Hi,

I'm looking at buying a 2003 v70 d5 se auto but something has scared a little bit!

The current owner tells me that he experiences a least one bulb failure every month! This sounds to a little excessive to me and wondered what other owners have experienced.

I'm new to volvos so don't know a great deal about them, so if this an obvious question then I appologise!

Thanks,
Andrew

I've replaced one bulb once in three years on a 2002 V70 2.4T. That's not often, but I have to admit that I've never had to replace bulbs on any other cars.

Hi
Every month is excessive and points to an electrical problem rather then a bulb/heat issue. I had an old V40 which went through bulbs on a 6 month basis.
The Daylight Running lights (DLR) obviously put more strain on the bulbs then usual. And maybe the driver does a lot of night/full beam driving. This can contribute to early bulb failure, but 1 month is not good. I have had my DLR disabled by the main dealer (had it done during a service, no charge) Bulbs seem to last. I know people will say that this is a key safety feature on a Volvo but in my personal experience the DLR's are more of a hassle then they are worth (only Volvo have them in the UK! and the Police have theirs disabled)
I would also consider buying a car from a Authorised Main Dealer so any problems get covered under warranty.

BTW- The D5 engine with the Auto is fantastic.

Best of luck
Struggs

Seems to be a common problem with Volvo's. I have a 2001 S80 and I cannot count how many bulbs (high and low beam) I have gone through.
Appears to be a voltage problem. As in too much Voltage. I made noise with the dealership and got nowhere. Then I contacted volvo directly. The rep paid for a complete wiring harness replacement on the headlamps. Problem went away for about a year. Then it started up again.
Now I loose a bulb about once every two to three months. Each time I go to the dealership with my 100k miles and they tell me I need to pay for it. At $21.95 each I ask the parts shop at the dealership if I should purchase a case of bulbs. Jokingly...
The dealer usually gives me a bulb and writes it off to warranty. Even though my warranty has expired.
The car overall is a great car. But it does not take rocket science to solve repeat bulb burning problems. Especially after reading this forum and noticing that Volvo has heglected to solve this for six+ years.
I guess if you live near a dealership it might not be a problem. Otherwise get used to having a bulb changed periodically....

BTW... Dashboard and control display bulbs have started to fail. They run about $10 each but require $100 or more in labor.

Good Luck :57: