If you have not yet read the section regarding the busted turbocharger on my 2001 S40, it's worth viewing. The following is some good to know information for Volvo Owners in general:

I contacted Volvo regarding the busted turbocharger on my 2001 S40 1.9T. The vehicle is out of warranty, but a bad turbocharger on a 3 year old car with 55,000 miles seemed highly unusual and smacked of a possible manufacturer's defect. I wrote to Volvo hoping they would assist with what it cost me to replace the turbo as a "good will" gesture and to notify them of the problem for quality control purposes.

In writing to them I was concise and complimentary of their product overall. My correspondence was extremely civil in tone. I merely expressed surprise at a major engine component needing replacement at this stage on a car that is known for reliability.

To their credit, Volvo Cars of North America did respond promptly and their Customer Service Reps were professional and polite. They did not, however, know a wastegate from a wheel.

The bottom line was that Volvo would have considered "good will" and assisted with the cost to replace the turbo had I taken it to a Volvo retailer for repair. I have dealt with my mechanic for close on 7 years and the bad turbocharger was diagnosed when I took the car in for its annual state inspection (required in VA.). It was there already and leaking a tremendous amount of oil, so I told them to go ahead and fix it. They are ASE certified and have always done good by me. I was allowed out into the shop to see what the car looked like up on the rack and I agreed with their diagnosis. It's my second Volvo turbo model, so I am quite familiar with them and my cars in general.

I am thoroughly disappointed that this was the only reason they declined to act on a "good will" basis. They told me I should have called, waited for approval, and then had the car repaired at a Volvo retailer. Well, gee, it's out of warranty, I have a qualified mechanic, and quite frankly would not have been pleased to wait while Volvo decided whether they would pay or not. I also doubt the dealership cost to repair would have been as reasonable.


So, the moral of the story is, use Volvo approved mechanics if you intend to make a case for "good will" assistance. $1,900 later I learned this lesson the hard way.

I think the moral to this story is that a phone call is more effective than a letter. I have never known anyone to get a goodwill adjustment from a complaint by letter, but I have known it to happen from phone calls. I have received goodwill adjustments by voicing my complaint in person at the dealer.

I also had a telephone conversation with a Customer Service Rep. The letter was mailed as documentation of my complaint and to provide Volvo with the statement and estimate for the repair.. . which they cannot see by telephone :)

I am sorry to hear about your premature turbo failure. Being a business owner and having gone around the block a few times I am not suprised b Volvo's response. One way to look at it is that you probably saved the cost of the turbo by going to the indy all these years. Plus out of warranty I am sure Volvo woud not have covered the entire cost regardless of how much you had spent at the dealer.

I try to take good care of my cutomers and have gone the extra mile on freebees when something unusual has happened, but when they get there service third party then they are on there own. Maybe that's why I have both of my bricks taken car of at the dealer.

Good luck.

own trusted mechanic, yes
dealer, hmmmmmm........how to deal with a dealer who wants to take for the ride around not one, but two blocks, before actually fixing the real cause, promptly, professionally ?
any ideas as a small business owner ?

Exactly. My dealings with Volvo dealerships service depts. has not been good. My 1993 was experiencing a loss of power that was indicative of an alternator problem. I called and was told to "go put a new battery in it" and "you don't know what you're talking about" when I expressed my suspicion about the alt. It WAS the alternator. A cracked alternator arm to be exact. So, I took it to another Volvo retailer for repair and they had the car for a week to fix a relatively simple thing. My rental car cost more than the repair! Everytime I tried to get service done after that, they could "see me next week". Who has time to wait for weeks on end to get repairs or regular service done? Not me. Plus, the nearest dealership is about 35 miles away.

The good news is, the guy who told me I didn't know what I was talking about was released from employment that resulted from numerous complaints including mine. The slow delership no longer sells/services Volvos.

Exactly. My dealings with Volvo dealerships service depts. has not been good. My 1993 was experiencing a loss of power that was indicative of an alternator problem. I called and was told to "go put a new battery in it" and "you don't know what you're talking about" when I expressed my suspicion about the alt. It WAS the alternator. A cracked alternator arm to be exact. So, I took it to another Volvo retailer for repair and they had the car for a week to fix a relatively simple thing. My rental car cost more than the repair! Everytime I tried to get service done after that, they could "see me next week". Who has time to wait for weeks on end to get repairs or regular service done? Not me. Plus, the nearest dealership is about 35 miles away.

The good news is, the guy who told me I didn't know what I was talking about was released from employment that resulted from numerous complaints including mine. The slow delership no longer sells/services Volvos.