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Car trackers for a Volvo: built-in tracking and theft risk for the XC40, XC60 and XC90

Partly. The built-in connection in a current Volvo lets the Volvo Cars app “Locate your car on a map, honk the horn or flash its lights”, though the remote functions need a connected-services subscription.1,2 Volvo South Africa’s manuals for the 2024 XC40 and the 2017 XC90 also list Stolen Vehicle Tracking with Volvo On Call as an option: once the theft is reported to the police, the service centre traces the car and tells the police where it is. Volvo names no recovery team of its own.3,4

Checked on 28 October 2026 against Volvo Cars South Africa’s model, feature, specification and support pages, including the 2024 XC40 manual.

Volvo’s SUVs in South Africa, at a glance
ModelVolvo Cars appKeyless entryAlarm
XC40Locate, unlock and set up a digital key; Stolen Vehicle Tracking an option on the 2024 model3,5On the 2026 Essential, with a hands-free tailgate6Listed in the specifications7
XC60Lock, unlock and locate1Core and Plus8Listed in the specifications9
XC90Lock, unlock and locate10Listed, with a hands-free tailgate11Listed in the specifications11
Older Volvos (2016 to 2024)Connected services can be extended; the 2017 XC90 page lists Stolen Vehicle Tracking4,12VariesVaries

Volvo’s specification pages show whether each item is standard or optional with icons, so check the car you are buying.

What can the Volvo Cars app do?

On the current XC60 and XC90, Volvo lists “Lock and unlock your car in the app” and “Locate your car on a map, honk the horn or flash its lights”, along with remote climate control and software updates. The app is free, and its features list has no theft-alarm alert.1,10

The remote functions aren’t automatic, though. Volvo says “To use the remote functions in the Volvo Cars app, the car requires a subscription for connected services”, and that “Depending on your car model and model year, you can access different functions.”2 The Google services that come with a new Volvo include “unlimited data for four years”, and “A fee applies after four years.” Volvo’s current pages don’t say how long the remote-functions subscription runs.1

Volvo On Call and stolen-vehicle tracking

Volvo South Africa’s support manual for the 2024 XC40, updated in February 2025, describes how it works. “If car theft is suspected, contact a Volvo On Call service centre via the Volvo Cars app to attempt to locate the car.” You tell the service centre, report the theft to the police and give the service centre the case number; the service centre then “informs the police of the car’s position”. “A condition for the car to be tracked is that the matter is reported to the police. Volvo On Call will only give information to the police.” It applies “if the car was opened and stolen with the associated key” too.3

It isn’t on every Volvo. The manual marks it as an option or accessory and says “Available services vary depending on market.”3 The support page for the 2017 XC90 lists the same service, with an automatic and a manual alarm, Theft Notification and a Remote Vehicle Immobiliser, the immobiliser only in “Certain markets”, under the heading “Option/accessory”.4

Volvo names no recovery team: the service centre passes the position on, and the police do the rest. Owners of models from 2016 to 2024, from the S60 to the XC90, can extend their connected services, and Volvo sends a notice within 45 days of expiry; no price is given.12 We found no insurer that accepts any of it as an approved tracker.

Are Volvos stolen in South Africa?

Volvo cars don’t appear on the recent lists we checked, from King Price’s and AutoTrader’s 2026 rankings to Fidelity ADT’s list of the models targeted in recent incidents.13,14,15 The only Volvo in our 2026 sources is a Volvo truck, one of 36 vehicles brought back to South Africa through Interpol operations.16

Not being named isn’t the same as being safe, and your insurer decides for itself what your car needs.

Volvo XC40

The XC40 mild hybrid’s features page says you can “Locate your car on a map, honk the horn or flash its lights”, and unlock the car in the app or set up a digital key; it doesn’t mention locking it remotely.5 The 2026 XC40 Essential has keyless entry with a hands-free power tailgate: “Keyless entry gives you full access to your Volvo as long as you bring the remote key with you.” Keyless start isn’t listed.6 The specifications list the Volvo Cars app and an alarm.7 Its 2024 manual lists Stolen Vehicle Tracking with Volvo On Call as an option, so ask the dealer whether a particular car has it.3

Get tracker quotes for an XC40

Volvo XC60

Keyless entry with a hands-free power tailgate comes on the XC60 Core, and the Plus includes “Everything in Core”; Volvo doesn’t list the Black Edition’s equipment.8 The B5 AWD mild hybrid’s specifications list the Volvo Cars app, Volvo Assistance and an alarm.9 We found no source naming the XC60 as a target.

Get tracker quotes for an XC60

Volvo XC90

The XC90 gets the same app functions, to lock, unlock and locate the car, and the same four years of digital services.10 The B5 AWD mild hybrid’s specifications list the Volvo Cars app, Volvo Assistance, keyless entry with a hands-free power tailgate, and an alarm.11 The support page for the 2017 XC90 lists Stolen Vehicle Tracking as an option, run by the service centre.4

Get tracker quotes for an XC90

What to fit to a Volvo

A tracker with a recovery service, since Volvo’s Stolen Vehicle Tracking is an option that passes the car’s position to the police, and Volvo names no recovery team. Check your policy first: King Price, for one, says “You may need to fit an anti-theft device in your car, the details of which will be confirmed with you at the inception of your cover, and will also be noted on your policy schedule.”17

Our deals start from R99pm for a wireless recovery unit, or R149pm for a full insurance-approved tracker. Free installation, 36-month contract.

Choose your Volvo in the form and compare the deals for it.

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Questions people ask

Can the Volvo Cars app show my car’s location?

Yes, on cars with an active connected-services subscription: Volvo says the app can locate the car on a map and honk the horn or flash the lights. Which functions you get depends on the model and model year.

Does Volvo have stolen vehicle tracking in South Africa?

As an option. Volvo South Africa’s manuals for the 2024 XC40 and the 2017 XC90 list Stolen Vehicle Tracking with Volvo On Call: once you have reported the theft to the police, the service centre traces the car and gives the police its position. Services vary by market, so ask whether your car has it.

Do I still need a tracker on a Volvo?

If you want it recovered after a theft, yes. The Volvo Cars app shows where the car is and the service centre can tell the police, but Volvo names no recovery team, and we found no insurer that accepts either as an approved tracker.

Sources

  1. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC60 features”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). volvocars.com
  2. Volvo Cars South Africa, “Volvo Cars app: remote functions (support)”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). volvocars.com
  3. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC40 (2024) support: Stolen Vehicle Tracking (SVT) with Volvo On Call”, updated 3 February 2025. volvocars.com
  4. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC90 (2017) support: Volvo On Call functions”, updated 8 June 2023. volvocars.com
  5. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC40 features”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). volvocars.com
  6. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC40”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). volvocars.com
  7. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC40 specifications”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). volvocars.com
  8. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC60”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). volvocars.com
  9. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC60 specifications”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). volvocars.com
  10. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC90 features”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). volvocars.com
  11. Volvo Cars South Africa, “XC90 specifications”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). volvocars.com
  12. Volvo Cars South Africa, “Extending your connected services subscription (support)”, updated 17 December 2025. volvocars.com
  13. King Price Insurance, “Most hijacked cars in South Africa (2026 crime statistics)”, 4 March 2026, last reviewed 28 April 2026. blog.kingprice.co.za
  14. Auto Trader SA, “SA’s most-hijacked car brands: the 2026 risk report”, 15 April 2026. autotrader.co.za
  15. BusinessTech, quoting Fidelity ADT, “8 cars hijackers are targeting in South Africa, with one new addition”, 9 February 2026. businesstech.co.za
  16. IOL, The Post, “Organised crime syndicates target high-profile 4x4s and bakkies in SA”, 23 April 2026. iol.co.za
  17. King Price Insurance, “Insurance policy”, September 2026. kingprice.co.za