Last month my 2001 Volvo s60, just shy of 100K needed maintenance - i’m the original owner planned to have this car for many more years - let the dealer do 95K scheduled maintenance, new breaks, timing belt and more - for just until $4k. Yesterday my transmission stopped working. Dealer says $5500 to fix. Husband is done and wants to pull the plug
Is it worth fixing?
Is this something dealer should have seen coming at last service?
If not worth doing, how do I get some of my money back selling parts?
If the transmission really is dead, a good local transmission shop (not a chain) may be able to fix this for less than the dealer, so try to get some other estimates. What exactly is wrong with the transmission and what exactly is the dealer proposing to do?
If that’s truly the price, it’s your call if it’s worth fixing. If you plan to keep an older Volvo running, expensive repairs are usually part of that deal, which I hope doesn’t come as a surprise to you.
You didn’t give us any details on what happened to the transmission, so there’s no way we can say if the dealer should have noticed an issue or not. I suspect the answer is no, though.
@yogamom some may disagree with me, but in my opinion Volvos are not know for their reliability.
I agree with @lion9car. If you get the trans fixed, do that at an independent transmission repair shop. NOT A BIG NAME FRANCHISED CHAIN TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP.
Check this out. I’m not sure what engine you have, but it should give you an idea of the car’s private party value. In other words, a private transaction between you and your neighbor.
Another thing . . . if you get the trans fixed, I’d consider selling the car in a year or two, if not sooner. That car will gradually, perhaps rapidly, become ever more expensive to maintain.
How about a nice Acura or a loaded Accord as the next car?
Just an idea.