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Mercedes vs Volvo Reliability

In our inspections, Volvo’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 121k miles, versus 92k for Mercedes.

Based on 278 Mercedes vehicles and 59 Volvos. “Decent” means a condition score of 55/100.

vs
Head to head
MercedesVolvo
Cars inspected27859
Average condition62/10066/100
In good shape (60+/100)56%66%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~92k mi~121k mi
Repainted or replaced panel77%63%
Structural repair found1%3%
Fault codes recently cleared20%22%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Mercedes
Excellent 27% Good 29% Mediocre 24% Poor 20%
Volvo
Excellent 32% Good 34% Mediocre 17% Poor 17%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Mercedes▬ Volvo▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Mercedes, 0–20k mi: 90% in good shape (29 cars)Mercedes, 20–40k mi: 78% in good shape (50 cars)Mercedes, 40–60k mi: 71% in good shape (49 cars)Mercedes, 60–80k mi: 53% in good shape (45 cars)Mercedes, 80–100k mi: 46% in good shape (37 cars)Mercedes, 100–120k mi: 13% in good shape (23 cars)Mercedes, 120–140k mi: 11%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars in this band)Mercedes, 140–160k mi: 9%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band)Mercedes, 160–180k mi: 8%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) Volvo, 20–40k mi: 100% in good shape (10 cars)Volvo, 40–60k mi: 91%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars in this band)Volvo, 60–80k mi: 77%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars in this band)Volvo, 100–120k mi: 55%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars in this band)Volvo, 120–140k mi: 39%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars in this band)Volvo, 140–160k mi: 35%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Mercedes▬ Volvo▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Mercedes, 1 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mercedes, 2 years old: 92%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Mercedes, 3 years old: 88% in good shape (25 cars)Mercedes, 4 years old: 80% in good shape (25 cars)Mercedes, 5 years old: 68% in good shape (28 cars)Mercedes, 6 years old: 61% in good shape (23 cars)Mercedes, 7 years old: 59% in good shape (22 cars)Mercedes, 8 years old: 51%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Mercedes, 9 years old: 39%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Mercedes, 10 years old: 39%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mercedes, 11 years old: 31%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mercedes, 12 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars this age)Mercedes, 13 years old: 18%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mercedes, 14 years old: 19%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Mercedes, 16 years old: 29%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Mercedes
Oil leaks · Engine
64%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
49%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
39%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
36%
Electronic components issues · Engine
19%
Volvo
Oil leaks · Engine
53%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
34%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
29%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
29%
Lights not working · Equipment
22%
Trajectory by generation
Mercedes ▲ Newer Mercedes vehicles are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 43% in good shape (age-adjusted; 32 cars, raw 44%) 43 2015–17: 56% in good shape (age-adjusted; 44 cars, raw 57%) 56 2018–20: 61% in good shape (age-adjusted; 34 cars, raw 68%) 61 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Volvo

Not enough Volvos at the 5–10 year checkpoint yet to draw a generation trend.

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Mercedes or Volvo?
In our inspections, Volvo’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 121k miles, versus 92k for Mercedes.
?
What are the most common problems with used Mercedes vehicles and Volvos?
On Mercedes vehicles we flag oil leaks (64%), active error codes (49%), tires condition & wear (39%). On Volvos: oil leaks (53%), tires condition & wear (34%), active error codes (29%).
?
How many Mercedes and Volvo vehicles have you inspected?
278 Mercedes vehicles and 59 Volvos — 337 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Nov 11, 2026.
?
How long do Mercedes and Volvo stay in decent condition?
In our data, decent is a 55/100 score. The average Mercedes dips below it around 92k mi; Volvo around 121k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
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Based on 337 inspections · updated Nov 11, 2026