How to go broke owning a VOLVO. Cost of Ownership.

When I read that last sentence it made me think of George Carlins bit about "servicing the account" & salesman. Probably best not linked here.

I thought I found a good private mechanic for the things I cannot do, but he has cost me couple of times in terms of not wanting to do things. delays etc. All you can do is keep asking people in your area where they take things. If you are on the road with no other options, you are at the mercy of what is listed on truckdown type of sites.

 

when you can answer that question, you will have won the lottery. I wish there was an easy answer to that one. There isn't. I have one company that I trust to work with my car. I still take it to them even though I have been HARSHLY and openly critical to them.

They have also bent over backwards to make a wrong situation right.

Unfortunately, they only fix cars.

find a private shop and not a dealer. Best advice I can offer. ESPECIALLY if there is no warranty on it.

 

I think I would find a good Volvo fleet tech by talking to drivers who drive the Volvo fleets, get in contact with him and become acquainted before the next problem arises. These guys will know all the quirks of the animal and can help you a great deal if you establish a relationship with them. Sometimes all you need is a little information that may not cost you a dime and many of those type techs enjoy having some side work too.

 

...You shouldn't vent all your frustration out on Volvo, especially since you've admitted right off the bat you've also made some mistakes. The important lesson is that you've learned and moved on...as "painful" in the pocketbook as it may have been for you. I would tend to look at things from this perspective...

You are correct in your interpretation of the "business model" you've quoted. It CAN be viewed as an underlying message to screw customers over not just from Volvo's standpoint, but other companies as a whole rely on following this model as well...the caveat is that the verbiage is different. Since you also mentioned Warren Buffett, let's for a moment take a look at the most recent scandals in the financial industry (JP Morgan Chase and Barclay's). Take a re-read of that same "business model" and you'd discover that there are similarities as far as the mindset in how these financial companies expect customers to be treated can go. So what I'm saying is that this model is not just limited to the trucking industry because that model could be applied anywhere...it is what it is.

Back to your story now...

Purchasing a used truck will certainly put you at risk on some level or another....some used dealerships are more notorious than others for selling what turns out to be lemons "down the road"...lol. So when you say if you have to sign, sign for that Freightliner or Pete, I wouldn't necessarily buy that logic. Back in my days as a company driver (and I won't bother to mention which companies...lol) , I had old Petes and KWs that would breakdown so many times (and sometimes for repeated issues) I felt like I lived at the d a m n repair shops. Although I didn't have to pay out of pocket for these breakdowns, I took each situation away as a learning for what I could expect as an O/O and thought about how I could get ahead of the game.

So in answering your loaded question about where you can go for service and be satisfied with the end result...that in itself is a crapshoot. There are thousands of places you can go and get the "servicing" your truck needs...you might be lucky enough to find and build a rapport with a mechanic that knows his/her stuff, or maybe not. But to be satisfied with the end result? Well, "satisfied" could be defined on many different levels...what's your definition? Because even with that knowledgeable mechanic that you know, your satisfaction of his/her work could be either long or short term until the next incident you have with your truck. Who knows? Only you can set your own bar.

I will end off with this...if something does go wrong with your rig (especially with something used), by golly don't let it wait a year and some before doing something about it...you're in this game to make/save your money, not throw it away...

Good luck to you...

 

My husband drove a Volvo for USX for a year, we liked the Roanoke, VA dealer. It was at company expense to be worked on though so that is a lot different than paying for it yourself. We ended up having to have work done there a couple of times. They seemed to listen and try to figure out what the problems was at least.

We also had work done at the Nacarato Volvo in Nashville, TN and one place in the Fond Du Lac area of WI.

This was back in 2008 though so I don't know how they are now.

 

Well I wish I could help you, but I am afraid he has a differant truck now and it is still under warranty, and has had it worked on at the International Dealer in Jerome, ID area, they seemed to do a good job. He does not like to go to the terminals and have work done unless it is an emergency.

It doesn't hurt to try and find a good dealer and place along the way, like you say you never know when they are going to let you down, so it is hard to plan. The preventative maintenance is really important though, that is half the battle I think with anything you get. The worst part is getting in the right area where you can have it done without costing you as much time off. I figure anything will take at least a day or two each time if you get lucky and can have the work done then. Have you checked to see if they offer any type maintenance plan for a monthly fee (don't know if each dealer would honor one from another dealer or not). He also uses Lucas oil too, I don't know what anyone else thinks about it, but if it helps the wear and tear on the engine.

His truck now has the newer braking system on it, don't know what they call it, but it senses if anything gets in front of you and you are too close, it will slow you down; this also includes the merging ramp onto highways, a white line sometimes, etc. It is a pain and so new that the place in the Spokane, WA area didn't have the specs on how to adjust it in Feb., tech had to take it out and try to tweak it in that way. Husband has worked on it himself when it gets out of alignment now. If he could figure a way to bypass the computer it would be gone.

He leases his truck so there are a lot of things he would like to change, but for now has to live with them.

 

Volvo/Mack have been junk for years. I hate em. If it were me I would get rid of it at a loss before it nickel and dimes you to death.

 

Even though you could be anywhere on the map at time of breakdown, you need a consultant that you can trust that knows Volvo inside and out like pablo knows Volvo. This way when you run into trouble you can consult with your confidant on what direction to take for the proper repair and just as important what NOT to do or allow the service provider to do or charge you for at your breakdown location. You need a guide to navigate the rough Volvo waters.

Pittsburgh and Bullydog are not the answer. Venting is acceptable, we learn from others experiences.

 

What a great post... I own 9 trucks and 5 years ago started buying Volvo's, and now 5 years later and boxes of paperwork and math to prove the very same thing. Ive owned everything but a Peterbilt and this post is so true that it makes me sick when I add up all the lost revenue.
I wouldnt only pin this on Denver Volvo. Its across the board. The electrical and sensor issues of Volvo are sure to crash any one trying to get started. Ive often said if I was a one truck owner I would of been put out of business along time ago if my first truck would of been one of these nightmare trucks.