the Haldex would probably need a filter change if I were to buy it. The door-handle issues might need resolving but I think that would be free.
____
Long story short: I found a 2013 S60 T6 Platinum AWD (non-P*, non-RD but LOADED) for $7995. It has everything I want - wood inlays, Sleipner rims, and a great color combo (grey over brown) with nav & all the Platinum accoutrements. It looks largely pristine inside and out. It's not the most babied example I've ever seen -- 142k miles and two front-end accidents early in life. (I would definitely be getting it inspected and thoroughly checked out if I were to buy it; two crunches does make me a little leery, but mileage is not the end of the world for me if it's been maintained). However, I am young, I certainly can't justify a super-high-end car, this is just the nicest S60 I've seen and it's aggressively priced. I know it will be safe and enjoyable and even if it only last 4-5 more years I wouldn't be pissed. The City Safety would also help a little with insurance costs.

Please let me know if this is a good idea, or, preferably, if I were to buy it (or a similar P3):

• What to look out for
• What to do immediately upon purchasing (timing belt? Haldex filter? etc.)
• Is it too cheap (or overpriced)?
• Would an older, lower-mileage S60 or even S80 T6 make more sense?
• Should I, as my father suggested, look for a slightly fresher S60 and expand my budget an extra $1-$3k?

Any input is greatly appreciated. (Yes, I know it's an awfully nice car for a young person. No, I'm not going to drive a Corolla because it's more reliable or cheaper to maintain.) Thank you!

Alright so to break it down. These is actually a pretty good deal!

I personally recommend you go with the T6. It is a simpler, bigger, better engine. Also, the T6 doesn't use a timing belt like a T5. If the timing belt breaks on a T5, bye bye valves and bye bye engine. The T6 has an AC belt, where if that were to break, you just wouldn't have some accesories, not as big of a deal. The T6 engines are also bigger, but make around the same amount of power, so there is naturally less stress on the entire engine.

1) Things to look out for: I am just going to past what I've replied in previous posts for maitenance on the T6 engines. "
The thermostats like to go after 10 years. The plastic tabs on the inside of the thermostat that hold the spring in break, which causes the thermostat to stay open.

You should replace the PCV,(oil trap). This is the black box on the top of the engine. The diaphram on the PCV rips, and then the baffles on the inside get all clogged up. This causes the the PCV to go out, a symptom of this issue is a whistling sound at idle, or a high pitch whistle when you pull the dipstick. Another test you can do to see if it needs replacing is, take the oil fill cap off, put a rubber glove on the oil fill neck and start the engine. If the glove inflates, your PCV is bad.

You should change the transmission fluid every 40,000km/25,000mi. The power steering fluid should be flushed every 60,000km/35,000mi. The coolant should be flushed 45,000km/30,000mi.

The official Volvo spark plug interval is 97,000km/60,000mi. I personally like to do them around every 40,000km/25,000mi. The reason I do this is because I am trying to get the most most performance out of my XC60. If you are just dailying the car to the grocery store and stuff, the Volvo Interval will do just fine.

Change the Haldex and diff fluid every 40,000km/25,000mi. This serivce isn't known or recommended by Volvo themselves because according to Volvo, it is a LiFeTiMe FlUiD. You can find the correct fluid on FCP Euro for a decent price.

I don't think there was anything that I forgot. But somebody please let me know if I did.

2) If you do get a T5, do the timing belt. Now, Volvo says that their haldex and diff fluid is a lifetime fluid. Now this is a big hunk of bull, nothing is lifetime. I recomend you change that.

3)I don't think it is to cheap. When you go look at the car, look for stains, leaks, squeaks and others types of issues you could find.

4) Lower mileage isn't necessary better, nor is older is this case. Now 2008-2011.5 T6 engines had issues where the rings where to thin, which would cause the engine to burn oil. I believe it is like 85% of these engines have now been rebuilt or replaced under the cost of Volvo. The S80's and XC70's were the ones with the diff issues. For the lower mileage let's just make up an example: Old man is selling his 2008 S80 with only 30,000mi on it. He only used it to go to the legion and the grocery store, all of which were 2km away from his house. An engine that was driven this way, would have insane amounts of crud, buildup and condensation due to the lack of wide open throttle, and not getting up to temperature.

 

[BenjaminD]

Alright so to break it down. These is actually a pretty good deal!

I personally recommend you go with the T6. It is a simpler, bigger, better engine. Also, the T6 doesn't use a timing belt like a T5. If the timing belt breaks on a T5, bye bye valves and bye bye engine. The T6 has an AC belt, where if that were to break, you just wouldn't have some accesories, not as big of a deal. The T6 engines are also bigger, but make around the same amount of power, so there is naturally less stress on the entire engine.

1) Things to look out for: I am just going to past what I've replied in previous posts for maitenance on the T6 engines. "
The thermostats like to go after 10 years. The plastic tabs on the inside of the thermostat that hold the spring in break, which causes the thermostat to stay open.

You should replace the PCV,(oil trap). This is the black box on the top of the engine. The diaphram on the PCV rips, and then the baffles on the inside get all clogged up. This causes the the PCV to go out, a symptom of this issue is a whistling sound at idle, or a high pitch whistle when you pull the dipstick. Another test you can do to see if it needs replacing is, take the oil fill cap off, put a rubber glove on the oil fill neck and start the engine. If the glove inflates, your PCV is bad.

You should change the transmission fluid every 40,000km/25,000mi. The power steering fluid should be flushed every 60,000km/35,000mi. The coolant should be flushed 45,000km/30,000mi.

The official Volvo spark plug interval is 97,000km/60,000mi. I personally like to do them around every 40,000km/25,000mi. The reason I do this is because I am trying to get the most most performance out of my XC60. If you are just dailying the car to the grocery store and stuff, the Volvo Interval will do just fine.

Change the Haldex and diff fluid every 40,000km/25,000mi. This serivce isn't known or recommended by Volvo themselves because according to Volvo, it is a LiFeTiMe FlUiD. You can find the correct fluid on FCP Euro for a decent price.

I don't think there was anything that I forgot. But somebody please let me know if I did.

2) If you do get a T5, do the timing belt. Now, Volvo says that their haldex and diff fluid is a lifetime fluid. Now this is a big hunk of bull, nothing is lifetime. I recomend you change that.

3)I don't think it is to cheap. When you go look at the car, look for stains, leaks, squeaks and others types of issues you could find.

4) Lower mileage isn't necessary better, nor is older is this case. Now 2008-2011.5 T6 engines had issues where the rings where to thin, which would cause the engine to burn oil. I believe it is like 85% of these engines have now been rebuilt or replaced under the cost of Volvo. The S80's and XC70's were the ones with the diff issues. For the lower mileage let's just make up an example: Old man is selling his 2008 S80 with only 30,000mi on it. He only used it to go to the legion and the grocery store, all of which were 2km away from his house. An engine that was driven this way, would have insane amounts of crud, buildup and condensation due to the lack of wide open throttle, and not getting up to temperature.

This is amazing information. Thank you for this! I knew there would be a number of things to do upon purchase. This list puts it into perspective. If you say it's a good deal, this makes me want to seriously consider the car again! It would probably still end up being $10-$11k all said and done, but the car is my ideal S60 (barring the accidents). I would love to offer $6995 or $7500 and see what happens.

 

[mamba42]

I don’t think you’d be out of line to go in at $6900 or even $6500 given the work you’ll probably be looking at very soon. T6 is definitely a strong engine but I think what others have said is sage advice. Suspension is a possibility (partly depending on how those miles were out on, if they were mostly highway miles it’s not so bad and they could last longer). Accessory belt for sure, maybe you could do it yourself depending on comfort. Fluid flushes and changes you could handle yourself.

I think it seems decent. The damage was from a while ago so it doesn’t really turn me off (provided an inspection doesn’t uncover anything).

 

[mamba42]

Forgot about PCV too. That’s also something you could do. For that job, it’s possible to just replace the diaphragm instead of the whole unit as well (which saves some $$ and is simple: just pop the cap off, replace diaphragm and put new cap on).

 

[BenjaminD]

I don't think you'd be out of line to go in at $6900 or even $6500 given the work you'll probably be looking at very soon. T6 is definitely a strong engine but I think what others have said is sage advice. Suspension is a possibility (partly depending on how those miles were out on, if they were mostly highway miles it's not so bad and they could last longer). Accessory belt for sure, maybe you could do it yourself depending on comfort. Fluid flushes and changes you could handle yourself.

I think it seems decent. The damage was from a while ago so it doesn't really turn me off (provided an inspection doesn't uncover anything).

I agree about the damage -- since it happened during the lease period, I would expect that Volvo paid for the repair to be done properly by a dealer or certified shop. Your insights are super valuable, thank you for this. $6500 would be an amazing price for this car, I wonder if I could offer that and meet them in the middle. I would be much happier there or at $6900.

So far what I'm hearing is:
-Get it checked out before buying (which I was planning to do anyways, always a good idea!)
-PCV (the diaphragm trick is awesome, I really appreciate it)
-Haldex fluid & screen
-Thermostat
-Accessory drive belt
-Diff fluid
-Transmission fluid
-Chassis refresh (suspension, brakes, tires as needed)
-and maybe a little Italian tune-up to get rid of any sludge!

 

[Rally_V60]

One small concern would be the haled pump try seeing if its been changed if not when u drive it make sure the AWD drives fine

 

[billqueenis]

Forgot about PCV too. That's also something you could do. For that job, it's possible to just replace the diaphragm instead of the whole unit as well (which saves some $$ and is simple: just pop the cap off, replace diaphragm and put new cap on).

You technically can do this, Dorman offers a kit with all the parts.

However, on the inside of the PCV box, there is a lot of baffles and channels. Usually the cause of that diaphram ripping is due to the channels/baffles in the box getting clogged up. It is always better to replace the whole unit itself.

 

[BenjaminD]

You technically can do this, Dorman offers a kit with all the parts.

However, on the inside of the PCV box, there is a lot of baffles and channels. Usually the cause of that diaphram ripping is due to the channels/baffles in the box getting clogged up. It is always better to replace the whole unit itself.

Excellent tip, thank you. Better safe than sorry!

 

[billqueenis]

I agree about the damage -- since it happened during the lease period, I would expect that Volvo paid for the repair to be done properly by a dealer or certified shop. Your insights are super valuable, thank you for this. $6500 would be an amazing price for this car, I wonder if I could offer that and meet them in the middle. I would be much happier there or at $6900.

So far what I'm hearing is:
-Get it checked out before buying (which I was planning to do anyways, always a good idea!)
-PCV (the diaphragm trick is awesome, I really appreciate it)
-Haldex fluid & screen
-Thermostat
-Accessory drive belt
-Diff fluid
-Transmission fluid
-Chassis refresh (suspension, brakes, tires as needed)
-and maybe a little Italian tune-up to get rid of any sludge!

This is a good list.

While your in there, also have the upper strut bearings checked out. On the earlier P3's the upper strut bearings tend to go prematurely, and just make sure those are good. If the car you are looking at doesn't have the 4C suspension system (COMFORT|SPORT|ADVANCED) on the center console, suspension will be relativey cheap. If it does have the 4C suspension, check the condition of the struts. I am suspecting that you want to keep the car stock, so to replace the suspension with the 4C stuff can be a little pricy.

If you are getting the acessory drive belt replaced, you mine as welll replace some pulleys/bearings while your in there. Even if they aren't on their way out yet, just replace them and get them out of the way.

For OEM brakes, I recommend you get some Brembo rotors and pads, can't go wrong with Brembo. For tires, Volvo recommends Pirelli. Pirelli are a little bit $$ as compared to some competitors, but in my mind certain Pirelli's are worth it. I also know that tires are more of a personnal prefference for some people.

If you do your own work on cars, you can probably tackle the thermostat job yourself. It isn't a difficult job, there just isn't a lot of room to work with. Contrary to what you may find on the internet, you do not need to remove the intake manifold.

When you do your italian tune up wink wink, really listen to that inline 6 purrr. That's a nosie your gonna want to get used to.