2004 Volvo S60 Consumer Reviews

I think this may be useful to anyone considering buying a used Volvo S60. I had my 2005 Volvo S60 2.5t for 5 years and put 63k. I liked the car, it had character and the aesthetics were great but there was always an underlying level of cheapness. I'll start with the plus points: Style, comfort, sporty nature, good climate control, good in the snow, would cool down quickly in the summer and never experienced a heat blast when opening the doors despite being black w black leather. I'm very easy on my cars so they don't age much from when they are bought. But at 30K the front wheels started squeaking and making clicking noises when going around corners. The drivers side started first then it was the passengers side. At 40k I needed the drivers side stabilizer replaced, paint started peeling from the rear window panel, headlights got misty at 40k, by 43k both headland washer jets stopped working, center armrest started showing signs of wear at 35k, by the time I sold it engine performance was more sluggish, needed coolant top offs, at 50k the cabin fan motor started to make strange noises, all rotors needed to be replaced at 45k but the front ones needed to be turned and shortly afterwards...at 48k the check engine light came on but only Volvo could run diagnostics and they couldn't give me a straight answer, the rear passenger door plastic started to peel away from the panel because my dog leaned against it, there's more. In short I started to question the vehicle's quality. I lost confidence after driving or riding in a few Camry's and Accords (with more miles). They are just as safe as my old Volvo but behind the wheel made the latter seem archaic and question what I paid for. It wasn't just my car I noticed this but with other Volvos. A friend has a 90's 240 and despite age, it's apparent this was a much better built vehicle. The're's no way my car will run or look as good at that age. Eventually, I started looking around for a new vehicle. What I bought was a total surprise, a used 2005 BMW X5 with 80k. The difference between BMW and Volvo is seismic. The SUV sprints & handles much, much better, the build quality and interior materials are heaps superior, the electronics run perfectly and more, all from a vehicle with more miles. I'm not trying to sell BMW but I no longer feel like I'm being fooled. So my point this. I liked the S60, I would recommend it only to people who are not picky about quality, want a premium brand, the car is OK and it's nice. But after driving a few good quality vehicles from different price points like an Accord, Camry, X5, 3 series, a 90's Volvo it was very clear my S60 was not of the same caliber. I hope this is useful.