[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Justtom

So to finish this thread off:

As soon as I saw the car I was a bit disappointed. In the pictures it looked like a very nice red, but in reality it was this pinkish light red color that I did not particularly like. Door handles were also pretty "sunburned". The interior was not in a very good shape, had some bits falling off and the cup holder in the back was broken off.

I got under the car. The propshaft was ok, only had a little what I assume is normal movement, but no spin. The rear subframe though had quite a lot of rust. The tires were pretty hard and unevenly worn with there being almost no thread on some, even though they were newish. I suspect there are some alignment issues either in the rear, or if they switched the fronts with the rears, in the front.

I checked under the hood: Everything seemed clean and there were no visible oil leaks. Only on one of the air conditioning metal tubes where the hose connects to the pipe there was some oily dirt. Don't know if it was a leak or only condensation. Then I saw the timing belt sticker. The belts were indeed changed by a Volvo dealer, but the trouble is, it was done about 10 years ago at 140000 km (86992 miles) and the car now is at 327000 km (203188 miles).

I got in the car: all the electronics seem to be working well. I turned the ignition and was greeted with a "airbag needs service, urgent" message on the board computer.

I started driving: The car was driving and shifting well. It was very nice when you push down on the throttle, it was very responsive. The shifts you could barely feel. the brakes were stopping the car evenly. When driving in a straight line the car was pulling to the right a little too much. This could be an alignment issue or maybe the tire was a little bit low on air pressure. When I tried reverse parking I was a bit disappointed that there were no parking sensors even though in their website the dealer stated that there are. The handbrake was holding pretty well.

When I finished my ride a new message appeared on the dash to "Check brake light". I walked around the car with the yellow button pressed on the remote but not all the lights were working.

In the end I talked to my mechanic friend about this and he recommended to walk away. I also though even if they fix all the stuff I wouldn't want a car with a rusty subframe as Id rather buy a rust free Dutch car than a rusty Swedish import.

And there it is, closure.

Wise move. I thought it was overpriced anyway. I know cars are more expensive where you are, but I think you're better off paying a bit more (if possible) and buying something in better condition with lower miles.