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There was an earlier post about catalytic converter purchase options and the longevity of aftermarket exhausts. A responder said he thought genuine Volvo replacement exhausts were warranted for “life”. Maybe – my experience differed. I’ve had my 83 for 19 years, and it just got its third genuine Volvo exhaust - everything from the manifold back. I paid full dealer price for each one, incl. labor. Why am I still buying “genuine Volvo”? Because the first two lasted 19years, with 16 of those years being mainly city driving in Canada with a 6-month winter. Anyone got a Meineke or Midas story to match that? The first replacement was because the original factory system finally rotted after about 10 years. The dlr told me there was a lifetime - as long as I owned the car - warranty on the replacement genuine Volvo mufflers. I don’t believe it covered pipes and clamps. Eventually the rear muffler rotted and they indeed replaced it “no charge”, except for the clamps, a hanger, and labor – a pretty stiff hit, but at least the $100 muffler was “free”.
Nine years later, (July 2002) having moved far away, my kids were on their way in this car to the city where all the previous work was done when the exhaust pipe sheared off just in front of the front muffler. It was patched up with weld and I told them to take it to the dealer and it would be taken care of . So the dlr then phones me and advised that the entire system was shot, but since "the system has been welded” there’s no warranty! I argued in vain long distance, they were very polite, even offered to refer me to the Volvo district rep., but no warranty. With my kids marooned, I ate the $425 for a complete, manifold back, system. (As this happened in Canada, and the 1983 models in that country did not come with cat converters, this system didn’t include that rather pricy part, and neither did the system replaced in 1993).
So – if you get a lifetime Volvo exhaust warranty here are some tips:
-be prepared to keep the car a LONG time before you’ll need the warranty
-keep your paperwork to prove your purchase
-use bailing wire or whatever to get you to a dlr for warranty work
-if you weld it, you may be invalidating the warranty
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