CVT is what please?

Quite true. Owning a Volvo is a bit like having paid for a licence to lose money.
Love the cars, hate the costs of keeping them running.
Thus the reason we're moving to another breed. Any breed not starting with "V"

Funny, I have no problem keeping them running for next to nothing. Volvo's are a great $5000 car and if you use some common sense you can get parts and service for very little.
They are just not a car for people who take them into Holden for service only to get ripped off and then blame the car.

Yes I think if you are mechanically minded and can do alot of work youself as suggested by jazz then, not so bad.

And the starter clutch is a wet clutch that sits in a bath of filthy transmission fluid because there is no filter.

Thats why when you reduce the transmission fluid change intervals the clutch life increases.

Yes the clutch is not up to the task but its only half the problem.

Why does every little thing have to be such an issue on here!

*facepalm*

Absolutely, alternatively when the big service rolls around just order a timing belt kit etc yourself and geta garage to do it labor only.

Its a few minutes effort every 5 years, hardly a big deal.

Any general garage can work on a Volvo there are minimal special tools required and timing belt changes etc are really very simple.

Wow. Consider myself told off, regarded as a fool for having paid $65,000 and sorry to have bothered you. Guess I'm not up to your spec as regards common sense. Damn.
Thanks anyway.

My apologies, that was pretty harsh!
You just have to be aware that there is a lot of senseless Euro bashing on here and it tends to get out of hand.

I can actually sympathise with your position.While Volvos make a great secondhand bargain buy for someone who is happy to be a bit pro-active they are not good new or near new buys.

The problem is not actually with the cars themselves, its with the Holden/Volvo service in NZ. With a new car under warranty you don't necessarily have a lot of alternative options.

Holden/Volvo down here in Tauranga are actually seem to think the consumer guarantees and fair trading acts don't apply to them. I have seen them rip off an older customer something shocking first hand.

Just be aware that whatever you buy Volvo are not the only ones that carry on that way. The behavior also extends to some Japanese and Korean brands as well.

Again, sorry for being so harsh it was undeserved.

Thanks jazz. No worries, apology accepted.