How reliable should a 2010 Volvo S80 be?

We are looking at a 2010 Volvo S80 with 80,000 miles on the clock - it's a 1.6 diesel. What should we look out for when buying it? Are the turbo and particle filter likely to give trouble at this stage or does it have a good reputation? Would this car have a good reputation all round?

Patrick O Reilly (Dublin)

Feb 2014 Filed under: reliability

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Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

I really like the S80 - a lovely big comfy thing, ideal if you're doing lots of long journeys and that 1.6 diesel engine is super efficient; you could get up to 1,500km from a tank of fuel. 

Reliability shouldn't be a major issue once you make sure that the car has a full service history. Like any executive saloon there's a lot of electronic toys in there and if it's been well cared for, there's less chance of them going wrong. Keep an eye on the service schedule to make sure that the engine has always been topped up with the highest grade of oil and if it feels down on power or sluggish when accelerating, it's most likely the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve.

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe