vs
Alternator OEM Volvo or GENERAL MOTORS
Reviews
The V8s are good. I've had 2 pulleys/bearings go bad. The second failed completely, dropping the aux belt and damaging the timing cover. If you hear any weird noises from the engine bay, check your pulleys.
They're also not as bad on fuel as you'd expect. I've regularly seen 25mpg+ on a good run.
ABS modules and siren modules always fail, but are relatively cheap & easy to replace. Alternators also seem to be a weak point and are _really_ awkward to get to.
Pros: good fuel economy
Cons: alternators awkward to get
Vehicle:
Volvo XC90
I will always vote for a 10SI or 12SI GM alternator swap on an L-series engine. Affordable conversion bracket. 1-wire GM alternators are simple, reliable, cheap and readily available online but not easy to find in parts stores. 3 wire GM alternators are are easy enough to wire up and are absolutely everywhere in parts stores if you’re more concerned about parts availability and potential breakdowns on long adventures.
Pros: simple, reliable, cheap, readily available
Cons: 1-wire not easy to find
Maintenance I do oil every 10k km including all filters except fuel filter (every 2nd oil change). Basically never burns any oil, didn’t have to fill up at all. Only alternator broke down in extreme heat at 150k km but that’s expected.
Pros: never burns any oil
Cons: alternator broke down
Vehicle:
Volvo V60
Mileage: 10000 km
The OEM alternator is only 55 amps and costs nearly $400, which is stupid expensive and wholly inadequate for off-road lighting, audio amplifiers, and other additional accessories so I decided to go with the CS130D GM alternator, purchased for under $100 new (no core charge) and has a 130 amp capacity.
I'm getting 14.8v from the upgraded alternator at 700rpm and maintaining 14.2v when every possible accessory and light is turned on at idle.
Pros: 130 amp capacity, under $100
Cons: OEM is expensive, inadequate
My shitbox, I replaced my alternator just for my window motor to go bad, I replaced the window motor just for the thermostat to go bad the next day, it’s inevitable.
Next and least expensive, would be to buy a new alternator from Volvo and have them install it. It could be that there is a known issue with the alternator that you put on there if it's not from Volvo.
Vehicle:
Volvo XC90
This was a new genuine Volvo alternator I had Volvo put in, not a cheap or rebuilt part. Also, the battery is only about a year old. Could this really be a failing alternator or could something else be going on?
Pros: new genuine part
Cons: failing to charge
Vehicle:
Volvo XC60
I got this message when the mechanic replaced my alternator with a non-OEM unit that didn't have a voltage regulator.
Pros: null
Cons: non-OEM unit
Vehicle:
Volvo
three alternators in a Cadillac, even "new GM" are remans, only way to get a new one (never installed, made of new parts, new for you) is to buy a new car.
Cons: multiple failures, poor reliability
Had an appetite for alternators, as they put it behind the rear cylinder head and tried to keep it cool with some little rubber/plastic air duct. Failboat. We sold the car with its third alternator, each failure attributed to failure of the rear bearings.
Cons: failure of rear bearings
Mileage: 140000 km
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Which alternator to choose — OEM Volvo or GENERAL MOTORS?
If choosing alternator across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare alternator across these categories:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which alternator are better — GENERAL MOTORS or OEM Volvo?
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator OEM Volvo were overall better than GENERAL MOTORS.
- OEM Volvo received a PR Score of 71 out of 100, and GENERAL MOTORS scored 50 points.
- OEM Volvo ranked 9 in the overall ranking, and GENERAL MOTORS ranked 16.
- The average rating based on reviews is the same for OEM Volvo (3.4) and GENERAL MOTORS (3).
-
Alternator OEM Volvo have better feature ratings than GENERAL MOTORS:
- Lights - owners believe, that this property for GENERAL MOTORS is better than OEM Volvo.
- Warning light - drivers claim, that this property for GENERAL MOTORS is outperforms OEM Volvo.
- Noise - reviews suggest, that this property for OEM Volvo is preferred to GENERAL MOTORS.
Which alternator are more popular — OEM Volvo or GENERAL MOTORS?
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator GENERAL MOTORS were overall more popular than GENERAL MOTORS.
By vote balance, alternator OEM Volvo surpassed GENERAL MOTORS:
- For OEM Volvo, the ratio of positive (25) to negative (10) votes is 15 votes.
- For GENERAL MOTORS, the ratio of positive (17) to negative (17) votes is 0 votes.
By number of reviews, the manufacturers are equal:
- For alternator OEM Volvo there are 11 reviews: 7 positive, 2 neutral, 2 negative.
- For alternator GENERAL MOTORS there are 11 reviews: 5 positive, 1 neutral, 5 negative.
Which alternator do car owners prefer — OEM Volvo or GENERAL MOTORS?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, alternator OEM Volvo and GENERAL MOTORS have not taken top places in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding your review about these manufacturers.
Other comparisons of alternator
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of alternator OEM Volvo with: Denso, Bosch, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi.
Also available: comparisons of alternator GENERAL MOTORS with: Denso, Bosch, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi.
You can also see who is better among other alternator manufacturers: Bosch or Denso, Denso or Duralast, OEM Toyota or Denso, Bosch or Duralast, Denso or VALEO.