Faults:

There was a faulty electrical system. Windows sometimes wouldn't go down, but would eventually. Volvo put a whole new system in for free.

The car wouldn't start because it said that we had an invalid key, so the car was towed. They fixed it for free, but it happened again and it was fixed once again for free.

The trunk was jammed shut because a towel was stuck in it. Cost a $100 to fix it at the dealer.

General Comments:

Only maintenance that we shouldn't have encountered was the trunk, which was only $100 for the three years we had it. No engine trouble.

I think the car was too advanced for itself. This was my second Volvo, and the first one I had, had one or two problems in the first two months I had it, and that was it for the rest of my three year lease.

I would recommend a Volvo to anyone. Maintenance is going to be more because the car costs more, and the parts are more.

Acceleration was okay.

Faults:

Had faulty door locks for about 4 days. Called dealer and he reported that a new software upgrade was available and that they were getting ready to send out notices on a service recall. They scheduled it in and had the locks operating correctly right away.

Also had a faulty pressure sensor switch - fixed just as quickly.

General Comments:

I love this car. It accelerates quite well and handles nicely. On the snow it really shows its colors - you can't get the car to break loose. I put ~10,000 snow and ice miles on it and it is by far the best snow car I've ever driven.

Front seats are very comfortable, and the sound system is excellent, with little road noise. Rear seats are suitable for children or small adults.

Think of it like a Subaru with class.

Faults:

I am currently waiting for a new air box for my windshield defroster which only works half the time.

The T-Tec seats that were supposed to be easy to clean seem to stain easily. Rain drops dry and leave spots and do not fade when rain hits the seats.

My windows stick and the car is getting looked at for the third time about this.

I have two new keys that also frustrate me and do not open the doors all time. You have to press unlock repeatedly and hope it eventually works.

The temperature sometimes changes when I change the radio station. They are separate knobs.

My driver-side wiper hits the molding before going back down. The rain sensing feature works poorly so I don't use it.

The headlamp spray washers and my brights didn't work until 15,000 miles, but now work fine.

There are weird cranking and whining noises, especially when in reverse.

You hardly feel the heated seats in winter.

General Comments:

Always trusted the name and this was a nice design for a wagon.

The interior mattered to me just as much as the exterior. Loved the center control area. Also loved the white stitching on the black cloth seats, more than the leather they offer.

The turbo can be peppy, but also lags quite often.

The steering can be loose or pulling which also disappoints me.

Overall, I loved the car at first, but now think I made a mistake.

Too many little problems to worry about. I called Volvo headquarters for the first time today to complain because the service guys never seem to find or fix the problems.

Faults:

No problems as yet.

General Comments:

Criticisms:

Rear seat leg room is quite limited, especially with front seats fully back.

Space between accelerator and brake pedals is barely adequate for people with larger feet.

Rear storage area COVER is rather obtrusive and should be more compact. Storage area itself is quite compact.

Storage pod between the front seats is quite small, would be more useful if it were larger. Storage space available to the driver (for maps, Cds, etc) is rather lacking.

Compliments:

Interior fit, finish, and aesthetics are very good; a pleasure to be in. It seems Volvo has finally gotten over their insistence on using faulty interior plastics that become brittle and break prematurely. This car has a "soft touch" plastic material partly reminiscent of silicone that will probably last better. Controls on the center console are excellent: a combination of easy-to-work knobs for primary functions and menu programming to set preferences. Controls overall are very intuitive and easy. Sound system is fairly good for the base model. Leather seats are comfortable and supportive. Safety features are many and appreciated, some of which go unnoticed till they're needed. Example; I once accidentally shut the driver's door on my child's fingers. To my surprise, there was no pain-- large tubular rubber seal prevented a pinch. Air conditioning system works well, and the heating system is first-rate; this car has the most rapid heating system of any car in my experience. The overall feeling of solidness and quiet inside the car is particularly good.

Performance: Acceleration is only fair with the base engine, but fuel economy is good; and it requires only regular 87 octane gas (unlike Audi, BMW, etc. competing models). Braking and handling are quite competent.

Dealer service package is quite good; much better than the Subaru Outback that I also was considering. It extends one year longer for the Volvo, and you pay nothing, compared to about $1300 (for one year less coverage) with the Subaru.