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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  Are you kidding me? - 2003 Volvo S60
  By Scot - August 6 - 7:03 am

  We bought this car in 2003. It was a safe sporty family car. Shortly there after the problems began. First electrical and module problems, which cost us $2,000. Then transmission problems, followed by sounds from the brakes, and some other misc. things I didnt understand, repairs quoted at $8,000. Thats 3 years and $10,000 in repairs. Topped off with an electrical system failure, that required it to be towed to the shop. I am now waiting for for my latest quote, which I imagine wont be cheap, because the only thing cheap on this car is the quality. If you read any good reviews on this car they were written by a dealership. Run away as fast as you can!

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  Holy Cow, Where do I start. - 2001 Volvo S40
  By Grant - August 5 - 7:03 am

  I saw many of the reviews on this site and said OMG, I have had the same problems. I got this car to go back and forth to college, boy it was a nightmare. OK we will go down the list. Sunroof needed to be replace upon driving it off the lot (sunroof leaked in water), suspension has a lot of noise, Check engine light comes on when it wants, AC comes on when it wants and doesnt work at intermediate speeds, constantly replacement of bulbs (especially headlights, twice a year and they are not cheap), paint chips easy, turbo line leaked causing a oil leak, constantly replacement of brake pads and rotors, poor braking, AWFUL Fuel economy (around 17 MPG) continues below in improvements section*

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  Run away! - 1999 Volvo S80
  By Sherrill - July 31 - 6:40 am

  I wish the reviews had been available before we bought the car because we sure wouldnt have. It has been a nightmare. We have probably paid half as much on repairs as we paid for the car. We just keep pumping money into it because it is paid for and we dont want another car payment so we feel trapped. The body parts are even falling off (headliner, etc)

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  Love hate relationship - 1996 Volvo 850
  By dglassm - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I really love this car when its not in the the repair shop. Fortunately, I have found a tire shop to do my repairs. The volvo dealer repair shops are a major league ripoff. Shim kit 10 dollars online , dealership 120.00 . Rear pads and rotors 600.00 (tire shop 280)The brakes have been my major problem. Somthing is always wrong. When the check engine light comes on be sure to check the master hose , a leak here will create erroneous data on the 02 sensor. I have become used to all the sqeaks , creaks and rattles. Next time I will buy toyota/lexus or honda/acura.

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  Be careful - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Bud - July 25 - 10:13 am

  The XC-90 that I have is a piece of junk! Fortunately, when I purchased the car used with 22k on it, the dealership offered, at no additional charge, a 100k warranty. Thank goodness! At last count, they have done over $10,000 in repairs! If you are looking for an upscale SUV, you may want to look elsewhere! The dealer has been great. It is just that Volvo was asleep when they built mine!

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  CHUMPMOBILE - 2002 Volvo S80
  By Master - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I was loaned an 2002 S80 T6 (loaded) while my older Volvo 900 series car is in the shop. The S80 goes when you step on the gas, but so what? A car in this price range should have ample power. Take some friends out for a round of golf? See what happens when its time to put the bags in the trunk. The seats are so inferior to the 900 series seats, its as if its not a Volvo (definitely unacceptable for tall drivers, the seat bottom is to small for long legs). The plastics used in the engine bay are totally inferior when compared to older Volvos. The glove box lever, the hood release lever, door handles, and dashboard knobs are unacceptable for any Volvo.

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  Average XC90 (V70XC was better!) - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By Bushepy - June 18 - 10:00 am

  The XC90 has been a disappointment with the following: overall build quality, fit and finish (both interior and exterior, noisy electroic climate control, poor audio system (the premium Dolby Pro-logic II surround sound is very disappointing), and, most disappointing, the lack of adequate engine power while accelerating onto highways or while climbing mountains. I also have had major problems with my Volvo retailer on warranty work (they damged the car. This could be my very last Volvo.

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  Beware of transmission issues - 2008 Volvo XC90
  By jero72 - June 9 - 2:00 am

  As represented by MANY blogs, transmission failure is very wide- spread issue. More surprising is the repeat replacement issue. Vovlo doesnt seem to be concerned as there is no public discussin regarding design or manufacturing changes, even for the new models. I fully believe the only reason Volvo has not recalled the vehicle for faulty trany (replacement) is because they havent been able to link fatalities to the issue. Based on what I am reading and what I am hearing, its only a matter of time. I am very surprised the Luxury Car manufacturer has not taken a more proactive position on this and dealers are very difficult to work with.

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  Dont waste your money! - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By Soured on Volvo - June 5 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has been in and out of the shop for the past 5 weeks. For some reason a lot of sensors keep going BAD. The last one to go bad was the gas pedal sensor while I was pulling out into traffic! I have put one set of new tires on at 10,000 miles-Volvo says this is normal. New brakes at 16,000. Now at 26,000 miles-600 extra miles traveling back and forth to the dealership for repairs and then back home I need another set of new tires! I have had it with this vehicle and will never own another Volvo. Volvo is willing to give me some kind of assitence with getting a new Volvo, but will not admit there is anything wrong with this particular xc 90

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  Less -than -Chrysler quality - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Montain Oyster - June 5 - 1:06 am

  Most aggravating vehicle Ive ever owned...even less reliable than the two MGBs I had. Thank God for the strong tow point, extended warranties and loaner cars.