Should I buy?

[WarrenandZoe]

Hi all, I have been offered a 2008 V70 SE Lux 2.0 163bhp but it has done 185k motorway miles with history, is it worth buying? The price is good at only £1400, anything I need to look out for?

[Kev0607]

185,000 is nothing on one of these, but that doesn't mean that they need no maintenance.

Check that the timing belt, aux belts & tensioner have been replaced & that the car has been regularly serviced (Check the history documents, or for any stamps in the engine bay). Listen for any suspension knocks front & rear. (The rear sub frame bushes are a common part that perishes on these). Bring the car for a good test drive & check that the gearbox shifts nicely (The transmission fluid should also be changed if there's no record of it being done). Test all the electrics, windows, air con etc & check they're all in working order.

It does seem reasonably priced at £1,400. If you know the reg, put that in on the MOT history check website (See below) to see if there were any advisories on the last MOT & that'll give you an idea of what needs to be addressed, or maybe clarify with the owner whether those advisories (if any) have been rectified. If there's advisories & they haven't been addressed, you can use those as a negotiating tool to knock a bit off the price & that'll give you some money in your pocket to fix the issues.

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

[october37]

Don't worry about the mileage as long as the belts were replaced, 102000 miles is the recommended interval, front wheel bearings can cause trouble after high miles and are expensive to replace, and not for the DIY enthusiast, also the abs warning light can be a problem and cause other related warnings, but the price is right as long as you do your checks, remember, it could be too cheap.

2010 XC70 SE Lux D5204bhp Geartronic 185000 miles

[WarrenandZoe]

Ok thank you both, I've already checked mot history and made sure it's not a write off etc, the bit that confused me is it says it's 163bhp, I thought they only made the 163bhp in the D5 2.4 and wasn't available on the 2.0 until 2010? This is the actual write up for the ad


Volvo V70 2.0D


☑️ Mechanically faultless
☑️ Fully serviced
☑️ Lots of extras
☑️ Great car
☑️ Very clean inside and out
☑️ Ready for collection


Reg: SV58RFL
Model: V70 2.0 D SE LUX 163bhp
Colour: blue
Mileage: 185000
MOT: 13/09/2020
Logbook: full V5 available
Service history: partial
HPI: all clear; report is available on request
_____ _____ _____

Vehicle is in good condition. Starts every time, drives faultless and stops as it should. High mileage example with few worn places such as steering wheel, gear knob and driver seat show this. We used this vehicle for over a year and done over 15000 miles in it. Always serviced during our ownership.
_____ _____ _____

👉 Following important jobs was completed in last 12 months:

- Cambelt kit
- Water pump
- Drive belt
- Drive belt tensioner
- Drive belt iddler
- Oil service x3 (oil, air and fuel filters)
- Windscreen cut out and re-fitted
- Front wipers

👉 Following jobs are completed before sale (all brand new parts are used):

- Front brake discs (Pagid)
- Front brake pads (Pagid)
- Front tyres
_____ _____ _____

Power steering
Remote central locking
2 keys
Air conditioning (ice cold)
Dual zone climate control
Leather interior
Electric and heated front seats
Driver seat with memory
Cruise control
Trip computer
Multi function steering wheel
Electric windows x4
Power fold, electric, heated mirrors
Front armrest with big storage
Front cup holders
Parrot Bluetooth phone connectivity
Power assisted tailgate
Retractable luggage cover with dog guard
Space save spare wheel
Complete tool kit
3x 12V sockets
Volvo premium sound with amplifier
Auto wipers / rain sensor
Adaptive (cornering) xenon headlights with washers
Roof railings
Rear parking sensors
Front fog lights
17" Alloy wheels
Good tyres all round
_____ _____ _____

👉 Known faults with the vehicle:

Minor marks, scratches and imperfections based on age and mileage
Worn front seat leather base, steering wheel and gear knob
Stains on rear seat base
Cracked front grill in few places
Some damage to the front bumper

[Tannaton]

If you’re going to get a cheaper higher mileage v70 they are a good bet but with the Volvo 5 cylinder engines, I wouldn’t trust the 2.0d Ford/psa lump much past that mileage, especially in the heavy v70.

[Kev0607]

My bad, its a 2.0 litre version that you're looking at.

I agree with Tannaton. You'd be better off with a D5, available in two variants if you're looking around the 2008 mark (163bhp, badged 2.4D) & a 185bhp variant (Badged D5) - They're the same engine with five cylinders & were both 2.4's, but they had different power outputs. There's newer models of the D5 engine too around 2010 onwards, which have twin turbo's & are also five cylinders!

The 2.0 litre engine in the car you're looking at isn't on par with the D5's. Its up to you though of course, but I'd look at a D5 personally... 185k is nothing on one of them. That's not to say that a D5 won't give you any trouble, but generally, they're a very reliable engine & just require regular maintenance to keep them going nicely. However, 185k on the 2.0 litre variant is questionable though & it could start giving you trouble (They aren't as reliable).

[WarrenandZoe]

Ok thank you all for your replies, I think I will wait for a D5 to come along

[Tatsfield]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

If you’re going to get a cheaper higher mileage v70 they are a good bet but with the Volvo 5 cylinder engines, I wouldn’t trust the 2.0d Ford/psa lump much past that mileage, especially in the heavy v70.

A guy posted on the Peugeot 406 Owners Club that he ran that 2.0 HDi engine in a 406 Estate car for 650K miles before he sold the car! He changed the timing belt 5 times during his ownership! Don't put the PSA diesel engines down. They are market and tech leaders in mass produced compression engines and they have a reputation for longevity. Like you I love the D5 5 cyl engines but the 2.0 and its bigger cousin the 2.2 are first rate engines.

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

A guy posted on the Peugeot 406 Owners Club that he ran that 2.0 HDi engine in a 406 Estate car for 650K miles before he sold the car! He changed the timing belt 5 times during his ownership! Don't put the PSA diesel engines down. They are market and tech leaders in mass produced compression engines and they have a reputation for longevity. Like you I love the D5 5 cyl engines but the 2.0 and its bigger cousin the 2.2 are first rate engines.

I'm not putting the engines down, but they are not to the same standard as Volvo built engines and by some margin. The 2.0D that was originally fitted to the S40/V50 in 2004 and latterly made its way into some P3 cars for a few years is essentially the XUD engine that Peugeot and Citroen were making when the diesel revolution started in the early '90s. I think I'm correct in saying that the bottom end is pretty much unchanged, even the main and big end bearing shells are the same part and size - the difference is the 16 valve head which was Fords input. That was in the days when 100k was good going from a petrol engine, 150k-170k was good from a diesel.

Based on my own experience, these engines are usually good for up to 170k - 180k in the S40/V50 platform at which all the Ford electrical ancillaries will have been replaced at least once and they tend to become rough, noisy, lose power and have problems around the Ford based turbo control, siemens injectors, starting etc. You don't see as many S40/V50 cars for sale north of 200k miles as you do the old model S40/V40 or other Volvo models. In the V70 platform which is circa 300 Kg heavier I would expect to see those problems sooner. That's not a bad innings at all - but it's nowhere near what a D5 can chomp through, it's possibly half that.

And I don't agree they are the tech leaders, they're good at refining other people's ideas and making it cheaply - which is a very valuable skill and enables them to make ok-ish cars for the masses.

I stand to be corrected but if you were to ask the dealer mechanics that post on here to pick a 10 year old plus car car to take from 180k to 250k as a daily driver - none of them would consider the 2.0D over one of the Volvo lumps.

[Model flyer]

I swore by the D5 in the two V70 I had then moved to a Jaguar that uses the 2.2 engine very similar to 2.0 psa from Ford. It's a good engine pulls well and is quick and economical even on the heavier Sportbrake bodied Jag . Provided it's been properly serviced it should be fine for many miles.