What do you consider a "reasonable" labor rate on a European import? Nobody who has someone do their work will ever get off easy owning a Volvo. Or a BMW. Or Mercedes. VW. Saab. Audi. Porsche. Even Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Ford, Cadillac, Chrysler, etc.

If you don't do a lot yourself, you are going to pay for it. You might get better customer service elsewhere, but complaining about a $60 hourly rate is not going to get you very far when it comes to shopping for deals on work. That $60 doesn't go too far in a shop setting. The tech is lucky to see $16 of that, but that means that the actual employee part of the hourly rate is more like $25 after UI, FICA, etc. Then the shop sucks out another $15 for costs (power, supplies, etc.) And whatever is left, is left. Salary for the owner.

Once you step down too far, you start paying for it in other ways, like comebacks or just plain shoddy workmanship.

I'm trying to be the devil's advocate... not to tell you that you're wrong. The thing is, shops cost a lot to run and the cost is passed right on down the line to the consumer... no matter what kind of car it is.
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1992 940 wagon, low miles
as well as others.