I wouldn't touch it. T5s are part of the piston ring issue in this era. I'd stick with finding one that has a T6 motor. As much as the T5 is a great little motor for the vehicle, I wouldn't trust the rings. Interesting that your searches showed rust issues and PCV when the bigger problem has been the rings. PCV is easy to fix when it goes, and it's easy to know when it goes, and easy to do ahead of time as preventative. Rust I would say is probably overblown. I don't think of the P3 cars as being rusty. I have three with the highest mile being 199k here in PA (not as bad as Buffalo for sure), but that car has been well cared for and good to go.

The dealer in Buffalo I don't know anything about, but overall they have good google reviews. I'd be more likely to trust them than the seller of the car. To me, they might know more about the history than the owner wants shared, he clearly didn't like what they told him at some point. The difference between trade value and fair private party value are typically fairly small because private party sellers don't do much to fix the car and there isn't recourse if something is found to be wrong after the fact. If the Ford store wouldn't give him the right number for the trade, I'd tend to suspect there was a reason for it. For example, KBB shows trade value of a generic XC70 2016 with 63k at $20,400 and private party sale at $22600. Not saying that's accurate, XC70s do often sell for higher than book, but the spread generally is close. $2200 isn't chump change you say. Well, in NY, as in many states, you get tax credit for your trade, so that's another $800.. Sure, I don't have $1400 in my pocket at the moment, but most people would choose to just trade in at that point.

 

The dealer in Buffalo I don't know anything about, but overall they have good google reviews. I'd be more likely to trust them than the seller of the car. To me, they might know more about the history than the owner wants shared, he clearly didn't like what they told him at some point.

^ This.

Not be too negative but the car may be an oil burner that the seller is trying to unload as he didn't like what the dealer told him. Car may be just out of the 8 year/100k mile extended warranty for oil burning. The oil ring issue isn't as prevalent with the five-cylinder motors as it is with the four-cylinder ones but it's still there. Seller meeting you 250 miles doesn't really mean that much - any car with oil burning can make it that far.

I'd pass on this one and look for a T6 though those aren't immune to oil consumption either - it's just a little more manageable. They're coming down in price now so you should be able to get a latter year model with reasonable miles for the mid-20's.

The rust would most likely be on the front subframe - it will probably look pretty nasty but the structural integrity probably isn't compromised.

Good luck on the hunt!

 

Agree about the T6 ..... our 2015 has been and still is a great driven fun to boot. Rust here in New Hampshire has not been an issue - but we don't go out when we don't have to either. I have not seen one XC70 around here with any rust at all.
As for the KBB, personally it means very little to me when looking at used cars. Far better to do a good job looking at what they actually sell for, or at least what the typical asking price is. Look nationwide. Facebook Marketplace. BAT. Everywhere, and make a list of what you find. Anyway, go a lot further than KBB.

 

Agree about the T6 ..... our 2015 has been and still is a great driven fun to boot. As for the KBB, personally it means very little to me when looking at used cars. Far better to do a good job looking at what they actually sell for, or at least what the typical asking price is. Look nationwide. Facebook Marketplace. BAT. Everywhere, and make a list of what you find. Anyway, go a lot further than KBB.

I agree on KBB.. I just mean to use it as a trend tool. We offer people well above KBB for XC70s because they're worth more than KBB says.. I only meant that the difference between trade value and private sale are not going to be majorly different. That's how any market works, unless a dealer is just low balling you... but then, what are you doing business with them for?

 

@Wayne T5

To add one more point, nothing stops seller from topping off oil to mask the issue either.

 

Good Afternoon All;

Thank you for taking the time to offer 'food for thought'. I had assumed that the i5/T5 in the P3 series was the same engine as installed in our '05 P2, but clearly that is not the case.

Sounds like perhaps the Mrs. suggestion to just keep the '05 and drop in a new engine when/if that time comes is the better course of action (that, and looking for a P3 with the 6-cylinder...).

 

I wouldn't necessarily avoid a P3 but you need to make sure the Pistons and rings have been replaced if you purchase one. I imagine that is harder to find than someone trying to dump a vehicle that is burning oil but it never hurts to look or ask.

 

Here's a couple:

2015 Volvo XC70 T6 For Sale in Fredericksburg, VA - YV4902NK8F1225876 - TrueCar

Caspian over hazel - pretty!

Used 2015 Volvo XC70 T6 Platinum For Sale $19,995 | Cars.com

Black over black platinum.

Both last model year ('15.5) T6 cars.

There's actually quite a few decent looking '14-'15.5 T6's for sale currently. I don't follow the market as much as before when I owned one.

 

In 2020 I “traded up” from an 02 V70 2.4T to a 10 XC70 T6 as my winter car- always on steelies/Hakkas or Nokian or Gislaveds. I’m not particularly impressed with the P3 as a driving experience. A very solid and stiff unibody compared to the 02 V, and the Bridge of Weir leather and winter Haldex performance are excellent, and I do like an I6 engine- but I view it as a very well built Tahoe. 🤷‍♂️The 4C dampers will crap out, as will the blower motor- both expensive repairs, as was the freewheeling alternator pulley system. My T6 engine burns no oil at 120K km. On the highway in winter, it gets remarkably good fuel mileage (10l/00km). I run exclusively Shell Gold 91, so it doesn’t drink the cheap stuff.

I’d be inclined to zero time your P2 and run it forever. The I5 + Haldex you own is great package. FWIW

 

I own two Upstate NY P3s and I can tell you that any P3 that has lived where it snows and they salt the roads will have some rust, unless the owner oil undercoated it religiously from day one. Anyone who lives in the northeast who tells you they do not rust is either lying or has not looked underneath their car. The body is relatively rust resistant, but all the stuff that bolts to the bottom of the car will rust. Our XC70 spent much of its life in Rochester and Utica, and while it is still a solid car at 113k, that environment was not kind to the suspension and subframes. Fortunately most of the problem pieces are easily replaced.

I also have a 2014 5 cylinder S60 that, at 92k miles does not use any more oil than my old 240s did. The 5 cylinder engine is fun to drive, with decent performance and a characterful growl. It's relatively easy to work on if that is your thing.

 

Wow, that Caspian/Hazel combo is drool-worthy. Can almost forgive the lack of features.
P3's do rust underneath, I had to cut the rotors off my wife's XC60 with an angle grinder. CT car all its life.
That T5 motor in your old XC70 will not die. You will have to replace everything else that breaks at least once before that thing calls it quits.

 

My two cents: the P2 platform was Volvo's high water mark for longevity (and a few other things). Newer Volvos are great cars in their own right, but they don't have the same 'tank-like' feel as the P2s, which were developed when Volvo was still an EXCLUSIVELY Swedish company (not that it really matters either way). P2 cars are virtually indestructible, minimally susceptible to rust and generally a pleasure to own and drive. The P3s built on some of their strongest points (power, comfort, clever tech, style, etc) but introduced oil burning (in the late 5cyl engine and a few early 6 cylinders) and minor underbody corrosion issues.

All of Volvo's cars in the last 20 years are what I would call 'tough' (aside from being good cars anyways) though they all have quirks and annoying issues as they age. The difference is that they produce these annoyances long after most mass produced cars are being broken up for spares. Personally, I think they're worth the money that they require for maintenance.

I say, keep the P2 until it's unserviceable. It'll be better than anything you trade it for. When it is time to make a change, P3s won't make you unhappy. They're different in character, but they can certainly do monster mileage. I drive them frequently with 200k or 300k on the clock without much more than cracks on the leather seats.

One final point: like many people, your wife sounds scared of high mileage. I understand this viewpoint especially since my parents' generation, for example, put up with cars that simply weren't well made by modern standards. "You were lucky to hit 100k in those days" is something I hear quite often. I'd say it's neglect, not mileage, that should scare a person about a car these days. If, as you say, your P2 XC70 is well-kept, you should not worry unduly about potential problems. Brand-new cars with 300 miles on the odometer have their failures, too. (Ask me how I know!) Instead of shelling out on a new car, get a AAA card if you don't have one. That's peace-of-mind enough for most of your trips.

 

I'd go for it. The piston rings were from around 2012 era, just make sure the cars in good condition and doesnt burn oil and you should be good. I wouldn't sweat it. If you can, get an extended warranty like I have.

 

Bad advice. Nothing other than original CPO or Volvo settlement covers rings.

If the car hasn't had rings done, avoid it.

 

My wife's 2015.5 XC60 T5 (5 cylinder) would disagree... and the extended warranty Volvo provided that covered it would as well. It's a good motor... just bad rings. With the upgrade confirmed, you would be good for a nice long time. Without that... 63k is around the time some start to show symptoms.

 

Ya but what are your options for pistons and rings though on that particular engine? Would you just upgrade them?

 

Ok I think this makes more sense now. My bad I was so confused. So the Volvo 5, 6 and 8 cylinders all use the same piston and ring and update kit lol? That is so weird. I would have never have guessed that because this stuff wasn't making any sense.. but it looks like that's the case? Strange.

Why were some technicians on another site saying that they were using 'new' faulty rings and just putting them on the old pistons with the 5 cylinder cars? 🤔 @DFrantz Were any of the technicians at your dealership mentioning this? I am very curious now.

Hilarious how Volvo was able to do that. It must have saved a ton of cash lmao. 😂

This would mean that the pistons and rings would be able to fit anywhere from a 82mm bore to a 94mm size? Am I reading this correctly? Wow? That almost doesn't make any sense?

2015 Volvo XC60 Engine Piston. PISTON KIT - 274364 - Genuine Volvo Part

Engine Piston. PISTON KIT. 2015 Volvo XC60. Genuine Volvo Part - 274364

usparts.volvocars.com

 

The parts themselves were different, but the general ring design was the same because the engineers intent of reducing friction was the same. I always forget which is which, but one needed new rings, and the other motor needs new rings AND pistons (which might just be a matter of the new rings compatibility for all I know).

 

It's common for manufacturers to add and subtract cylinders. 4 cyl = 2.0, 5 cyl = 2.5, 6 cyl 3.0.... while not a requirement, it would make sense to have the dimensions be the same. The Chevy v6 4.3 is just the 5.7 V8 with 2 cylinders missing.

A counter example is the Ford 239, which existed as as a flathead through '53 which was 3.18 by 3.75 and then the Ford Y block 239 that followed in '54 with 3.50 x 3.10. The short stroke let the motor rev easier in the Y block.

 

It's interesting for sure. What's weird about this though is these engines share pistons and rings yet seemingly all seem to be almost completely different engines, as so I thought? I have seen companies take engines and cutoff cylinders. Some of the ones that come to mind are a lot of the Mercedes-Benz engines. 112 and 113, 272/273, 104/120 etc and for 113k they stroked it and kept the bore the same, something I wish Volvo did with some of the R's 🙄 lol. It's good for reliability though I think. I just had no idea these engines were in anyway related. Now I am wondering if there is anything else that was shared between them. 🤔

 

Rust. I bought a 2010 Volvo V70 R-Design a couple of years ago w/185k miles on it. I had been looking for one for ages since they only imported 338 and everyone was keeping them. This was the cheapest one I could find because of the mileage. I did my due diligence and ran a Carfax, etc, for some history and found it was a one owner car that had everything, even oil changes, done at the dealer. The only issue was it had hit a pedestrian in a small New Jersey town. The car did come from New Jersey but I purchased it from a dealer in North Carolina who did a live walk around with a camera. They even bought it to me in Alabama. After having a good look at it I found the brakes were very rusty, although working fine, and the tires needed replacing. I purchased new rotors and rebuilt calipers to replace the rusty parts, new tires and refurbished wheels, and got a good look underneath while that was getting done. The only rust I could see that my be an issue is at the front and looks like the radiator support. I notice that part is available from Volvo new so should probably get one. Anyone else experienced rust there? Also there's a very shallow dent in the front of the hood which I assume was provided by the pedestrian that was hit. Not enough to worry about. The car runs great although I also replaced the ignition switch, freon valve on top of the compressor, and had new fold-able outside rear view mirrors installed and programmed. This is my 7th Volvo wagon over the years and replaced my BMW wagon I had for 11 years. I also have a 2007 Volvo S80 V8. Only over here looking at the XC70 feedback because also thinking about buying a T6 version, if i can find a nice one, to replace my Touareg. Nothing wrong with having three P3's, right?