Hi all.

I'm considering a pre-owned XC90 as my next vehicle, however as this is more of a general Volvo maintenance question, I thought it might be more appropriate here in the "general" category. Anyway, as someone who's never owned a European import, I've always heard and assumed the generalization that maintenance and upkeep for an import such as a Volvo tends to be higher than that of an American car, and in some cases, significantly higher. While I understand that this is likely the case for unanticipated repairs, parts, and whatnot, how does standard general maintenance / preventative maintenance compare to that of an American car in terms of price? In other words, is general upkeep like a standard tune-up, oil change, and such significantly higher for a Volvo as well?

Also, can some of these standard services and preventative maintenance jobs be done at non-Volvo dealership shops? In other words, is it considered kosher to take a Volvo to a local Firestone garage, for example, for basic, standard maintenance and scheduled oil change? Moreso, do garages like this even do work on Volvos, or do many of them just suggest that the work be done at a Volvo dealer or a garage specializing in imports? I apologize if this question sounds a little naive, but having never delved into the world of European imports, this is all new to me.

Any information would be really appreciated. Thanks!

 

European cars have a reputation of costing more to maintain than American and definitely Japanese cars. But when you get to the top of the line on any car maker it costs more to maintain. Cadillacs were always notorious for costing more to maintain than Chevrolets, but the parts came out of the same shop from GMC. That's why my Dad always hated Cadillacs.

I would not take any of my Volvo's to a place like Firestone for anything. I do all my own oil changes and that is no more expensive than on any other car. Parts will cost you a little more that's for sure than on a Corolla or a Civic, but look at what you are getting. I just like the feel of driving Volvos. They do not cost near as much to maintain as a Mercedes, but have the same quality feel to them. I have never driven the XC90 though and not familiar with the car at all.

I have had Volvo's since my in laws bought one in 1984 and I am now on my 7th one and own three of them myself and my kids each have at least one. My son and son in law have each had or have BMW's and the cost of miantaining them is about the same as Volvo's. My son has switched from BMW to Volvo cause he wanted FWD. One of his has FWD and the other has AWD.