Angela K.
Google
I have had multiple Volvos and not sure I will continue buying these cars based on the experience I’m having. I have a 2019 xc60 t8 (hybrid)……very low mileage 32,014 and I have this hybrid system failure and weird grinding noise while driving. I took it directly to the dealer because they’re supposed to be experts on their product. They diagnosed it and I paid $1,817 to change the coolant pipe and flush /change the coolant. Error codes were cleared and they test drove the car and deemed it safe. They even did the courtesy of dropping it off at my home because I was short on time and leaving on a road trip and had waited a week to get my car back.
Upon driving the car, almost right away we notice the error message and the grinding sound was even louder than before. A separate problem with key fobs not locking and starting the car wasn’t even addressed. I took it back …Klaus, my adviser apologized and said it was unacceptable. Next he tells me there is a different coolant pipe that is pinched and it will be another $944 + tax to fix it. Regarding the keys, the tiny plastic tab inside the each key fob were broken and could not be repaired or switched out with another shell. The charge for 2 new FOBS is $1,369 + tax! This key problem seems to me like a design error…tiny plastic tabs breaking? The electronics and everything else works but because a little tab can’t put enough pressure on the battery the whole thing is for the garbage?! It’s not like I lost my keys in a fire, they are perfectly fine expect for the little plastic tabs. Online you can buy new key FOB shells for $179. The dealer is charging their customers a fortune for the programing which they don’t make accessible to independent repair shops. Why gouge your own customers in this petty way? I wouldn’t expect that from VOLVO….Porsche yes….
Back to the coolant pipe. My previous car was a hybrid Cayenne with more mileage, and never had such problems. Why didn’t they see the pinched pipe the first time? Or did they pinch it accidentally when they put it back together. Why didn’t they check all the pipes initially? Is the car engineering that complicated that even when the service foreman is working directly with Volvo corp USA they can’t figure it out? I understand I’m paying premium pricing for service from a Westside area dealership but I except them to be experts on their product. I don’t want to pay over and over again for guess work while they change each hose one by one.
The way things have been handled I do not trust this Santa Monica dealership. I’ve never had this kind of experience at other Volvo dealers in the area. I don’t think my service advisor Klaus, was being honest about the car passing the test drive before it was delivered to me. First he said it was driven for 20 miles, in a later text he said my car had been test driven for at least 50-60 miles. Which is it because the invoice shows the exact same mileage in and out…. They should know how many miles it takes for the engine error light to recalibrate. In any case there’s no denying the grinding/rubbing sound when the car was in motion never went away.
I wrote to the assistant service manger, and no response. When I called to speak to the manager I was instead forwarded to Klaus. I’m not even sure the service manager saw all my correspondence or if he did is just too important to speak to me. Since there’s no direct email or extension number provided for the manager I’ve had to leave voicemail and emails on the dealership’s general inquiry line and inbox. Hopefully I will hear back . I generally don’t post negative review for little things but I think it’s important for potential customers to know how things are handled here. I myself always appreciate both positive and negative customer reviews and find them the most helpful in my decision making. A