Characteristically, do volvos have a lot of mechanical problems and such or is it just me?

Question

It seems like volvos are safe cars, but no one told me that I would have so many problems with other things. No one at the dealership said that my check engine light would come on (all the time) and that I would problems with the stereo and eveything else. Does anyone else notice this problem with their cars or is mine just cursed?

Answer 1

Since you ask , may i refer you to the most recent J.D. Power & assoc. study, rather than each individual "Yamster" opinion ?
The most recentl study was of 2003 vehicles that had been on the road for 3 years. This study lists 37 manufacturers in order of the least problems to the most problems .
I'll list in their order:
1 Lexus
2 mercury
3 buick
4 cadillac
5 toyota
6 acura
7 honda
8 jaguar
9 bmw
10 infinity
11 lincoln
12 ford
13 oldsmobile
<<<<<<<<< 14 chrysler
15pontiac
16 subaru
17 gmc
18 mercedes-benz
19 chevrolet
20 nissan
21 mazda
22 porsche
23 hyandai
24 dodge
25 mitsubishi
26 jeep
27 volvo
28 audi
29 mini
30 isuzu
31 saturn
32 volkswagon
33 hummer
>>>>>>>>>>>>not reliable
34 kia
35 suzuki
36 saab
37 land rover

Answer 2

Statisitically Volvos tend to be one of the more reliable European brands, but not as reliable as the most reliable Japanese brands. There were a few Volvo models in the late 90's-early 2000's especially that were problematic. The V70 XC and S80 come to mind. Best thing to do if you want a definitive answer is check Consumers Reports. The problems you describe are electrical, not mechanical. It's been my expereince that electrical issues are the most common problems on European cars. They tend to be very mechanically durable and solid overall. The check engine light scares a lot of people by it is almost ALWAYS one of two things. 1) You left your gas cap off or loose or overfilled your tank. 2) A problem with your O2 sensor. The check engine light is part of OBD which just checks your emissions system. Don't panic and think because it says "check engine", the engine is about to grind to a halt. It only says that because if it said "emissions system" then people would realize it's not deadly serious and they wouldn't go straight to the dealer and get out the checkbook. The truth is "check engine" is pretty much NEVER a crisis and you can go to the dealer when it is convenient.

Answer 3

It seems like you purchased a used vehicle. Typically, Volvos are very good cars. There are many mechanics who do not understand how Volvo designs cars and they wind up damaging the cars they work on. Many people trade in their Volvos, because the mechanic damaged their car and they can't get it back to normal. This is true of many complex vehicles, such as BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, etc.

In terms of reliability, Toyotas or Hondas are the best. Volvos may not be as troublefree, but in return you get one of the safest cars on the road. I believe your problem is that you purchased a used car. I am in the auto business and I've found that people rarely get rid of a good car (trade in). The dealer will refurbish the car, but sometimes a problem is not found and you purchase a car with problems. Other times the dealer chose to hide the problem and dump the car on you. There is no way to prove this, so you are stuck with a bad car.

You have two other options to purchase a car: 1 Purchase a new car and get a warranty. 2. Purchase private party. I don't think this is a good way to purchase a car, since it is the most profitable way for a person to dispose of their car. Also, rarely does someone disclose the problems and you have no recourse (they are sold "as is"). Again, why would someone get rid of a perfectly fine car?

My recommendation is to take your car to an honest mechanic and find out the condition. If he thinks you're going to have problems (prior neglect, bad mechanic or abuse), then I would get rid of it. The best way of course is to trade it in, then you won't have to lie to the buyer and you won't feel guilt.

Good luck!

Greg

Answer 4

Volvos have gotten so complicated over time that they can't help but have failures. I've been driving them since 1968 and always enjoyed their reliability and ease of maintenance. Those days are gone. I bought a new '98 and it was the worst car I ever had. Things went wrong with that car that I could never have imagined. It's gone and my sanity has returned. I wouldn't have any Volvo newer than the 940 series which was phased out in the mid-90s. I now have a Toyota, reliable, comfortable and just full of peace of mind. I still have a Volvo but it's a '66, fun and easy. The consumer surveys and various reports speak for themselves. Volvo reliability has fallen on hard times. If you buy a new one you get a warranty. Of course you'll be hammered to buy an extended warranty (money maker for the dealer) so you'll be covered (maybe) if things go wrong. But who the heck wants to spend all their time running back and forth to the dealer to get things fixed that shouldn't have failed to begin with?

Answer 5

Volvo's is a reliable car that everyone is talking abt, but this depend how "good luck" when you first own a car, some people was so unlucky that when first get their new car come with problem, some people was so lucky that the car didn't cause any problem only go for maintenance service only, which i can said depend how does the driver drive the car.

Answer 6

Volvo was originally a bearing manufacturer (Volvo means 'to roll' in latin) and were built very well until Ford merged with them in the '90s. Now they are known to be problematic, especially in regards to the electrical systems.

Answer 7

i own a repair shop,and your absolutely right on this matter,,i work on a lot of them,they do give a lot of problems and with different things on them,,but a dealer isn't going to tell you this,,you wouldn't have bought the car if they did ,,but in reality there one of the safest cars on the road,,but probably one of the most trouble some vehicles there is,and they are expensive to repair,,just to be honest with you ,,a good Toyota corolla would have given less problems than a Volvo would have,,but think of it like this,,once you get it all straitened out,,you,ll have a nice car,,that's what i try to tell my customers to ease them some,,it don't always work though,,and i doubt its working now,,but your not the only one,,i get them all the time,,good luck with it,i hope this help,s.,,have a good x-mas.

Answer 8

the guy complaining about sludge problem replaced into somewhat uncommon and didnt even take position contained in the celicas. the in problem-free words common project with a celica is that the 2000-2002 gt fashions some have an oil project the position they burn a touch oil. The 2000-2002 actually have polycarbonate sunroofs which ability they scratch basic yet doesnt influence it automatically. They replaced the shift gates contained in the 2003 (in problem-free words applies to the gt-s 6 speeds) to cause them to wider b/c little punk youthful ones that dont comprehend a thanks to stress would omit gears and spin bearings and smash the tranny. they're large autos and intensely low fee upkeep. purely recurring stuff like preserving the oil replaced, air filters, and belts. they have timing chains so that you dont ought to rigidity bout that.

Answer 9

Volvo's are just like any other car-- it has to be maintained and not beaten on to run right.

Answer 10

I think they tend to be better than the average car. Fords and such being the lower end and your Toyota being at the high end. (This being accoriding to mechanical problems.)