Used 2012 Volvo XC90 Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2012 XC90, so we've included reviews for other years of the XC90 since its last redesign.
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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Safety YES but poor execution
Brian Loek, 03/03/2018
updated 09/08/2020
2011 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
7 of 13 people found this review helpful
My wife and I bought our Volvo XC90 while we were living in the UK but since we were returning to the U.S. within a year we had the vehicle built under U.S. specs. As far as the design of the vehicle when it comes to safety it is 100% safe during the first 36K miles. After that you are rolling the dice. My wife and I have had to have the driver side seatbelt replaced twice which tells me Volvo went cheap on things you can't see. I have never had to have a seatbelt replaced. I have had cars with 190K miles on them that had the original factory seatbelts in them that hadn't been replaced. Next, the AC system went out on my wife with no warning with less than 36K miles on it. Luckily, our vehicle has always been under warranty. Manual lumbar support; are you kidding me???? Even my 97 Ford Explorer had electric lumbar support. Do not buy this vehicle used. New with a warranty is your safest bet. Also, if you plan on keeping this vehicle long term make sure you maintain the warranty and have a maintenance package. You will regret it if you don't. The level of tech in this vehicle for a 2011 make car is weak. Volvo tried to make a huge jump with their new XC-90, which I have driven, and that was a tech blunder as far as the infotainment system goes. Overall, I think Volvo is trying to save money by making subtle changes/upgrades to current model vehicles but they are trying to make big leaps when they re-design their vehicles which introduces too many changes in one package which in my opinion creates too many potential problems. Also, support for Volvo along the Gulf Coast is very weak. There are only two dealerships in my area and they are both 30 or more minutes away. Do not buy this vehicle if your nearest dealership is more than an hour away. You will burn up a lot of gas to have it serviced. Don't use third party repair shops or parts. You're just going to be throwing away your money. 5 September 2020 follow-up: At this point my wife and I have had this car for 9 years with 66000 miles on it and for a 9 year old car I would still give it a three star rating: Additional things that have gone wrong since my last review. The passenger side BLIS sensor constantly gives false indications or the whole system locks up when the vehicle is first started up. The moonroof cover is no longer connected to the track it was in and btw, my wife and I have rarely used the moonroof. The headliner up by the windshield has started to delaminate. This is a 2011 vehicle and my 1997 Eddie Bauer's, headliner stayed intact the whole time we had it and we bought that in 2003. The only reason why I got rid of the Ford was because it had 200K miles and major parts were starting to fail. Also, the AC system has never been the same since the time it went out. The receiver for the driver's side seatbelt has also started having issues with locking in the belt. In short, do not by this body style Volvo, no matter what price the dealer is offering it to you at. You'll dump more money into keeping it running and in decent conditon than the monthly payment unless you buy it outright. I think they stopped making this version of the XC-90 around 2015. On another note, do not buy a new Volvo XC-90 until they put manual AC controls on the dash again because everything is under the iPad menus right now. I know it sounds stupid but if you live somewhere outside of Europe where you have blistering hot summers you need back-up controls for your AC just in case the iPad display dies and yes iPads do fail and they are even more likely to fail if you can't park your car in a garage when you aren't using it. This vehicle is a has been. Not worth the money as used or certified pre-owned. In short, stay away from these XC-90s.
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2012 Volvo XC90 for sale near you
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Good Value for the Money
cabotcourt, 02/24/2010
2010 Volvo XC90 3.2 R-Design 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
I was apathetic about buying the XC90...too many of them on the road, until I saw the styling of the R-design package...definitely sets itself apart from the pack. The 5 year maintenance/wear and tear program and safety record was what ultimately sold me. Overall, very happy with the vehicle. Just wish it had better gas mileage. A few other minor annoyances like the brake pedal being too close to the gas pedal and the seats seem a bit narrow, but once you get used to these "quirks" they take a back seat to the overall value I think the vehicle offers.
Just can't win
Andy,Delaware, 07/19/2019
2010 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
4 of 8 people found this review helpful
Have a 2010 xc90 3.2. Really love the style, comfort and seemed like reliability. Owned it for 6 years. Garage kept. Always pampered, and now the rear differential bearing is wining. 71K miles. Owned lots of cars and never had issues with rear differentials. Except in my Land rover LR2 2010 which was replaced at 36K miles by dealer. The only reason I purchased a land rover is because it is fitted with same drive parts as my volvo. Ford parts, turned out to be a mistake. Can't win.
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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.