I just bought a 2008 XC70 from a used dealer without warranty a few months ago. My mechanic suggested I replace the right passenger axle before taking the car on a long journey, because he noticed some
oil leaking. I replaced the axle, ( he used a pre man axle) and started on my trip, car made it 45 min on the freeway at 80 miles an hour before shaking. I towed it back, mechanic replaced with another axle (pre man axle). Started again everything was fine then 3 hours into the trip shaking again, and then the axle broke and tore the boot. Replaced the axle again with a Volvo axle (different mechanic), took the car out for about 45 min at 80 miles and started shaking again like the first time. I have two stumped mechanics. Trying to figure out the best next steps. Car has a clean car fax no accidents, mechanics are genuinely great guys but stumped. Please help!

 

Some aftermarket axles are very poor quality - and sometimes worse than the one you replaced.

Are you certain the last axle was from Volvo. Did it cost 3 or 4 times times the price of the others? BTW most of the cheap aftermarket axles companies offer a "lifetime warranty" - I trust you have only had to purchase 1 aftermarket axle plus the up charge for a "factory" axle. Although i would be willing to bet your "Volvo" axle did not come from a Volvo dealer.

 

Thanks for the reply. Actually, now that I look at the receipt from the second mechanic, it looks like he didn't order an expensive part, it was only $322.59. I thought he was ordering a different axle. The receipt says part no: 14253NCV Axle.

 

The right side axles are generally trouble-free and last a very long time, so certainly you should not replace any more. 3 is probably 3 too many. They generally do not cause shaking. they just don't have much inertia in the rotating direction, and they can never get out of balance, so they can't shake anything. I think you're in a diagnostic loop that I don't like.

Kinda tragic, really, since you didn't need the first one.