Used 1997 Volvo 850 Consumer Reviews
Used 850 for sale
Avoid the Volvo 850!
jukymidy, 06/17/2002
1997 Volvo 850 4dr Sedan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought this car as a family vehicle, upgrading from my Honda sports car. It has barely met expectation. While it consistently rates well on crash tests, every little thing breaks on this car and I BABY this vehicle. It has low mileage and I service it every 5K miles. In 4.5 years, virtually every part has failed and Volvo charges upwards of $1500 for every repair. That includes replacing the lightbulb that lights the dashboard (failed in first 6 months of ownership) and the wipers on the headlights (failed during first 3 years of ownership).
Problems big & small
Iyengar Yogi, 03/27/2002
1997 Volvo 850 GLT Turbo 4dr Wagon
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This is overall a great car in that it has lots of room. It is quite comfortable & the heating & AC work quickly & very well. I have had several small problems such as the heated seat & rear washer motor. But I took it in for an oil leak & it turned out to be a rear main seal. That was disappionting enough, but it turns out the differential part of the auto trans is failing & it now needs major transmission work. The car has only 64,000 miles on it so I am wondering if I have a lemon. I would expect any car but in particular a Volvo that is supposed to be reliable not to have this kind of issues with this many miles.
1997 Volvo 850 for sale near you
Showing 1 of 1 listings
- Base SedanMSRP: $8,9952,615 mi away
I won't consider anything but Volvo
aod831, 07/19/2004
1997 Volvo 850 GLT Turbo 4dr Sedan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Traded in a 740 with 170,000 for an 850 with 58,000. I had the rear seal oil leak problem, but once that was fixed, this car has been a dream. I now have 130,000 miles and it runs just as smooth as the day I got it. I'm turning it over to our newly licensed teenage daughter and getting a used S70 (which by the way, is what my husband drives). I strongly recommend the scheduled 5,000 maintenance. Our local dealers service dept is simply the best. We couldn't ask for better!
Best Value
george, 08/02/2010
1997 Volvo 850 T5 Turbo 4dr Sedan
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I bought it last year (second owner), and couldn't be happier. Very solid, powerful, reliable, and smooth. Very fun to drive. I feel very safe in it, and therefore feel comfortable with my kids driving it. I've had to replace the alternator, that's all, but I have 175,000 miles on it, so what do you expect? Despite the mileage, it still runs very smooth, I imagine as smooth as when it was new. I love driving this car! I would definitely consider another Volvo on my next purchase. The only other fix was the gas cap cover, it no longer locks, but it's very minor and have yet to fix it.
Good Car!
Volvo 850 Driver, 05/26/2002
1997 Volvo 850 4dr Wagon
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Bought car 25,000 miles ago. I've only had to replace a control arm in the front end. Car runs well, with oil changes every 3,000 miles (at 3,000 on the oil change, engine seems to make a ticking noise which disappears with an oil change.) When I purchased it, it had some interior lights out. Also, radio volume is not working properly - turn down the volume, sometimes it turns all the way down with just a touch of the dial; turn it up, sometimes it maxes the volume with just a touch of the dial. Only other negative - the shift lock button clicks when I step on the brake to shift out of neutral. It's actually "fun" to drive for a wagon.