Just wanted to introduce myself. I bought a 2004 XC70 new about 3 1/2 yrs ago. I currently have 55,800 miles on it. My husband and I intended to keep the car a good long time; so, we bought the extended warranty. It's been serviced by the dealer with the exception of maybe 2 or 3 oil changes. Went for routine service recently and "brake failure" light. They did the service and front brake pads for us, but they alsofound lots of other things that needed fixing. Some was covered under warranty and some not. One thing was the power steering hose and reservoir. We had to pay for the hose. My husband asked for the parts ansd took them to the mechanic who services our other cars. He said there was nothing wrong with them. They also talked us into an alignment that he said we probably didn't need. In addition, my brake failure light came on again and it had to go back for further service which was covered under our warranty. My husband talked to the service manager about Volvo doing unnecessary work and us being charged for it. He was willing to give us a "credit" for our next service but not willing to refund us. My husband told him to forget it. This was not the first time we felt ripped off there. We do not intend to go back there. I'm actually thinking about selling the car. I asked our mechanic's opinion and he said that the newer Volvos are NOT good high mileage cars. They often need costly repairs. This car is the nicest I have ever owned. I am turned off by Volvo and don't know what to do. Any ideas? Sorry for the long introduction. I apologize if this info is in the wrong place. Thanks!

 

Welcome

 

Welcome. Don't hold a bad dealer against the car itself. Volvo's will last a long time when taken care of properly. Find a good TRUSTED mechanic and stick with him.

 

Welcome to the forum.

Very often, in automotive servicing business they rip you off once they figure you don't know much about cars. It doesn't hurt to buy one book that teaches you the basics about modern cars with electronic engine & brake & transmission controls.

All I can say is to make sure to follow scheduled maintenance stated in the owner's manual, which many people don't even bother to read. Make triple sure that the timing belt & its pulleys & hydraulic tensioner (if so equipped) get replaced at every 70,000 miles or 5 years. The owner's manual may tell you to replace it at every 100,000 miles, which is a bit too stretched.

In addition to jks2's beneficial suggestion, make sure that your buddy mechanic is an ASE-certified Master Technician and it would be ideal if he/she specialises in Swedish/Euro makes.

If the XC70 forum turn out slow, try General Volvo Chat.

Best of luck to you,


JPN

 

We've done all the recommended maintenance. That was the whole idea-buy a good car, take care of it and it will take care of us.I was just taken aback by all the work the car needed-some probablynecessary and some dealer created. I'll have to give this a little bit of thought. Thanks for your advice!