is there anything particularly negative about Volvo cars?

[Anonymous]

Expensive repairs? Why are they lower down the list in terms of reliability? My understanding is that Volvo has always had pretty good reputation for safety though, correct? What else is 'bad' about Volvo? Handling, design, bang per buck?

My one friend is a hardcore Volvo fan and swears by them. He is still driving his 2001 s40, I'll give him that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Expensive repairs? Why are they lower down the list in terms of reliability? My understanding is that Volvo has always had pretty good reputation for safety though, correct? What else is 'bad' about Volvo? Handling, design, bang per buck?

My one friend is a hardcore Volvo fan and swears by them. He is still driving his 2001 s40, I'll give him that.

I had a 2006 Volvo V70 once that the engine seized at 155,000 miles.
It had plenty of oil and was serviced regularly.
Engine replacement (from junk yard) was going to run close to 9K.
I will never buy another Volvo.

[Anonymous]

My dad had a volvo when I was younger that did multiple cross country trips. Only sold it because we were moving overseas (navy) and it was almost 20 years old. Great car.

I have a 2018 xc60 now, bought used at a year old. Only issue was a lift gate problem, which they covered under warantee. Zero other issues, and the thing is a beast in the snow. Love the car to death, my next car will probably be a Volvo too.

I don't have any experience with the aughts, when Volvo was owned by Ford. Ford bought Volvo in 1999, and divested in 2010. Like Ford itself in that time period (outside of the truck division), I've heard they ran the company into the ground So I would avoid anything from before the beginning of the post Ford redesigns. The current generations though all seem fantastic.

[Anonymous]

I'd say the biggest benefit of the current generation of Volvos over their competitors is interior cabin comfort (seriously, go sit in one), commitment to hybrid/electric, and of course top notch safety (though I'll admit the gulf is not as big as it was in the 80s/earlier, because regulations are more stringent and others had to catch up).

I've heard it described before that Volvos (now) are luxury cars for people that don't want to rub others noses in the fact that they have a luxury car. I'd say that's pretty accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Expensive repairs? Why are they lower down the list in terms of reliability? My understanding is that Volvo has always had pretty good reputation for safety though, correct? What else is 'bad' about Volvo? Handling, design, bang per buck?

My one friend is a hardcore Volvo fan and swears by them. He is still driving his 2001 s40, I'll give him that.

I had a 2006 Volvo V70 once that the engine seized at 155,000 miles.
It had plenty of oil and was serviced regularly.
Engine replacement (from junk yard) was going to run close to 9K.
I will never buy another Volvo.

Very old car with high mileage breaks down. Shocker.

[Anonymous]

Be aware that they are now Chinese owned. This may or may not be a negative for you.

[Anonymous]

I had a series of 80s and 90s Volvos when I was younger. They were not speedy but they turned on a dime and were easy to park. They were known as very safe cars but I think other brands have caught up.

Mine had very finicky electronics, and alerts on the dash would light up regularly because of moisture or something. They may have fixed that. I don't see many older Volvo out here but you still see lots in CA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be aware that they are now Chinese owned. This may or may not be a negative for you.

America is Chinese owned. What else is new?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be aware that they are now Chinese owned. This may or may not be a negative for you.

I guess for political reasons, whatever. But they seem to be taking a hands off approach to ownership, so I don't think it really matters (unlike Ford, who thought they knew better).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be aware that they are now Chinese owned. This may or may not be a negative for you.

Only as a majority stakeholder. Volvo is publicly traded as of 2021:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_Cars

[Anonymous]

I have Xc 40 2023 and I love it!

[Anonymous]

I have a 2009 V70 that I have taken good care of. It has the optional 3rd seat so was good for carpool when I had to do that. My work often requires 'stuff' and is easy to load in and out of. It's on its third and final teenage driver and seems safe and boring. I certainly know newer cars have better safety and electronics but this 14 year old car has held up well, never left me stranded or required expensive repairs.

It's been my favorite vehicle ever. I suppose one day I'll drive some sort of Prius or something but I'll shed a tear when this basic mom-mobile leaves the driveway for the final time.

[Anonymous]

Op, to answer why the reliability scores are lower, as I understand from researching a few years ago that was the I cortao meant system (not the car itself). And I think they’ve largely worked out the bugs through software updates by now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, to answer why the reliability scores are lower, as I understand from researching a few years ago that was the I cortao meant system (not the car itself). And I think they’ve largely worked out the bugs through software updates by now.

Infotainment*

[Anonymous]

My wagon from the 2000s was a huge money pit, several of the joint models with Ford were only made for a few years and they were not reliable.

Parts are expensive as are repairs due to design.

They are comfortable and very safe.