G/box: 4T65AWD: 4T65EV/GT Failures

[philbrad73]

Hi Kevin,

I came across this place on ebay doing a gearbox change? for 1495


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-XC90...item519b44776c

Regards Phil.

[Keyser Soze]

Originally Posted by philbrad73

Hi Kevin,

I came across this place on ebay doing a gearbox change? for 1495


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-XC90...item519b44776c

Regards Phil.

Hi Phil,

Many thanks for the thought, but I'm wary as hell of any London based companies that offer such low prices for gearbox or engine changes/refurbs, especially one I know does cost a pretty penny to do. Wherever one would take an XC90, you're looking at a minimum labour charge of £850 for the job as the box & engine has to be dropped and the 4T65EV/GT rebuild comes in at a minimum of £1k+ depending on how goosed it is.

I have heard far, far too many horror stories over the years of poor workmanship and rip offs than I care to mention. May well be £1495 as posted, but then once the box is off, I dare say that there will be a sharp intake of breath and the sound of sucking teeth and followed by "Sorry guvnor but we can't honour the original price, it'll now be £x,000 more", all with a warranty that is worth jack s&it and written on toilet paper.

[Keyser Soze]

Volvo Says no again...... (apologies in advance for the 'choice & colourful' language later in the post)

Originally Posted by Volvo Car UK Customer Services

FW: Kirwan file - 490213‏


From: krakhra@volvocars.com on behalf of Customer Relations, Volvo (.) (CUSTCARE@volvocars.com) Sent: 02 November 2011 11:14:34 To: kjkir@hotmail.com (kjkir@hotmail.com)

Posted Image 3 attachments Complaints - Search Results _ Safercar 2003 XC90 Transmission.pdf (153.5 KB) , Complaints - Search Results _ Safercar 2004 XC90 Transmission.pdf (248.1 KB) , Complaints - Search Results _ Safercar 2005 XC90 Transmission.pdf (151.8 KB)

Dear Mr Kirwan

Thank you again for your e-mail.

We are confident that Volvo Cars North America will handle any customer issues raised in their market. Should you wish to pursue this matter further, I must confirm that you have no contractual relationship with Volvo Car UK Limited. Your contract of sale lies with whoever you purchased the vehicle from.

Our position on your case remains as previously outlined. To clarify, we will not be offering a financial contribution towards the cost of the new gearbox. I trust our final position on this matter in now clear.


Kind regards

Kiran Rakhra

Customer Relations Consultant
Volvo Car UK Limited

Yes there is no contractual relationship between me & Volvo Car UK, but to be so dismissive in the light of concrete factual evidence that their product is, in my opinion, weak and fitted with a vital component that is not nor ever was fit for purpose in the XC90 installation just absolutely beggars belief.

So, say that I had have been actually driving in the following scenarios :

• On the motorway at the legal speed limit and the gearbox gave out and the loss of traction ended up with me being hit by another vehicle be it a car or an artic, would the oh so safe reliable well engineered Volvo Car admit liability?
  
  What if the gearbox gave out whilst crossing a level crossing and the gates closed, would the oh so safe reliable well engineered Volvo Car admit liability?
  
  What if the gearbox gave out when pulling out at a junction and I was hit by another vehicle again be it a car or an artic, would the oh so safe reliable well engineered Volvo Car admit liability?

In in all of the scenarios above I think not. In light of the dialogue that has been taking place between me and VCUK, heaven forbid if such scenarios were ever to happen to the Volvo Owner because all you would get from VCUK is a great big F OFF!

Christ my blood is so boiling over at this I have lost my patience with VCUK, VCC and the Volvo marque in general. What a motherffing MAHOOSIVE HUGE mistake it ever was buying an XC90. A car I wanted and aspired to for a long time coupled with abysmal ignoramous customer has completely has shattered my opinion of the marque. To think that I was going to sink £21k into an 08 D5 SE Lux with Rybrook Warrington makes me shudder. I opted for an older model on the grounds of keeping cashflow liquid. Yes I'm going to lose **** loads of cash on the T6 either way if the car was repaired and sold or broke up and spares sold but I would recoup more with the car as a runner. I'm seriously thinking of outing the barsteward and turning my back on the marque.

I'm sure that peeps may well feel that I'm on a hopeless crusade and rant, but I do feel that a car that is sold on the virtues of being an extremely safe, reliable family car that then fails at such a low mileage is not on in anybody's book.

[hancym]

I had similar arrogant reply experience from VCUK but thankfully I was not at the wrong end of the bill. I bought a used 2004 XC90 T6 from a reputable independent dealer. The car had experienced absolute complete Volvo service history right up until the month before I bought it. I did note from the mountain of paperwork that came with it that Mr. Previous had been offered about £700 or so contribution from VCUK when he had the box replaced at the Stealership after a big bang a failure in car park (I contacted the previous owner).

I called VCUK out of curiosity to find out what would have been replaced, new recon, or what! I also wanted to know some simple stuff such as:

• Would I have a box that would be slightly better (improved) than the one that went bang. What exactly does the software upgrade do?
• How does it protect the box what are the mechanical attribute of the software.

• And more importantly, if the later XC90 T6 variants have another better gearbox fitted that does not fail, presumably that would bolt straight onto the engine? Why is Volvo not fitting those to the T6 every time they go bang?

They wouldn’t let me speak to anyone with any modicum of mechanical or technical knowledge and told me I had to speak to a girl in a call centre that could quite honestly not string a sentence when it came to anything more than reading from a script.

I would still love to know the answers to my questions above so if anyone can answer them I would very much appreciate it.

[excaleng]

Are there no Volvo employees visiting these hallowed pages that could answer some of the questions raised? Given the size of the forum as a whole and it's apparent connections with the actual company (car discounts etc) I'd have thought that there would be some Volvo cove willing to join in, even in an anonymous capacity!

[Keyser Soze]

Originally Posted by excaleng

Are there no Volvo employees visiting these hallowed pages that could answer some of the questions raised? Given the size of the forum as a whole and it's apparent connections with the actual company (car discounts etc) I'd have thought that there would be some Volvo cove willing to join in, even in an anonymous capacity!

I doubt that any would for fear of admission and bismirching the name of the last bastion of fine automotive engineering that is Volvo (tongue very firmly in cheek)

[Keyser Soze]

As of 9:40 this morning the car is in the hands of Rybrook. Despite promises made, VOSA & VCUK engineers nowhere in sight

Took Shank's pony to Chester train station to make my way home, now on the train. I wonder if there'll be a sharp intake of breath and sucked teeth from Rybrook and say, it'll cost x amount more. Wait & see

[hancym]

Originally Posted by excaleng

Are there no Volvo employees visiting these hallowed pages that could answer some of the questions raised? Given the size of the forum as a whole and it's apparent connections with the actual company (car discounts etc) I'd have thought that there would be some Volvo cove willing to join in, even in an anonymous capacity!

Well said!

[Keyser Soze]

Well I see that nobody in an official or unofficial capacity, on the record or off the record, named or anonymous, has stepped up to comment. Granted, visiting the VOC forums may not be high on any VCUK or dealer's employees priority lists, but as stated earlier in the thread surely there is some contact somewhere......

Sort of speaks volumes IMHO.

[excaleng]

Originally Posted by Keyser Soze

Well I see that nobody in an official or unofficial capacity, on the record or off the record, named or anonymous, has stepped up to comment. Granted, visiting the VOC forums may not be high on any VCUK or dealer's employees priority lists, but as stated earlier in the thread surely there is some contact somewhere......

Sort of speaks volumes IMHO.

Yeh, the reason why I asked was that on the Touareg forum (http://www.mytreg.com/) the are regular inputs from people connected with VW and the Touareg in particular. Always in an unofficial and usually anonymous capacity of course but it is very useful and helpful to have their input. As I intimated I'm surprised one or two Volvo mechanics aren't popping in here, in an unofficial capacity, to help us owners out with advice addressing some of the issues raised.