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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  disappointed - 2000 Volvo V70
  By noluck - July 7 - 9:26 am

  I bought this car based on safety and, what i thought, was reliability. It had 63,000 miles on it, one owner. Pretty car, nice to drive, when it ran. The car was in the shop every month. Nothing was less than 1,000 to fix. The ETS was recalled, car completely lost power on the highway. ABS module went, power windows, wiper motors broke, suspension/shocks needed replacement, 2 starters, brakes, had hatch fixed, gas mileage poor. Overall, I owned it for 3 years and it cost me over $4,000 in repairs. Very disappointed.

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  volvo not as good as they used to be - 1998 Volvo V70
  By coachgids - July 3 - 10:00 am

  Great car if you have a very good dealer to fix all the things that go wrong with it. Great to drive. Got very expensive after the warranty ran out. Two of our 3 dealers have been horrible to almost incompetent. The third was great and a pleasure to deal with. Volvo North America did little to police dealerships, even after repeated problems.

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  This car is Bi-polar!!! - 2001 Volvo S80
  By IzaccBRL - July 1 - 10:00 am

  From day one I realized that this was gonna be the car from hell!!! It looked GREAT on the outside, but there was always a WHOOOOLE lotta issues on the inside! It stayed in the shop more than I was able to drive it! I came to the conclusion that my car was a lemon until I talked to someone else who have the exact same car, & they were having the SAME exact issues that I was experiencing! Finally, the car died on a main street on my way home & I am now left carless, but atleast it lasted about 10 years! :-)

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  Worst Car ever owned - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By David Cronin - June 28 - 11:36 pm

  Consistent problems. Rear 3rd row seats continually get stuck have to bring in to dealer to get fixed (3 times ). Child seat gets stuck ( 2 times). Rear door has problems closing brought in 3 times. Bought 18 inch wheels but the brakes not upgraded by dealer. Also try finding replacement tires for under $300 each. Replaced brakes 3 times already. Problem with turbos being noisy. Have to be replaced at 52,000 miles at a cost of $4,000 which we are fighting with Volvo. This is the first non-japanese car I have owned and my last.

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  BRAKE PAD REPLACED AT 15000 MILES!!!!!! - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Franklin Bien - June 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought a brand new volvo XC90 T6 model, May 2003. It has been ONLY 10 months, and ONLY 15,000 miles, and the FRONT BRAKE PADS ARE WORN 90%. And, the dealer is saying since it has passed the 12,000 miles, it cannot be covered under warranty, and they also claim it is normal. Ive owned many cars in my life, and I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCE HAVING TO REPLACE A BRAKE PAD ON A BRAND NEW CAR FOR 15,000 miles on it!!!!!!!! It cost me $175 for it. I had a Nissan Pathfider just before this, and the front brake pads were replace at 60,000 miles. What a difference. I am very very disappointed with the quality / durability of Volvo. They look great, but they cost a lot.

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  Volvo for life? Not a long one. - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Matt T - June 7 - 6:10 pm

  This car looks great, seats 7 semi- comfortably, is great in the snow, and will spend as much time in the shop as on the road. O2 sensors out at 50k. Spark plugs needed replaced at 50k. Transmission needed replaced at 61k. Volvo service wont stand behind the car. I was told directly that "Volvo for life" is "Just a slogan." Dont let the pretty looks and solid reputation fool you. The newer Volvos are trouble. Expensive trouble at that.

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  S70 GLT - 1999 Volvo S70
  By fredmar - June 6 - 2:00 am

  Nice to drive and comfortable front seat. Poor quality components used. Replaced several parts numerous times. Worst cup holder on the street.

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  Too many problems for the cost - 2008 Volvo S40
  By chicommuter - June 2 - 6:49 pm

  I purchased this car in 2011 with only 16,000 miles and had it back in the shop within 3 weeks to fix the driver side door which wouldnt latch. Subsequently have had it in the shop twice (wouldnt start due to programming issue and grinding noise while cornering). Now have to replace all tires @ 30k miles which the shop told me is common for this model.

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  Volvo is Swedish for junk - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Sucker Punched - May 27 - 9:33 am

  Volvo is Swedish for junk. Worst car I have ever owned. Horrible service - Constantly breaking down. Needs a new transmission at less than 60,000 miles. New Turbos. New head gasket. Burns through tires, oil, and brake pads, latches and locks have broken. If you are looking to be unhappy about your ride it is the car for you! Remember, friends dont let friends by Volvos! If you buy one of these cars there is one of you born every second (sucker) otherwise Volvo would go the way of Dodo bird.

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  Watch out for transmission problems - 2002 Volvo S60
  By roadrep - May 14 - 6:41 pm

  I bought a 2002 S60 before doing my research. I didnt know that the 01 and 02 years had transmission problems. I would up with a $4000 bill for a new transmission! The lesson I learned was.....do your research. There was plenty of information on the internet about this problem. I wont do this again.