I purchased a used 2008 v70 wagon , with 79,000 miles on it, in October 2012 from a dealer. Got a good price . Not knowing the service record, I had a 82500 oil change and Volvo recommended checks at a local foreign auto, European and Asian, repair shop . Nearest dealer is 60 miles away and this shop was recommended by a C70 owner.
I thought i was overcharged but I said this is a Volvo. They also found an oil leak, but said this would take much more time to locate and fix. Well this was in December, Christmas and all, so I put off repair because they said it wasn't urgent. Now it's April, i hear a loud screaching noise on the lft front side. I went strait back to same shop and they said I had a bad cv joint. So they ordered the part and I had to pay for it in advance. I drove the car 5 days waiting on part and car makes no noise. Monday am, I decided I would get a second opinion. Embarrassed, I go into my old reliable tire and repair store I have used for years. Boss says sure, we work on foreign cars, got a good guy to look at it. I told them that I was told I had a bad cv joint. I watched the young mechanic as he examined the car. He gets his light, removes bottom rock guard, gets his extension mirror. In just a few minutes he tells me cv is OK and shows me an oil leak at the Brake Vacuum Pump. The leak my experts told me would take hours to find. I ordered the Volvo part from a dealer in Arizona and it was put on for $90 today, Saturday. The point of this post is USED VOLVOs are not for novice, non mechanic car types. These shops and dealers will steal you blind. I became a member here and I have spent hours reading all over the net about Volvos and maintaining cars in general. My wife thinks I have gone crazy but i told her maintaining this car has become my new hobby, haha. I admire you guys that can diagnose and fix your old Volvos but most people like me can't. No tools or time or a garage. I will say I am a good detailer, the car is spotless. Again my wife laughs as I wax , polish, buff, and clean. I have bought well over a $100 of car care products. If you buy a used car, especially European, you better have someone you can trust for advice and repair. Its a long post but this needed to be said. Thanks , I welcome your comments, especially those with similar experiences.

 

It's about having someone you can trust, no matter where they are employed. As a dealer tech, it bothers me when I hear stories about people getting ripped off at the dealer. But, as you found out, the European independent shop was just as bad, likely because they are not familiar with the car. The brake vacuum pumps leak all the time- very common.

I have seen plenty of dishonest recommendations from tire shops. Unfortunately, there are dishonest people everywhere. Dealers, indy shops, tire shops.

 

Did your guy find your noise? Don't forget to go pick up your CV joint when it comes in. If you can't returned it, you'll need it sooner or later.

 

To RSPI, just returned from 70 mile trip and no noise. Yes, I am going to get the cv joint I paid for. What would u tell them ? " u are a bunch of crooks and I am not coming back " or what would say???? I have had 4 FWD cars, all with over a 100,000 miles and never had a cv failure. One Ford and three Nissans. What's is the problem with Volvo?

To ES6T
This shop claims to be proficient in Volvo, Audi, Mercedes. In fact they had an s60 to work on . They know enough to talk a good line to a novice, but thanks to you guys here, I figured out I was being ripped off. This young mechanic at the tire shop explained how he had replaced brake vac pump on a VW two weeks ago. It was more difficult to get to, he added. Their shop labor rate was 60 dollars an hour.This is a very clean and organized shop. I have used them for years for my Ford vans and never had a problem, but I had no idea they could do a repair on the Volvo.

 

He charged an hour and a half to replace the vacuum pump?

Guess what- he ripped you off too. Warranty time only pays .4 and customer pay should only be an hour.

Volvo isn't that difficult to work on at all. Its about mechanical ability and familiarity.