I took my car to the sears auto center at 1178 el camino real in san bruno, california (sears store #6909) on september 2, 2018 for front brakes. Sears returned the car to me on 9/2/18 (a copy of my "final invoice" is enclosed). I subsequently learned that the dust boot for the right front brake caliper is missing. I returned to sears on september 10 and told the manager in charge, mr. Holloway, that I had learned - from another mechanic who had been doing other front end work - that the dust boot was missing and that this is one of the component parts of the brake caliper system (designed to keep debris and moisture out of the brake caliper). Sears re-inspected my vehicle on september 10 and confirmed that the dust boot is missing. I was told that the department manager (mr. Julio estrada) would need to address the situation. On september 11, 2018, the manager of the sears auto center - mr. Julio estrada - refused to fix the problem at sears' expense. I believe that sears was negligent and ask that the federal safety agency investigate the conduct of sears auto center.
The worst 1998 Volvo S70 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes76
- Lights37
- Electrical31
- Engine24
- Airbags13
- Body13
- Locks11
- Suspension11
- Acceleration9
- Seat belts8
- Tires8
- Transmission8
- Wheels6
- Seats5
- Fuel system4
- Visibility4
- Driver assistance1
- Steering1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Volvo S70
ABS 53Headlights 21Door locks 13Check engine light 11Loss of power 6Stalling 5Tire blowout 5
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 S70
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
Turn signal
There is no summary currently available
PE00031
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
PE99040
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Volvo S70 221
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 S70 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 | 17-18 | 24-27 | 20-21 |
| 2.3L 5‑cyl | FWD | 16-17 | 23-24 | 19 |
What 1998 Volvo S70 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The plastic handle of the oil dipstick came off causing half of the oil dipstick to be in the dipstick tube the car was not moving it happened while checking the oil level making sure there was oil in the car making sure that the engine will not seize while driving
The low beam headlights are dim I have replaced the bulbs with brighter bulbs and they are still dim I have to drive with the fog lights on all the time in order to drive at night.
I purchased this car used december 16 2016 knowing it needed a lot of work. I have since gotten all the repairs done on jan 4th 2017. I now need to get the car emission tested after driving 200 miles the readiness monitors are still not set and have since repaired the check engine light and still can not get an emissions test.
Key stuck in ignition,&accelerometer, causes check engine light to stay on
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 volvo s70. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the rpms increased and the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The brake pedal failed to slow the vehicle down as the accelerator pedal went all the way to the floor. The contact put the vehicle in neutral, which also failed to slow the vehicle down. The contact continued to depress the brake pedal and the vehicle eventually slowed down. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000.
Key will not come out of ignition.
As I was pulling out onto a busy street, my seatbelt let go, spontaneously released itself! It does this 2-3 times in a row. When I hear the sound of a seatbelt buckle clicking (after I fasten mine, sound seems to come from the passenger side!) then I know it's not going to release again. At least not til after I shut the car off and then start it again.
Upon accelerating up the hill of my street, today, august 16th, 2011, my car, a 1998 volvo s70 , sped up, unnaturally, close to the top . I had just driven out of my driveway, as I back into it always, and proceeded up the hill. As usual, the automatic transmission shifted down as the car approached a steeper portion of the hill. When braking for the stop sign at the top, I noticed that the engine was racing. I was unable to stop fully at the stop sign, and after going around the corner to the right, I pulled the floor mat away from the accelerator pedal. My left foot was now firmly planted on the brake pedal, as well as my right foot quickly pumping the accelerator pedal , all in an attempt to have the gas pedal unstuck, which it didn't. It just made the car engine continuously race even more. The RPM's increased also the more that the engine raced. Unable to fully stop at the next subsequent 2 stop signs, on a straight away, and my left foot to the floor with the brake pedal, I finally decided to place the car in neutral, the engine racing at what seemed a very high rate of speed by evidence of those RPM's. I continued to pump the gas pedal,with the car in neutral, my left foot on the brake, when suddenly the racing ceased, and the RPM's came down to an idle, just below 1000, I believe. I then proceeded to the side of the road, and stopped. After a bit, I placed the car from neutral into park, and then again shifted the automatic transmission into drive. I began moving down a hill by mere idling speed. I was careful, just coasting now, not to initially place any pressure on the accelerator as I proceeded in drive. I came to a stop at an intersection, for a red signal light, and when it was green, I drove back around a large city block to my driveway. I backed into my driveway with no further issues of sudden acceleration during the final distance driven. This has happened 2 other times recently when setting cruise control going up a hill.
Excessive tire noise and wear.
Compare the 1998 Volvo S70
Other model years
Questions about the 1998 Volvo S70
Is the 1998 Volvo S70 reliable?
Owners have filed 215 complaints about the 1998 Volvo S70, 71.7 times a typical S70 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Volvo S70?
Brakes, with 76 complaints, typically around 78,000 miles. Next is lights (37).
How many recalls does the 1998 Volvo S70 have?
4 recalls, covering exterior lighting and air bags.
What gas mileage does the 1998 Volvo S70 get?
Official estimates for the 1998 Volvo S70 range from 19 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.4L 5-cyl, FWD) gets 17-18 city and 24-27 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1998 Volvo S70?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history