good/bad dealers/garages

[Pidgeonpost]

In my experience, unfortunately there's no 'magic bullet' when it comes to buying used cars. You can pay through the nose for an 'approved used' car and have problems. The hope is that by paying top whack you'll have a warranty worthy of the name or at the very least some goodwill from the dealer.
Once a car is a few years old things get trickier, more so if you're not mechanically or technically minded or are new to the marque - and I'm pretty new to Volvo myself. I was hoping to to lurk around the fringes of this forum and nab a car that had been cherished and cared for by a member. Unfortunately didn't happen, and I had a close call at one non-Volvo garage. The car was on Autotrader, reviews were good. It was the right spec, within budget, and ticked pretty much all the boxes. Communications by phone and email went well, the only complications were distance (about 100 miles each way, from memory) and we were just coming out of lockdown. It was just before Christmas and I was hoping for a deal. Then, while idly doing some Googling I came across a garage review website. The garage was absolutely slated by customers who'd bought and then had problems. All said the same - total refusal by the garage to resolve or refund. I backed off very quickly.
Circumstances meant that I needed a car and eventually bought our V70. Paid over the odds, good service history, but a 3 month warranty isn't worth much when you're 80 miles from the dealer - unless you have a total meltdown.
Not sure that helps you at. Just my most recent experience.

[The Thong]

Main Dealers are supposed to be the shining light of professionalism with what they charge. Yes Yes I’ve heard the “it pays for the nice courtesy car” and “it pays for the complimentary coffee’s” etc and so on. But, they the garages with the Manufacturers name over the door so therefore they should be giving no less than a 100% right??? Yeah??? Errrrmmmm no, wheel bolts left loose, losing the wheel bolt covers, breaking the air box and then trying to bodge it, not once but twice. Doing the Polestar upgrade and then not bothering to fill out the relevant paperwork.
This is unacceptable behaviour for a main dealership by any measure but it happens. I had a disagreement with a service manager over why they wouldn’t service my car. Errrmmm, it has an LPG system in it. And? Your fitting new pads and disks. Yeah but we’ve got no LPG trained mechanics. But the brakes are nowhere near the LPG system. Yeah, but we’re not insured for LPG…. Oh for ffs, what do I have to do to spend money here!!! A month later he was gone and another service manager took over and I was perving are the used car pitch and the new service manager came out. We hit on to the subject of my previous visit and he said….. The previous service manager was talking rubbish, we’re covered for all that etc etc. FFS!!! What goes on between these peoples ears??
The Air Box and LPG issue was Tollbar Volvo who since lost the Agency to Listers. I drive a Subaru now and so far so good, their service has been better if not more expensive

TT

[GrahamBrown1]

I was let down by Volvo main dealer with my current s80. A Volvo main dealer that has won many awards and has a shiny shiny showroom who portray them selves to be the best. And from the outside it would look that way. But when my s80 developed a cold start rattle from the engine which sounded like a belt they couldn’t sort it out. The car was in selekt warranty so booked it in with them. Cam belt service had been done by previous owner so all belts and tensioners should be good as they had just covered 7k miles. I suspected the alternator clutch pulley.

On the day of dropping it off the “technician” came out and I explained the issue and that it only happens when cold and then disappears. I said it’s had all the belts and tensioners done but I think it could be the alternator clutch pulley. If in any dought could you just fit one I’m happy to pay as we all know when these cars get belt issues it can write the engine off. Anyhow they messed about with it and had the car 3 days. Couldn’t find the noise and despite me asking multiple times about the alternator clutch pulley I was then told it didn’t have one fitted and the pulley was just a pulley. They charged me for a new belt and tensioner and sent me on my way. Lo and behold next cold start it rattled its **** off again until the clutch pulley freed it self off. I then purchased my own clutch pulley and fitted it myself. Rattle free for the last 10k miles.

That was the end of main dealer visits for me, my 2014 car isn’t exactly old tech and when the P3 car was launched it had numerous belt issues. Surely someone in there must know what they’re on with. Apparently not. Absolute shambles. I now use an independent specialist.

[chefshoes]

Originally Posted by Pidgeonpost

In my experience, unfortunately there's no 'magic bullet' when it comes to buying used cars. You can pay through the nose for an 'approved used' car and have problems. The hope is that by paying top whack you'll have a warranty worthy of the name or at the very least some goodwill from the dealer.
Once a car is a few years old things get trickier, more so if you're not mechanically or technically minded or are new to the marque - and I'm pretty new to Volvo myself. I was hoping to to lurk around the fringes of this forum and nab a car that had been cherished and cared for by a member. Unfortunately didn't happen, and I had a close call at one non-Volvo garage. The car was on Autotrader, reviews were good. It was the right spec, within budget, and ticked pretty much all the boxes. Communications by phone and email went well, the only complications were distance (about 100 miles each way, from memory) and we were just coming out of lockdown. It was just before Christmas and I was hoping for a deal. Then, while idly doing some Googling I came across a garage review website. The garage was absolutely slated by customers who'd bought and then had problems. All said the same - total refusal by the garage to resolve or refund. I backed off very quickly.
Circumstances meant that I needed a car and eventually bought our V70. Paid over the odds, good service history, but a 3 month warranty isn't worth much when you're 80 miles from the dealer - unless you have a total meltdown.
Not sure that helps you at. Just my most recent experience.

yeah shall we say fingers burnt over here, its sad though isnt it, its not my first 2nd hand car and the thing is if it runs fine for a few months then develops a few problems i can manage it it just needs to come to me in fine fettle or least be made fully aware of the issues so i can have them discussed with my mechanic who can advise.

but because of where i live the choice of a v70 or an xc70 is limited to the home counties, midlands and the north. so its 100 miles to the dealer who i bought mine from so that should have said enough but i needed a car and jumped quickly instead of being reined back, i get too excited sometimes!

i used to own a 200tdi discovery (the original shape, and over the years spent 2-3k on upgrades and repairs at least, actually probably more but that was ok as it happened on my watch not someone elses.

had a mitsubishi galant whose torque converter failed twice in 4yrs but that was ok as it was on my watch.

so if it comes to me fine and THEN happens its my fault, otherwise it should be made clear whats wrong with it so then i can tackle it head on rather than be lied to

[chefshoes]

Originally Posted by The Thong

Main Dealers are supposed to be the shining light of professionalism with what they charge. Yes Yes I’ve heard the “it pays for the nice courtesy car” and “it pays for the complimentary coffee’s” etc and so on. But, they the garages with the Manufacturers name over the door so therefore they should be giving no less than a 100% right??? Yeah??? Errrrmmmm no, wheel bolts left loose, losing the wheel bolt covers, breaking the air box and then trying to bodge it, not once but twice. Doing the Polestar upgrade and then not bothering to fill out the relevant paperwork.
This is unacceptable behaviour for a main dealership by any measure but it happens. I had a disagreement with a service manager over why they wouldn’t service my car. Errrmmm, it has an LPG system in it. And? Your fitting new pads and disks. Yeah but we’ve got no LPG trained mechanics. But the brakes are nowhere near the LPG system. Yeah, but we’re not insured for LPG…. Oh for ffs, what do I have to do to spend money here!!! A month later he was gone and another service manager took over and I was perving are the used car pitch and the new service manager came out. We hit on to the subject of my previous visit and he said….. The previous service manager was talking rubbish, we’re covered for all that etc etc. FFS!!! What goes on between these peoples ears??
The Air Box and LPG issue was Tollbar Volvo who since lost the Agency to Listers. I drive a Subaru now and so far so good, their service has been better if not more expensive

TT

ok so when i broke down the aa chap was there and a cop car came flying in and i thought f**k whats going on.
turns out TWO kia's had broken down on the same stretch of road one had come from a main dealer (they only put one wheelnut on so wheel fell off at 70mph on a dual carriageway), 2nd was they had only fitted brake pads to one wheel so couldnt slow down. neither car had wheel braces so cops came to AA to borrow tools!

the 2nd car had come from a famous car parts place, rhymes with shalhordes...

so yes branded folk are equally ****e at quality

[The Thong]

Originally Posted by chefshoes

ok so when i broke down the aa chap was there and a cop car came flying in and i thought f**k whats going on.
turns out TWO kia's had broken down on the same stretch of road one had come from a main dealer (they only put one wheelnut on so wheel fell off at 70mph on a dual carriageway), 2nd was they had only fitted brake pads to one wheel so couldnt slow down. neither car had wheel braces so cops came to AA to borrow tools!

the 2nd car had come from a famous car parts place, rhymes with shalhordes...

so yes branded folk are equally ****e at quality

It’s shocking, completely crap. No excuse for it.

TT

[chefshoes]

i need a new engine.....

FFS!

mechanic is off hunting for one then quoting me the work

merry xmas....