Non-turbo 8v Volvos are unstoppable. I have a '91 740 with about 150k (odometer broke at 103,000) and the only thing that's gone wrong in 4 years besides normal maintenance stuff (brakes, tires...) is the heater core. Watch out for that, it's probably the most expensive repair on this car.

Pros: unstoppable, very comfortable

Cons: mediocre mpg, glacial acceleration

Vehicle: Volvo 740

Mileage: 150000 km

OEM Volkswagen › Heater core

Jettavr666 7 Jan 2016, 21:14

Rating 4.0

Cabin heat:

My heat was getting weak again,so I just did another flush with HOT vinegar water mix 50/50. blow out with a bit of low pressure compressed air, flush again with the same solution, reheated again. Lots of gunk came out. Heat is good again.

Pros: heat is good again

Cons: heat was weak

VALEO › Heater core

Jrrrrrrr 12 Aug 2015, 20:02

Rating 5.0

Cabin heat:

Nissens for the radiator and Valeo for the heater core - $120-ish for both. Both have proven reliable for me after 6 years, and Valeo is VW's supplier for heater cores.

Pros: proven reliable

OEM Volkswagen › Heater core

thscott 12 Feb 2015, 17:48

Rating 5.0

Cabin heat:

Update: After several days with my newly flushed heater core, the heat output is amazing. Almost too hot at times! I have never experienced such hot air before on any vehicle I have driven.

Pros: amazing heat output

Cons: almost too hot

Vehicle: Volkswagen Passat

OEM Volkswagen › Heater core

Rick v 21 Nov 2008, 20:12

Rating 5.0

Cabin heat:

It's fixed I have heat thanks to all yous, I flushed the heater core both ways low and behold I have heat.

Pros: flushed heater core, now heat

Vehicle: Volkswagen Passat

OEM Volkswagen › Heater core

carsluTT 2 Oct 2008, 03:33

Rating 4.0

Cabin heat:

so far i have determed that u can fit a mk3 vr6 gti heater core/box into a mk1 failry easy and not looose much if any foot/leg room on the passinger side of a caddy cabbin.

Pros: easy fit

Cons: lines not fit

Vehicle: Volkswagen Caddy

OEM Volkswagen › Heater core

VWestlife 4 Sep 2008, 00:35

Rating 5.0

Cabin heat:

When the heater core blew on my '91 Golf, I called VWoA and they arranged for a free goodwill replacement even though the official recall only covers up to 1990 models.

Pros: free goodwill replacement

Vehicle: Volkswagen Golf

Mileage: 160000 km

OEM Volkswagen › Heater core

Jim_NM 7 Dec 2012, 17:42

Rating 3.0

Sweet smell:
Fogged windows:

Uh oh, an antifreeze odor coming from under the dash is usually a heater core leak.

Cons: antifreeze odor, heater core leak

VALEO › Heater core

SdsScotty2 6 Feb 2023, 23:41

Rating 1.0

Cabin heat:
Sweet smell:
Fogged windows:

I replaced the heater core in my 1991 mk2 8-valve RV coded engine in May 2022. I replaced it with a new Valeo unit I got off FCP Euro and the install went just fine. Every year I do a mid-winter start-up since I live in Minnesota and after running it last night for about 20 minutes the heater core popped and dumped a ton of hot coolant in my driver and passenger footwells...

Pros: install went fine

Cons: heater core popped

Vehicle: Volkswagen Golf

Mileage: 2500 km

MEYLE › Heater core

VW KEVIN G 28 Oct 2009, 01:35

Rating 1.0

Cabin heat:

OK, so I have heat now. When I pulled the core to check and see if there were any plugs in the lines I found a major defect in the core. deep inside one of the fittings you could see that there was no coolant passage. The thing was molded shut! So I drilled the fitting out and blew out the shavings from the opposite side, slapped it back in the truck and had heat right away.

Pros: heat works right away

Cons: major defect, molded shut