Car has been at a recognized auto repair facility and has been having maintenance work performed. It was seen that the car had suffered a complete failure of the power steering rack with the housing fracturing, and all of the power steering fluid being lost. There was no impact and the housing appears crystalline at the break. There was no impact causing this damage, which had the failure occurred at highway speeds could have had severe consequences
The worst 1998 Volvo C70 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Brakes2
- Acceleration1
- Body1
- Locks1
- Steering1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes2
- Acceleration1
- Body1
- Locks1
- Steering1
- Tires1
Recalls 4
Exterior lighting: headlights: switch
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, the headlight switch may cease to function.
- Risk
- The head lights may not operate properly which could result in intermittent or no headlight function. This could impair a driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- On vehicles with an original oem switch, dealers will replace the headlight switch. All other vehicles will be inspected to determine if the switch has een damaged and replace only if necessary. The recall began on january 24, 2005. Owners should contact volvo at 1‑800‑458‑1552.
Recall number 04V504000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: turn signal
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. There could be inadequate contact between the bulb and socket which could cause the front turn signal not to function as designed.
- Risk
- This would fail to warn an approaching driver that the vehicle is turning and could lead to a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the left and right front turn signal bulb and socket.
Recall number 00V405000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights: switch
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.
- Risk
- Driver's could experience a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the headlight switch.
Recall number 99V235000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The frontal passenger air bag may be overly sensitive to certain electrostatic discharge.
- Risk
- This could possibly cause an inadvertent deployment.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install an additional ground wire in the passenger side to assure sufficient grounding.
Recall number 99V236000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 1998 Volvo C70
Defect investigations
Headlight failure
On august 23, 1999, volvo notified the federal safety agency that it would conduct a safety recall (99v235) on certain 1997 model year (my) 850 vehicles and certain 1998 s/v/c 70 series vehicles for failure of the headlight switch.the defect report stated in part: operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.volvo's remedy for this recall was to replace the headlight switch.this recall query investigation was opened on june 8, 2004, based on 13 reports of headlight failure on 1998 and 1999 s/v/c 70 series vehicles that were not included in the earlier recall.by letter of october 18, 2004, volvo has notified the agency that it will now conduct a safety recall of an additional 97,000 my 1998 through 2000 s70/v70/v70xc and c70 vehicles built from june 5, 1997 through january 11, 2000. Volvo dealers will replace the original equipment master light switch with one of an improved design. See safety recall 04v504 for details.
RQ04004
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Volvo C70 214
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Complimentary upgrade C00009 description.
- Rubber cushion
- The Deutronic DBL-1200 is an advanced battery maintainer/charger with the flexibility to be updated as...
- ICUP/Google Built-In Diagnostic Operations
- Vida qr
- Shipping and Handling of Volvo Lithium-ion 48V Mild Hybrid Battery to Global Battery Solutions (GBS)
- Mandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians to properly...
- This is a Service Manager Bulletin: Service 2.0 Software & Total Upgrade Reminder
- This is a Service Manager Bulletin: Volvo Lithium-ion Hybrid Battery Packs shipping and handling to Volvo...
- Effective immediately, all 12V batteries may be tested using the hand held battery tester 9513030 (BT3300)
1998 Volvo C70 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 5‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 23-24 | 19-20 |
| 2.3L 5‑cyl | FWD | 16-17 | 23 | 19 |
What 1998 Volvo C70 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Dt*: the contact stated the passenger and driver's side front doors suddenly became inoperable from the inside of the vehicle. The contact has to roll the window down and open the doors from the outside. Within two weeks of the passenger side failing, the driver's side also failed. The contact is concerned this could lead to entrapment if an accident were to occur. The contact stated there were no problems with the doors prior to the failure. The dealership has not been notified.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at no particular speed, the ABS and traction control lamps illuminated. This has been a regular occurrence for the past 2 years. The vehicle was taken to the local dealership for inspection. The dealership determined the ABS module needed replaced to repair the problem. The dealership offered to repair the vehicle. The contact has not had the vehicle repaired.
Dt: contact stated vehicle stalled while driving in traffic at 45 MPH. . This happened about 8-12 months ago. This was the second time it happened. Contact had not reported it to the dealer or the manufacturer. Also, lost power steering when this happened. It took about 30-60 seconds for the vehicle to start again. The mechanic could not duplicate the problem and could not find anything wrong.
1998 volvo c70 passenger door latch failure - have replaced mechanism twice in past 2 years. No injury but 2nd failure prevented opening door from inside car creating safety risk. Thank you.
The ABS system malfunctioned, causing the sensor light to stay on.
While traveling at 70 MPH on open highway, driver side font tire tread separated and tire desintegrated causing vehicle to turn left almost running off the road. Tire type bf goodrich comp t/a, 225/45zr-17. Tire came apart completely. The road conditions were good surface, even pavement, ambient temperature 46 degrees, dry surface and calm winds.
Compare the 1998 Volvo C70
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Questions about the 1998 Volvo C70
Is the 1998 Volvo C70 reliable?
Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 1998 Volvo C70, fewer than a typical C70 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Volvo C70?
Brakes, with 2 complaints. Next is acceleration (1).
How many recalls does the 1998 Volvo C70 have?
4 recalls, covering exterior lighting and air bags.
What gas mileage does the 1998 Volvo C70 get?
Official estimates for the 1998 Volvo C70 range from 19 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.4L 5-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 23-24 highway.
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