Should I go for a high mileage Volvo XC90?

Hi lads. I'm thinking of buying a 2005 Volvo XC90 D5. It has 260,000km on the clock and is getting a service, timing belt and front calipers done with a warranty on the gearbox and engine. What mileage are these good for, what recalls were they subjected to and what service requirements in the future?

Thanks.

Justin Patrick McElwee (Sligo)

Oct 2013 Filed under: reliability

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Expert answer

Hi Justin,

The nice folks at Volvo Car Ireland helped us out with this one, and the advice seems to be very up-front. Here's what they had to say:

"Key areas to look at include the gearbox: make sure it's smooth and pulls correctly in every gear. These can be big money to replace if there are problems. The D5 engine is fairly reliable - it and the XC90 have been around for a long time and any bugs have been ironed out. Service history is essential (Volvo preferably) with these vehicles. Lots of UK imports about so I would advise a history check [we recommend Cartell.ie]. Recalls are specific to the vehicle so can't really comment here although your local Volvo dealer will be happy to look these up with a reg or a VIN number."

Hope that helps

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe