 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / Volvo Cars / January 2006Question on Repair Costs
Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and they had some suggestions. Here's what they suggested: 1) The 60,000 mile service: This is what I initially took it in for. This appears to be one of the more rigorous service milestones so I expected to to be expensive. Estimated cost: $670 2) Occasionally I've been hearing a hissing from the brake pedal on release. They say this can be fixed by replacing the brake booster. Cost: $975 3) The inner tie rod is causing excess play. It needs to be repaired and the wheels realigned. Cost: $410 4) The brakes have a groove in the rotors. The rotors eventually will need to be replaced. Cost $630 I know very little about cars so any comments, suggestions or questions you think I should ask would be appreciated. Thanks! > Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in > to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Thanks! Some of that is reasonable, $630 for the brakes sounds a bit ridiculous though, have you shopped around on that one? Brake booster seems rather high too, but then that is a fairly new car so parts will be more expensive and good used ones harder to find. Is it under an extended service warranty? if so the dealer might do #2 & #3 maybe otherwise keep reading Do you live near Washington DC? If so, I can suggest an alternative repair source. Wonderful people, highly qualified, in business 13 years, volvo parts, AND they stand behind their work. No they are not free and don't get it all done while you finish a cup of coffee. In fact there isn't a customer coffee machine. But the labor prices are better (well not as much as the neighborhood Volvo dealer), I think the parts are less and they tend to use Volvo parts. Bethesda Import Specialist 5435 Butler Road Bethesda, Maryland 20816 http://www.bethesdaimports.com/ Our phone number is 301-656-0056 Our fax number is 301-656-0071 email: bisibody@aol.com <mailto:bisibody@aol.com> and no i am not an interested party to their shop but I am a long time customer and they can't identify me from this post either (I think) In this area, look up washington volvo club, http://volvoclubdc.com/ If not in this area, join volvo club of america; http://www.vcoa.org/ >Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in >to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > > Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in > to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > 4) The brakes have a groove in the rotors. The rotors eventually will > need to be replaced. Cost $630 ...on a 3 year old car - unload it quick! I doubt any of those have ever been replaced on mine in 25 years and don't think any of it needs replacing soon. Specially rotors - if they are flat and grooves are smooth and run the full circle evenly... what's the problem? if you think about it the grooves give you more brake area .Discs are machined to put grooves in them to allow gases to escape even if your grooves dont do this how could they hurt as long as they are round they will work fine .Sorry but at the cost you have shown you must be going to a full price dealer check your local Volvo car club for a pleasant surprise .We are a bunch of tight wads who wont pay those over the top prices . >> Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in >> to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > the > full circle evenly... what's the problem? > if you think about it the grooves give you more brake area .Discs are > machined to put grooves in them to allow gases to escape even if your > grooves dont do this how could they hurt as long as they are round they will > work fine .Sorry but at the cost you have shown you must be going to a full > price dealer check your local Volvo car club for a pleasant surprise .We are > a bunch of tight wads who wont pay those over the top prices . Tightwads??? I think Not. Do you realise that this service is going to cost the poster about $500.00 for every 10,000 miles that he has driven his vehicle, NOT including all of the cumulative costs that he's already put into it over the span of 60K? I just wonder how many XC70's that there will be driving around at the age of ten years once the unfortunate owners of these vehicles find out that it's gonna cost them $6 to $7,000.00 go get their pristine, shiny, dentless cars back into shape. The managing broker (Real Estate) in my office has a ten year old Rolls that has over 250K on the clock and he states that virtually nothing has gone wrong with it since he bought it new. After I emailed him this post he stated that he now knows why I'm never at the office in the mornings and always say that I'm at the dealer. He told me that someone in the office suggested that I might always be out driving around looking for sex. No such luck...I'm being screwed by my car. >>>Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in >>>to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >>>4) The brakes have a groove in the rotors. The rotors eventually will >>>need to be replaced. Cost $630 > I know very little about cars so any comments, suggestions or questions > you think I should ask would be appreciated. > > Thanks! Auto repair prices at dealers and elsewhere seem to have gone through the roof in the past 10 years. Personally I would do all of the work you detailed myself, but not many DIY folks have the equipment and experience I have accumulated in ~30 years of DIY mechanic work plus a bit of time out for my engineering degree. I would try to find some reputable independent Volvo/European car specialists in your area and get a second quote. I wouldn't go to most do-it-all garages nor to most chain stores. There is a good chance such places will get something wrong and then your headaches really start! You might post a question here with your general area and see if anyone has pointers on good shops for you. John >Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in >to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >This appears to be one of the more rigorous service milestones so I >expected to to be expensive. Estimated cost: $670 Makes me glad I drive an older 240! Still, for a full service that is about right. You would pay about that much on any newer car. >2) Occasionally I've been hearing a hissing from the brake pedal on >release. They say this can be fixed by replacing the brake booster. >Cost: $975 OUCH! Does this job come with lubricant? I can get the transmission totally overhauled on my motorhome for over $100 LESS than that! Hit a few local brake shops and see what they say. It mught just be a leaky fitting, but you should be able to get it done for a lot less. >3) The inner tie rod is causing excess play. It needs to be repaired >and the wheels realigned. Cost: $410 That should have lasted longer than that. >4) The brakes have a groove in the rotors. The rotors eventually will >need to be replaced. Cost $630 Eventually could mean in another 100,000 miles. The shops are in a big hurry to turn rotors if there is the slightest defect in them. They say it is becasue of safety and liability, but I have run grooved rotors for many miles on various cars and they work fine. Antoher way to look at it is that the surface area is increased which means better braking! ;-) Once they have been turned it means that they are thinner and that means they are more prone to warping. If the car brakes straight and predictably and thre are no computer faults from the ABS system. don't let them touch them. Just make sure you get the pads checked and changed before any damage is done from metal to metal contact. Wothout seeing the groove it is hard to say, but I would leave them alone. Especially at that price. __ __ Randy & \ \/ /alerie's \__/olvos '90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate "Shelby" & "Kate" > Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in > to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > This appears to be one of the more rigorous service milestones so I > expected to to be expensive. Estimated cost: $670 That seems quite high, but you do own a luxury car. If you live in the Philadelphia, Central New Jersey, or DC areas I can suggest skilled and less expensive independent shops. You can also go to this page for a hint: http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/ or this one: http://www.ramac.com/locator.asp > 2) Occasionally I've been hearing a hissing from the brake pedal on > release. They say this can be fixed by replacing the brake booster. > Cost: $975 I think *some* hissing is normal. In any case $975 sounds amazingly expensive. I could not find the part on line, but for a grand I would live with it. > 3) The inner tie rod is causing excess play. It needs to be repaired > and the wheels realigned. Cost: $410 ~50 to 60 bucks each for parts, I will be generous and say an hours labor and a full alignment, add 25% mark up and you are at no more then $225-$250 at a independent shop for one, if it's both then the Volvo price is starting to look 1/2 decent, but still I would rather have a relationship with a independent shop then the dealer...your opinion could well be different. > 4) The brakes have a groove in the rotors. The rotors eventually will > need to be replaced. Cost $630 Assuming fronts you are looking at ~$200 parts and 1 hr labor. No more then $250-275. Add $25 or 40 if they are bleeding the brake system, which is always a good idea. The dealers service department has a few advantages. They can do almost everything, they will stand behind the work, and it will make the car a little easier to sell, however a good independent shop will do a great job for less money. The service department is what keeps most dealers in business, and you don't want to pay for that lovely showroom and nice shiny painted floor in the shop do you? Wait...every Volvo dealer I have been to has a wonderful coffee machine in the waiting area. that alone is worth a C! Best luck! >>Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in >>to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > > Best luck! > That seems quite high, but you do own a luxury car. Please...Give me a BREAK!!!! This is an extremely polite group, but....Luxury car My a.s! > everything, they will stand behind the work, Volvo of Las Vegas doesn't even stand behind a leaking valve stem when they install new tires and you return two days later with a flat in the cargo area. Just one more thing about the coffee machine. I've noticed that the salesmen drink 85% of the coffee and when the pots are empty then never make any more. They just leave the grounds in the bottom of the empty pot and put it back on the warmer. Happy New Year, all! > > That seems quite high, but you do own a luxury car. > > Please...Give me a BREAK!!!! > This is an extremely polite group, but....Luxury car My a.s! Well what class would you put a $40,000 car in? The Volvo does appeal to different folks then a Lexus or a Bimmer and to be sure quite different then a MB...OTOH I also think there is a lot of the same type of buyer in the Subaru store as a Volvo store... I think a lot of Subaru shoppers are Volvo and former Volvo owners wishing that a Subaru is a reliable Volvo. Alas, Subarus are reliable, but they're not Volvos. Eventually, after 10 or 20 years of expensive Volvo repairs and a few dozen days spent standing on the side of the highway next to your broken $40K Volvo, many give up comfort and performance for reliability. ----- -RL ('76 264, '78 264, '87 240, '89 240, '96 850, '96 850, now driving an Acura and considering a Subaru to replace the last ever Volvo) >> > That seems quite high, but you do own a luxury car. >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > a MB...OTOH I also think there is a lot of the same type of buyer in the > Subaru store as a Volvo store... > I think a lot of Subaru shoppers are Volvo and former Volvo owners wishing > that a Subaru is a reliable Volvo. Alas, Subarus are reliable, but they're [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > days spent standing on the side of the highway next to your broken $40K > Volvo, many give up comfort and performance for reliability. That's a funny thing - my next choice (for a newer car, later) could well be a Subaru. Old volvos seem very reliable and new ones don't sound as though they are as good. I guess it means we are a discerning lot & Subarus are a good choice. I spent most of my Thanksgiving vacation trying to get a new power steering pump for our '96 850 wagon in the back hills of upstate New York, after it failed (quite dramatically in fact, the shaft and pulley came completely out of the pump body, thus also disabling the serpentine belt, the water pump, and the alternator) in a blizzard, miles from anywhere and miles from cell phone service. During the 2005 Thanksgiving-of-hunting-Volvo-parts, I got a good bit of experience riding around in my elder brother's Subaru wagon, of approximately the same vintage. It's a typical low-end japanese car, spindly seats, clicky controls, light-weight all around, poor low-end torque, etc. It's also rusted all around the wheel wells. If the Volvo were functioning, the Subaru wouldn't hold a candle to it, in any competition. On the other hand, he's had it for 10 years and it has never broken, other than routine maintenance, while our Volvo has had more major systems replaced than I can remember. He will never buy anything but a Subaru. ----- -RL ('76 264, '78 264, '87 240, '89 240, '96 850, '96 850, now driving an Acura and considering a Subaru to replace the last ever Volvo) >> I think a lot of Subaru shoppers are Volvo and former Volvo owners >> wishing [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > they are as good. I guess it means we are a discerning lot & Subarus are a > good choice. > I spent most of my Thanksgiving vacation trying to get a new power steering > pump for our '96 850 wagon in the back hills of upstate New York, after it [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > systems replaced than I can remember. He will never buy anything but a > Subaru. Apart from mechanical reliability, I had the impression the (newer) Subarus were slightly more solid than the usual washing machine construction of most cars, which lately makes them really hard to distinguish one from another. Just another illusion? yea, the are still a asian product...cheap, thin metal, cheap lightweight fastners...but, overall, the quality is getting better and better as the priduction moves out of asia....just look at some of the ratings the asian cars get ocassionaly >> I think a lot of Subaru shoppers are Volvo and former Volvo owners >> wishing that a Subaru is a reliable Volvo. Alas, Subarus are [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >> your broken $40K Volvo, many give up comfort and performance for >> reliability. Huh. My 1990 Volvo 240 has cost me less for repairs in an average year than my previous car, a 1988 Ford Bronco II, did. Thus far I have spent zero time standing next to it on the highway. But then with only 158,000 miles on it, the Volvo is just breaking in- compared to the Bronco II which was breaking down by this point in its career. I fully expect another 100,000 miles out of the Volvo, which ought to easily me to the end of affordable gasoline and beyond... > That's a funny thing - my next choice (for a newer car, later) could > well be a Subaru. Old volvos seem very reliable and new ones don't > sound as though they are as good. I guess it means we are a > discerning lot & Subarus are a good choice. Subarus seems to be fine cars, but they are not inexpensive to repair either. And they are not really suitable for most folks to do much shade-tree work on, unlike the 240s and 7xx Volvos. >> > That seems quite high, but you do own a luxury car. >> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > a MB...OTOH I also think there is a lot of the same type of buyer in the > Subaru store as a Volvo store... Well, how about the luxury of not having the car disintegrate under me. The latest in the saga of my '03 XC is when I stopped at the Grocery store yesterday, I pushed the lock button and then closed the door and as always, looked at the small light on the fender for the flash to show that the alarm was armed. There was the light, hanging by it's wire aboout two inches from the fender. The clip that's supposed to hold it in just snapped off. Got back in the car and called the dealer.... $48.Bucks???? You MUST be putting me on!!! AnyHoo, a couple of little squares cut from an industrial grade, double-sided tape worked wonders, Ka-CHING. I should have done that to the side trim that fell off of the passenger side front door. Oh, and as far as putting the price on so-called luxury, they could probably crank those cars out all day long for $20,000 and still make money on them. Thanks for all the advice and tips. I do live in the Washington, DC area - Fairfax county off of Gallows Road - so I'll definitely look into the washington volvo club and Bethesda Import Specialist. Thanks again. Don Buyers Volvo does have those lovely 'free' concerts and book readings however! > Thanks for all the advice and tips. I do live in the Washington, DC > area - Fairfax county off of Gallows Road - so I'll definitely look > into the washington volvo club and Bethesda Import Specialist. > > Thanks again. > Don Buyers Volvo does have those lovely 'free' concerts and book readings > however! ...and you hope you're not waiting long enough for it to be the Mahabharata? Closest I have come to such in-house entertainment at a car repairers is the muffler shop where the doberman starts to like you if it's a longish job. >>Don Buyers Volvo does have those lovely 'free' concerts and book readings >>however! > > ...and you hope you're not waiting long enough for it to be the Mahabharata? > Closest I have come to such in-house entertainment at a car repairers is the > muffler shop where the doberman starts to like you if it's a longish job. LOL! "Yes, sir, we know that it's a steep price but after all, you did get your face washed by the dog!" I know where the dog's tongue has been but I always wonder just where the dealer's tongue has been. > Thanks for all the advice and tips. I do live in the Washington, DC > area - Fairfax county off of Gallows Road - so I'll definitely look > into the washington volvo club and Bethesda Import Specialist. > > Thanks again. How appropropriate. Every time that I drive into the dealer I feel like I'm going to the Gallows...or since it's such a fancy-schmantzy dealership, more like lethal injection. > Hello. I have a 2002 v70xc AWD with around 63,000 miles. I took it in > to my closest service center today for the scheduled maintenance and [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Thanks! Jesus H C..... Well, I have an 03 and If I took mine in for the 60K and they wanted $3,000 bux for service, I'd introduce my XC to the boat launch ramp at Lake Mead. With my luck, it would take three days to sink! |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.