Our Volvo does not have electrical problems... in fact quite the reliable car (2014 XC90) We have had since 2016 and she has over100K.

Only issue we see (other than self-imposed) is engine tends to burn a quart of oil just short of oil change interval - Supposed know issue of flawed piston oil ring design where the drain holes in ID are too small and can clog.
But no blue smoke so it is not that bad and we can live with it.

ALso easier to work on then the MB as less plastic cover crap underhood and easier to remove interior parts without damaging them.
Now I hear the later years starting with 2016 models (after China bought VOLVO) are not as good.

PS anyone in their life received and answered one of these JD power or CR "Surveys" on car ownership?
NOT ME!

 

I always complete the CR/JDP surveys honestly. It’s one of the few ways that consumers get objective info on a reasonably current basis. Forums are another good source. All are probably biased by negative factors since those with issues are more likely to participate.

 

Not saying Volvos have more, just that they have them.
Porsche SUVs have had transfer-case problems for years, and there's been a stop-sale hold on new 2024 Cayennes for months.
The Cayenne E-Hybrids have had notorious problems with 12-volt batteries dying (same with Volvo PHEVs).

 

You're fortunate with your Volvo.
Yes, I fill out CR and JD Power surveys, as do tens of thousands of other people. That is why such data compilations are important; there's nothing else to go on.

 

CR and JD Power DO NOT talk about current year "reliability."

​​​​​​JDP is an "owner satisfaction survey." It asks how you like the car and its features. Not "what went wrong and how much it cost."

CR is based on cup holder reviews and glove box size. It has nothing to do with reliability.

Only after 3 years will any of their surveys be pertinent. Read the fine print. Until then, it's just a popularity contest and clickbait for the magazines.

​​​​Next year (2024) will be the first time that any of the reliability statistics from either of those publications apply to the 167.

You can always check recall data from NHTSA. Noteworthy is that the biggest increase in recalls recently has been Toyota, now that they don't have antique engines and technology.
​​​​​

 

yes, you're correct about CR: current-vehicle reviews are largely worothless; it's the owner surveys that are important and significant and reliable -- they ask about different systems in each vehicle and what sort of troubles owners have had with drivetrain, infotainment, electrical, etc. They actually start to be relevant the year after cars are out, because many cars start to have problems in the first year or two. So, in summary, CR editor writing is indeed poor and should be made more robust, but the stats on owner issues is excellent.

Lots of recalls across the industry. We have a RAV4 Prime that we bought 3 years ago, and it's not had any problems whatsoever with 32k miles on the odometer now (complex PHEV drivetrain and all), despite numerous recalls addressed by our Toyota dealership. Our '21 RAV4 Prime is the only modern car that we plan to keep well beyond warranty. Our other recently bought (and future-bought) new cars (Volvos, Porsches, and possibly now also MB) will all be traded in before factory warranty expires.

 

Does CR actually send out surveys, or is it just a forum that gleans owner complaints?

My take is the latter.
I actually subscribed for a month 2 years ago, and the fine print was that they had no data for 3 years.
Which caused me to write with a question about why they published non-facts, to which I got, of course, no answer.

It's an opinion poll. Just like JDP.
Kind of like who the next president will be.
Clickbait.

Everybody clicks. Clicks are much more Important them facts these days. I'm going to buy a car based on how many clicks I do when I'm shopping. Yeah, right!

 

All sources are just a tool. There’s an old saying…figures lie and liars figure. The same holds true for reviews and reviewers. They provide a service for which they are paid and the reader might not be the number one audience. There is usually something useful in most reviews if you use some judgement.
Here’s my take…Surveys are done by statistical analysis of a large enough sample size to be accurate within a few % points. Samples should be randomly selected to be valid. Everyone doesn’t get a survey.
1. CR does rate current models unless there is a redesign or new model…then they rate probability. They provide some brief info to support their ratings. More data can be found in most cases. With a lot of products they actually buy the product they review to avoid a conflict of interest if provided by the Manufacturer. I don’t know if they actually buy each vehicle but in the past they have mentioned where they took the vehicle for repairs. Then there’s the argument about them being an appliance reviewer with no ability to review cars.
2. CR provides some reliability opinion on prior models. Those take the form of used car reliability for those looking to buy used.
I find their info useful at times but still it’s just a tool.
To get a more accurate picture there are Forums but a few Trolls make that info hard to use unless you have been a member long enough to evaluate the members.
YouTube reviews cover mostly a walk around and discussion of new features, design, etc. Useful if the model hasn’t hit Dealers yet but still just a tool. Other YouTube videos include a more expert approach such as those by Thomas of Autogefuehl. He knows his stuff and will mention issues that one might not find out about without a test drive.
If you want reliability information on a new purchase good luck, IMO. It will probably be stale and many will argue about the validity. BEV vehicles and Lithium batteries throw in a new dimension of more problematic vehicles. The huge emphasis on transition to BEV’s, COVID hangover, high vehicle demand and a battered supply chain don’t make for a pretty picture for anyone.

 

I've had my 2024 GLE450 for six months and have never received a survey. Too bad for Mercedes, so far, the vehicle has been trouble free.

 

You sound very cynical. CR is not a forum. It's a non-profit organization that buys things blind for items that they test themselves (the manufacturer doesn't know they're selling to CR). The problem with CR's testing is that the reports are too cursory/brief, which doesn't help their public image for many cynics.
Then, CR also asks their hundreds of thousands of subscribers to fill out surveys on things that they buy, asking for specific areas of problems in the case of cars going back about 7 years or so.
So, for their 2020 annual car-review issue, they asked owners of 2013-2019 versions of each car brand/model about engine problems, transmission problems,
drive problems, fuel problems, electrical problems, climate problems, suspension problems, brake problems, noises, leaks, body hardware, etc., etc.
Toyota and Lexus stand out at being the best. Honda does well also. It goes down quickly from there among all other car brands.

 

I agree with all the above. CRs, reliability "statistics" are at least 3 years old. Same with JDP.

Which, for most manufacturers is one new model change, or at least a refresh.
Aka not applicable.

There's a new one out today that'll certainly get plenty of clicks. 😀

 

Here’s a recent article with CR methods discussed. Mercedes is next to last in the chart. According to the footnotes it rates brand reliability over the past 3 years. BEV’s score poorly.
Useful? I’m betting that CR will be criticized by those with cars in the lower tiers. It would be interesting to see the margin of error in the statistical sample size they used. The issue I have with these reports are that they don’t seem to differentiate serious issues from minor ones.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/11...sumer-reports/

 

To oversimplify things a bit, it takes time to determine common problems and true reliability but vehicles are always being updated and iterated on. IMO there really isn't a good way to determine "reliability" of new vehicles. Even looking at vehicles in the same generation but different model years won't give you accurate info as there are any number of changes and updates each year. Some of these are based on issues, others on parts availability, others on sales data.

Anecdotal example: We purchased a new 2011 BlueTec W164. After 12 years and approaching 170k miles I can say that it's been better than expected. It is used daily and has been on thousands of miles of family road trips with plenty of them towing a boat. We expected to see electrical gremlins appear at some time in its life but other than having the EIS replaced under warranty it has been sound. It has needed some mechanical work and some of it was pricy, but we would not have been able to take the $$ we spent on repairs and gotten a nicer vehicle so we simply repaired it and continue to use/enjoy it. Should you read the W164 or diesel forum though they would tell you under no circumstances should you entertain a BlueTec OM642 and I would agree with them if I had a time machine. By the time it was clear that the OM642 had some common and costly issues we were already well into our ownership and it didn't make sense to dump the entire car because of a few issues that could be repaired and leave us with a well maintained vehicle.

Fast forward and we've acquired a 2021 GLS580. It appears the things we will need to watch for are 48v system issues and E-ABC issues. So long as they aren't recurring issues we will likely deal with them and continue to enjoy it. Vehicles in general are extremely complex now days and are almost guaranteed to have issues. It's unfortunate, but I don't think there's a way to avoid it unless you stick with much older and simpler vehicles.