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 like an Electrical Fire to Ruin your Day - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Kris - April 14 - 3:30 am

  The dealer while very nice has no clue on how to fix these cars nor for that matter Volvo. We had been having issues where the onboard screens would blank out when nav in use vehicle would do it twice and then reload while vehicle was in use. This was an issue as your speedometer goes out and we were planning on taking it when it happened on a short trip but this time we smelled an odor then smoke came bellowing out of the center console. We turned off the unit and contacted the nearest dealership. The car has been there two weeks, contacted Volvo North America only to be told they could not find anything but they thought it was due to software needing to be updated. Updates were made and when dealer went to move car, battery was dead. We were told they checked it out with meters and again felt it was a software issue. Car was checked out and I was told the car was repaired. I drove 100 miles to pick the car up only to get in and there was an error indicating the Battery Charge was low after being assured that despite my concerns that it had to be more than a software issue. The car is still at the dealership as I was not willing to have them jump it and attempt to drive it home until they could get with Volvo North America. I would hold off purchasing as no one seems to know how to fix it. Very disappointed

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  HATE THIS AR - 2004 Volvo C70
  By Debora - March 6 - 10:00 am

  I hate this car. It has been at the dealerships repair shop more than in my garage. Main problem are rattles and other noises while driving. However, I had other problems beside the noises. 901 expensive stereo system did not work. Battery dead two days after I took the car home. Dealership dinged wood trim on replacing stereo. Windows rattle. Top rattles. The entire car is one big RATTLE. Windows stopped going up and down when the top went up and down.

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  Great looking car just not reliable - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Thomas - February 12 - 10:20 pm

  I leased my 2016 xc90 in May and it has been in the shop 5 times!!!! First it needed a software update, then the engine light just came on, then I needed 4 spark plugs replaced etc!!!!! Its a great looking car, but too many glitches. No warning when you are low on gas, Nav takes forever to load up, air condition is so loud its like your flying in an airplane. Those "great seats" are wearing down already.

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  One software issue after another - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By William - December 31 - 1:56 pm

  I have this car for almost a year and I been back to the dealership 6 times for various software issues ranging from annoying (the sensus navigation and infotainment system freezing and rebooting) to inconvenient (locks not working, moonroof not working) to dangerous (entire dashboard blanking out including speedometer and tachometer and auto-breaking going off without any other vehicles around). The car itself is beautiful and very comfortable, but the software is quirky. Volvo is constantly releasing software upgrades addressing these issues and other bugs, but you need to bring the car back to the dealership. Expected much better reliability for the price.

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  Do NOT BUY 2016 XC90 - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Heather Manuel - August 16 - 1:15 am

  We purchased our new (8 miles on the odometer) 2016 XC90 on June 30, 2016 and today is October 14th (1249 on the odometer) and the car has been in the shop a combined 31 days for 5 separate repairs. Thankfully, the car is under warranty but the hassle and the lack of confidence that this vehicle will keep our family safe is zero. --Weve had starting issues, navigation issues, issues with the transmission slipping and the latest incident where only the drivers door would unlock, meaning no one could get in or out of the vehicle unless we crawled through the drivers door. THAT IS NOT SAFE and since the dealership cannot guarantee it wont happen again, we are continuing to drive a loaner vehicle until they can figure out the issue. It is a gorgeous car and when it runs, it is so much fun to drive BUT Im now wishing I would have purchased the Audi or Land Rover. Save yourself the hassle and wait until they get the kinks out of this car.

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  2016 XC90 T8 In Shop FOR 14 Days Today Owned for - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Mike Aiello - June 20 - 5:59 am

  We have experienced what appears to be a complete failure of the control systems of the 2016 XC90 T8. It started out with an SRS error and has become a complete reloading of all software, replacement of poor door lock module, AC water leak under the carpet and not a faulty connector. Been at the dealer service center for the past 14 days and is expected to be there for at least another week or so. DO NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE - Ask them about the software issues before you buy. You will find out the since the XC90 T8 for 2016 is a brand new vehicle, they are experiencing issues that they have to learn how to diagnose. If you want to be a guinea pig like us, buy. If not, wait of find something else. This is our first and last experience with Volvo ownership. Period.

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  Reviewing Minnesota Lemon Laws - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Roger - May 26 - 4:30 am

  DO NOT BUY!!! Battery drains constantly and they cant fix it. Software is way too buggy. These cars dont need mechanics, but rather computer programmers. Also getting strange motor/pump sound coming from back of car when car engine is turned off. I was warned not to buy a Volvo because theyre constantly in the shop. I didnt listen. Im an idiot. Update: 6 days until 2018 and same problem still exists. The dealership replaced the battery and then told me told me the only way to fix the battery problem is to keep the car locked at all times, even in my heated garage. Problem not solved, I still get a low battery warning. Cant wait to get out of this car!

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  IHATEMYVOLVO - 2000 Volvo S40
  By IHATEVOLVO - March 10 - 10:00 am

  This has been the worst car-ownership experience EVER! When I tried to complain to the dealership about the EXPENSIVE maintenance (new brakes, etc.) they sent me a form letter telling me not to come back - even though my car was a LEASE!!!!!!!! I also own 2 Audis (the best) where all maintenance is INCLUDED! Don Beyer and Volvo are the WORST and I tell this to everyone I know (and always will)

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  Lemon law buyback with less than 5k miles! - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By JDW - February 21 - 11:35 am

  Beautiful vehicle inside and out but buyer beware, this is NOT a reliable car. Owned less than 9 months, with less than 5k miles and has been in the shop for over 90 days for various issues (battery draining, Sensus screen not working, thermometer broken, the list goes on) Volvo is refunding purchase under FL lemon laws. Advise to stay away!

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  My last Volvo - 2015 Volvo XC60
  By john delaney - February 17 - 11:32 am

  While this car drives well its given me a ton of problems, generating a lot of repair costs and frustration. While under warranty I had lots of little problems, and the check engine light came on so regularly I ended up having to buy a code checker to avoid constant trips to the dealership or somewhere like autozone to have it read. One of the reasons it kept going off was the gas tank was visible machined poorly, so no matter how well I attached the cap the check engine light for emissions would come on. It also burned through oil on a few occasions. I took it to the dealership immediately, but they couldnt ever find anything wrong. Other problems were generally small issues like sensors or spark plugs going bad. These were an inconvenience, but they werent major and were covered by the warranty so I didnt care too much at the time . At about 55,000 miles the car suddenly started emitting a very high pitched squeal. I made plans to take it to the dealership the next morning. In the morning the check engine light was on, and it also started revving uncontrollably when stopped at stop lights. Eventually they informed me the bearings in both cam shafts went bad, and the thermostat needed replaced. This was about a $3000 repair cost, and they said it would take about a week because they had to order the parts. It took the dealer 7 WEEKS to repair my car. They seemed incapable of ordering the right parts or ordering all the parts they need. They did not keep me informed at all, and I constantly had to call and check in. Half the time they werent able to provide me a time estimate at all, and they other half of the time they said it would only be another couple days. I spoke to Volvo corporate, left messages for the manager, etc, all to no avail. Finally they called and said it would be ready the next day, only for them to discover something else wrong with the car. When they finally finished all the repairs I picked up the car, and immediately noticed how heavy the steering felt. I thought it was just because Id been driving a different loaner vehicle for the past 7 weeks (Honestly it had been so long I kept reaching for the wrong controls in my car once I got it back). However, after a couple more days it became clear something is now wrong with the power steering. Now I have to decide whether to take it back to the same dealership and see if they will fix it for no/reduced cost since it was likely the result of something they did, or take it to a different dealership which might provide better service. Either way this is definitely my last Volvo ever. We were thinking about an XC90 for my wife, but now there is no way well even consider it. About the only thing positive I have to say about the car is that it averaged about 28-30mpg for me, but the savings isnt worth the other costs and frustrations.