Two years ago this month (December, 2016), I bought my 2004 Volvo XC90 with the 2.5T engine against the advice of a seasoned independent Volvo mechanic. But, before I get into that, let’s talk about why I was looking at buying a 10-year-old Volvo SUV in the first place. At that time, we were in the middle of planning to move to Canada from North Carolina. We had been getting by with an incredibly reliable, incredibly fuel efficient, 2004 Toyota Corolla, but we felt that we needed something with a little bit more space for me, my wife, and our son once we moved to the great white north.
And of course, there was the snow. I hadn’t lived in Canada for 15 years, but I knew the area where we were moving to could get hit pretty hard with snow, and even with snow tires, I wasn’t convinced that the Toyota would be the car I wanted my wife driving on the highway during winter.
On top of the snow, our Toyota had an airbag recall. The fix for that recall hadn’t been rolled out and, in case you didn’t know, you can’t register a car you’ve imported into Canada if it has an open recall – no matter the nature of that recall. Trust me when I say I tried. Open recall = no registration. It’s that simple. Cars already IN Canada at the time of the recall? No problem. You can register or re-register those. By the way, my Toyota was made in Canada.
I digress.
We Needed an SUV and I had Already Owned an XC70, so an XC90 Just Made Sense
So we decided we needed a new, used SUV that would carry us, and our stuff – and handle Canadian winters. And it had to be in our price range. And we knew it probably wasn’t going to be a model anywhere near the current year.
Backing up a bit more, we had already owned a 2001 XC70 with a decent amount of success a few years prior to this. Despite really enjoying that car, it became too much of a hassle in terms of maintenance. I had done quite a bit of work on my own – heater core, front struts, etc. But, in the end, we parted with it. In the time we owned the XC70, I got to know a lot about the car and it’s “big” brother, the XC90 – which we always said would be on the short list if we were ever in the market for an SUV.
Which we were. And trust me when I say it was a short list. It went something like this:
POSSIBLE SUV LIST:
- Volvo XC90
A few quick searches online gave us leads on the handful of XC90s that were in our price range – and in our area. I immediately crossed off the 6-cylinder models as all the ones in our price range fell within the same years as the notorious transmission “problems.”
That left us with about…one. One single XC90 that met our criteria for price, engine and location.
So we decided to check it out. But not before I printed out a CarFax report. The report was very thorough and read like a Christmas wish list of a prospective XC90 owner. It was a one owner, dealer-only (or independent Volvo specialist) serviced model that hadn’t missed an oil change or a scheduled maintenance service. The report listed quite a few already-repaired goodies, too. Things like:
- Tie rods replaced (24,761)
- ABS module replaced (44,931)
- Transmission fluid flushed, Engine mounts replaced (58,689)
- Power seat switch replaced (68,067)
- Wheel bearings/hubs replaced (78,865)
- Battery replaced, sunroof drain hoses serviced (87,960)
- Fuel filler door replaced: (90,408)
I had to do all in my power to contain my excitement because I KNEW that it would not be prudent of me to buy the XC90 without having it looked at by a trained mechanic. 
So I took the XC90 to the same mechanic who worked on my XC70 because I trusted them and they were far enough away that the 30-minute trip there and back would make a good test drive.
Obviously I don’t know as much about cars, let alone Volvos, as this mechanic. He’s been working on them for YEARS and, at that point, I’d owned a Volvo (the XC70 pictured above) for a total of about 18 months. But, with the XC90’s CarFax report in my back pocket, I did know more about THIS CAR IN PARTICULAR than he did. I purposefully did NOT give him the CarFax report just to see how his findings compared to the car’s service history.
My Prospective 2004 XC90 Was Reviewed by a Mechanic. Here’s What They Found:
My independent Volvo mechanic’s thorough investigation revealed the following…with prices:
- Shifter knob broken: $125
- Excessive rust on exhaust and undercarriage
- 50% life left on brakes
- All wheel drive works
- Front lower control arm bushings broken: $600
- Needs two tires: $535
- Sludge buildup under oil cap
- Timing belt change needed
At the end of the report he stated, and I quote: “WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR”
(I paid $92 for this insight, by the way.)
My wife and I were crushed. It felt like we got run over by the XC90. This car felt far better than we had dreamed a 10-year-old SUV would feel, and to be told that we should not buy this car meant our search had to continue which meant more driving, more time and more money.
So, I thought it over on the drive back to the used car lot. I pulled into a parking lot along the way and explained to my wife how all the things found on the list were either expected – or fairly easily repaired. The oil sludge could be from mainly city driving (short trips, lots of stops, etc), or the fact that the car had never seen synthetic oil and was always changed ON the Volvo schedule, never AHEAD of it (I change my oil slightly ahead of schedule). The gear selector was an easy DIY fix. The seat motor was…an issue, but might be something simple. The bushings were something we could negotiate out of the price we were already willing to pay.
We made up our minds in that parking lot. We were buying this car.
At the end of the report he stated, and I quote: “WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR”
And, Just Like That, We Owned an XC90
After some negotiation and a teary parting of ways with our Toyota, we were the proud owners of a 10-year-old Volvo SUV that got half the gas mileage of our Toyota.
Yes. Half. I’m being generous here.
Now don’t get me wrong, this SUV is far from perfect. It’s a Volvo and it certainly has its quirks. Like…the passenger door lock that unlocks for about .08 seconds when you press the key fob. Then it locks back up. I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is NOT a Volvo security feature. I’m still working on figuring out why it does that.
There is also a growing inventory of parts in my garage that need to be installed on the XC90 when time and money permit. Shocks and spring seats, brakes, end links – all need to be installed. Some I can do myself. Some I’ll have to take to my independent Volvo mechanic.
The Why: SERVICE RECORDS. LOTS OF THEM.
The fact remains that this XC90 had a very thorough maintenance history that, in my opinion, added to its value at the time and made it worthy of purchasing. Had I not had this history and received the same recommendation from my mechanic, I probably wouldn’t be writing this blog post or making this video and doing whatever else I normally do instead.
So it’s been two years since I bought the XC90 against the advice of a trained mechanic. And aside from a few repairs, maintenance items and a couple of really glitchy things that are annoying, but not major, I’ve been very happy with the XC90.
Would I buy another XC90 in the future? Depends.
Would I buy MY 2004 XC90 again if I had the chance? In a heartbeat.
I think the combination of the reliable 2.5T engine and AW55-50 transmission, along with the one-of-a-kind design and interior attributes make the 2004 2.5T one of the best decade-plus-old SUVs out there. But, you have to know what you’re getting into. Not every ’04 XC90 is going to be like mine which, again, is far from perfect. No matter what used car you buy, do your research, find some forums where the SUV is discussed, ask questions, get your hands on service records if possible and even ask the opinions of random owners that you see when you’re out and about. Armed with the best information you can, you’ll be able to make a better purchase decision.
And, who knows, maybe your decision will get you a brand-new (to you) used 2004 XC90.
