Cam belt failure

[freddy1967]

Hi I wondeer if someone can help. I have a Volvo XC90 (2004) with 60,000 miles full Volvo service history. I purchased this from a main dealer and am second owner.

I recently had a cam belt failure as I was driving on the motorway and now have an enormous bill from Volvo for a new engine. Has anyone else had a similar issue and what did you do. I cannot afford the quote I have been given by Volvo.

My argument is that the Cam belt should not have failed as Volvo recommend this to be replaced at 96,000 miles and I am no where near thsi mileage

[Steve74]

I work for a Ford dealer, so can't guarantee that Volvo's procedure is the same, but Ford's warranty on cambelts is:

"12 months, or next due scheduled replacement, whichever occurs first"

meaning that you have a maximum of one year guarantee on belts. Always seems a bit out of order, bearing in mind that most Ford belts have an 8 or 10 year/ 80 - 100k replacement schedule, but that is all thats offered.

[Danneh]

Mate, look up the details on when the belt is meant to be changed. Should be in your service history.

If it's at about 80k, or 8 years, as I suspect, could well be more these days - do not pay for a new/re-built engine. (or as you stated above)

It FAILED BEFORE it was meant to be changed.

Going by the above, if a belt failed at 1 year and 3.5 months, with only 8,000 miles on it, and they say "it's out of warranty" its utter bollocks.

Do you have any Warranty aswell? Policies cover this sort of thing. You have adhered (as best to my/your knowledge) to your schedule changing intervals. The fact that it's got a Full Volvo Service history backs up your case.

They should pay for it, or Volvo themselves. Fight mate.

edit: *editted some parts, read the OP more carefully

[Clan]

are there no open policies on your car for this problem?? You need to ask the dealer to show you the list for your particular car which they can print off , OR ask customer services .
If nothing applies , didnt you hear any strange noises sometime before it failed ? If all else fails the best option is to obtain a second hand engine and have this fitted .

[Perili]

I Also have a 2004 XC 90 with 69,000 miles and a full service history and the cam belt tensioner failed last week, car is with main dealer and I am waiting for them to asses the full amount of damage to the engine

[Clan]

An economic repair here is a new head about £1300 ( not a full engine at £3700 ) It is very unlikely the bottom end is damaged , because the camshaft bearing caps are designed to snap and relieve the forces if this happens ...but check all 5 piston heights above the block , if within about 0.1 mm then you wont have a bent connecting rod ... Pistons are designed to be higher than the block ..
Labour times for fitting a new head is very similar to that of fitting a new engine ...

[RollingThunder]

I think you have a pretty compelling case to take to Trading Standards if Volvo do not pay up - it has full Volvo service history, and the belt is barely into 2/3rds of Volvo's recommended change interval. Complications may arise in proving it was the belt that failed and not some other component which overstressed the belt causing it to fail.

I'd agree that a replacement engine is not required - if it was me (and I don't have any warranty) I'd change the head and any other components as required - it is unlikely to have damaged the crankshaft, so you'll be looking at maybe a few pistons, maybe a conrod, bearings, valves (I'm assuming its an interference engine - most are these days) along with new belt, tensioner, water pump as a precaution etc. As a very rough guess £1000-1500 using a secondhand head (from say Brandons). HOWEVER, if Volvo do the repair under warranty, then I would demand a new engine just to be awkward!

Good luck!

[Laney760]

Did your belt actually break or did the timing belt tensioner fail? The reason I ask is that there seem to be quite a few failures at early mileages of timing belt tensioners in these engines , reference in other Volvo forums, Honest John, etc.. If it was the timing belt tensioner, it is apparently recommended by Volvo to be changed at 96 thou / 8 years

[tt82]

Im not sure where you stand with warranties but i would of thought with a full service history that the dealer that serviced it previously would offer to do the work as goodwill at a cheap rate at least

[Perili]

It was the tensioner that failed causing the belt to jump