[cookiemonstar]

So a little background, I have a 2004 s60 R bought it with 35k miles on it in the summer of 2008. I am not what you would consider car savvy, I really enjoy the car but could not do any work on it. I took my car in to have maintenance done on it at the Volvo dealership and have never had any issues until now.

They gave me a list of problems that are becoming an issue of concern, 1) bevel gear is leaking and looseness between gears, rear diff is leaking and looseness between gears; to fix this issue they quoted $7k 2) Front spring seats are torn, front struts are leaking due to torn spring seats quoted $2k to fix 3) I had brakes done by someone I trust(ed), front brake rotors are wrong size, needs pads and rotors; which I am going to talk to the person who did them for me.

They told me the issue was probably caused because I have 3 old tires on the car and one new one. Now this has only been since the first Saturday of 2010, I had a tire get shredded from a pot hole, took it in to get 2 new tires the had to order one in and I was planning on having it put on this weekend. I find it hard to believe this issue has developed over the past 3 weeks.

Now when I talked to the person in the service department at the dealership he didn’t even say anything about having it get repaired there, he just told me “to be honest, I would get rid of the car asap!” But is this honest opinion coming from him knowing the cost or the mechanic who is trying to earn a buck? I have had friends told this before by dealers and their car has lasted 5 more years. I am just stuck in this decision situation and it is stressing me out. I am going to get a second opinion probably even a third. I love the car and can’t tell any difference in the driving. I would hate to part with it but can’t lose out on that much money.

Also are there any things I should watch for. I mean I park it in the same place on a consistent basis and there no leak spots and everything seems to run smooth? Any help would be great and any mechanics in Northern Utah you would recommend would be awesome. Let me know if you need anymore info.

 

[BHart]

Wow, you really need a second opinion.

Volvo dealerships have a habit of 'going by the book', so when an item assesed at service says "repair or replace", most dealerships will replace. This is not entirely wrong, it makes their work easier and they can be assured the problem - however minor - had been rectified. It does make it expensive for the customer. Find an independant, Volvo specialist for a second opinion. A quick look on-line shows;
Sutton Auto Tech
1230 N Skyline Dr F
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
(208) 529-4660
....not sure if that's close. You could find someone with a 740/240 series in your area and ask if they know a shop.

3 weeks of driving is not enough to hurt the driveline. You didn't say how many miles are on the car now. This may be normal wear-and-tear, especially with the R version. There has been some talk on this site about bevel gears and problems with them. Hopefully someone with experience can comment.

 

[cookiemonstar]

Thank you for the reply. That makes sense on what the dealership mechanic is doing. I am sure they are just trying to get cars in and out not even thinking twice. I have posted on other Volvo forums and found a private volvo mechanic closer. On my second opinion should I let them know up front what I was told at the dealer or just have them look over the car and say something after the fact?

 

[BHart]

I would let them come up with their own list of faults.