V50 servicing costs

[Milton Keynes]

I have had my V50 for two and a half years now and am pretty ****ed off at the cost of servicing constantly going up.

The car had 28k on it when I bought it. It was 18 months old.

My first service cost me £500.
My second service cost me £600.
I have now been quoted £1050 for the third service by Pilling Volvo.

I honestly can't understand why this is such an expensive car to service. It is based on a Focus floorplan with a Peugeot / ford engine and ford parts.

A focus service would cost me about £150, as would a peugeot service.

Even my previous Subaru Impreza never cost me this much to service and that was a 220bhp turbo charged four wheel drive car with high performance parts (shipped over from Japan).
This is nothing more than a simple front wheel drive car with a diesel engine?

It wouldn't be so bad if the car was anything special but apart from being completely useless on anything but major A roads, the car has been problematic from day one. Half the features on the car don't work and the tyres wear out every 9000 miles.

I have just phoned an independent garage who have quoted me £251 for the same service. Are my dealership trying to mug me or what?

[Rufe]

It certainly sounds like you are being quoted to have the diesel particulate filter changed. This part is around £300 alone, even before the rest of the service and the labour to change it. I am pretty sure these have to be changed on the 3rd or 36,000 mile service on certain vehicles depending on emmission code, (ie, euro 4, euro 5 etc), so this certainly sounds like the reason for the large cost of this service. If this is required and the independent dealer is not changing this particular part they will not be meeting the manufacturers service requirements and therefore could affect any warranty remaining on the car if applicable. You should talk to your dealer again and find out exactly what they have quoted you for, then talk to the independent and see if they meet the same service requirements.

When we first heard about this and had to charge a customer £300 for this part on their service bill we knew it was going to be an issue for customers who were not going to be aware of the large service bills for these cars at certain intervals.

[GMcL]

DPF is not due on these cars until 72k miles. Sounds like they could be doing this service at 64k on your car (assuming 12k intervals for other services).

What extra work has been done at the previous services ?

[Milton Keynes]

It is the 72k service.

I still can't understand why the service is so much. £300 is rediculous for a part for such a simple car. Then there is the other £750?

My friend has an E class mercedes and spends less on servicing than I do. In fact so do friends with BMWs also. My V50 doesn't compare with either and yet costs me more?

Subaru were charging me £100 for a minor service and £300 for a major. The most expensive was the cambelt and fluids change which cost me £900.
As stated before my services at Volvo have been £500, £600 and now they want £1050.

Perhaps I'll speak with Ford and Peugeot and find out how much they charge for the same parts.

[don kalmar union]

You have, from what I have heard before, picked a badun in your choise of Volvo dealer.

<removed by moderator>....believe it or not that firm do not offer any sick pay to long term employees so you could take a view of how they are likely to behave in their business relationships.

Depending on where you are canvass a couple of other proper Volvo dealers.....even a local Ford dealer....your V50 is the same as the current Focus in many respects.....

Otherwise get advice here about Volvo specialists that are not too far away, or just find your best local small old fashioned 'garage', there is really nothing much on your car that is beyond the skills of a good guy working out of a shed, certainly in terms of general servicing.

It is a fact that the small Volvos not only depreciate more than their Focus cousins but the servicing costs are way, higher than those for similar Fords.

Volvo dealers are a very varied bunch, believe it or not one or two with fine reputations that are owned by the very big groups and some individually owned that are real beacons of decent trading.

But, in the longer run I would say you are better served by a good local man who has no need of specialisation. If he needs some difficult to source parts and maybe some occasional technical assistance for you then deal directly with an outfit such as Braydon Motor Company in London E5 or Harlow.... one of the very, very best non franchised Volvo outfits in the country.

Regards, Don.

[Milton Keynes]

Thanks very much for the advice.

The car is booked into an independent Volvo specialist tomorrow morning.
If they are good I'll be sure to recommend them on here.

[Milton Keynes]

I just wanted to give a quick update.

I had the service carried out a couple of weeks ago at the local independent and couldn't really fault them. Polite, efficient and good value for money at a quarter of what the main dealer wanted.

Unfortunately I got in my car this morning to find the drivers door no longer locks and the thermo is reading an outside temperature of -6C, resulting in the climate control blowing hot air even at 14C.

I'm afraid to say this has been the most problematic car I have ever owned. Something else has gone wrong on average every other month. I think I've put up with as much as I can take. Extortionate service costs are one thing but I'm just sick of having to get it repaired every other month.

[bircham]

Unfortunately I got in my car this morning to find the drivers door no longer locks and the thermo is reading an outside temperature of -6C, resulting in the climate control blowing hot air even at 14C.

My wife's V50 did this for a while. It gets pretty uncomfortable when the car (in her case) was showing -40C and the climate cobtrol was trying to roast us! It is a common fault I believe and easily solved with the dealer replacing a part in the wingmirror (where the thermometer is).

Jon

[D5-DRIVER]

Originally Posted by Milton Keynes

I have had my V50 for two and a half years now and am pretty ****ed off at the cost of servicing constantly going up.

The car had 28k on it when I bought it. It was 18 months old.

My first service cost me £500.
My second service cost me £600.
I have now been quoted £1050 for the third service by Pilling Volvo.

I honestly can't understand why this is such an expensive car to service. It is based on a Focus floorplan with a Peugeot / ford engine and ford parts.

A focus service would cost me about £150, as would a peugeot service.

Even my previous Subaru Impreza never cost me this much to service and that was a 220bhp turbo charged four wheel drive car with high performance parts (shipped over from Japan).
This is nothing more than a simple front wheel drive car with a diesel engine?

It wouldn't be so bad if the car was anything special but apart from being completely useless on anything but major A roads, the car has been problematic from day one. Half the features on the car don't work and the tyres wear out every 9000 miles.

I have just phoned an independent garage who have quoted me £251 for the same service. Are my dealership trying to mug me or what?

tell me about it i have just paid £2200 for 36k service discs and pads bulbs and wheel alignment at pilling wgc will never use them again