Used 2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 SUV Review
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the 2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 SUV.
Most helpful consumer reviews
2012 XC90 stable car but high maintenance cost
Tom, Union City, CA, 11/18/2017
2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
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.
Didn't expect the clunky-ness
mtgvolvo, Brentwood, NY, 02/05/2012
2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
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, Wilmington, DE, 01/21/2023
2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
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.
2012 XC90
laarcadacpa, Santa Barbara, CA, 08/26/2012
2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 4dr SUV (3.2L 6cyl 6A)
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.
Edmunds Summary Review of the 2012 Volvo XC90 3.2 SUV
Pros & Cons
- Pro:Upscale and stylish interior
- Pro:supportive front seats
- Pro:smooth ride.
- Con:Third-row seating cuts into second-row room
- Con:underwhelming power
- Con:antiquated navigation system is difficult to use.
Full Edmunds Review: 2012 Volvo XC90 SUV
Edmunds Insurance Estimator
The Edmunds TCO® estimated monthly insurance payment for a 2012 Volvo XC90 in Ohio is:
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