Volvo Software Upgrade Cost Comparison: Dealership Vs DIY!

As a user, it is vital to know the ins and outs of your car, especially the Volvo software upgrade cost. To solve the basic error, you’ll need to upgrade the firmware, which charges differently based on the type.

The cost of a Volvo software upgrade is around $100.01 to $750 if you seek help from an expert dealership. However, it may cost less than $50 (if you don’t have the gears) via the do-it-yourself method.

In this guide, let’s break down the approximate cost of these in a detailed way so you know it all.

How Much Does the Volvo Software Upgrade Cost?

Based on the software upgrade type and where you are doing this service, it can either be higher or lower. Here are the details on how much it would cost to software upgrade on Volvo cars via a dealer or yourself.

Cost of Volvo Software Upgrade Via Dealership

The dealership of Volvo service center usually charges a lot for software upgrades. It’s because the experts use professional gear and equipment to run the OTA software or other sorts of updates.

Depending on the software upgrade type, the dealer can charge more or less. Here’s the informative table on the details and costs of software upgrades in Volvo cars:

1. Service 2.0 on Vida:

The manual software upgrade on Volvo cars (also known as service 2.0) is done on VIDA. And, it costs nothing and is completely free as a part of the service given to every user.

Basically, the expert team uses built-in services using the module to reset the system. Sometimes, it takes a little time to order or download functions several times to renew the whole software like a new one.

Even if the software upgrade is free, you might need to pay for the subscription charge per month. And, it costs no more than $100 (excluding tax fee) which includes wiring harness, module, labor, and parts charges.

2. Full Software Upgrade OTA:

If talking about the full software upgrade OTA, it costs a little more than the manual one. In general, it takes up to $300 to $750 to hire an expert and make them upgrade the Over-the-Air software.

And, the cost of this kind of upgrade is rising each year due to inflation and labor charge. In most cases, the labor cost in the Volvo service center is around $250 or more per hour.

Now, if you wonder how long a Volvo software update takes, the answer depends on the skill of the dealer.

A Volvo software update takes no more than 1 to 2 hours (60 to 120 minutes) to complete the process. In most cases, it takes around 90 minutes.

So, the labor cost just raises the bill based on how long it takes to upgrade the system. Apart from this, you’ll need to pay for taxes, parts, and so on which also increases the total cost.

Cost of Volvo Software Upgrade Via DIY

It usually doesn’t take a single dollar to do a software upgrade on Volvo if you do it yourself at home. However, you’ll need a module and cable if doing the full software upgrade that costs under $50. Well, all you need to do is to ensure these things:

• If the Volvo car is fully electric, its HV (high-voltage) battery level should be 40% or higher.
• If the Volvo car is a plug-in hybrid kind, it should be free from charging when you perform the update. But, you can insert the charging cable into the car and run the software upgrade procedure.
• You’ll need to lock the car before performing the update.
• You can’t drive the car when the OTA software is being downloaded.

After ensuring all the above points, you can easily download the software and then install the Over-the-Air updates.

Steps to Perform Software Upgrade Via Yourself:

If you are wondering about how to do Volvo software updates without a dealer or expert’s help, it’s possible and would take around 1.67 hours (100 minutes).

To do Volvo software updates, you’ll need to connect the internet to the car. Next, go to System > Software update and then wait for it to download fully. Afterward, hit the Install Now in the center display and get out of the car to let it install for 90 minutes.

After it’s successfully installed, you’ll get a notification in the center display or the Volvo Cars app on your phone.

If you urgently need to access your car, you will need to use the blade of the key. This is also because the key fob’s ranged function gets disabled during the installation. Read more about opening the car with a key blade in the user manual.

Note: If you need to access the car urgently, use the key blade in the key fob. And, keep in mind the key fob won’t work during the installation of the software update.

Wrapping Up

Each year the Volvo software upgrade cost increases especially for the labor part when doing it via an expert. Most of the time, the car’s inner system fault occurs due to a software glitch.

Due to this, it makes users go to the service center and try the software upgrade to fix the bugs. After reading this guide, I hope you understand the approximate cost of the Volvo software upgrade.

Plus, it’s never too late to set a budget before trying it expertly or going for the DIY. Now, you may also want to read the interesting guide on the Volvo Sport key replacement cost if planning to purchase or have ideas. Have a great day ahead with your Volvo!