Hello everyone. Have browsed the SwedeSpeed forum before for working on my XC90 and it's been a great help so far. Finally time for me to ask a question I suppose though.

I've got a 2016 XC90 T6 that the other day developed a whine almost like a tensioner being bad. Not having experienced a PCV valve sounding like a whistle ever in my life before or ever needing to change one I said i'll look into this the next day. The next day I go and get in my car for work and holy god it sounded like a tensioner was going to fall off the car, so I immediately bring it to the dealership seeing it's also got a check engine light. I know this can't be a tensioner at this point.

I get to the dealership and the service rep there immediately tells me to pop the hood, removes the oil cap and says yep it's an air valve. Ok.... Interested. At this point i'm just going to act completely stupid and just ask the guy if you guys fix it how bad is the repair cost? He says oh it's not that bad.

I go home and look into this on the SwedeSpeed and find out the Volvo box is like $170, or I can just go on Amazon, which I did and get the box for $40 which I purchased

So the dealership later on gives me a quote to replace the PCV box $700, and also another $800 to replace the o2 sensor. So back to SwedeSpeed I come only to find out that the box is legitimately 8 bolts on the top of the car (a child could change this part in 10 minutes), yet their labor rate on it is over $400? The answer I was given... It is what it is. Uhh?

Then I said why would you want to change the o2 sensor out without verifying the PCV box is the one throwing the code and that it does not need to be replaced? Guy says nothing to me. As he pulls my car back up so I can take it and leave he then says i'm no customer of his volvo dealership and that i'm a j*k off. I said I wouldn't want to be when your trying to apparently rip me off. $700 for a $170 part and 10 minutes of labor? And then want to change an o2 sensor when it's clearly related to the valve. Sorry for being an informed customer who is looking after his wallet is what I said, and told him I will never go back to that dealership.

I guess what i'm asking is, is this common practice at Volvo dealerships to rip off their customers in this manner? This is the first Volvo i've ever bought and i've always worked on my own vehicles, mostly being GM products, but i've never had such an experience of being ripped off on such simple things before. What is the deal with this PCV box when it's legitimately ontop of the engine? Are they trying to make sure customers don't want to buy another vehicle from them? I love the car but my god, every service experience has been an absolute nightmare.

I’m not justifying what they’re charging. But an hour of labor for diagnosis is standard. Plus whatever the book hour is for the oil catch/breather box. An hour diagnosis is to:
-check customer in
-porter the car to an open bay
-hook up diagnostic software
-run diagnostic software
-interpret the code(s)
-give repair order to service advisor
-service advisor grabs you to let you know the diagnosis

That’s the dumbed down version of why it’s an hour to diagnose a problem. Sure the service advisor was trying to get you in an out as fast as possible.

Whether they’re trying to double up on one hour for the whine and one hour for the check engine light? Then that’s fraudulent practice IMO. An hour diagnosis should cover both problems.

That whine/whistle may not be throwing the code. That is more likely an O2 sensor going bad which is pretty common.

Overall the breather box and an O2 sensor should be around $700-$800 total at a dealer that charges $200+ per book hour. But I’d like to know more about this interaction and their repair order they gave you (if any).

 

OP: I suspect, but don't know, that you might have had the privilege of talking with a service advisor who's not necessarily all that experienced at auto maintenance and repair but just the same it would seem something you did (justified or not) set them off. Frantz could comment better on how experienced the service advisors are or are not at his dealership,my guess is they are. Personally, I find that advisors vary a lot dealer to dealer and even advisor to advisor within dealerships.

$1,500 on what probably is a once-in-the-car's-lifetime repair on a $55,000 - $65,000(MSRP) car is significant but isn't that much in context, about 2-3%. Cars vary; the tech has to know or be able to figure out how to properly repair your specific car in a time frame that makes sense. So... in a bigger city, or in an area where there are a lot of your brand of car on the road, after you are out of the warranty period (new or used) it's wise to find an independent mechanic and/or work on the car yourself. From time to time there are things you will need to go to a dealer for - esoteric parts, recalls, perhaps convenience - so at the same time it would be wise to have the dealer's techs do some maintenance on your car from time to time if only to establish a working relationship.

 

From a dealer perspective, and just speaking frankly, anytime someone asks a question like "is this common practice at Volvo dealerships to rip off their customers in this manner?" that to me is a huge red flag as the personality type to ask a question like this is also the type of person to be a horrible customer. Because it's an irrational question. If you were mistreated, to find a rational expectation to ask if that's some sort of nationwide common practice shows a very low understanding of business management. Because of course you can't can't run a competitive business treating customers poorly. I've never heard of a customer being called a jack ass who wasn't one in some degree, so I'm guessing we're missing some of the conversation.

And while I'm not in service, it's pretty common for them to know the common problems and know what else often goes with it. If they didn't tell you about the O2 sensor and they did the PCV and the CEL was still on then you'd complain they didn't fix it right the first time. It's better to over quote common connected problems then to say "we'll fix this" and then a week later say "oh by the way".

The math you provide doesn't add up either. Why would you ask about the labor being over $400, when by your quotes, it was over $500? What is their labor rate at that store? The question should be on the number of hours they were charging for the job more than the price of the labor, there are dealers that have labor rates that high in some big city areas.

I wouldn't own a 2016 XC90 either... so if it's your first Volvo, and you just got it, I'd look to sell sooner than later. That was just a horrible year for us.

 

From a dealer perspective, and just speaking frankly, anytime someone asks a question like "is this common practice at Volvo dealerships to rip off their customers in this manner?" that to me is a huge red flag as the personality type to ask a question like this is also the type of person to be a horrible customer. Because it's an irrational question. If you were mistreated, to find a rational expectation to ask if that's some sort of nationwide common practice shows a very low understanding of business management. Because of course you can't can't run a competitive business treating customers poorly. I've never heard of a customer being called a jack ass who wasn't one in some degree, so I'm guessing we're missing some of the conversation.

And while I'm not in service, it's pretty common for them to know the common problems and know what else often goes with it. If they didn't tell you about the O2 sensor and they did the PCV and the CEL was still on then you'd complain they didn't fix it right the first time. It's better to over quote common connected problems then to say "we'll fix this" and then a week later say "oh by the way".

The math you provide doesn't add up either. Why would you ask about the labor being over $400, when by your quotes, it was over $500? What is their labor rate at that store? The question should be on the number of hours they were charging for the job more than the price of the labor, there are dealers that have labor rates that high in some big city areas.

I wouldn't own a 2016 XC90 either... so if it's your first Volvo, and you just got it, I'd look to sell sooner than later. That was just a horrible year for us.

The guy was just rude from the get go. My girl had called and asked why the repair bill was so high, was given no explanation except this guy being some kind of jerk. I walked in and also politely asked him why the quote for repair was so high when you had told me in person it was relatively easy and cheap to fix, only to be presented with a roughly $1500 quote.

I asked him why it was so much to fix the PCV box that sits ontop of the engine. It's legitimately what the oil cap screws into, has 8 bolts that 8mm in size, one hose clamp. I changed it myself from removal to reinstallation in about 10 minutes flat, including getting the oil that was up in there with a rag.

I called the dealership where I bought the car and they openly told me their rate for parts and to fix it was roughly $400, and when I mentioned the o2 sensor they also told me that usually will clear on it's own, don't change it until after you verify the PCV valve is surely whats causing it. Now thats a solid dealership, who is honest and upfront, and told me the $400 is just because they charge a full hours rate and the part itself is $175 or somewhere around there. I can respect that.

Being hit with $1500 for all this crazy stuff, thats ballpark batshi* crazy. The guy was offended that I asked him why they are charging so much for a part that is so easy to fix. He was shaking within 5 seconds of me asking the question ready to tell me off. Wether he had a bad day or whatever I don't really care, not my problem. I don't think on my end I am being rude or disrespectful by being a well informed customer. I came on here to see what the repair entails and when I saw the price they are charging vs what level of work is needed, it truly is highway robbery I believe.

I don't see how anyone could defend a dealership charging $500 for 10 minutes of labor is legitimately ok, and i'm talking jus the the PCV box, lets ignore the o2 sensor that is clearly throwing a code because of the box and doesn't need replacement. If it did, the o2 sensor would have popped a code long before the PCV box had the check engine light come on.

 

I guess what i'm asking is, is this common practice at Volvo dealerships to rip off their customers in this manner?

Depends on what you mean by "rip off their customers" but if you're asking if I would be paying the same amount as you if I were getting that job done at my selling dealership, the answer is yes. Is that a rip off? That's for you to decide.

Is the PCV trap just a few bolts? Yes.

I suggest you find an independent Volvo specialist, but these are not cheap cars to maintain or repair. If you can do some of the stuff yourself, these aren't too bad own.

But what @DFrantz said. If you just got this, make sure it's not an oil burner before spending any more money. 2016's are mostly oil burning, problem cars. O2 sensors going out already is not a great sign.

 

Depends on what you mean by "rip off their customers" but if you're asking if I would be paying the same amount as you if I were getting that job done at my selling dealership, the answer is yes. Is that a rip off? That's for you to decide.

Is the PCV trap just a few bolts? Yes.

I suggest you find an independent Volvo specialist, but these are not cheap cars to maintain or repair. If you can do some of the stuff yourself, these aren't too bad own.

But what @DFrantz said. If you just got this, make sure it's not an oil burner before spending any more money. 2016's are mostly oil burning, problem cars. O2 sensors going out already is not a great sign.

All of that has been fixed by the dealership who sold it to me. You seem to be ignoring the 8 bolts and $500 fee charged for that, there is no excuse for charging such an outrageous price on that. The o2 sensor isn't bad, it's clearly the PCV that caused the thrown code.

 

Well yeah, always good to check reviews...there are bad apples in any industry sadly. Reviews are what I looked for before accepting my current dealerships offer. The labor rate is different than labor total, so I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Labor rate is the cost per hour.

But to @Ultrarunner511s point it's always more than 10 minutes for any job... Just getting it to the tech is 10 minutes. I would agree it's a 1 hour job, but if that shops labor rate is $400, well then they quoted it right it sounds like. More likely, they are charging an hour labor and an hour diag. IMO a good shop should waive the diag if you do the job with them, but not all shops do it that way, and certainly the whole process does take time for both tech and service advisor. If that's too much for your market, that's where the complaint can be found potentially. But then the answer is another dealer or an independent shop. Asking about the process on a forum in an accusatory manner just seems like a red flag to me (because I spend too much time on forums and see lots of complain posts by folks who are in the wrong and want to feel justification).

And the argument goes, if it's that darn easy and you refuse to do it yourself, you deserve to pay too much.

 

Well yeah, always good to check reviews...there are bad apples in any industry sadly. Reviews are what I looked for before accepting my current dealerships offer. The labor rate is different than labor total, so I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Labor rate is the cost per hour.

But to @Ultrarunner511s point it's always more than 10 minutes for any job... Just getting it to the tech is 10 minutes. I would agree it's a 1 hour job, but if that shops labor rate is $400, well then they quoted it right it sounds like. More likely, they are charging an hour labor and an hour diag. IMO a good shop should waive the diag if you do the job with them, but not all shops do it that way, and certainly the whole process does take time for both tech and service advisor. If that's too much for your market, that's where the complaint can be found potentially. But then the answer is another dealer or an independent shop. Asking about the process on a forum in an accusatory manner just seems like a red flag to me (because I spend too much time on forums and see lots of complain posts by folks who are in the wrong and want to feel justification).

And the argument goes, if it's that darn easy and you refuse to do it yourself, you deserve to pay too much.

I've always understood them to mark it up to the nearest hour, some places will charge the 1/2 hour, but not never in a dealership. The rate was $209 an hour listed on the wall there. So when they are charging $700 for the PVC box that has a value of 150ish from Volvo directly, i'd love to know where they are getting the extra $550ish in labor. Thats nearly 3 hours of labor. Then to try to whack me with the o2 sensor that is directly correlated to the PVC box just seems to show a dealership wanting to rip their customers off. It's just cringe and yikes all the way through. Worst part is I was polite to the guy but stern when he kept being very derogatory and nasty trying to legitimately find out what the run down of why the charge was so high. And then when I said i'm sorry I like to be an informed customer and know where this part is located and how long it will take he just had nothing to say other than "your a jerk off, jerk off" I mean wow.......

I wasn't trying to come off in an off tone, I was looking to see other people thoughts on this, and if they felt I was getting ripped off as I was able to do the job myself I don't know what another place would honestly charge or what people have charged in the past for this job. Sorry if I came off brash, I had also just gotten home from the dealership and was still rather upset, i've never had anyone fly off the handle on me like that, there is nothing wrong with asking a legitimate question, and his attitude just affirmed its good I didn't go through with the job.

 

Based on the initial post, sounds like diagnosis was no more than popping the hood and opening oil cap. Doesn’t sound like they even pulled it into the shop. In that case, I would say there shouldn’t have been any diagnosis fee charged (was there)? And if that’s all they checked, where did the 02 sensor repair even come from?

Even though the job takes a few minutes, a dealer or even an Indy will likely charge you for 1 hour labor. Even at the most expensive dealers in NorCal, that’s about $300. Charging $500 labor for that job is ludicrous

 

Correct he pulled off the cap, said this is the PCV valve. I asked him if this would be expensive he said NO it is not. He said would you like to leave it with us? I didn't really want to but assuming it was maybe 250 bucks or so, ok. I then go home, google this, get on the swedespeed forums only to see everyone says many dealerships rip people off for this job, and it's legitimately a 10 minute job. I'm just surprised when I walked in there saying i'm sorry I looked this up and see how easy it is, can you please elaborate why your charging multiple hours of labor, and thats when he just got nasty. The entire time since I walked in there and politely said hello he was nasty and shaking, it was absolutely crazy.

 

jwleonhart ...what to tell you. Don't you know that Volvo Dealerships charges an arm and a leg for their parts? Do you know how much cost a new Volvo? Volvos are expensive, and so are the parts and the service provided by the new-car dealerships. The genuine Volvo part you are talking about cost about $200 at a highly reduced price. And possibly less when shopping around. The aftermarket replacement part is even much less. At a Volvo dealership, did you say it was $500? That sounds about right. It is just how it is. The fact that we can get that very part for $125 is a very Good thing, and you should be grateful for that - instead of being angry at their pricing.

Volvo is maybe blatantly expensive about their retail pricing BUT this practice of selling parts at 400% or 500% mark-up is common in the automobile industry. If I walk in from the street at any auto part store to buy a part, let's say for a Chevy. When the clerk gives me a price it is usually over 2X the price that he would charge to my mechanic - if I had one. And what he charges my mechanic is probably 1.5X the price he would charge their big clients like a large shop. Let's say I pay $200 for the part that their biggest customers would pay $75 - do you think they loose money when they sell that part at $75? They probably pay $40 for that part that they sold me for $200. And here I am talking about aftermarket parts sold at NAPA or Autozone for a Ford or a Chevy.

Everything at a Volvo dealership is highly overpriced when compared to what else you could be paying. And this is true for any Auto-manufacturer dealership. New-car Dealerships have earn the privilege of being the most expensive when it comes down to parts and service. I think the reaction you received is simply because no one wants to be forced to say this fact out loud. It certainly the way it is - just don't mention it. If you are too innocent to know this then trust me they won't take the time to explain it to you. If you think Volvo's dealership prices are outrageous you should try Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, or how about Ferrari!

As far as the labor charges goes - every job has a pre-established set of number of hours. These hours are a standard shared across the entire automotive industry. If a rear brake job on a XC60 is set at 3 hours that is what 99% of the repair shops will charge. What varies is how much a shop or a dealership charges per hour. Locally I know of a shop that charges $70/hr, while I heard of dealerships that charges over $200/hr. So the same brake job will cost in labor at Ted's $210, while at the dealership it will be over $600.

So rejoice because you can work on your car yourself - and because you know where to get a $500 part for $125 - think how much money you save when you repair your own car. Most people have to pay the $1500, while for you it is only $125 + shipping + gloves + tools = "Not much $" compared to the 1500 that most people pay. Rejoice my man and enjoy the skills you have!

 

jwleonhart ...what to tell you. Don't you know that Volvo Dealerships charges an arm and a leg for their parts? Do you know how much cost a new Volvo? Volvos are expensive, and so are the parts and the service provided by the new-car dealerships. The genuine Volvo part you are talking about cost about $200 at a highly reduced price. And possibly less when shopping around. The aftermarket replacement is much less. At a Volvo dealership, did you say it was $500? That sounds about right. It is just how it is. The fact that we can get that very part for $125 is a very Good thing, and you should be grateful for that - instead of being angry at their pricing.

Volvo is maybe blatantly expensive about their retail pricing BUT this practice of selling parts at 400% or 500% mark-up is common in the automobile industry. If I walk in from the street at any auto part store to buy a part, let's say for a Chevy. When the clerk gives me a price it is usually over 2X the price that he would charge to my mechanic - if I had one. And what he charges my mechanic is probably 1.5X the price he would charge their big clients like a large shop. Let's say I pay $200 for the part that their biggest customers would pay $50 - do you think they loose money when they sell that part at $50? They probably pay $30 for that part that they sold me for $200. And here I am talking about aftermarket parts sold at NAPA or Autozone for a Ford or a Chevy.

Everything at a Volvo dealership is highly overpriced when compared to what else you could be paying. I think the reaction you received is simply because no one wants to be forced to say this fact out loud. It certainly the way it is - just don't mention it. If you are too innocent to know this then trust me they won't take the time to explain this. If you think Volvo's dealership prices are outrageous you should try Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, or how about Ferrari!

lol what the part is less than $175 from Volvo directly or aftermarket cost me $38. I could care less what the vehicle costs, that doesn't mean you should be able to rip off your customers for $1393 which was the estimated total for a little tiny PCV valve which is literally a rubber bladder. I mean lets be real here, would I pay an electrician $1500 to replace a light switch? Your talking water pump level work and money with those numbers. We can argue semantics all day but i'm a bit flabbergasted how many people here actually are OK with paying incredibly high prices for something that should cost next to nothing, especially seeing that it is apparently a rather common problem. At least someone at Volvo was smart enough to put this thing on the literal top of the engine so even a 2 year old could change this thing out.

I'm not trying to cause an arguement here I was simply wondering what other people had paid for this job. I see alot of people defending what is incredibly overpriced. Even at an hour of labor with the part being $200 thats still only $409. What they quoted me was almost DOUBLE that. Where are they coming up with that. And then another $700 for the o2 sensor replacement. It's absolute highway robbery in my opinion.

 

A few thoughts which may or may not be helpful:

PCV valve happens all the time. It sets a P0171 if you leave it long enough. O2 sensors are also common on these, but not necessarily linked from what I know. My dealer charges $190/hr in labor and I'm in a pricey area. A PCV valve replacement is usually $700 or thereabouts. Nobody in the service department wants to be asked why (x) costs so much. But nobody there should be insulting you to your face, either. Try another dealer or an indie. Or, if it's as easy as you make it sound, forget the whole thing and do it in the driveway.

 

Changed it in 15 minutes flat, no sweat at all. Codes have corrected themselves after around 30ish miles or so, car runs like a champ. Saved $1350. Total spent, $38.99. There is nothing that should make a dealership rip someone off so badly. You do realize all you need to remove is the engine cover and this thing sits on the top. 8 - 8mm bolts, 1 hose clamp, it's off, slap the new one on. Seriously if you ever get that PCV valve and the P0171 related just do it yourself. Any dealership willingly charging this much and thinking it's ok regardless of the price of the car is utterly insane. A higher value car doesn't mean you should be seen as a target to get ripped off by the service center. C'mon now.

 

Glad to hear you saved so much coin. I know it's not as easy on some other Volvo engine families, but that's useful info for the SPA cars in my family.

 

Yep saw that on some older ones, then the price can be justified no questions asked. I just try to be an informed consumer, if a job is tough and legitimately carries the cost then I say nothing, even if I feel it's high, but when you see this nonsense it's just wow. I'm still curious what other people with this model have paid for the job from their dealerships or private shops.

 

Read all the comments. Yes, it is a rip off no matter what anyone says. If I came to your house for some kind of service call I would not charge this way.

 

@jwleonhart you clearly speak from an 'idealist' point of view. I can relate because I also have an open channel with my idealist side. How I respond to you here is as a 'Realist' which is a side to my personality that improves with age . How our world "should be" and how "it is" are two different things. That is the tough lesson that all Idealist faces. From that perspective you will see that there are a lot worst things in this world than how Auto dealerships unscrupulously and by default try to maximize how much money they can take from every person that walk through their door. Two months ago I bought a used Volvo from a Honda Dealership (a trade-in) - did I ever see the many, many ways they pull 'beaucoup $$$$$' from their customers. I not only turned down every "extra" they tried to sell me BUT I even when negotiating the price, forced them to remove things that they were imposing as non-negotiable like a warranty and a so called "Honda protection package" that they claim would make the car paint last longer and protect the leather interior - which was a treatment they had already applied to the car. They ware asking $800 for that. The car was around $10,000 and if I had accepted all their extras (a list of over 12 items) the car would of cost almost $20,000 with Taxes!!! They mostly make this extra income by tapping into our human sense of insecurity. The extras are there to make people feel less insecure about their future as car-owners. Its not cheap, but most will pay that price.

As part of the negotiation we played with the possibility that they replace the front Struts and replace the vacuum pump seals. I was trying to lower the purchasing price in exchange for doing these repairs myself. The most they were willing to cut-off for me to do these 2 jobs myself was $100! Yap - seriously unfair right?! Then I said well if you are to replace the front struts it has to be OEM or Koni struts. They said a loud and clear 'No Way' - then I said this will be my car and there is no way you will install cheap aftermarket struts on it. Then they said that they would install a quality aftermarket struts - so I was able to have them tell me exactly what product that was. So I went online and checked it out - You Guessed It - a pair of pre-assemble struts with the springs retailing at less than a $100 pair. This mean these parts would of cost them probably less than $50. I refused have them work on this car and took their $100 deduction. Koni struts for this car with new springs, strut mounts, etc... cost me at a reduced price about $800 (this includes rear shocks).

They said they would change the oil and that was going to cost me nothing as it is standard practice when selling a car. That is when I am suppose to think "how generous they are"! When I arrive home with the car, I opened the hood and pulled the engine cover off. What do I see? The entire top of the engine covered with oil. You know where it is full of recesses cast into the engine head top. There had to be a quart of oil there sitting on top of the engine. This was not because the mechanic did not put back the cap on - Nope - there was only one explanation: When they were refilling the engine with fresh oil - the engine cover still on - they spilled all that oil which went under the engine cover. they finish filling and closed the hood and gave me the keys. When I saw this I thought "Thank God I did not have them work on that car".

To me a Dealership is a little bit like a Circus - they like to entertain you like a magician playing tricks - their game is to convince you that they are there to lovingly look after your needs as an automobile owner. The reality is quite different though - but most customers (and human citizens for that matter) are completely out of touch with reality - that is just a fact. If you think this is outrageous - look at Pharmaceutical companies - there game is pure evil. They thrive on people fighting for their lives - literally. Did you know that many Drugs sold in USA, made by US Drug Companies are sold to US Citizens 10X even some 20X more expensive than in any other country in the world? If you take a prescription drug that cost a hundred or more per month - look online by searching how to buy this drug from another country. I have done this for an Asthma drug in the past that suddenly jumped from $25/Month to over $200/Month. That is when I discovered this very sad sham. What US Drug companies do is change the brand name of the same drug they sell here. In most other countries, such as Italy, New Zealand, etc... the government have regulations to keep drug prices within an affordability range for the average citizen. So the drug I use to take I could purchase from New Zealand for $16 - while If I went to my local pharmacy it was about $225. And this drug was made and sold by the exact same company.

My point is that there are some much worst situations than dealerships. I know US Citizens Parents that have to spend thousands of dollars a month to keep their child alive with a drug. And I don't mean rich people here - can you imagine the stress they live under? And those companies that are creating these inhumane situations are rich, and I mean super rich, I mean richer then some countries! They can pay-off multi-millions dollars law suit at the drop of a hat! This reality can be hard to swallow. In our world there are a lot of stuff that is hard to swallow. Yet there is a light beyond all that... ... When you feel grateful for the Good stuff, like a kind smile someone may offer you, a simple gesture of kindness, and there are many things to be grateful for in this world when you start to look for them... then your mind become atune with a great light... Rejoice my man as you will have a great life!

 

I can't say I had any problem purchasing my Volvo or them honestly being great about helping me decide on the extra warranty and working with me on the price to fit my budget. I had an absolute great experience where I bought the car, and their service department was wonderful. Bought it, oil consumption issue showed itself, they said don't you ever worry this is covered by Volvo we just need to do the oil consumption test for verification. Fixed that, fixed the bad motor mounts, fixed the few paint things when their body guy came, it was a great experience. The dealership I bought it from also did some work I paid for, did I think it was a little pricey? Sure, but they are a business they have to make money.

I just find it funny, that a dealership would try to snake out $1393 from someone for such a simple thing. I guess my opinion of honesty doesn't go very far. To me and this is just my opinion but the dealership was trying to milk me on this, which is why i'm curious what others have paid for said job, although nobody has given me a reply on that yet.

 

MSRP for the part is $215.
Labor to replace is .7 hr
Diagnosis is usually 1.0 hr

1.7 hours x $209 is $355 plus $215 (if they don't mark it up more) is $570 plus tax.

 

Agree with tech. Its a business. Dont make money off giving things away. You come in theres a diagnosis fee, parts fee, labor estimate, and tax. Techs are paid flat rate. If a job pays 2 hours but takes an experienced tech 20 minutes, they keep the 2 hours cause kindness doesnt pay bills.
We have customers that come in skip diagnosis time cause internet tells them what to buy. We do it per their request. But when wrong they will need to pay diagnosis to diagnose car properly.
and to add as stated before p017100 is always set on most cars and is usually a bad front oxygen sensor amkng other things and if hasnt been replaced is recommended as a precaution seen too many cars come back from this

 

Agree with tech. Its a business. Dont make money off giving things away. You come in theres a diagnosis fee, parts fee, labor estimate, and tax. Techs are paid flat rate. If a job pays 2 hours but takes an experienced tech 20 minutes, they keep the 2 hours cause kindness doesnt pay bills.
We have customers that come in skip diagnosis time cause internet tells them what to buy. We do it per their request. But when wrong they will need to pay diagnosis to diagnose car properly.
and to add as stated before p017100 is always set on most cars and is usually a bad front oxygen sensor amkng other things and if hasnt been replaced is recommended as a precaution seen too many cars come back from this

Thats pretty ****ty when I tell the service rep that this just started happening and the check engine light immediately came on after like an hour. The code has since cleared showing there is nothing wrong with that o2 sensor. Honestly are they trying to prevent something or trying to milk something? They could be honest and say hey this code will usually appear for this, and it's possible the o2 sensor is bad but just to make sure you're going to have to drive it around a little. Should it come back on bring it back to us and the cost for that repair is quoted at XX rate.

I'm a pretty honest straight shooter and I have worked at mechanic shops when I was younger who did crap like this. Come in for a tie rod and next thing i'm changing the alternator or some other crap they never needed because my boss is an a*hole.

And 2 hours? For 8 bolts? C'mon they should be charging their full hours rate and the guy would have a solid 45 minutes to do nothing when he was done. Makes no sense to me, do they not have other jobs to pull in the bay? Why try to bleed your customers wallet, especially in todays world? Maybe I see things different, but I find it strange how many people defend the dealership prices and i'm still curious what the heck have others paid for this at a dealership/private shop.

 

I had the error caused by the O2 sensor. Dealer wanted $900, changed it out for $120. The prices they are charging these days have gotten completely out of control. Buy yourself a OBD scanner and just do the work yourself. A lot of the time it’s not that hard with some basic tools and patience.

Mind you, I was also had the service department defraud me once so there’s that. Next car is a Rivian so I don’t have to deal with this crap anymore.

 

How did they defraud you?

 

Good luck with your Volvo ownership into the future. And yes, ALL car brands have dealers that overcharge from one another in same region. Ever hear of the $100 cabin air filter replacement because I have. Find a diff dealer, go back to purchasing dealer, find an Indy or go back to GM brands

 

LOL I have no problem with my ownership. I also have 0 issue ensuring I don't get my wallet hosed by a crappy dealership.

 

To me and this is just my opinion but the dealership was trying to milk me on this, which is why i'm curious what others have paid for said job, although nobody has given me a reply on that yet.

$200 I did it myself. If I had asked my indy to do it, he would've asked for ~$100 for labor.

Makes no sense to me, do they not have other jobs to pull in the bay? Why try to bleed your customers wallet, especially in todays world? Maybe I see things different, but I find it strange how many people defend the dealership prices and i'm still curious what the heck have others paid for this at a dealership/private shop.

You have a handful of members that will defend Volvo to the end. They usually have the loudest voices on here. What I'm trying to tell you is that you need to move on from getting your car serviced at the dealer if you don't like the prices. There's really no other option. You are being asked to pay what everyone else is paying. You are not getting ripped off individually - it's the entire landscape and it's not just Volvo.

 

Blue SUV said: "You have a handful of members that will defend Volvo to the end. They usually have the loudest voices on here. What I'm trying to tell you is that you need to move on from getting your car serviced at the dealer if you don't like the prices. There's really no other option. You are being asked to pay what everyone else is paying. You are not getting ripped off individually - it's the entire landscape and it's not just Volvo."

Blue SUV I like your statement. The way I perceive those doing business with Auto Manufacturer Dealerships is that the majority (and in general) - are those who purchases brand new vehicles and used vehicles that have low miles and usually are only a few years old. Most of that market population do not work on their cars and they like the peace of mind that their cars are maintained by mechanics certified by the Manufacturer of their cars. And this kind of "sense of security" comes with a premium $ price for defensible reasons.

On the other hand, gals and guys like me and many others on Volvo forums - we almost never set foot in a Dealership. We buy cars with a much higher mileage that are typically rejected by Volvo Dealerships for resale. And many of us maintain and repair our cars. We know which parts to purchase and where to purchase them. Most of us don't buy parts that are not equal or better in quality than OEM - we don't put cheap/lower quality parts on our cars. But also we know that you don't have to always get a genuine Volvo part to put your hand on a top-quality part. But this kind of thinking saves you $$$ BUT you have to put your time in researching - so at the end since time can be money - it cost you the same. It is a lifestyle involving a set of skills that differ from those who pay others to work on their cars.

Shopping for cars that are older and have a higher mileage is a COMPLETLY different affair than buying a new car or a newer used car. They both carry a set of risks, but the risks are completely different. I cherish the fact that when I buy a 10 years old car with a 100,000 miles I get with it a detailed history of the make and model. I know in advance what to look for, and I can predict what work the car will probably need. For me the idea of buying a brand new car with the latest technology present a type of risk that does not fit my personality. The weaknesses of the new design are completely unknown - and that is exactly why a brand new car comes with a massive warranty. That warranty is what gives confidence that if the new car has a major flaw, or is a lemon, the manufacturer will take care of it. However I am the kind of guy that prefer to not rely on warranties - instead I prefer to rely on my skills to research the history of the make/model and my ability to repair weaknesses that I choose when I select a make and model.

I love Volvos for many reasons, but a major reason is how great these cars age and how most repairs that a Volvo will need over its life - if you do the work yourself - will not break the bank. Over the years that I have owned Volvos I considered a few times to purchase another make. So I did intensive and extensive research on a few of other makes/models known for their reliability and quality. Wow was I ever surprised to discover how manufacturer reputations can be misleading. I was looking into Toyotas/Lexus among others. I was fully sold the idea that they were one of the most reliable make outthere... until a certain point into my research. Maybe Toyotas don't leave you stranded on the road BUT when they age they develop issues that are much more costly to repair than Volvos. Not to mention that a used Toyota is often more expensive than a used Volvo. And the rust issues with aging Toyotas are not good. Then if you compare the pleasure of driving a Toyota versus a Volvo... for me that is a night and day difference. There are other Makes that age well, like Mercedes, but when it comes to the weaknesses the vary between Mercedes models much more than between Volvo models. Some Mercedes you really don't want - so you have to do a very good research before choosing a model. ...anyway every time I consider getting another make I find myself back to Volvo for their value, quality built, design, comfort, and safety.
For those of us that almost never set foot in a Volvo dealership - and drives older and higher mileage Volvos - there is much to say about our Volvos and our perspective on our aging cars will be very different than those who never own and drive older Volvos.

 

No one was bashing you (except for maybe @DFrantz ). I try to spread the word that there are other excellent choices besides the dealership. Some of them will even talk to you in a calm, personable manner and fix your car for much cheaper! Can you believe that? What a novel approach.

You're not going to win a dealership war on this forum - too many defenders.

 

All i'm asking is what other people paid for said job. Also I see your bashing comment as well "how many times has the cheapest part worked out, almost never good luck". Honestly, i've never had a problem with a cheaper part if you know what your looking at. This is a literal molded plastic box with what looks like 2 diaphragms in it, and a weird metal spacer piece probably something to due with vacuum. Now could the diaphragm be of a cheaper material or not as good? Sure, ABSOLUTELY could be. But does that mean it's the case? No not necessarily. For my own piece of mind I now have an extra one in the glove box, so should anything arise as that problem again, out come the screw driver and I replace it on the fly.

I fail to see why I should be knocked on for going with the cheaper part, although this isn't what it's about. Even if I went and got the official Volvo stamped part for $175 I still would have saved a butt ton of money, and the labor involved was MERE MINUTES. With that being said people report the PCV diaphragm on these Volvo's as a weak point that does seem to require regular replacing for alot of people. If thats the case the official Volvo part itself isn't that great either. Imagine if this cheapo chinese one lasted for another 100K miles? Oh man I guess that's a bad purchase huh

 

It's .7, I already posted it.

 

Most excellent. So $175 for part, .7 for labor, the diagnosis we did in the parking lot so that was determined in about 12 seconds. Labor rate $209 an hour. So all in all we are looking at an hours labor, the part, and even if you included another .3 hours for the diagnosis boom we still well under $700. Let me know where the shop is justifying another $300 please.

 

I think you missed post #25

 

@Blue SUV I wasn't really bashing him, just saying it sounded like a typically complaining story without all the information. Even the dealer I worked at that I left and didn't think was all that upfront was still no less dishonest than the avg customer. The dealers are bad mantra gets old because people are bad in general. But an individual has less to lose or hold them accountable by lying than a dealer has to being unreputable so if given no information on either, statistically I've found believing the business to be more likely correct than believing the individual for just about every industry, so that is my natural bias.

We still don't have the RO that I have seen, though if it was all over the phone then OP probably never got one. But at the end of the day, either we're missing a big part of the puzzle or the dealer was trying to rip OP off. However, that the OP asked if it was normal practice does imply we're missing part of the puzzle, for it wouldn't be ripping someone off if all dealers charged that, that would just be the going rate. I tend to think OP simply went too much rant on in the initial post that they lost clarity of their question. But even on someone's bad day, getting called a name by an employee does lend to suggest there is more to the story as well. So I did take some liberty to read into it.

To answer the ongoing question I just asked one of my service advisors

"$250 + part cost if we're pulling codes, just an hour ($169) if it's already noisy and we can tell what it is."

 

@Blue SUV I wasn't really bashing him, just saying it sounded like a typically complaining story without all the information. Even the dealer I worked at that I left and didn't think was all that upfront was still no less dishonest than the avg customer. The dealers are bad mantra gets old because people are bad in general. But an individual has less to lose or hold them accountable by lying than a dealer has to being unreputable so if given no information on either, statistically I've found believing the business to be more likely correct than believing the individual for just about every industry, so that is my natural bias.

We still don't have the RO that I have seen, though if it was all over the phone then OP probably never got one. But at the end of the day, either we're missing a big part of the puzzle or the dealer was trying to rip OP off. However, that the OP asked if it was normal practice does imply we're missing part of the puzzle, for it wouldn't be ripping someone off if all dealers charged that, that would just be the going rate. I tend to think OP simply went too much rant on in the initial post that they lost clarity of their question. But even on someone's bad day, getting called a name by an employee does lend to suggest there is more to the story as well. So I did take some liberty to read into it.

To answer the ongoing question I just asked one of my service advisors

"$250 + part cost if we're pulling codes, just an hour ($169) if it's already noisy and we can tell what it is."

No, you sniffed him out good.

 

" ...people report the PCV diaphragm on these Volvo's as a weak point that does seem to require regular replacing for alot of people. If thats the case the official Volvo part itself isn't that great either. "

Some people want not parts to ever fail on a cars... - BUT These Diaphragms work hard and under harsh conditions and for them to last as long as they do there is no real weakness there. Where Volvo could improve is to have the diaphragm held in place with a 'screw-cap" - like diaphragms on most regulators - where to replace the rubber diaphragm you would have to just unscrew the cap, change the diaphragm and replace the cap. And make the diaphragm itself available as a part - instead of having to replace the entire cover. This type of set-up would also signal that replacing this part constitute to be a maintenance task instead of a repair one.

The last time I did the job, I did not replace the entire cover and used the small kit which includes the diaphragm, spring and plastic cap. It was mindless to install - but to remove the old cap was tedious mostly because how easily one can ruin the cover or break some of the wires that are nearby. And this replacement kit only comes as an aftermarket part made in China - not my favorite choice BUT I hate throwing in the landfill the entire cover just because a 2" rubber diaphragm is cracked.

 

I come from a long line of working on GM LT and LS engines. To me this is normally a $10 part that sits ontop of the intake manifold and can be changed with a twist of a cap, on some older Camaros it can be a PITA since the engine sits back but overall it seems batshi* crazy you need to replace that whole box. Volvo clearly isn't about sustainability cuz that cap should 100% be able to be twisted off and Volvo should just sell the damn Diaphragm. And yep the only place where I could find the diaphragm itself was go figure china. Thank god for them making the parts we need.

 

I always replace the PCV systems on my Volvos when they hit around 10 years.... it's preventative maintenance to me. I start inspecting coolant hoses too. Things that fail because of age I would much rather replace ahead of time than fail when it's inconvenient. I just bought a 42 year old Honda Goldwing this weekend and I plan to use it for interstate travel... but I'm gonna be replacing alot of non-failed rubber bits before taking it too far. No need to wait until failure on things.

 

Volvo service are a bad bunch. I have every invoice since 2003 and it is a ripoff for every service. Only when you blow your top do they adjust a little.

 

DIY is always cheaper than dealer, so no surprise. W/O dealer work order, only half of this story told. I live in New Jersey. $400 hourly rate sound like something front NYC. Not even close to my experience. Checked out Bridgewater Volvo reviews. Most were which 4.6 or higher out of 5. Some review sites numbered several hundred to over 1000 reviews. Having done home repairs in the past, I'd tell my customers that they are paying for my knowledge and experience, not the amount of time to complete a job. I strongly encouraged those that felt my fee was not to their liking to contract with someone else. Honestly, at least in my case, I would outright reject a customer that became indignant with a quote, as opposed to a customer that respectfully asked questions about the job and my charges.