Overview & Reviews

Swedish-born Volvo has long been a forerunner in safety research, and its vehicles have the crash test scores to prove it. These days, the brand has improved its offerings by crafting vehicles that also offer generous amounts of style and performance.

In Latin, the word "Volvo" means "I roll." Volvo cars have been rolling ever since 1927, when the first vehicle (nicknamed "Jakob") was produced in the city of Gothenburg. The company's founders, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson, put an emphasis on safety, and that dictum still holds true today. The Jakob was joined by the six-cylinder PV651 in 1929, and by 1931, more than 10,000 Volvos had been produced.

Postwar, Volvo unveiled one of its biggest successes, the PV444. By the 1950s, Volvo had begun exporting cars to the U.S., and the PV444 — with its compact size and stylish looks — helped the manufacturer quickly make a name for itself in its new territory. The decade also saw Volvo building on its reputation for being a vanguard in the area of safety; it was the first manufacturer to make vehicles with a three-point safety belt.

The 1960s saw the launch of a new Volvo sports car, the P1800. The car's sculpted good looks helped earn it celebrity status when it was featured on the long-running TV series The Saint, with Roger Moore behind the wheel. Safety features grew more advanced during this decade and Volvo was again at the forefront of the action, offering features such as padded dashboards and energy-resistant crumple zones in front and rear.

Volvo distinguished itself as the exclusive home to a number of valuable new technologies during the 1970s. If you were looking for safety features such as childproof locks, collapsible steering columns and rear-facing child seats during this decade, you'd only find them in a Volvo.

Like BMWs and Saabs, Volvos became an American "yuppie" favorite during the 1980s. The company proved its technological know-how wasn't just limited to safety when it rolled out its first turbocharged car. By the end of the decade, Volvo had unveiled new models like the front-wheel-drive 480 hatchback (for Europe) and the Italian-designed 780 coupe.

In the early '90s, Volvo launched the 850. The car was Volvo's first front-wheel-drive executive car, and teamed performance with the company's trademark attention to safety. The decade also saw Volvo rolling out new models like the S40 and C70 — cars that updated the automaker's boxy image with a more rounded, sculpted aesthetic. The company became part of the Ford family when it was acquired by the automaker in 1998. Ford helped Volvo financially, while Volvo provided Ford with new safety technologies and car platforms. Due to Ford's financial troubles during the American recession, however, Ford sold Volvo to the Chinese automaker Geely in 2010.

It's unknown how Volvo's new owner will guide the brand long term, but chances are Volvo will continue to offer sedans, coupes and SUVs known for their combination of safety and driving excitement.

User Reviews:

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  Nothing but problems - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By volvoalabama - September 6 - 9:33 am

  Ive had nothing but problems with my 2005 XC90, and they are still ongoing. The main issue is a continuous start problem, but the front door locks have broken, the door pull has come loose, the carpeting has come loose, the CD changer is broken, the DVD player raises and lowers unexpectedly while driving. The dealer cant figure out the start problem. I have to pay for rental cars, lose time from work, and experience the general frustration of not being able to depend on a car. I wont buy another Volvo.

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  Buy this car if you like throwing money in the trash - 2001 Volvo V70
  By heather50 - August 21 - 3:35 am

  Everything has systematically broken down, cracked, snapped off or ripped on this car. My mechanic even shakes his head at the ridiculously poor quality of this vehicle. I spent well over 10,000 on mechanical repairs in the last 6 years, always thinking that each trip to the mechanic would be the last.....Ha! In addition to that expense- the following have happened: glove compartment hinge broken, electrical door locks and windows dont always work, panel by drive shaft cracked, side view mirror adjuster broken off, most speakers are not working, locking system on back hatch doesnt always close, vent panel for defrost fell off, and more burnt out head and tail lights than imaginable.

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  1998 S70 was a huge dissapointment - 1998 Volvo S70
  By hakeroonie - August 19 - 10:00 am

  A huge diasappointment. Many electrical problems. Light bulbs constantly needing replacement, outsde temperature very inaccurate, power windows that work when they feel like it, a check enghine light that continues to come on after three attempts by the dealer to repair it. Build quality is lacking too, like cheesey cupholders, cerqking front end though Ive replaced two tie rods and bearings.

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  Heres a little history - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By chriswhiston - July 23 - 2:50 pm

  I should have seen the sign. When I went to buy the car back in 2004, I had picked out the exact model I wanted, then while I was filling out paperwork, I was notified one of the doors did not open. After another Identical model was found, I took it home. 8500 miles later it needed brakes. Seats showed wear at 10000 miles. Then soon after, the passenger door started popping open. There have been numerous leaks, including a cracked power steering reservoir. Many noises started popping up, a transmission leak appeared, the Volvo dealership rarely fixed problems the first time. Now, because of this, at 47000 miles, the car is in need of a new transmission. Volvo now must replace the radiator.

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  1999 volvo s70 base 5 speed - 1999 Volvo S70
  By sj_volvo_s70 - June 19 - 1:48 am

  What can I say that has not already been said. Very noisy dashboard, pathetic acceleration.. Air conditioner decides to stop working after its been working fine all day, wind noise, power door locks not working, and the locks in the back are at the rear of the door, very tough to reach... The need to always have the code reader in the car, just in case!!! Very poorly design throttle-body.. gets dirty really easy causing most drive-ability problems.. MPG not good for a small 5 cylinder with 5 speed manual low-mid 20s.. my 99 e320 with a v6 and auto 27+ mpg...

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  Biggest Mistake I Ever Made When Buying A Car - 2001 Volvo V70
  By steadybeat - June 17 - 5:28 am

  I thought when I bought a Volvo I was getting a quality vehicle. While it does have the most comfortable seats , a decent enough stereo system, and other interior features that are very appealing it has become a glorified enclosed couch sitting in my driveway. How I wish I had read the reviews here before purchasing because I would have changed my mind. I went with it because of the reputation of the company that I knew of in the mid-80s. It lasted a total of 6 days from purchase from a private seller. I noticed that the heater wasnt putting out and checked fluid levels and topped off the radiator. It came home on a rollback: overheated+blown head gasket. Never,ever, again. What a waste!!!

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  anticipate high cost of ownership - 2004 Volvo S60
  By John - June 1 - 2:13 am

  I am at 85K miles now. Repairs to date: all valves replaced, power steering pump replaced, multiple hoses replaced; etc. Far higher cost of ownership than prior cars; S60 was supposed to be a field proven model. I cant tell if my dealership is exploiting me or if the car is just built to fall apart. My other vehicle, a 97 Honda Civic, is bombproof - no major repairs, >> 100K miles. I will not buy another Volvo; for the price and maintenance, the math is not compelling.

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  Everything breaks! Marked low to bring its ratings down! - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By lane11 - May 25 - 1:42 pm

  Wow, this is a great car to drive, unfortunately, everything breaks on it. I normally dont post, but I just had to register to let people know. Here is the short list of things: 2004 T6, first owner: Front (both) and rear (both x 2) shock mounts (not shocks, the stupid plastic pieces they put in there). Motors in the dash for the air. Replaced two of them now. $$$ Driver window motor. $$ The rain drains on the roof got plugged up, when they overflow, it goes onto one of the computers on the driver side. $$$ Turbo is now dead $2000, and the traction/stability computer is dead. $$$ Rear wheel bearings $$ plus the tires they ruined. I wont own another volvo, ever.

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  Volvo Lemon - 2003 Volvo S80
  By Bob Reynolds - May 22 - 2:00 am

  Absolute worse new car I have ever purchased. Dealership service had car first 4months more than I did. Service dept. drove more miles than owner, over the first four months. Local service dept. can not fix problem without bringing in specialist who works with Volvo Sweeden. Problem worse than ever and dealership now saying nothing more they can do. We now have to change our driving habits to try to be safe in the $40k vehicle. Cannot pull out into traffic because we are not sure what car will do. (Either bog down or tramission will slip). 5 visits to service and they cant fix it. They said that Volvo might have a fix in the future.

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  Problems with ECO+ mode - 2016 Volvo XC60
  By Erin - May 17 - 10:47 pm

  I loved my Volvo for the first 5k miles. Then I started noticing the efficiency/eco mode was acting sluggish. A fuse was recalled related to the function and I had it replaced, but theres been no improvement. My car has died on me 3xs in the last few months while in Eco mode, and even when Im not in Eco mode, my transmission is sluggish and choppy. Ive taken it in to the dealer and they cant find any error messages or issues, and so the problem with my expensive, new lux suv remains. I shouldve gotten the Audi .....