[mtn.850]

Just wanted to share with you guys that I found a good shop in Sacramento this week. If you are in the area of the state capitol may I recommend Franks Automotive at 5220 Folsom Blvd. They work on European cars: Volvos, Porsches, Audis, and BMWs were in the lot. Their specialty seems to be Porsches, but when I asked how much experience they had with Volvos they assured me that they have worked on plenty over the last forty years they have been in business. It seemed that they knew what the problems I was having were before I finished describing them. In other words, they had enough experience with 850s to know what they were talking about without even seeing the car.

They did a handful or things on my Volvo 850 yesterday and today (new mass air flow sensor, new front ball joint and rod boots, fixed leaks in power steering system) and were very fair. They provided quotes up-front and the mechanics took the time to explain everything they looked at and address all my concerns both in person and over the phone. Although they did four hours of actual labor, they only charged me for two. They also spent a total of probably 45 minutes on the phone with me without any complaints. I felt like I was treated very fairly. The quote they estimated in the beginning actually ended up being more than I paid! The thing that makes this worth noting is that all the other places I called quoted me almost $200 more for the same work. (Turner Volvo is a complete rip-off, as is Sacramento Volvo Service.)

I recently moved from Sonora, a small mountain town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. I had a real reliable repair shop there to take my car to (Sonora Import Service, btw) so I was reluctant to find a shop here in Sacramento. I'm pleased to say that Franks Automotive treated my Volvo like it was their own car. I'll definitely be taking my Audi in there when it needs work next month!

 

[turnermotors1956]

Re: Sacramento, CA - Found a GREAT repair shop (mtn.850)

Hello,
In response to your comments about Turner Volvo, I work at this dealership and find your statements to be exaggerated and questionable for several reasons.

1) No specific details provided about what you were quoted by our dealership. Please keep in mind that Turner Volvo uses only genuine Volvo parts and our hourly labor rate is $129.80.

2) The most common difference is typically the hourly labor rate and parts source.

It appears that you don't like our dealership simply because you were quoted more than you wanted to pay for a repair. We understand the value of people's time and money but not your harsh comments about our dealership. We've been in business since 1956 and work hard at providing high quality service for our clients, if you would like to discuss please call 916-488-2400 or email [email protected]

Sincerely,
Casey Turner

 

[1sciroccofahrer]

I get all of my OE Volvo parts (which IPD can't obtain for me) from Turner, and they (being Turner-as well as the parts which Turner sells) are top notch! I have purchased so much from them, I now get a standard 10% discount on all my part orders Even without the discount, I would still spend my hard earned dollars there. The employees are knowledgeable, and always willing to spend the time to ensure I get what it is I need.

Having worked at a repair shop in town, I know for a fact that the retail prices (for parts) at the dealer are the exact same price you will pay at an independent repair shop who source their parts (and hopefully they are OEM-and not aftermarket-parts) from World Pac. Really, at the dealer you are paying a higher labour rate because of higher overhead (i.e. advanced computer diagnostics, hopefully the mechanics are unionized (which is always worth spending extra money dealing with union employees-which I can guarantee you that your independent shop does not employ union mechanics), higher specialized skill-set regarding Volvos due to focused training, etc. etc. etc.).

While it is splendid that you found a repair shop which suits your needs, just because other shops in town quoted you higher rates does not mean that they are "ripping you off." I have had my issues with SVS, over the years-and those years were back in the late 90's, but the pricing was not an issue. If you would like to know about the issues I had with SVS, please contact me through PM.

While I do most of the work on my families fleet of Volvos, sometimes I have neither the time nor inclination to tackle certain jobs. The '96 850 may be needing a new steering rack soon, and if it does then Turner will be getting my business. Doing this job is much easier on a lift, and as I no longer have access to a lift, I will gladly pay Turner in the neighbourhood of the $1,200 I was quoted (this morning) to save myself the inevitable aches and pains.

I hope that everyone has a most splendid weekend!

p.s. If you are trying to save money on car repair, then having an Audi does NOT seem to be consistent. Audis are to be leased, not purchased. If you think your Volvo was costing you money, wait until you get miles on the Audi and then have a look at the quotes you are receiving.