Used 2012 Volvo XC90 SUV Consumer Reviews
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2012 XC90 stable car but high maintenance cost
Tom, 11/18/2017
2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
37 of 38 people found this review helpful
Bought the 2012 XC90 with 50 000 miles 12/ 2014 for $23000, The car has been ok but has some major maintenance issues, over the last 3 years I have used $12 000 for maintenance. Issues 1) One morning the car did not start - had it towed to dealerships for repair, it took them 7 hours of investigation @ $200+ hour to figure what is wrong - ended up paying $3000 for the repair - was not covered by warranty, the car had the AC fan sensor failing which kept the fan running and draining the battery - this took them 7 hours to figure out ! 2) AC broke @ $2000 cost, AC seems to very typical to break in XC90, had the same problem with an earlier XC90 3) all car engine mounts broke - replacement cost $1500 4) Brake pad and disk replacement $1600+. Maintenance cost is very high for Volvos - every single time it is brought to regular maintenance the cost is at least $1000, mostly $1500. My XC90 has still few irritating faults like the remote key does work only randomly, and the steering wheel radio control has an irritating bug, if you press volume control and then immediately channel selection - the radio jumps into programming mode. I would not buy pre owned Volvo again, the reliablity is not there and cost to maintain is very high.
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High Expectations Slashed
Rene, 05/18/2016
2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 R-Design 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
18 of 24 people found this review helpful
I purchased this vehicle off the lot because of it's superior safety rating. I have two young kids, wanted them to learn to drive in city traffic in this so they are safe. Four year in and to date, this vehicle has performed it's job protecting my children. Even when I purchased this vehicle back years ago, the dashboard and functionality was outdated, but my focus was safety. I told the salesman that my only two criteria for an XC90 was that the car is white and that it has to have a navigation system. Today, I am burdened with a vehicle that works well mechanically, but the navigation system does not work consistently. Yes, I have an iPhone. No, I do not want to use it for navigation. In February, 2015, I contacted the dealer who sold me the vehicle and told them of my navigation/backup camera issue (the backup camera comes on, then the screen goes black and the window stays up, and the navigation system is completely disabled). I took the vehicle into the dealer for software updates SIX times in one year. The fix has never been installed because it does not exist. Volvo has given up on fixing the software, they have thrown up their hands and advised me they are never going to fix it. They have offered to "allow" me to trade in this vehicle for a new one; they were generous and offered me incentives being offered to everyone right now. The dealer will not give more, they will lose money. It's the Volvo manufacturing company that has turned their head and is not supporting their product. They can fix it, they have to hire a software engineer to find the bug and fix it. They have chosen not to. Therefore, they are refusing to repair a vehicle they manufactured. Clearly printed in their documentation, "From Design, Engineering, and Manufacturing to support activities in Parts, Service, and Sales, high standards have been set to help insure your satisfaction and pride as an owner of a Volvo.” I am neither satisfied nor proud. I could have purchased any SUV for my family with a third row seat. I chose this one, my very first Volvo, because of the company reputation and the research that I did indicating they were a solid company that stood behind their products. Boy, was I fooled. Could of bought a Mercedes. Could of bought an Audi. Could have bought a Lexus. I have owned a vehicle from each of those manufacturers in the past and never run into a problem with maintenance or repair. Now I will suffer the price when I trade in this vehicle and take a lesser amount for the manufacturer's defect. So, I guess I'm paying for the navigation system twice! Is the vehicle a complete loss? No, the vehicle itself has worked fine mechanically. It is truly unfortunate that the only upgrade option that I requested is the one thing that failed. What strikes me the hardest is the lack of support from the manufacturer. I will never buy another Volvo again.
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Didn't expect the clunky-ness
mtgvolvo, 02/05/2012
2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
55 of 80 people found this review helpful
I'm bulletpointing those things that I find uninspiring: * putting key into ignition takes much accuracy * confusion with central controls for entertainment/ventilation - not intuitive * navigation - very confusing * the pop-up screen for rear assist and navigation being separate instead of built in. it powers upward when in reverse then returns in drive. Imagine going in reverse for 3 seconds and this screen going up hten down while you're driving forward. It sounds like the first component that will malfunction * must slam doors to shut * door lock/unlock system: it takes multiple presses to get the doors to unlock (except driver's) * no power for rear hatch * jerky acceleration
Owned for 5 Years :: Drives Like a Tank
Lori, 01/21/2023
updated 07/24/2023
2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
We bought "Vo" in 2018 as a safe car for our two teen boys to drive. It's been 5 years, we're at 109k miles, she's been in an accident -- not our son's fault. The other car took all the damage, crazy amount of damage. Vo had a broken tail light -- she did her job, kept my son safe. She's expensive to maintain, but she's a good car. Really nice, comfortable ride, super safe, total tank. We love our Vo! July 2023 update -- we had to replace the pistons and other major engine parts this spring. The cost of the repairs were about the same as the value of the car. She's been running great ever since. All in all, expensive to upkeep, but still a good car.
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2012 XC90
laarcadacpa, 08/26/2012
2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
15 of 36 people found this review helpful
My wife and I are very pleased with our 2012 XC90. Our last SUV was an MBZ ML 320 which is a very good vehicle. The price of the new ones, though, gave us pause. In buying an SUV we considered seating capacity as a primary quality. We have 5 grandchildren locally. The performance comments concerned me. However, with the 7 speed automatic that manually shifts, there is more than ample performance, if one knows how to use a transmission. The value, space, engineering and performance are all here.