vs
Alternator OEM Volvo or OEM Mazda
Our 17 has 205,000km so far. Has been great. Have gone through 4 sets of rear brakes, maybe 2 front but it might only be one, had to recently replace the alternator.
Pros: has been great
Vehicle:
Mazda
Mileage: 205000 km
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
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
I was able to remove/replace the alternator on my Mazda CX-5 without removing any parts as has been mentioned.
Pros: remove/replace without removing parts
Cons: extremely difficult, very tight fit
Vehicle:
Mazda
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
Mazda's DO NOT like aftermarket alternator. Most don't work out of the box. You need to get a genuine Mazda alternator.
Pros: genuine Mazda alternator needed
Cons: aftermarket alternator bad
My 2017 Mazda 3 touring felt like it was cursed. I had the direct high pressure fuel pump injector go out like 1.5 years after purchase. About 2k for just that repair. Thought that was the end of it until the following year where there was a persistent evap problem that nobody could find, despite clearing the code it wouldn’t pass smog. One smoke test and several hundred dollars in appointments later they found the smallest leak from one of the hoses, replaced it and passed smog. Then the check engine light saga started, at first we thought it was the battery/alrernator until after replacing both it kept happening. Turns out that was the start of my catalytic going out(76k miles exactly). Idk if it’s Stockholm syndrome but i did trade it in for a new Mazda. Hoping the curse has been lifted.
Pros: passed smog after repair
Cons: fuel pump injector failure, evap problem, check engine light, catalytic converter failure
Vehicle:
Mazda
Mileage: 76000 km
Labor time is like .7 on the RX8 alternator if I remember my time at Mazda right… imma say like 900 or so for labor is a rip
Cons: 900 for labor is a rip
Vehicle:
Mazda
HAVE a 2022 CX30 @ 79,000 miles. Alternator went out today
Cons: alternator went out
Vehicle:
Mazda
Mileage: 127139 km
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
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Which alternator to choose — OEM Volvo or OEM Mazda?
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 — OEM Mazda or OEM Volvo?
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator OEM Volvo were overall better than OEM Mazda.
- OEM Volvo received a PR Score of 71 out of 100, and OEM Mazda scored 38 points.
- OEM Volvo ranked 9 in the overall ranking, and OEM Mazda ranked 17.
- The average rating is higher for OEM Volvo (3.4) than for OEM Mazda (2.4).
-
Alternator OEM Volvo have better feature ratings than OEM Mazda:
- Lights - owners believe, that by this property OEM Volvo does not differ from OEM Mazda.
- Warning light - drivers claim, that this property for OEM Mazda is outperforms OEM Volvo.
- Noise - reviews suggest, that this property for OEM Volvo is preferred to OEM Mazda.
Which alternator are more popular — OEM Volvo or OEM Mazda?
Alternator OEM Volvo and OEM Mazda were equally popular according to data in March 2026.
By vote balance, alternator OEM Volvo surpassed OEM Mazda:
- For OEM Volvo, the ratio of positive (25) to negative (10) votes is 15 votes.
- For OEM Mazda, the ratio of positive (15) to negative (24) votes is -9 votes.
By number of reviews, alternator OEM Mazda surpassed OEM Volvo:
- For alternator OEM Volvo there are 11 reviews: 7 positive, 2 neutral, 2 negative.
- For alternator OEM Mazda there are 13 reviews: 5 positive, 0 neutral, 8 negative.
Which alternator do car owners prefer — OEM Volvo or OEM Mazda?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, alternator OEM Volvo and OEM Mazda 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 OEM Mazda 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.