Over the years, we've had thousands of Volvo buyers and I would estimate that half to two thirds were new Volvo owners. As such, we've always given a few common words of advice.

• The repairs on the vehicles are straight forward and easier than many of the makes that we sell. We also advise customers that there is a host of aftermarket support and those parts will perform well in their vehicle.
• We advise customers that if they come across someone who suggests that repairing Volvos is an expensive proposition, turn around and walk out. They are about to be taken advantage of.
• We encourage regular maintenance and let the maintenance reminder in the vehicle guide you to the recommended intervals. If you want to do it sooner, that's no problem.
• Don't be afraid of the turbo model. If you do proper maintenance, the turbo will last the life of the vehicle. We have only ever changed one turbo on a Volvo, an old 940.

These tend to make good cars for people. We are happy to be part of the forum.

 

I would agree based on 57 years and 5 Volvos (not continuous) - 1960 122S, 1976 265, 2003 V70T, 2009 V70 3.2, 2015.5 V60 T5, I observed 2 inherent weaknesses and experienced one major failure. The 122s rusted away, the 265 had severe fuel injection problems and the 2003 V70 lost a cylinder.

 

I agree. No car out there will be perfect. I've had to do repairs on my Volvo. But the parts are not expensive and the repairs are simple. Many of the parts say "Fomoco" on them. Aftermarket support is fantastic. The water jacket design on the turbo is excellent, quiet with very little lag.

The most unreliable vehicles I've ever had: Mitsubishi.
The hardest car to work on ever: Fiat X1/9
Most expensive parts: Porsche
Worst design: Anything French

That's my experience anyway.

 

Well said. You will notice the Fomoco around 2008 when certain drivetrain parts were shared among other Ford holdings. I've seen those on water pumps, transmissions, really any underhood item.