V60 -2015 Model - 67,581 Miles - Dealer Purchased and Dealer Serviced
The V60 does not have a dipstick to check your oil level when the Low Oil Indicator comes on. The Electronic system sensor does not indicate how low. This car has been purchased and all services performed at the dealer. When I took it to the Dealer with a low Oil indicator, they could not tell me how low the oil was, but they sold me an "Oil Consumption Test" to determine if I had any fundamental oil use issues. This test requires pre-measuring the Oil , then driving 1200 Miles and they remove and re-measure. Cost of this two part service =$830.37.
The result of the test is that I was consuming too much oil due to excess Ring Wear . Estimated cost to repair $6,602.61 .

Why are new rings needed on a 67,581 Mi Vehicle that has been using Synthetic Oil serviced at recommended intervals by the Dealer? I believe there is a Flaw in this production model. Perhaps others.
Why do I need to pay $830 to check my Oil Level ? I believe the lack of proper Oil Level sensor, or an Oil Dip Stick is a design that is intended to increase the sales of the Volvo Service Department.

When the Service Advisor asked if I had a Vehicle Warranty to pay for the $6,600 Ring Change and I said No he was sympathetic, but could offer no alternatives except change the Oil more Frequently so the level gets topped off. .

My Conclusion - Volvo has a problem with pre-mature Ring Wear with this and possibly other models , and Volvo depends on their Vehicle Warranty Policies to pay for the repairs.
I was told that Volvo no longer offers any Models with an Oil Dip Stick.
After Owning a 544, 122, P1800, P1800S, 145, 245 I will not be purchasing another Volvo and I will be recommending that anyone that asks me to avoid New Volvo Models due to my opinion that their reliability has declined.
Too Bad - It drives nice.

 

Early versions of that engine can have oil consumption problems. Rings have been updated to a new design.

It has nothing to do with the dipstick.

You had to pay for the test because the car is out of warranty. That price sounds high though..

Call Volvo Customer Care. These get goodwilled a lot.

 

Also a long-time Volvo owner - 122S B16, 265, '03 V70, '08V70 and, currently a '15.5 V60. Cars under consideration for a replacement of the latter include a V90, MB E350/400/450 wagon, Audi A4/A6 Allterrain and Porsche Macan..

I have spent hours on the internet reading owner's forums for all these cars. While it smacks of paranoia, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that many of the service and repair issues in current cars are the result of deliberate design decisions aimed at forcing reliance on (expensive and very profitable) dealer service departments.

$830 to check oil consumption? If there was a simple dipstick, top up the oil to the top mark, drive 1200 miles and read the dipstick - cost? - perhaps a quart of oil. (You can't do this with an electronic oil level read-out because, as a rule, they are really dual state high/low indicators not calibrated range reporters. My favorite is $200 Vidas connection to "reset" battery status function after battery replacement. Some marques require a similar mad dance after a bulb is replaced and then there are physical designs that force one to dismantle front end sheet metal to replace a headlamp.

I wonder how much of the "engineering" effort being put into the predicted ascent of the electric car is devoted to figuring out how to keep the dealer service department alive and well? Beyond battery aging and replacement there might be motor brush replacement, commutator wear, gradual demagnetization or perhaps a move to operating and control software on an annual license basis etc.

A plague in all their houses!

 

And those forums you visit are full of people who speculate and post things without actual knowledge of processes and procedures.

While $830 is high, the oil consumption test Volvo requires us to do involves weighing the oil going in and weighing the oil drained at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time to calculate precisely how much oil has been consumed. This takes time​​​​​. Time costs money.

And yes, we have to connect to VIDA to reset the battery monitor sensor when a battery is replaced. $200 is again high. But it does take time and time costs money. It comes with replacing the battery at my dealership, which runs about $65. But if I diagnose your car as needing a battery and you want to take it to your buddy who is a mechanic because you don't want to pay $65 to install it, then you return with problems, yes, I may charge the full 1 hour diagnostic charge to recharge the battery and reset your BMS. My time costs money.

And the oil level sensor is not just a high/low indicator.

 

While I no longer have the facilities (nor the manual dexterity) to do my own maintenance, I've been messing about with cars since the most sophisticated electrical part was the voltage regulator. The basic operating principles of the 4 stroke IC engine have not changed. If a car is burning (not leaking) oil, it is because excess oil is being left on the cylinder walls - most probably during the intake stroke. The "wipe down" is not perfect so all cars will burn some oil - the issue is the distinction between normal and excessive. One does not need a measurement down to the milliliters per mile accuracy to determine this. A half quart or quart notch on a dipstick (or corresponding division on an electrical read-out) will suffice I suspect "the oil consumption test Volvo requires us to do..............." relates to their oil consumption issues and related lawsuit of 10 years ago and efforts to deny/avoid responsibility.

 

Lawsuit from 10 years ago for oil consumption in an engine that came out 6 years ago?

Or are you talking about the 5 cylinder ones? Those would be out of warranty so there is no requirement to satisfy warranty procedures unless someone is trying for goodwill.

If a car is out of warranty and has an oil consumption complaint with no external leaks and it falls within the range outlined in the TJ, I'll save the customer the expense of an oil consumption test and price the repair according to the TJ.

 

Nice deflection - made me recall a key omission from the "cause" column - worn valve guides*. "Back in the day" my first step would have been to pull the plugs and look for oiling possibly followed by a compression check to rule out a broken ring but then so far s I know, compression testers do not have Vidas ports so I guess they aren't used anymore.

*big problem in old Jags

 

Not a deflection at all. You are speaking without knowledge of the policies and procedures we must follow for warranty repairs at a dealership.

It's quite simple actually.

I have a compression tester. And I'd be happy to check compression for someone with an oil consumption problem. Of course, it takes time. And that costs money. So I'm sure they will go to a forum and be upset by that and get plenty of support by others without a working knowledge of a dealership.

 

Actually, you make my point - thank you.

I would not and am not suggesting that you work for free. I appreciate knowledge, skill and experience and am willing to pay for it which is why my cars are serviced either at the dealer's facility or at independent shops I know and respect. A business that does not take care for its bottom line will not last long. The issue arises when the "policies and procedures" designed to control ("control" in business speak = minimize) warranty costs conflict with best practices that would be followed by someone using their knowledge and experience to solve a problem independent of who foots the bill.

Cars do not come with a forever warranty. I understand that. A manufacturer cannot anticipate all of the stresses and abuses to which a product will be subject. There are, however cases in which an error in design*, engineering or manufacturing becomes evident through a high incidence of abnormal early failure. Remedy by recall or warranty exception is appropriate in these cases.

I am only anecdotally aware of the history of the oil consumption problem and accept your statement that is was an issue with an earlier generation of motors, not the one belonging to the OP but am suggesting that the "policy and procedure" currently on the books reflects that older experience.

*The wiring harness on my '94 Mercedes E300 failed. Conversation with my service advisor, who I knew well and trusted, revealed that this was a very common problem stemming from the fact that an 'environmental awareness" program led to a decision that the harness insulation should be biodegradable. Mercedes refused to accept any responsibility for the $1700 repair cost. It was my last Benz.

 

I agree in cases of a design issue. But there isn't anything the dealer can do about that.

The OP has an early Drive-E engine. There are bulletins for the PCV breather box (depending on his serial number) and new pistons/rings. But he is out of warranty. The dealer can't just decide to put the repair through as a warranty claim.

For original owners with mileage like his, goodwill is often given. But the dealer can't decide that. He needs to contact Customer Care.

 

We're on the same page. I just think that Volvo (and other mfrs) need to be more supportive of their dealers and attentive to these issues than they are.

I had analogous (but smaller) issue with Volvo - the light on one of the window control buttons on the driver's door went out. Dealer: light bulbs are considered consumables and not covered and - bulb not replaceable - need to replace entire assembly - $$$ I contacted Volvo customer service, arguing that, as an electronic assembly, it should be covered - no luck. Being a persistent type I wrote to the president Volvo Cars USA with a copy to the manager of customer relations - sent both by FedEx overnight (those big envelopes get noticed) Word back from customer service: Will be covered under "good will"

 

Just brought my car in (XC60, approx 70K miles) in today for what sounds like the same issue as others are expressing here. Was driving in the cold, engine light went on, almost no oil ?? added three quarts, then had it serviced and all oil replaced, filter etc. I have it serviced regularly. The engine service light still goes on when its exteremely cold (and the thermostat for ext temps gives a bad reading as well) says engine service required, but no oil error. Dealer says it will cost $8000 to pull the engine, and I pay if they dont find anything definitive covered by the non-factory warranty. An inspector is called in, I'll have to produce regular service receipts. The dealer currently have a car in the shop with a similar issue, its been there for a month. Service writer says its a known issue (pistons/rings). When you suggest contacting Volvo Customer Care I'm not sure what you think they might possibly do? Thank you!

 

My v60 2015 started to have problem since in 7000miles, went through dealer, they didn't do anything, so I put oil in every 2 week and bacame so sick of it especially winter time. So I called the Volvo factory. They opened a case. Started a diagnose process without charge. Will see, I hope they do the right thing, I've done online research, many have similar problem, suprise they are not recalling this design defect. Will update progress

 

Good luck and very glad they are helping you. Google “volvo oil trap”, the dealer is suggesting that is my issue plus two bad sensors. I hope there are right! Warranty covering it. My warranty ends in Nov 2022.

Is there anyone in particular at Volvo (America?) you can direct us to? Thank you.

 

This thread is a little old but last week I talked to my local dealer, they said according to the VIN # on my 2016 V60, it would fall under the (what would you call it) engine extended warranty. It's 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. But hearing that I have to pay almost $1,000 to determine if I do indeed have a Volvo engineering problem is absurd. Comes close to criminal, I'll bust your knee caps type of organized crime arrangement.

But I do have an engine oil dipstick and I will start checking. Never had a low oil warning light and the car is soon to pass into 50,000 miles. We don't drive a lot. So what I am thinking is to watch the dipstick and maybe a few months before the 8 year extended warranty I'll talk oil consumption test. There is no way I'll hit even the 60,000 mark during the 8 years.

Way back in the 60's my first Volvo the P544 was an oil burner and now decades later I could have another one. Say it's not so.

As for the service bays? One of the guys that hung out to have coffee spent most of his life as service manager at local car dealers. He always said that the service bays were the heart of the profit for dealers. As they are taking more ability from independent mechanics, that profit margin grows. I do use the dealer for many services but if it is something that an independent can do, I may let them.

The first engine I ever replaced on my own was when I was 16 years old, I replaced the P544 engine. Used the neighbors backhoe to life out the engine. Man was that a simple job!

 

volvo issued a service recall on this issue and covered all my cost for the ring replacement - A lot of inconvenience but net zero cash

 

Yes they issued an extended warranty, but a recall would be better. Do you know if they did create a recall? Being retired we don't drive our car that much and only have about 52,000 on the clock. It is a 2016 and the extended warranty is 100,000 miles or eight years, whichever comes first. From what I've read the oil issues don't start until around the 60,000 mile mark. So we could end up missing out on the extended warranty and eventually have an oil leaker, which would devalue our car a lot! In my personal opinion this was a known problem and Volvo should do a full recall; there should be no charges for the oil consumption test let alone charging $900. My dealer has already told me it costs around $900.

This is the fourth Volvo I've owned and will be my last. The plan is (I think) to wait for the used car market to settle down, trade this in on a Lexus or Toyota. When those two brands come in year, after year, highly rated in reliability, that means something. Looking at Volvo on the list makes me sad because there was a time that Volvo was safety / reliability. Did the short arm of Geely Holding Group devalue the brand name? My first Volvo was a 1964 P544 and a fun car for a 16 year old kid.

2023 Consumer Reports -
"This year was a win for Asian automakers, with Japanese or Korean companies making up seven of the top 10 most reliable brands. Once again, Lexus is a top-scoring brand in Consumer Report’s reliability survey. All Lexus models scored above average for reliability."

 

I think I am having the same issue with my 2016 V60. I found this article and I will be calling the law firm to find out more.
Volvo Oil Consumption Class Action Blames Piston Rings | CarComplaints.com

 

My test was recently done and still under the 8 year 100.000 mile extended warranty (barely made it). The car had 51,000 miles on it but the 8 years was almost up.

About two months ago I had noticed my oil consumption was down to the first line on the drip stick. I had put 1400 miles on the car and how much oil is that, about a quart? Hm? The cars I keep don't use that much oil and I was concerned. To the dealer, they prepared the oil consumption test and I drove 1,000 miles. As one guy on a forum said, drive it like you stole it and so I did and I drove 1,000 miles.

Returned the car to the dealer and they said (I had no way to check that dipstick) that I had only used .007 or 11 grams of oil. To me that seems like I witnessed a miracle.
Here's the kicker. After draining the oil, which means some of the oil drained probably had some bottom of the sump debris (however minuscule) and the oil resided in their container / pan. Instead of putting new oil in the car, they just dumped the oil that they drained out of the drain plug back into my car.

I've been a car guy for 55 years and all on my own, I replaced my first engine when I was 16 years old. I would never, ever place used oil back into my cars. That to me is just not good protocol.

So the question remains why did I use oil the one time but used almost nothing when they tested. Our S60 ran forever, the same with the V50. Not so sure if this 2016 V60 will be around much longer.

 

Depending on when your car was manufactured and how many miles are on it, you may fall under the warranty. Contact the dealer and they should do the consumption test under the extended warranty.