vs
Alternator OEM Volvo or OEM Volkswagen
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
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 know my 2005 S60 alternator has a chip in it that is necessary to talk to the car's ECU so be careful buying aftermarket.
Cons: be careful buying aftermarket
Vehicle:
Volvo S60
Assuming this is a T5 (5cyl) that price is about right for the dealer. I had my alternator replaced under warranty about 2 years ago and the billed price was right about 1350 for just the alt replacement.
Vehicle:
Volvo V60
Alternator stopped charging while driving and it slung grease all over the engine bay and hood.
Pros: alternator worked initially
Cons: stopped charging, slung grease
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Golf
oddly enough, I've only ever been completely stranded by failed alternators. once in my '98 Jetta GLX VR6 and once in my '09 Outback 3.0R
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Jetta
Replaced the alternator - twice. The second one failed as a result of a jump start scorching a relay in the voltage :-( Replaced the starter (in 2024), First alternator failed at 49K miles - oddly, when the car came out of the shop, the oil light came on and they found debris in the pick up so I got a new long block (under warranty so I suspect VOA knew of some defect for that model/year). Had one strut bearing fail at about 90K miles. I also had the AC recharged - car actually came from the factory with too much pressure (would ice up on humid days). I've stuck to dealer maintenance for everything except the strut repair and the usual annual CC alignments (well documented issue...) and keep all fluids (coolant/brakes/DSG) fresh. My car is still a daily driver - I'm probably due another battery soon but it runs great. I'm tempted to freshen the struts and control arms and add a rear sway bar - and possibly a tune, but I also see a Golf R in my future! I've run 3 other cars to 250K miles (Volvo 850, Highlander and an Audi 4KQ) and I don't see any reason why the dub can't get to 200K+ particularly if you keep up with a full maintenance plan. You may need to have some carbon blasting done at 100K, have the timing chain tension and service the PCV (leaving that too long leads to the carbon build up in the DI engines) but those are like 50K mile intervals
Pros: car runs great, good longevity
Cons: alternator failed twice, strut bearing failed
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
Mileage: 117000 km
4 aftermarket alternators in a Volkswagen Vanagon… after the last shit the bed i insisted on a factory one. That solved the charging system issue.
Pros: factory one solved issue
Cons: aftermarket alternators failed
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
When I finally bought another car and started preparing the Bora for sale, the alternator failed. The only real issue it ever gave me.
Cons: failed
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Jetta
I just put a new alternator and the batty is dead again but when I jump it the car run fine until the next .morning I am going Crazy trying to figure this.
Pros: car runs fine when jumped
Cons: battery dead again
Write your review
Help others - share your experience with this part.
Comparisons
Show all
Voted AGAINST engine oil RAVENOL on the rating page
The brake pads OEM Alfa Romeo got the first review!
The brake caliper OEM BMW got the first review!
The brake pads OEM Infiniti got the first review!
For wiper blades PIAA already 100 reviews.
For battery Energizer already 25 reviews.
In the rating best water pump already 12 brands participate!
In the rating best timing belt already 13 brands participate!
In the rating best head gasket already 3 brands participate!
In the auto rating oil filter for Volkswagen Passat already 5 brands participate!
In the auto rating brake pads for Mazda 5 already 10 brands participate!
In the auto rating tires for Subaru Outback already 50 brands participate!
For cabin filter Fram already 25 reviews.
Voted AGAINST engine oil RED LINE on the rating page
Voted AGAINST engine oil PENNZOIL on the rating page
Which alternator to choose — OEM Volvo or OEM Volkswagen?
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 Volkswagen or OEM Volvo?
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator OEM Volvo were overall better than OEM Volkswagen.
- OEM Volvo received a PR Score of 71 out of 100, and OEM Volkswagen scored 55 points.
- OEM Volvo ranked 9 in the overall ranking, and OEM Volkswagen ranked 11.
- The average rating is higher for OEM Volvo (3.4) than for OEM Volkswagen (3.1).
-
Alternator OEM Volvo have better feature ratings than OEM Volkswagen:
- Lights - owners believe, that this property for OEM Volkswagen is better than OEM Volvo.
- Warning light - drivers claim, that this property for OEM Volkswagen is outperforms OEM Volvo.
- Noise - reviews suggest, that this property for OEM Volvo is preferred to OEM Volkswagen.
Which alternator are more popular — OEM Volvo or OEM Volkswagen?
Alternator OEM Volvo and OEM Volkswagen were equally popular according to data in March 2026.
By vote balance, alternator OEM Volvo surpassed OEM Volkswagen:
- For OEM Volvo, the ratio of positive (25) to negative (10) votes is 15 votes.
- For OEM Volkswagen, the ratio of positive (64) to negative (52) votes is 12 votes.
By number of reviews, alternator OEM Volkswagen surpassed OEM Volvo:
- For alternator OEM Volvo there are 11 reviews: 7 positive, 2 neutral, 2 negative.
- For alternator OEM Volkswagen there are 36 reviews: 16 positive, 8 neutral, 12 negative.
Which alternator do car owners prefer — OEM Volvo or OEM Volkswagen?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, alternator OEM Volvo and OEM Volkswagen 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, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi, OEM Nissan.
Also available: comparisons of alternator OEM Volkswagen with: Denso, Bosch, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi, OEM Nissan.
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.