What does "Its reliable... if you maintain it" really mean?

My wife *realy really really* wants an XC90. Ive tried talking her down and its just one of those cars thats always going to be at the top of her list for completely non sensical reasons (minus the safety piece).

I've read countless times. "My Volvo is reliable... if you maintain it." Certainly maintenance means more than air filters, gear case flushes, brakes, and oil changes right? Because I do all that on our vehicles already. I read horror stories of people spending weeks out of the year at the shop every year.

I have a feeling "if you maintain it" is really code for "take it to the shop every year and hand over the card for anything they say you need to do".