This article about Care by Volvo breaks down everything you need to know about the company, how their contracts work, and what your options are with regards to extending, upgrading, canceling, and more. We’ve even given you a guide on vehicles and guide pricing, so you can easily compare subscriptions and make an informed decision.

By: Simon Richardson
Last update 2023-02-28 Reading time 2:30 min

About Care by Volvo

Care by Volvo is Volvo’s own subscription service, allowing customers access to the full range of Volvo vehicles on terms as short as 4 months (or 12 months in Illinois). Customers have access to a wide range of the latest cars from Volvo, and benefit from servicing and maintenance, as well as wear protection and insurance. The Care by Volvo subscription is available throughout the US, in States in which Volvo operates.

How it works

Volvo assesses your eligibility and goes through the necessary ID and license checks before offering a price list. Then, you have a choice of the range of Volvo vehicles, with tax, maintenance, servicing, breakdown cover and insurance included. The Volvo insurance policy is part age and part vehicle based.

The subscription term is 4 months, with the option to renew, return or even purchase the vehicle at the end of this period. Volvo take their monthly subscription charge one month in advance, and any other costs incurred are charged at the end of the term or on the annual service.

Customers also have access to the Volvo helpline if they have any problems and can either collect or arrange for delivery of their vehicle.

Cost and fees

Volvo do not keep their inventory or price list online; currently, you must go through the initial sign-up process to find out about costs and vehicles.The mileage limit is set at 1250 per month with no option to extend this currently. Excess mileage is charged at $0.25 per mile.

Brands and models

Care by Volvo customers have access to the latest fleet of new Volvo vehicles. The selection service feels more like a purchase, as you can customize your vehicle by selecting trim before arranging to begin the service.

Notice periods

You cannot cancel your policy before the minimum 4-month period is up, but after that, you have the flexibility to cancel, extend or flip – or even purchase the vehicle.

What’s special about Care by Volvo?

Care by Volvo is a subscription service run by a car manufacturer – Volvo. For fans of the brand, or for those who want to have access to new models and favorable dealerships services, Care by Volvo makes sense. A 4-month subscription isn’t as flexible as some of its competitors, but it also allows you the option to purchase the vehicle at the end of the term, which pushes it even closer to a traditional lease business model.

However, the inclusion of insurance, maintenance, servicing and roadside assistance means that Care by Volvo operate as almost a hybrid lease/subscription company, which is a Unique Selling Point when compared with its subscription competitors.

Videos

Social media

Care by Volvo do have a Facebook page, but it is currently underused.

FAQs

Is Care by Volvo negotiable?
No, you can’t negotiate the monthly charge, and the mileage is also fixed at 1250 per month. You can of course drive more than that, but you will incur an excess per-mile charge. You can also opt to purchase your vehicle.

What cars are available with Care by Volvo?
The SC, S, and V ranges are widely covered. Also available is the C40, the electric SUV.

Does Care by Volvo include oil changes?
Yes, all scheduled maintenance is covered by Volvo, which includes a full service and oil change every 10,000 miles.

What’s the minimum term?
You can cancel after 5 months. However, the term you sign up to initially is 24 months.

What is excess wear?
Excess wear is the value of wear and tear that Volvo deem as allowable within your subscription contract. In Volvo’s case, that’s $1000, which includes dents as well as general wear and tear.

Conclusion

Care by Volvo offer car subscriptions on new vehicles to drivers who meet state guidelines (varied across the US), with insurance included. As their contract lengths are 2 years, they are less flexible than many of their competitors; however, they offer all the typical features of a car subscription (tyres, maintenance, servicing, breakdown cover, tax) as well as access to their Volvo on Call service.

For fans of Volvo cars, Care by Volvo will appeal as it offers the opportunity to drive their latest models without the hassle of ownership.

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Care by Volvo Reviews

1.9
1.9 of 5 stars
21 Reviews
1.9 of 5 stars
0.5
0.5 of 5 stars
1 Reviews 2023
0.5 of 5 stars
1.2
1.2 of 5 stars
9 Reviews 2022
1.2 of 5 stars

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  1. Avoid this. I wouldn't recommend Care by Volvo to anyone. The car has been so glitchy, I have had to update the software at the repair shop five times. Unbelievable poor service, taking no responsibility, with young unexperienced customer agents, repeating lines from their manual with no understanding of how to help or solve problems. - from Cem Yeter | 2023-05-29
  2. I have been a customer of Care by Volvo program since 2019. I love the no hassle online ordering, one fixed monthly price including insurance and free factory suggested maintenance. It even has road hazard protection so I can get a new tire if the tires got damaged. Having said that, beginning this year (end of 2022) I no longer can recommend this program. Here are the events that lead me to rescind my previous recommendation of this program. First, it is the end of November and CBV has no online inventory. So the no hassle ordering is no longer available. Second, while they said maintenance is included, they responded to my inquiries by stating that each dealer is independently owned. While software updates have always been included for me, my current dealer stated that I have this pay over $200 to get the system update. Until they get back control of this program as in the beginning, I cannot recommend this program. - from Raoul Watson | 2022-11-24
  3. Total dud. They are so unorganized, i started paying for a car and then didn't receive it within the promised 30 days. Called them and nobody had a clue. The dealer gives no help and is not capable of changing the tires for winter, even though this is in the contract. The 2021 xc90 is expensive however appears to not be test driven before production. The stereo rarely works. Phone charge is terrible. Just not a very well thought out or tested design. Still terrible customer service. - from Derek | 2022-09-14
  4. Great way to get a safe car for a teen driver without inflated insurance costs. We were looking to get our 16 and 17 year old boys a car, but insuring a new car for them would have been upwards of $300 per month. With Care, they are listed drivers, and we get an XC40 with insurance for $700 per month. That makes the effective cost of the car less than $400 per month, given the extras like included service. - from KidDocDMC | 2022-07-25
  5. I want to love this concept. I love my XC40, and as long as it doesnt involve this disaster of a subscription service, I will be Volvo for life. BUT - in Massachusetts, in order to renew a vehicle registration, you have to get a separate stamp on the renewal from your insurance agent; my insurance card isn’t sufficent proof. Thats where my nightmare begins; the dealer I picked up car from had me call Care By Volvo; Care By Volvo had me call VCFS; VCFS referred me to Liberty Mutual, ultimately to a specialized office in New Hampshire; and my situation just went off into a black hole from there. I’m about to drive down to the dealer and make it their problem…this is absolutely unacceptable. - from Rajan | 2022-07-08
  6. If zero starts were possible .... please spare yourself the constant grief. First, the web site had dead links so we couldn't even get started. We pointed out the dead links from the page source and eventually that got fixed. I paid the upfront payment. The first payment was highly problematic because the EU people that they are they only wanted a wire transfer (really? Really?) or an ATM card and never a credit card. So we got over that and I paid for the second month. Then when I went make the third payment the online system demanded 2 payments claiming I never made the first payment, even though I see the money leave my account 4 DAYS AFTER I PAID. I am now 7 days into trying to get this corrected. The "subscription" program is, simply stated, an absolute mess. Just a mess. I write bank software for a living and know this is a process that Volvo should be ashamed of. Run away. Now! Don't look back. - from Chris Pedini | 2022-05-03
  7. I really wanted to love Care by Volvo. Today after 6-months I would leave zero stars if I could. Nothing has gone right from start to finish. Getting the car was a painful process where Care by Volvo, Volvo Financing and the local dealership all were talking bad about reach other. Also, all three quoted me a slightly different $$ amount. It took them two days to figure it out while, again, all talking about each other. Never experienced anything like that. The following weeks after Care by Volvo kept calling me because apparently they didn't know what car I had or what was the VIN number. Then they kept calling me for feedback, which I shared, but nothing happened. Then when returning the car Volvo customer service asked me to call Volvo Financing, Volvo Financing asked me to call the dealership, and the dealership asked me to call Volvo Financing. None of them like each other. None of them want to talk to each other. And the whole premium/VIP experience is way worse than just getting a car directly from a dealership. Volvo is a joke! - from T.I | 2022-04-19
  8. Currently driving a car through Care by Volvo and wanted to swap out. Volvo has no inventory online so had to look for cars at dealerships. Found an XC60 at a dealership, got pricing, agreed to pay a markup for dealer, but Care by Volvo would not let the dealer charge a markup. As such, the dealer would not give me the car. Spent a significant amount of time with Damon (customer support) trying to find a solution and learned that they could not complete the transaction. Wasted 3 days trying to get a car, cannot, and am ticked. If I turn in my car, now I’ll have to pay $250 for not getting a new car despite the fact that Volvo can’t give me one. This program is garbage. Beware. - from Aron Theising | 2022-04-14
  9. Care by Volvo is a good idea that has several flaws: 1. Liability insurance through CBV is provided at the state minimum limits, in my case 300K. that might sound like a enough, but here's the deal: if you get sued for an accident the insurance will cover only up to 300K. If a settlement is for more than 300K, and your net worth is more than insurance coverage, then your savings, house, etc. are all at risk. Imagine having an accident with a bicyclist who is badly injured, the assets of a CBV driver that exceed 300K are the target for the injured person's lawyer. BTW it is not possible to add the CBV car to your current umbrella policy nor it is possible to buy additional liability insurance through your own insurance company or through Volvo. Be very careful. 2. The pricing is not transparent. The "out the door" price is about 10% more monthly than quoted. This includes sales tax and various other fees that are not identified up front. 3. You cannot let anyone drive your car unless they are listed on the initial agreement...so an adult child visiting for a week cannot drive the car. 3. Adding a trailer hitch is not permitted and will void the service agreement with Volvo. Summary: a good idea but the insurance exposure and lack of financial transparency make it a non-starter. Just be careful. - from Bill Dion | 2022-03-30
  10. I love the program. My third Volvo since 2019. The biggest problem is that while CBV is great, ultimately it is a totally separate company handling it (Volvo Financial Svc) and Volvo cars got nothing to do with it. On my last return I was billed for a missing fob (I returned two, the two that I received). They have pictures of it but they don't have pictures of what they gave me. This charge (over $300) was listed under excess wear. By contract Volvo will waive excessive wear up to a $1,000 so they did not live up to their promise. On top of that, they charge me over $2,000 listed as "property tax" --so I sent them proof that I paid the State property tax already directly to the state. This was on December 24. Now it is January 8 and I still have no resolution. I called twice and the person couldn't help me. The secure messaging center when you login to your account stated "forwarded to the appropriate department" Meanwhile they reported the amount I owed to credit reporting agencies. So next month, in TransUnion and Equifax I will be listed as late. This affects my credit score and is a breach of contract. - from Raoul Watson | 2022-01-13
  11. I wanted to love Care by Volvo (CBV). But I do not. Unfortunately, several issues arose that led me to cancel my CBV subscription after the first five months. - The price of the CBV increased $50.00 per month between the time I signed an agreement and pick up. That should have been sufficient reason to back away, but I swallowed hard and went ahead... - The insurance cards were issued with the incorrect VIN# - An insurance summary-but not the insurance policy-was issued. I never received the insurance policy. - The insurance summary noted a liability limit of 300K and noted that a higher coverage limit was not available to purchase. After communicating with five different companies it was not possible to purchase additional liability coverage on the CBV Volvo. Thus, the CBV exposes subscribers to liability who normally carry more coverage. Be careful. - I found communications with the Volvo CBV to go around in circles and a recent email from Volvo suggested that the insurance question needed to be addressed by the originating dealer, who consequently said "we have nothing to do with Care by Volvo, they make all the decisions." In summary, Volvo subscriptions may be a good idea but it is not "care free". Communication with Volvo is difficult and the liability coverage is minimal (cannot be increased) and leaves the subscriber with considerable exposure in the event of an accident. - from Don | 2022-01-05
  12. I had a really great experience in spring 2021 getting an XC40 through the Care by Volvo program. Originally started the process on an XC60, but realized it didn't have the options I was looking for. Called customer service and they quickly changed it to an XC40 for me with the options I wanted. I chose to do the Care by Volvo way because of the flexibility in length. I tend to swap cars regularly, so this was great compared to past leases. Just be aware, you are paying for that convenience (24 month term, insurance, early termination option, maintenance, etc). But it's nice to have, since this was my first Volvo. The car is absolutely great, too! This is also best car I've ever owned (two Toyotas, a Dodge, and a Ford previously). In terms of delivery, they quoted two weeks, and it actually arrived a couple of days just ahead of that. The dealer I worked with was super nice and quick to process everything. Overall been a great experience. - from Lucas A | 2021-11-04
  13. Considering the Care by Volvo subscription? Just skip the hassle and go straight to your local Volvo dealership (I highly recommend Crown in St Petes should you live in the locality). I ordered my first Care by Volvo; they gave the initial vehicle away and I was offered a replacement - no big deal as it did not impact the delivery time, it was just more of an annoyance. The local dealership did a great job and the collection went smoothly. I love the XC60 but needed a bigger car, I was pretty snug thinking what a great thing it was that I was not locked in and could upgrade. Order placed for the XC90... order confirmed... car will be delivered in 2 weeks. I wait but no news so I reach out to the local dealership, who are great at trying to locate the vehicle for me, but no joy and it can not be found. After 2 weeks and no contact from Care by Volvo I chased them to be very casually told that what I considered to be my vehicle is not available (given away AGAIN), I can pay more for the higher model PLUS wait 2 additional weeks, or they may have some in by the end of year! I can honestly say that I would not recommend Care by Volvo. - from Jemma | 2021-10-22
  14. Everything has been great and the pricing quite fair. The only downside I am now experiencing is the lack of cars if I wanted to trade for a new one, but this is a universal issue and not a Volvo issue. Covid still has the world operating at a much lower capacity. There are barely any new cars and used cars are skyrocketing in price! Other than that, I've loved my experience with Care by Volvo. I've had the rims fixed several times after scraping them, the car gets the maintenance it needs at no cost, and you can call customer service with virtually no wait time. I am not sure why others have complained. Perhaps they had issues with slow delivery in 2021 (again, universal issue), or they had a poor credit score and didn't qualify. I was personally surprised at how quick it all happened for me. - from J | 2021-10-02
  15. I would stay away from Volvo Care at all costs. My license is about to be suspended in 2 days because twice now Volvo has failed to submit proper insurance documentation to the state DMV and their customer care is absolutely horrid. They don't respond and never call back. - from Tim | 2021-09-20
  16. Extremely unreliable estimates for delivery. I was told that my car will be available within a week for a month now. I got an email yesterday that it wont be available for another 3 months! - from Khalid Barghouti | 2021-08-20
  17. The car is really great. Brand new S60. Delivered on time. However I tend to agree with other reviewers here that the customer service is severely lacking. The Care by Volvo team appears to have someone working there who knows nothing about the program and just says no to every question. That has been frustrating. The dealer also was a bit confused and couldn't set up the modem in the car properly. Otherwise I love the car and just ignore Care By Volvo. What happened to the other advertised services, in car delivery, valet services, fuel and wash on demand? Was is this all BS for USA customers? If you are going to advertise to the public you better bring it! Thomas Andersen (VP of Care by Volvo) said "Time is luxury for customer". However I did three trips to Volvo in Miami to get a simple problem sorted out. - from Gary | 2021-08-06
  18. If I could leave zero stars I would. The customer service with Volvo is severely lacking. Did one application and never a response and my credit is good. Second one redone and submitted and they cancelled me without even a phone call. Screw this place. I’ll go elsewhere. Volvo can kiss my ass. - from Screwyou | 2021-08-05
  19. I am another customer of this program that has had trouble with getting proper registration/plates for the vehicle. Volvo does not respond to emails and phone calls, even when I’ve called *every day* for weeks for help. I’m paying for a car that has expired temporary tags and there’s literally nothing I can do about it, always scared I’ll be pulled over by the police! The car also was delivered 3 weeks late. It’s a beautiful car and a relatively good value for the program, but Volvo has zero care or respect for the consumer in this case, buyer beware. You’d have much better service just going through your local dealership. - from Jws | 2021-07-29
  20. The price is great but the logistical nightmare that is coordinating with Volvo and Liberty Mutual wouldn't be worth it for free. Current example, I'm based in California and paid to renew my registration back in April. The tags expired in May. It is the middle of JULY and I still do not have current tags. I'm at a total loss as to what to do next and in disbelief about how many times I've contact Volvo, Liberty Mutual, and the DMV. I'm just waiting for the tickets to start pouring in. - from Freya Tillem | 2021-07-12
  21. After leasing my coffee for 3 in half years always paid on time, when you return your car they charge you $350.00 us tax! RIP off! When you ask them why? They tell you you should of read the fine print! Is this the way you treat a customer? I will never buy, lease or refer anyone to volvo ag. - from Maria isabel. Michelena | 2020-08-27
  22. I’ve used other subscription companies and they let you go on 1-month or 2-month terms, but with Care by Volvo it’s 2 years. There’s nothing wrong with the service they provide, but 2 years is basically a lease so I’m not sure why they’ve made those the terms. - from Landon Davies | 2020-01-17
  23. I’ve seen people mention online that the terms are too long, but I actually quite like it. It’s like a middle ground between buying and owning, with all the perks and none of the drawbacks of both worlds. And the helpline is really good too so you never feel alone. - from ElizaB29 | 2020-01-13

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