Thoughts re: 2005 XC90 2.5T ?

[vbrain]

,

I'm looking at a 2005 2.5T w/ 99K (clean title & two owners) for $4,600. Due to its age, it'll need a a new timing belt and water pump for $1,000. It seems to tick a lot of boxes on paper: it's safe, has good space, AWD, and not the worst gas mileage for that size SUV. It appears to be well-maintained, and mechanic is inspecting it -- just to be sure it's in good shape.

But I have friends who've own XC90s, and they've cautioned me that in they ultimately sold theirs because of reliability / expense of ownership issues.

I'm curious to hear what the general take is on this XC90's year / configuration, other users' experiences with it, what kinds of repairs / expense I ought to consider (and how I might mitigate them) -- and generally if I should avoid this vehicle or go for it (i.e., considering model, mileage and cost).

Thanks!

 

[08xc90]

I'm new to the Volvo brand but I ensured I get an XC90 ( 08 3.2l AWD) with a timing chain and not belt to minimize maintenance cost. I did notice the truck needed lots of front end work such as struts, lower control arms, sway bar links and many mounts, a bit more than normal Hopefully this is a trade off for a solid engine and taking the chance with the tranny. When shopping for these I also noticed high mileage on many volvos indicating a good powertrain, comparing to a BMW x5 which are rarely seen above 150k miles on the market. Still debating on keeping mine or selling it. I believe after 07 they came with a chain and not belt. According to the site here https://www.timingbeltinfo.com/volvo-xc90 that engine is a none interference engine which is something I would also look for in a vehicle that uses a belt. No damage would occur if the belt was to snaps.

 

[vbrain]

Thank you so much! Turns out, the vehicle had $6K worth of damage (including a cracked timing belt), so I decided to pass... Now I'm looking at a 2008 XC90 with 178K miles on it. I'll put up a post about that one, asking for input and advice about that, too. Thanks again!