Fun YouTube Video: 2009 S60 with 148K miles; $4K repair estimate

Post by **cn90** » 14 Aug 2025, 22:47

For most of the DIYers here, these issues are very familiar.
Make sure you read the YouTube comments too.

2009 S60 with 148K miles. Best 15 min video in your life lol...
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Cees Klumper · Post by **Cees Klumper** » 15 Aug 2025, 06:20

Lot of dubious assumptions made, such as "timing belt and plugs are Volvo brand, which MUST mean they have never been replaced since new". C'mon man, you don't know Volvo dealers and many DIYers use Volvo branded parts?

spinard · Post by **spinard** » 15 Aug 2025, 07:04

I can't watch Car Wizard anymore. Everything is doom and gloom, you need everything done, it's going to cost you $10,000, etc.

Post by **jonesg** » 18 Aug 2025, 18:31

never waste my time watching him.

dikidera · Post by **dikidera** » 19 Aug 2025, 02:08

spinard wrote: ↑15 Aug 2025, 07:04 I can't watch Car Wizard anymore. Everything is doom and gloom, you need everything done, it's going to cost you $10,000, etc.

Or is indeed how he describes it? How many people can you be certain of that take good care of their cars? Never miss an oil change always source genuine branded parts?

OliPhant · Post by **OliPhant** » 01 Oct 2025, 14:04

Worth watching. Good reminder of the mechanic's mind set, and concern about liability.

EngineeringBloke · Post by **EngineeringBloke** » 01 Oct 2025, 16:29

And no update on what the customer decided. Video is 9 months old.

Post by **cn90** » 02 Oct 2025, 08:58

Well,

Most of us here are DIYers and see a different view.

But this video is true for most ppl out there with no mechanical skills and at the mercy of the shops. The guy in the video is actually a "good guy" bc he tried to be preventive and does the best for the customers. Also, many ppl forget but the dealers labor rate in my area is $190-$200/h.

This is why many non-mechanic ppl get rid of their cars at 90K-100K, and the MVS crowd would be happy to scoop it up lol...

Post by **scot850** » 02 Oct 2025, 12:23

I'm sorry, but I don't see the issue here. I do watch The Car Wizard, and sure, sometimes he goes on a bit, and I don't need a car interior visit. However, this is typical of most cars in my area and many others. There is a thread a day or so ago about timing belt replacement frequency. The Volvo timing belts typically have a date code on them and for the P2 the belt swap is at 10 years as recommended by Volvo. I see various mileage recommendations depending on engine code from 105-150km miles. None of our cars will likely ever reach the mileage recommendations, but I set the -98 P80 at 8 years and the P2 at 10 years.

All the observations are typical of owners who do not care about or maintain their cars. Then they get surprised about the huge bill. We all know the huge jump in the prices of OE parts, and sure those who wrench on their own cars could do the repairs a lot cheaper and maybe not use OE parts. These will likely also be the owner that says their Volvo, VW, BMW are junk as they cost a lot to repair. They don't take the cost of labor into account. A $50 rear main seal? 10 hour labor charge at $200/hr. All the owner sees is the $50 part, how can it cost that much to install?

Neil.

Post by **cn90** » 02 Oct 2025, 13:03

The vast majority of car owners do not know how to fix stuff.

A lot of shops are dishonest: that adds to the fear of the average car owner.

So, I don't blame ppl for getting rid of their car when the repair bills start to pile up...

PS: when I was in college, I was scared at mechanic for the cost. Then I decided to learn how to DIY. Most ppl decide to runaway by not learning...