Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  starting to wonder - 1996 Volvo 850
  By A.J. - September 14 - 10:00 am

  I bought this volvo with 100,000 miles on it. I did all my homework before I bought this car and I did a lot of questioning on wether or not this was going to be a good car for the mileage and all but every review was ranting and raving on how the 1996 850 was bullet proof and all the bugs were worked out. It is a great car but it is expensive to repair . All of the things that I have had repaired on it were wear and tear. Or were they? It needed brakes with one new caliper $720, O2 sensor $350, tracs light came on $500, check engine light $700, I now have 154,000 miles on the car.

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  At 140 mph . . . - 1996 Volvo 850
  By Bogus Skier - September 10 - 10:00 am

  The Turbo can achieve that speed but it sounds and feels like its in a hurricane. Bought new. Few problems: 2 batteries, some nuisance rattles. Smokes up mountain roads. New higher profile tires: handling and ride improved. Wt. distribution compromises handling. Steering heavy - requires firm, deliberate input; precise road sense in return but over- steer prone. Seating comfort is remarkable. Repair/routine maintenance myself so expenses minimal. Replacing pads at 45K without the need for rotors. Unused extended warty. Leather durable and wearing exceptionally well. Unless it begins to fall apart, will keep it around for another 5 to 8 yrs.

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  First Car, But not the last Volvo! - 1996 Volvo 850
  By swedish_love - June 13 - 6:14 pm

  I purchased my 96 850 in 2009, as my first car, with 112k miles on it. Other than a few select electrical & accessory issues (radio, sunroof, bulbs), and irksome mechanical issues (ac compressor failure) this car has been a complete joy to own. Without a doubt the most comfortable car Ive had the pleasure of driving. Smooth, quiet and the exhaust note is quite soothing. Engine reliability has been flawless. I cant say enough great things about this car, just make sure to keep a few extra bucks socked away for maintenance.

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  great performer overall - 1996 Volvo 850
  By jsrobinow - June 13 - 2:32 pm

  We have owned this car since new, now in the family 16 years. Has been very reliable comfortable and versatile. Manual gear box makes it fun to drive. Station wagon configuration makes as useful as any large SUV with vastly better gas mileage and nicer road handling. Odometer gear failed and I replaced the gear with an e bay source that included instructions on installation. ABS module failed and internet lead me to a place to buy a rebuilt one and installed it myself. These are two classic weak spots of this car that are easily fixed by the owner. Fuel pump did fail and was replaced. We now have 181K on odometer. Still running well. This model supports the legendary Volvo value

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  volvo - 1996 Volvo 850
  By robarakira - May 4 - 10:00 am

  way better quality than american equivalents - also for resale

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  Best Vehicle Ive Ever Owned - 1996 Volvo 850
  By cking3177 - April 20 - 12:26 pm

  When I purchased the Volvo in 1996, I had no idea that Id still be driving it and loving it 12 years later. It is still very quiet and comfortable. Ive never had any out-of-the ordinary repair issues. This is a great car!

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  Not a Toyota...but - 1996 Volvo 850
  By Patrickjd9 - March 22 - 10:00 am

  Definitely less reliable that previous Toyotas, but certainly not bad. Main problems have been replacing all brakes and rotors plus expensive tires every 35K or so. Ignition switch, oxygen sensor, and door stop replaced (tore out weld), A/C recharged once. Some dash rattles started before 60K miles. Power is adequate without turbo. No transmission problems yet (106K).

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  1996 Volvo 850 - 1996 Volvo 850
  By volvoforyou - March 13 - 4:20 am

  Have a 1996 850 which I bought used with 56000 miles in 2003. Since that time I have replaced shock towers, both front axles, both 02 sensors (twice!) numerous light bulbs, check engine light cycles on and off at will. A/C cuts in and out. Now the radiator just went! I do like this classic car and have read many good reviews on this site; however I guess i got a bad one. I also had a 1998 S70 which I didnt have much luck with either. Sorry Volvo I have had enough.

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  Part Luxury, Part Touring, Part Sleeper - 1996 Volvo 850
  By AutoX47 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I have previously had a mazda rx7 and a performance-oriented moddified blazer and this "brick" (nickname for volvos) is turning out to be my favorite out of the three on the street. Its sporty yet street suspension is fun while still comfortable and its turbocharged strait5 has a lot of potential and Ive found it to be quite reliable. Im currently running 300 horsepower w/ just a chip and ported cylinder heads and havent had any problems with the stock transmission not to mention the rest of the wonderfully engineered swedish touring car. The heated leather and premium sound are also very nice and so is the wood trim.

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  the ultimate sleeper - 1996 Volvo 850
  By volvoville - February 20 - 10:00 am

  I bought mine from a coworker 2 years ago with 137000 miles on it..after tune up, replacing oil trap and new set of tires, now i own extremely reliable and fun car to drive..never gave me any problems, and i run 13 pounds of boost all day long via mbc..very fast..