When shopping for replacement Volvo parts, most require little fitment research after entering your vehicle into a website. Oil filters, control arms, and brake pads are generally model-specific with no VIN or Chassis number break for two different revisions. On 93-04 P80 chassis Volvos like the S70, 850, and V70, certain parts were fitted to these vehicles with varying designs, requiring a chassis code to determine which replacement part to buy.
The Chassis Plate
In order to determine which parts are for a specific vehicle, one can refer to the car's chassis plate located in the engine bay. This plate includes information such as the VIN, interior color code, exterior paint code, and options the vehicle was built with.
The top line defines the type of vehicle, in this case, "874" for the S70 4-door. "875" indicates V70, due to the 5 doors.
The second line is the vehicle's VIN, or vehicle identification number.
At the bottom right of the plate is the 8-digit build code or product ID. This is where the mechanical specs of the vehicle are defined, such as sway bar or steering rack style. The other fields above it contain color and market information:
- 12 - Market Code
- 13 - Interior Color
- 14 - Exterior Paint
- 15 - Special Vehicle Number
- 16 - Front Suspension Spring & Strut Code
- 17 - Front Sway Bar
- 18 - Rear Suspension Shock
- 19 - Rear Suspension Spring
- 20 - Rear Sway Bar
- 21 - Steering Rack
Buying Parts
When shopping for inner tie rods, the steering rack code may be necessary.
On this vehicle, a steering rack code of 4 indicates compatibility with this part. If the rack code differs on the vehicle, another part number will exist for those tie rods.
Whenever a "code" is indicated for part fitment on a Volvo, there's no need to call the dealer. Referring to the chassis plate will deliver the information you seek.
