Dealer Service / Service Plan - Worth it? Benefits?
 

I've just bought a V90 D5 Inscription.

I have a couple of questions about servicing / service plan:

It is possible to take out a service plan as it is not quite 4 years old. I am wondering what value / benefit there is to this? As far as I can see the plan works out the same as just getting the services individually plus you have to pay a set-up fee.

When I get a service what are the benefits of using a main dealer other than the stamp? Servicing seems extremely expensive. I have seen it includes RAC but what else is there to justify to me the higher cost? Will anything in the car stop working properly for example?

What do other members do?

I have searched through the forums and found various comments but not everything, and not all in one place.

Thanks

Cars including volvos are very specialised now , it's a highly complex car and only the dealer has the know how and tools to look after it , even something as simple as doing an oil change can cause problems with warning messages as the level has to be precise and calibrated and it is vital the 0w/20 oil is volvos own specification . VCC RBS0-2AE 0W-20 .

Another vital item are the free annual software updates which come with the service , the cars still being fairly new, are continually having the multitude of safety and functional software updated on a monthly basis .
there are around 50 or more modules with updatable software in the car ...

If you bought a new £ 1m Ferrari how would you go about getting it serviced? Its exactly the same with volvo ...


The service plan is just a way of spreading the cost over the year , it might suit you if you cant afford the yearly service . you can cancel and get a refund at any time so it is worth considering ..

Would you say it’s worth dealer servicing a 2012 S60? I often wonder if there any are really software updates for that generation of car?

The software on a 2012 car is well proved now , however parameters for city safety and other safety systems such as SRS timings and Engine ECU and Auto gearbox at least are still getting altered to fix things that have cropped up since the car was new . why not take it is every two years to get those updated ...

Also factor in the full Breakdown cover inc Europe when weighing everything up.

In the grand scheme of things I'd rather spend a little more, ensure the car is fully up-to-date, serviced with the correct parts & have decent breakdown cover.

What about older models, like 2007/2008? I imagine those cars would no longer have updates.

The only benefits are stamp and software updates...but very pricey. You can probably get both from a good independent volvo centre at a lot less money or just do it yourself for even less money. After experience of Listers I'll be doing my own.
I would not bother with RAC. I had cover on a previous vehicle, but for some reason RAC cancelled the policy early and as it happened I had an issue...luckily I was able to sort the problem myself (stuck starter).
My brother broke down in a Citroen C5...the clutch had broken. He knew from previous experience that they were unable to tow the vehicle without a flatbed which he explained to the call handler, but stupidly they just sent out a normal guy which took 3 hours and of course he just said he could not tow the vehicle. I ended up towing it with the RAC man's tow bar so at least that was a help, and my brother wasn't too far from home.
Completely useless in my opinion. I've got basic cover on my insurance now.

Actually it is pretty easy to do it yourself and oil is readily available if somewhat expensive. Updates can be done at home with wifi or hotspot internet connection. There's no issue with oil level it is displayed in the car information. Just changed mine, there's no warnings or anything else. I did have an issue as I bought the wrong filter wrench...I bought an 86mm 16 side, but should be 88mm 16 side. I cut a slot in the one I bought to open it up slightly and worked ok, but I'll be buying the correct one.