Which is more reliable, Volvo or Jeep?
Volvo comes out ahead: Volvo 1.64 vs Jeep 3.58 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Jeep owners filed 2.2× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Volvo owners.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Volvo vs Jeep at a glance
| Volvo | Jeep | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 1.64 | 3.58 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.16 | 0.21 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #6 | #18 |
| Models covered | 4 | 6 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 724,311 | 6,129,034 |
| Owner complaints | 1,189 | 21,964 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 94.5% | 90.6% |
| Top complaint areas | Electrical system 26.7% · Engine 24.9% · Brakes 11.3% | Powertrain / transmission 27% · Electrical system 24.2% · Engine 22.2% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 133 (2.8 million) | 181 (7.3 million) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Volvo's count is driven most by 2016 XC90 complaints about engine and electrical system (198, 16.7% of Volvo's complaints). Other models with rates above Volvo's overall 1.64: S60 / V60 (1.87).
- Jeep's count is driven most by 2018 Wrangler complaints about steering and suspension (1,829, 8.3% of Jeep's complaints). Other models with rates above Jeep's overall 3.58: Cherokee (5.82).
Volvo vs Jeep complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo | 2.09 | 3.92 | 1.75 | 1.05 | 1.32 | 0.91 | 1.30 | 1.67 |
| Jeep | 5.07 | 3.58 | 3.18 | 4.94 | 3.71 | 2.49 | 2.85 | 2.15 |
What Volvo and Jeep owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Volvo
- Electrical system26.7% · 317
- Engine24.9% · 296
- Brakes11.3% · 134
- Fuel / propulsion7.9% · 94
- Body structure6.6% · 79
- Forward collision avoidance6.3% · 75
Jeep
- Powertrain / transmission27% · 5,930
- Electrical system24.2% · 5,316
- Engine22.2% · 4,876
- Steering15.2% · 3,343
- Brakes7.5% · 1,638
- Suspension5.6% · 1,235
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Three-row SUV vs midsize suv: Volvo XC90 vs Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Volvo XC90 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Volvo XC90 1.93 vs Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.51 complaints per 1,000 sold. The XC90's most-cited area is engine (32%); the Grand Cherokee's is electrical system (25.1%).
1.93 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 484 complaints / 250,579 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2011
- Years to avoid:
- 2016, 2017
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 32% · Electrical system 30% · Brakes 11%
2.51 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,523 complaints / 1,804,810 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2009, 2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021–2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 25.1% · Engine 18.4% · Powertrain / transmission 18.2%
Compact SUVs: Volvo XC60 vs Jeep Cherokee
The Volvo XC60 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Volvo XC60 1.35 vs Jeep Cherokee 5.82 complaints per 1,000 sold. The XC60's most-cited area is electrical system (31.5%); the Cherokee's is powertrain / transmission (50.4%).
Volvo XC60
1.35 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 327 complaints / 242,188 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2014
- Years to avoid:
- 2022, 2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 31.5% · Engine 17.4% · Brakes 12.2%
5.82 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 7,498 complaints / 1,287,698 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2020–2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2014, 2015, 2019
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 50.4% · Engine 22.4% · Electrical system 20.9%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Which is more reliable, Volvo or Jeep?
Volvo comes out ahead: Volvo 1.64 vs Jeep 3.58 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Jeep owners filed 2.2× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Volvo owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Volvo or Jeep?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Volvo logs 0.16 per 1,000 sold and Jeep 0.21. Those are 10% of Volvo's complaints and 6% of Jeep's.
Where do Volvo and Jeep rank overall?
Volvo ranks #6 and Jeep #18 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Volvo and Jeep owners complain about most?
Volvo: electrical system (26.7%), engine (24.9%), brakes (11.3%). Jeep: powertrain / transmission (27%), electrical system (24.2%), engine (22.2%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Volvo or Jeep?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 133 Volvo recall campaigns covering 2,807,451 vehicles and 181 Jeep campaigns covering 7,292,001. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Volvo XC90 more reliable than the Jeep Grand Cherokee?
The Volvo XC90 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Volvo XC90 1.93 vs Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.51 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 250,579 and 1,804,810 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the XC90: 2016, 2017. Years to avoid on the Grand Cherokee: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021–2024.
Is the Volvo XC60 more reliable than the Jeep Cherokee?
The Volvo XC60 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Volvo XC60 1.35 vs Jeep Cherokee 5.82 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 242,188 and 1,287,698 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the XC60: 2022, 2023. Years to avoid on the Cherokee: 2014, 2015, 2019.