When searching for a car, you want to be sure that you’re getting a reliable vehicle, one that’ll save you money in the long run. It’s fair to say that just because you’re interested in a luxury vehicle doesn’t mean that you have a lot of money to spend on maintenance and Volvo repair costs.
Volvo repair costs can be high, but when put perspective, you may be pleasantly surprised. This article goes through the many different factors that you should consider to determine how expensive it really is to maintain, fix, and repair a Volvo. When looking at the expense of maintaining, fixing, or repairing Volvos, it’s important to look at the big picture.
For example, we need to consider the reliability of Volvos compared to other brands, why Volvo parts are more expensive than other brand parts, and what contributes the most to breaks and issues down the road (like how the Volvo is being driven, and where the Volvo is being driven).
Repair Pal conducts reliability ratings, which are helpful in determining the cost of maintaining, repairing, and fixing a certain vehicle. The Repair Pal Reliability Rating measures the dependability of a certain vehicle. The dependability of the vehicle is determined by the cost, frequency, and severity of UNSCHEDULED repairs and maintenance visits.
The Repair Pal Reliability Rating comes from an analysis of millions of vehicle repair invoices, which occurred between the years 2010 and 2019. Their rating is helpful in learning more about the costs of owning a vehicle when it comes to the likelihood of dealing with unscheduled repairs and maintenance issues. This is all a comparison to other vehicles, and of course, the industry’s averages.
RepairPal’s Reliability Rating draws heavily from the cost of repairs. For instance, top brands like Hyundai, Honda, and Kia will have scored well because their costs of ownership were very low. If you’re planning on using Repair Pal’s Reliability Rating in the attempt to determine how costly it may be to have a Volvo, it’s important to remember that Volvos are a luxury brand.
So, typical repairs and fixes will be more expensive (simply because certain parts are required), which thereby might make Volvos seem slightly more unreliable, and consequentially, more prone to needing repairs.
As mentioned previously, there are three major factors that Repair Pal considers when trying to assess the reliability of a vehicle. You can use these factors to better understand the cost of repairs involved in maintaining, repairing, or fixing a Volvo compared to other vehicles: cost, frequency, and severity.
The cost stands for the average total maintenance and repairs done on an annual basis. A high cost doesn’t necessarily mean that a vehicle is expensive to repair. It might just mean that the vehicle is less reliable. A luxury car like a Volvo will cost more to repair, not because it’s unreliable, but because its parts are simply more expensive.
Frequency means how often the vehicle is brought in for unscheduled maintenance and repairs. The more frequent a vehicle is brought into the shop for an unexpected issue, the less reliable the vehicle is and the more expensive it is to maintain.
A severe issue is when the cost of the repair is three times the average annual cost of ALL models. Luxury brands will automatically have a higher threshold, simply because of the more expensive labor rates and the higher cost of parts.
Compared to other brands, Volvos are more affordable to maintain than other luxury names, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac. However, the price of maintaining a Volvo is about twice as much when compared to U.S. or Japanese brands. This is because Volvo requires special parts and software, all of which involve very high access fees.
The average annual repair cost for a Volvo is around $769. This compares to $652, which is the average annual repair cost for all other models. These numbers speak to both unscheduled repairs and scheduled maintenance. As for repairing Volvos, a study concluded that Volvo models were brought in for repair about 0.5 times per year.
Of those cases, only 9% were considered in severe condition. Other vehicles averaged about 0.4 times a year, and 12% were considered severe.
There are important preventative maintenance inspections that you can have done, so as to avoid very costly repairs and fixes down the road.
For instance, to keep future repairs to a minimum, you’ll want to replace the serpentine belt before it is too late. If you ignore it, you may end up having to replace the entire engine. This being said, most Volvo models have a non-interference motor that is unaffected when the serpentine belt runs its course.
Another preventative measure involves the front-end alignment, which can sometimes get out of line. This happens in certain models more so than in others. If not watched, however, it can lead to costly repairs down the road, like having to replace the tires and/or fix a noisy steering system.
All this being said, Volvo does offer some perks that help to offset the potential costs. In 2015, Volvo announced their Volvo Lifetime Replacement Parts & Labor Warranty. This covers parts, and labor for parts and repairs when they’re purchased at an authorized Volvo dealer. Here is what they have included as eligible for repair/replacement in the warranty:
In addition, Volvos come with a complimentary factory-service program. You get three maintenance services for the first three years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first). After that, you can save up to around 20% of maintenance costs by purchasing the Prepaid Maintenance Plan.
Perhaps the two biggest factors that can determine the costliness of Volvos is how they are driven and where they are being driven. The more you take care of your vehicle, the longer it will last in good condition.
Some bad driving habits include:
The weather can affect the wear and tear on your car. Cold weather can:
Hot and humid weather can also take a toll on your vehicle, especially your engine. Engines can more easily overheat, so it’s especially important to pay attention to warning lights, check fluid levels, and have your belts and hoses inspected.
If you’re a handy person and know how to work on cars, you may be able to cut down on the expenses, but keep in mind that trying to repair the vehicle yourself may void the warranty on the vehicle.
All in all, Volvos are very reliable vehicles. Because they are luxury vehicles, however, the cost of maintenance, fixing, and repairing can run a little higher than your average U.S. or Japanese brand. This is because Volvo parts are special and have high fees associated with them. But, the reliability of Volvos may help to offset these costs, for, if the vehicle is properly cared for, the car will have fewer issues in the end.
Suggested topics on car maintenance for you to read:
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How Long Does It Take To Replace An Engine?
How To Test A Fuel Pump Without A Pressure Gauge
