Life with my '06 S60

jseah · Post by **jseah** » 01 May 2010, 21:37

So I purchased my S60 2.5T used just a little over a year and a half ago. It was a former fleet vehicle. When I got the car, I knew that the brake pads were low and would soon need replacement, as well as the rotors as it looked like the rotors were resurfaced once before.

In December, one of my headlights burned out. Went to the Volvo dealer parts department and they sold me the wrong bulbs. Also realized that the way the headlight assembly is installed in the car, it is impossible for one to replace a headlight by themselves, and couldn't figure out how to remove the bumper in order to remove the headlight assembly. Had the dealer replace both bulbs for me, as well as replacing a burned out turn signal in the headlight assembly. Turned out the socket for the turn signal needed replacement. All told, it cost me $150 in parts and labor. The dealer also did a complimentary inspection of the car and said that my front pads and rotors needed replacement and quoted me a price of $500. They also said that my radiator needed replacement as it had a slow leak where some plastic part joins with the radiator. They quoted me a price of $800 for that. I don't see any leaking coolant in my garage where the car is parked at night, although the recharge tank level does drop from MAX to MIN in about two months time.

Just replaced rotors and brake pads all around. Ordered a 4 wheel set from FCP Groton with Brembo rotors and Akebono Euro Ceramic pads. They charged me $334 with free shipping. Brought everything to my mechanic to install and when he opened the boxes, it turned out that one of the rear rotors they shipped me was a used rotor, one that was in worse shape than the original rotors on my car. It looked like someone ordered rotors from them, replaced them, and then stuck their old rotors in the boxes and returned them to FCP Groton for a refund. A quick phone call to customer service, including emailing them pictures of the rotor, and they offered to send me a replacement. However, I was getting the brakes done that day, so I ended up having to purchase a rotor from my mechanic, so I asked for a refund instead. My mechanic ended up charging me $100 for the rear rotor, and the refund was $36, so it cost me $64 more than I would have had paid.

I have also noticed a few nit picking things that betrays Volvo's ownership by Ford.

1. When the weather warms up above the mid 70's, the fuel gauge will fail and show an empty tank (but the low fuel level light doesn't turn on) if the fuel level is above 1/2 tank. Once the level drops below half a tank (quarter tank during the summer months when the temps are regularly in the upper 80's and 90's) then the fuel gauge works properly. And during the winter months when the weather is cold, the fuel gauge works properly.

2. Occasionally the position light warning comes on because one of the tail lights will go out. I check the bulbs and they're fine. If I slam the trunk lid shut or jiggle the bulb, typically the tail light will begin functioning correctly again.

3. The door lock button on the key doesn't function. If I am driving the car, park it and then try to lock the doors using the key, the doors won't lock. The key will unlock the doors fine, and if I unlock the doors and then try to lock the doors immediately after that with the key, the doors will lock fine. I've gotten used to just locking the doors using the button in the door.

While I like the car, not sure if I can get myself to buy another Volvo again. Never had these "quirky" things happen with Toyotas or Hondas that I have owned.

oughorian · Post by **oughorian** » 01 May 2010, 23:32

I understand your cituation and I'm sorry for you not for having a volvo but having one of the bad ones . I like Volvo like you do but let me tell you, you are not the only person who have problems with your car, there is many many of people suffering right now to have a new generation of the Volvo cars, the good days of Volvo is over I had a different typs and models of Volvo, the 960, 240, 740, and now I have a 1996 850 GLT. To compaire my newer 850 with the old ones I had before this car is nicer and looking good but as a person with more than 45 years of repairing things and familiare with quality and facts I can say no more good Volvo exist, they desighned to be a high maintenance car and abviously more trouble maker cars. No more of new generation Volvos with 300K or 450K or even more than that i know there is a many Volvo in the road with 600k plus original . Times changed and the quality with it, we just pretending driving a high quality cars.

jda2000 · Post by **jda2000** » 02 May 2010, 09:22

volvos and all european cars in general are premium high maintenance cars. You can not compare them to toyotas or hondas.

The japanese cars you buy them and drive them until something fails. Not so with european cars, they are finicky and require maintenance or they'll bit you in the ass. You got to pay to play.

With the help of this board and some DIY attitude, I have learned the quirks of these cars and can do minor repairs myself. So don't despair, continue to visit this site, learn from these posts and have a good attitude about your S60 and it might surprise and last a long time.

jseah · Post by **jseah** » 02 May 2010, 14:11

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about having to do repairs......that is just a fact that when you own a car eventually things break and need to be replaced. But to have something work under certain conditions and not work under other conditions is not a sign of quality. And to make it so you can't replace a simple headlight bulb without having to dismantle the front end of your car is just poor design. The owner's manual even shows how "simple" it is to replace the bulbs in the headlight assembly, but doesn't mention anything about you needing to remove the entire assembly from the car in order to access the bulbs.

Post by **JRL** » 02 May 2010, 19:39

jseah wrote:
In December, one of my headlights burned out. Went to the Volvo dealer parts department and they sold me the wrong bulbs. Also realized that the way the headlight assembly is installed in the car, it is impossible for one to replace a headlight by themselves, and couldn't figure out how to remove the bumper in order to remove the headlight assembly. Had the dealer replace both bulbs for me, as well as replacing a burned out turn signal in the headlight assembly. Turned out the socket for the turn signal needed replacement. All told, it cost me $150 in parts and labor.

CHEAP ACTUALLY

The dealer also did a complimentary inspection of the car and said that my front pads and rotors needed replacement and quoted me a price of $500. They also said that my radiator needed replacement as it had a slow leak where some plastic part joins with the radiator. They quoted me a price of $800 for that. I don't see any leaking coolant in my garage where the car is parked at night, although the recharge tank level does drop from MAX to MIN in about two months time.

Just replaced rotors and brake pads all around. Ordered a 4 wheel set from FCP Groton with Brembo rotors and Akebono Euro Ceramic pads. They charged me $334 with free shipping. Brought everything to my mechanic to install and when he opened the boxes, it turned out that one of the rear rotors they shipped me was a used rotor, one that was in worse shape than the original rotors on my car. It looked like someone ordered rotors from them, replaced them, and then stuck their old rotors in the boxes and returned them to FCP Groton for a refund. A quick phone call to customer service, including emailing them pictures of the rotor, and they offered to send me a replacement. However, I was getting the brakes done that day, so I ended up having to purchase a rotor from my mechanic, so I asked for a refund instead. My mechanic ended up charging me $100 for the rear rotor, and the refund was $36, so it cost me $64 more than I would have had paid.

SO?

I have also noticed a few nit picking things that betrays Volvo's ownership by Ford.
WHY? THE S60 HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH FORD

1. When the weather warms up above the mid 70's, the fuel gauge will fail and show an empty tank (but the low fuel level light doesn't turn on) if the fuel level is above 1/2 tank. Once the level drops below half a tank (quarter tank during the summer months when the temps are regularly in the upper 80's and 90's) then the fuel gauge works properly. And during the winter months when the weather is cold, the fuel gauge works properly.

PROBABLY RUSTY

2. Occasionally the position light warning comes on because one of the tail lights will go out. I check the bulbs and they're fine. If I slam the trunk lid shut or jiggle the bulb, typically the tail light will begin functioning correctly again.

COMMON VOLVO ISSUE FOR ALL TIME

3. The door lock button on the key doesn't function. If I am driving the car, park it and then try to lock the doors using the key, the doors won't lock. The key will unlock the doors fine, and if I unlock the doors and then try to lock the doors immediately after that with the key, the doors will lock fine. I've gotten used to just locking the doors using the button in the door.

YOU NEED A NEW LOCK

While I like the car, not sure if I can get myself to buy another Volvo again. Never had these "quirky" things happen with Toyotas or Hondas that I have owned.

THESE ARE NOT TOYOTAS OR HONDAS