Hey folks. Not a mechanic, so sorry for anything that is not clear. Also apologize if post is in the wrong place.

Recently took my daughters '06 C70 with around 90k miles in for front end issues. After getting confirmation that the rest of the car checked out and "looked good," we approved the recommended repairs including replacement of both front axles and replacing engine and transmission mounts. Got the car back in good shape. About 2 weeks later, while driving on the highway, the engine lost power and there were some warning lights on the dash (second hand to me since my daugter was driving alone). My daughter "limped" the car to a nearby parking lot. Had it towed back to the shop.

Their story is the car had lost ALL coolant and engine overheated to the point that "the spark plugs are welded into the block." Ostensibly, water loss was from "a line where the water line enters the body" seemingly below and behind the engine (i.e., not a blown radiator hose). Shop, as expected, claims this would have absolutely no connection to the work that that had just done (including engine and transmission mounts).

Because of the extent of the damage, they would not be able to do a "header" repair. They have quoted me 8K for a new engine from Volvo but cannot locate any after market engines. So, at this point, with the info I have, the car seems to be a total loss. Cherry vehicle in other great condition.

My questions are: does this relate to any known issue with the C70? Does the story sound logical? Are there other questions I should ask? Does anyone know where I could get a decent replacement engine with less than 100k miles or a rebuilt engine? Other thoughts? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

 

Search: "LKQ" they have a large inventory of salvage vehicles all over & "COPO". "ROW52" may help also.

 

It just seems funny to me that a Volvo with that few miles would suffer such a catastrophic event. I kinda suspect the repair shop.Maybe something was disconnected and forgot to put it back. Consider taking it to the dealer and having them evaluate the situation to see if you have a case against the shop.I hate to see you lose this car.

 

Volvo temperature gauges are indicative with their cold/normal/hot settings but are not really super accurate. By the time they hit the red zone it is imperative that one cuts off the engine immediately. even a brief delay can be too late.
All alloy engines are very hot by the time the gauge needle is on the red.
The age and mileage of the vehicle is irrelevant to the above.

 

Detecting the part failure is important to identify the cause. Lifting the engine without careful inspection & knowledge of the vehicle can lead to problems.

 

car-parts.com can steer you to a recycle yard in your area or one that is willing to ship.

I don't get the notion that the engine needs to be fully replaced unless they've opened it up. Typical problems with severe overheating due to coolant loss is a cracked or warped cylinder head. If the car had experienced a loss of oil and it developed rod knocks etc, then I'd suspect lower end issues. Unfortunately, it sounds like the hose from the block to the heater core either burst or fell off which would drain the engine really fast. Unless this is a shop you totally know and trust, you may want to get another shop to look at it.