Should You Get a Volvo Extended Warranty?

If you’re thinking about buying a Volvo extended warranty, check out our review of coverage levels and prices.
Written by Jason Tushinski
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
A Volvo extended warranty offers up to seven extra years of coverage for your vehicle after your original factory warranty expires. The cost of a Volvo extended warranty depends on the coverage level you choose, with prices ranging from $2,000 to $6,500.
But do you really need an extended warranty for that dreamy car from Sweden you’re piloting around town? Volvos might have a sterling safety reputation, but these Swedish vehicles aren’t the most reliable on the road. So, you wouldn’t be crazy for considering the extended warranty.
That’s why
Jerry
, the trustworthy app that makes
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shopping quick and simple, is here with a Volvo extended warranty review. Read on for everything you need to know! And if you’re interested in cutting down your
Volvo insurance cost
, Jerry can help with that, as well.

Overview: what is a Volvo extended warranty?

When you buy a new Volvo, it comes with an original factory warranty, basically amounting to a guarantee that the Swedish automaker will cover any faulty or defective workmanship on your vehicle for a certain amount of time. Volvo’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty lasts up to four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. 
When your original factory warranty expires, you have the option of purchasing an extended warranty, which covers certain repair costs past the expiration of your original factory warranty. Volvo offers three tiers of extended warranty coverage, all lasting an additional seven years or 150,000 miles.
You can purchase a Volvo extended warranty from your Volvo dealer at any time. Unlike most automakers, which stipulate that an extended warranty can be purchased only within the original warranty’s timeframe, Volvo allows you to purchase an extended warranty even after your original factory warranty has expired. 
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Volvo Extended Warranty: coverage and cost

Volvo offers three levels of extended warranty coverage, ranging from Powertrain VIP, which is the basic level of extended coverage, to Gold VIP, the middle tier, to Platinum VIP, the top level of coverage. Here’s what is covered under each:
  • Powertrain VIP: Offers limited coverage for your Volvo’s engine and transmission parts
  • Gold VIP: Offers limited coverage for all powertrain components along with most critical vehicle systems, including air conditioning, steering, brakes, and front and rear suspension
  • Platinum VIP: Provides all Powertrain and Gold coverage along with Exclusionary Coverage, but the Platinum VIP plan doesn’t cover items such as brake lining, glass, trim, wheels, tires, non-hybrid batteries, filters, etc.
All Volvo Extended Warranties are honored at all Volvo dealerships across the U.S. and Canada. So long as your Volvo is repaired at a Volvo dealership, only genuine Volvo parts will be used in your repairs. 
Along with that, you’ll have access to
roadside assistance
, which includes towing up to $100 per mechanical breakdown and emergency delivery of necessary fluids such as gasoline, oil, grease, air conditioner fluid, etc. You’ll also get travel reimbursement of up to $100 per day to a maximum of $500 so long as you are more than 100 miles from home.

What’s covered

Which Volvo extended warranty plan to choose depends on what you want covered. The basic Powertrain VIP plan covers repairs due to mechanical breakdown, including the following:
  • Engine
  • Transmission/transfer case/transaxle
  • Drive axle
  • Plug-in electric/hybrid/hydrogen/compressed natural gas components
One tier up is the Gold VIP plan, which covers defects and poor workmanship on the following components:
  • Engine
  • Transmission
  • Cooling
  • Brakes
  • Steering
  • Drive axle
  • Air conditioning
  • Front and rear suspension
  • Electrical
  • Hybrid/plug-in electric/hydrogen/compressed natural gas components
The top-level Platinum VIP extended warranty offers everything in both the Powertrain and Gold plans, along with all other vehicle assemblies—unless those assemblies are listed under your vehicle service contract’s “Exclusions” section.

What isn’t covered

Even Volvo’s most comprehensive extended warranty plan doesn’t cover everything. Here’s some of what your Volvo extended warranty won’t cover, no matter the coverage level you choose:
  • Brake drums
  • Brake rotors and linings
  • Disc brake pads
  • Pressure plate
  • Pilot bearings
  • Airbags
  • Glass
  • Body panels and/or parts
  • Weather stripping
  • Trim and moldings
  • Lock cylinders
  • Wheels and tires
  • All batteries (except those listed under Gold VIP warranty)
  • Paint
  • Upholstery
  • Light bulbs
  • Freeze plugs
  • Heater and radiator hoses
  • Catalytic converter
  • Exhaust system
  • Shock absorbers
  • Vinyl or convertible tops
  • Any audio or security systems not factory installed
Now, a few of the components listed above are covered by Volvo’s Wear Maintenance Plan, but its an admittedly short list:
  • Brake pads and rotors
  • Front and rear windshield wipers
You can buy a Wear Maintenance Plan in either three-, five-, seven-, or 10-year periods, and the number of covered items increases the longer your plan runs.

Duration

Your Volvo Extended Warranty can offer up to seven years of coverage (giving you a total of 11 years of coverage from the start of your four-year factory warranty) or 150,000 miles from the date of purchase, whichever comes first. 
All Volvo Extended Warranties—whether the Powertrain VIP, Gold VIP, or Platinum VIP—carry the same timeframe and miles range. All warranties will begin from the start of your New Vehicle Limited Warranty and expire whenever you hit the 11-year milestone or surpass the 150,000-mile mark. 

Cost 

The exact cost you pay for a Volvo Extended Warranty will depend on a few things, including the coverage level, the warranty’s duration, the deductible you pay, as well as any negotiations with the dealer in terms of the plan’s cost. As a general rule, a Volvo Extended Warranty can cost anywhere between $2,000 and $6,500, contingent on all the factors above.
Perhaps not surprisingly, it will cost more to buy the Platinum VIP plan than the base Powertrain plan. As well, you’ll also pay a deductible of either $100 or $250, which affects the overall cost of the warranty. You can instead opt to have a $0 deductible, but in doing so, the overall warranty will be more expensive.
Note that you can choose to finance your Volvo Extended Warranty by adding it onto your
car loan
, but if you do this, you’ll end up paying interest on both your loan and the warranty.
Transferring your Volvo Extended Warranty to a secondary driver is done by paying a $40 transfer fee. 
If you decide an extended warranty isn't for you, you can cancel your Volvo Extended Warranty at no cost within 30 days. Canceling between 30 and 60 days incurs a $50 fee. If you cancel your extended warranty beyond 60 days, you’ll have to pay a prorated cancellation fee based on mileage, time, and any repairs done while under the extended warranty.

Is it worth getting a Volvo extended warranty?

Ultimately, it’s up to you whether getting a Volvo Extended Warranty is worth the price. Knowing that you’ve got certain major repair work covered can give one a lot of peace of mind. But some drivers don’t want to fork over a few extra thousand dollars that might not end up fixing anything if nothing goes wrong with your Volvo. 
Just be sure to take your time, review your options, and ask plenty of questions to your dealer while negotiating a good price before you sign on the dotted line.
Of course, an alternative to a Volvo Extended Warranty is
mechanical breakdown insurance
(MBI), which can usually be purchased through your insurer. Similar to an extended warranty, MBI kicks in after your factory warranty expires and helps to cover the costs of unexpected repairs that are unrelated to normal wear and tear. Also, MBI coverage is regulated by outside bodies and is not subject to profit-related decisions of a dealership.
MORE: How to choose an extended car warranty

How to lower Volvo insurance costs

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