Ask the Car People.SM


Volvo S80

2415 messages,  Last post on Feb 16, 2013 at 4:05 PM

You are in the Volvo S80 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volvo S80, Sedan

Messages Page 88 of 242

#871 of 2415 You Make The Call - Did I Get A Lemon??? by sampate

Mar 01, 2002 (11:03 am)

My email with my problems is below and the corporate response is above it. What do you think, what should I do? I am very worried about this car being a lemon!
------------------------
Reply to Original Message:
------------------------
From: customerservice [mailto:customerservicevolvocars.com]
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 10:19 AM
Subject: Re: URGENT: Problems with Recent Purchase
 
We are very sorry to learn of the difficulties you are having with your certified 1999 Volvo S80 and Volvo of Richardson. It is very upsetting
to Volvo to hear when a Volvo customer does not have a satisfactory experience at one of our retailers. Their integrity and dependability
as well as that of our organization is a factor in preserving owner loyalty and commitment to our product.
 
Volvo retailers operate independently of Volvo and while responsible for the quality and integrity of the services they provide, we do take such comments seriously.
 
We appreciate the time you have taken to share this incident with us and have forwarded your comments to the appropriate Volvo management for
review as an internal matter to address any developmental needs on the part of the retailer.
 
Sincerely,
John Willets
Volvo Cars of North America
------------------------
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
2-27-02,
 
Volvo of Richardson
c/o Conrad Bongo, General Sales Manager, bongo5airmail.net
cc - customerservicevolvocars.com, infovfna.com
 
I wanted to express my frustration and concerns with my recent purchase of a certified 1999 S80 2.9 Volvo from Volvo of Richardson. This vehicle was a Certified vehicle and has the corresponding certification inspection checklist sheet.
 
I have had the vehicle for less than 500 miles (purchased at 38,400 miles) and have had the following issues:
 
1) Plastic guard under front bumper was ripped out and hanging.
2) Back tail-light had major scratch from top to bottom.
3) The remotes were not working.
4) Driver's floor mat is in bad condition (completely worn out).
 
All these items, expect item number 4 was taken care of before I closed on the sale. Since the sale, I have experienced the following problems:
 
1) Passenger-side mirror was loose and squeaking.
2) Brake system was loosing air and needed a new brake booster (MAJOR MALFUNCTION).
 
I just got both of these items taken care of and now I am having problems with possibly the battery and/or alternator. I had to jump
start the vehicle three times in the last week and half.
 
As you can see, for a certified vehicle which I have driven less than 500 miles, I am very upset that I have had all these problems. I have
purchased two Certified Lexus vehicles in the past with no problems whatsoever!
 
What I am asking for is a verification that this vehicle did indeed go through the proper certification inspection. I know Lexus is very
thorough in their certification process and I expected the same from Volvo. I have also never heard back if the sales manager will replace
the driver's floor mat. My salesman did not have authority to replace it and need to raise it to the sales manager.
Thus, I am requesting:
 
1) Verification that this vehicle did get the proper certification inspection.
2) The driver's floor mat to be replaced.
 
I understand the used vehicles will have some issues, but I seem to have gotten a lemon based on the number of problems I had in the short
number of miles I have driven it. In fact, I don't feel it is reliable for long-distances at this point. I do not expect these types of issues
from a certified vehicle purchased from the dealer. Again, I need to get response ASP so I can take the appropriate next steps to protect my
consumer rights.
Regards,
 
------------------------
------------------------
From Volvo website:
"Not every Volvo gets to be a Certified Pre Owned Volvo. First of all, the mileage is stringently limited. Second, only model years 1998 through 2002 are eligible, so your Pre Owned Volvo is a recent, nearly new Volvo. Third, and perhaps most important, your Pre Owned Volvo must be in top physical condition, both pleasing to the eye and able to pass a full and detailed Volvo Certified Pre Owned 130-Point Inspection.
 
In short, your Certified Pre Owned Volvo has to be every bit a Volvo."
 
"Just thinking about the Volvo Certified Pre Owned 130-Point Inspection is enough to make some car manufacturers shudder. It's modeled after
the report that has set the standard for the entire industry, IntelliChoiceTM, and provides you with a Volvo that is thoroughly inspected, with all maintenance performed within Volvo's demanding tolerances."

#872 of 2415 Thanks by griffman12

Mar 04, 2002 (12:45 pm)

Thanks #835 for the tip on the oil filter wrench

#873 of 2415 RE: #837 You Make The Call - Did I Get A Lemon??? by neil2212

Mar 05, 2002 (12:57 pm)

Sorry to hear of your problems - but I'm not surprised. Back in the Fall of 1999 when I was in the search for an S80, I was very close to buying from Volvo of Richardson. However, after my experiences with them, I vowed that I would NEVER set foot in their dealership again. I believe that the salesman and sales manager (at the time) were less than honest in their dealings with me. I ended up buying my car at Autobaun Motorcars in Ft. Worth - a very positive experience.
 
Regards,
 
Neil

#874 of 2415 Volvo of Richardson - Stay Away by sampate

Mar 05, 2002 (3:13 pm)

Neil,
 
You make a good point, I wish I never had dealt with them either. In fact, I took my car to Point West Volvo in Irving. They said I needed new strut plates and some recall A/C filter (?), and also changed my battery which they said was 100% covered, and at the end told me they were mistaken and I had to pay for it!
 
I starting to get the feeling I should have stuck with Lexus. I love the S80 but the dealerships are killing my enthusiam for them. I will have to try Autobaun Motorcars next time. I take it they are an authorized Volvo dealer?
 
By the way, I am getting no where with corporate Volvo either. They are pretty much blowing me off, I guess the Ford ownership is showing up now.

#875 of 2415 S80 Spark Plug Change by scottc3

Mar 06, 2002 (6:28 am)

I've been away from this board for a while. I have been doing my own maintenance on my 2000 S80 T6, and have had no problems. I just changed the plugs at 38K miles.. for no other reason than the book indicates every 30K miles. I called Volvo, they wanted $40 for 6 plugs. After inquiring with a few different people, I decided to put in Autolite's AP3923.. a platinum plug. Cost $2.00 each, and I get a 60 cent / plug rebate.. woopie, $3.60 back!! but I'll take it. Does anyone reading this KNOW (not guess) of any reason why Volvo plugs should be used? I ran my car a few miles last night and there was no sign of issues.
 
I will mention, that under the VOLVO plastic plug cover are the wires covered by a plastic covering.. and this plastic covering is decomposing fast due to heat (I assume). If you have over 40K miles on your car, you may want to pull the plastic cover and check for yourself. I will replace much of this soon.
 
Scott

#876 of 2415 by Kirstie@Edmunds HOST

Mar 06, 2002 (7:20 am)

A major midwestern newspaper is interested in speaking with folks who have anecdotes and opinions on rear wheel drive vs. front wheel drive in winter driving conditions.
We're also looking for people who recently switched one way or the other and what they like/dislike about what they're driving now.
If you are interested in participating, please provide your city/state of residence and your daytime phone number to jfallonedmunds.com no later than March 20, 2002.
Thanks as always,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

#877 of 2415 new to club-Hello! by wayfire

Mar 06, 2002 (11:09 am)

My wife and purchased a S80 T6 executive about a month ago and have been very pleased so far. I started research about three years ago on V70. Looking for a family car I thought. My wife, being the primary driver couldn't see herself in a wagon. We planned on getting a S70 until she saw a S80 on the lot. My question is are there any S80 owners with new families? We have a 5 month old and right now are using towels under the carseat to protect the leather. Any other ideas? Also, road trip to Bloomington, IN this weekend. Anyone with the nav sys have trouble in a city not on Navtech CD ROM system? Just want to know if I'll need the ol'map too. Thanks in advance. I ROLL WITH STRENGTH.

#878 of 2415 Baby seat by palting

Mar 06, 2002 (5:21 pm)

I bought a liner from Toys R Us. It covers the back of the seat, the seat, and then drapes down with pockets. Can never have too many pockets when transporting babies. It is waterproof, and has a felt backing that contacts the leather. Although I bought it at ToysRUs, I'm sure you can find it most anywhere. Although I have a Volvo S80 T6 (that's why I'm here), I use the liner in the mini van. It has worked well so far.

#879 of 2415 RE: #840 Volvo of Richardson - Stay Away by sampate by neil2212

Mar 07, 2002 (8:10 am)

While living in the Dallas area, I researched ALL of the area Volvo dealerships. My initial encounter was with Volvo of Richardson (VOR). Not good, as noted in my earlier posting. I then checked out Point West in Irving. I didn't get a "warm fuzzy" feeling from them. They just didn't seem interested in me, so maybe I didn't feel interested in them. There was another Volvo dealer down "in Dallas" - don't recall the name. They moved their operations to ~ I-35E and Trinity Mills. They seemed nice - my only concern was that the salesman that I had dealt with at VOR was now working at this dealership! I then contacted Autobahn in Ft. Worth. I talked with their sales manager (Ken Neal). Ken's a REALLY nice guy, and has a great connection with their service department (i.e. made things happen for me). Yes, Autobahn is an authorized Volvo facility. I wouldn't hesitate dealing with them again for another Volvo, except for the fact that I've since moved to Tucson, AZ. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.
 
Regards,
 
Neil

#880 of 2415 Kinda sad..... by godeacs

Mar 07, 2002 (8:27 am)

that Volvo has forgotten what customer service is all about. In a "niche" market you would think they'd be more cognizant of taking care of customers. Had the same problem here in San Antonio - 1 dealer and I wasn't driving all over Texas to find another. So, after 19 yrs, I no longer own a Volvo (and am quite happy!). Volvo of America was equally unconcerned. Sent them a letter and never got a response - so much for good customer relations. To add icing to the cake, Volvo's reliability has "gone south" the past 3-4 yrs.
 
A sad story............

Messages Page 88 of 242

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement