A good general garage will be able to service the Volvo just fine. Its not hard to make sure they are using the correct transmission and engine oil.
Those engines are actually very straight forward to deal with, hang I do all the servicing mentioned above in my driveway!
If a mechanic can't do the above on a 2.4 Volvo I wouldn't trust them with my lawnmower.
With regard to being parked up for two weeks while repairs are done, that's highly unlikely. As I mentioned above my experience with these cars is that the vast majority of parts are in stock in NZ, its just you may pay a bit extra if you want something overnight that isn't a regular service part.
With regard to what other cars may suit, the VW Golf MK5 as mentioned above is one of the very best cars in your price range and parts for those are about as easy to get as any car in NZ and very well priced.
The VW just like any other car of the age/price, Japanese or otherwise is most likely going to be due to have the above done as well. This is actually a good thing, as if you get the work done you know it really has been done and done right.
This is just the nature of cars.
usdefault,
Sep 30, 6:41am
Jazz the thing is you don't pay 'a bit more'. you pay astronomically more than any other country globally for Volvo parts.
I have a Volvo, and I like it, but it's one thing after another that breaks down like clockwork. I've owned the car for a little over 12 months and in that time I've replaced:
Alternator Passenger side CV jshaft Drivers side CV shaft Front pads Rear pads, Front discs Front calipers Radiator (800 AUD fitted) Brake lines Heater blower motor Heater Core
These were must fix items and I have also replaced vacuum lines, rotor arm, cap, air filter, plugs, leads, fuel filter etc etc.
This was on a low mileage vehicle with a comprehensive service history.
The receipts from previous owners are mind bogglingly expensive.
They are great cars when they are going but they do have issues, moreso than many other cars on the market.
bmc460,
Sep 30, 1:33pm
Brake pads.air and fuel filters are just a part of running any car no matter whatbrand it is.
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 30, 3:34pm
usdefault, with respect, there are some problems with your assumptions.
1. You are not in NZ
2. The majority of those items are wear items that will tend to need replacing on any car around the same time
3. Many of those items because they come under regular maintenance type parts would likely be available from stock from the likes of speed and other independent distributors, for a fairly reasonable price for the V40.
4. This is not sounding like a late model V40. My money says you have an older model and/or possibly something like an S80.
The V40's in question are about as reliable as cars come.
I am not denying that some of the less common parts may costmore, however on a V40 like that unless you are very unlucky it should be a very rare occasion that you need anything out of the ordinary.
That said. if in doubt poster one, buy a Golf, its every bit as good a car and parts and prices are about as good as you get for any Euro car in NZ.
supernova2,
Sep 30, 3:57pm
Out of that list of parts they only item I think a little unusual is the calipers and the only reason I can think of for replacing such a thing is that either the car has been mistreated or the garage was just ripping you off.Why not just repair the alternator- a good autosparky or for that matter even a bad one should be able to do that unless it exploded orself destructed.
Ive run Euros for 30 years and agree often you cant just drop in to Ripco or Supersheep for bits and sometimes they are a bit more expensive but you can have exactly the same problem with a Jappa as the one you have is the "odd" model and the bit you need was made of unobtainium and is only available with a secret handshake on a wet tuesday whilst wearing pink nickers.
bentleyboy,
Oct 1, 2:27am
You are obviously not a car nut if you're considering a Volvo. If I'm right, save yourself a lot of hassle and buy a Toyota. They make the best cars in the world. Not exciting sure, but they do exactly what it says on the tin for many years to come.
thejazzpianoma,
Oct 1, 2:31am
Except if its a Diesel, or an old Estima, or a direct injection Petrol, or a Caviler.
They do have some very reliable models but most are over priced in NZ and they don't come close to offering the comfort and features of some of the Equivalent European cars.
A VW Golf has similar reliability and maintenance costs to a Toyota Avensis for example, but the Golf offers a lot more as a car.
NZTools,
Oct 1, 2:44am
That altenator is cheaper than reconditioning my isuzu altenator, and that is a fair price for any air flow meter or abs module.
The parts you have linked to are not expensive, so it blows your argument that volvo parts are dearer than anything else.
NZTools,
Oct 1, 3:06am
Why are you comparing the price of 3 second hand modules with a brand new volvo module! thats hardly apples with apples. Whats a brand new holden or audi module worth!
sw20,
Oct 1, 3:08am
Really! Some of the cheapest parts I ever bought were for an Alfa Romeo 75.
I needed a new master cylinder or mine rebuilt. All the shops said $180-$200+gst for rebuild. Got a brand genuine new one for $160 delivered, part was in stock too! Brake pads were cheap, so were rotors. Got parts from Continental in Wellington and some place in Te Awamutu that mainly specialised in Fiats.
thejazzpianoma,
Oct 1, 3:10am
LOL, I think you guy's are being a bit extreme in opposite directions.
For example the airflow meter looks fairly priced, until you consider its only "reconditioned" (however you recondition one of those. I hope its not just sprayed with cleaner).
On the other side of the argument, the Alternator in the example is not even for the car being discussed.
Its a new experience for me being in this middle ground!
BTW, I stand by what I said. From personal experience Non regular service Volvo parts can tend to be more expensive than other makes in NZ.
However, taken in the context of total cost of ownership of the vehicle, how much actual inconvenience this is likely to cause the sort of owner who has enough nous to come and ask the right questions. Plus the advantages of the Volvo over some of the other options, I think its still worth considering.
It's one of those things, so long as the buyer is aware of the pitfall's and the available workarounds to avoid/minimise them. Then they are in a position to make the right decision for themselves.
Again, personally, just by ordering my major service parts (as in the 5 yearly service stuff) online I have had no trouble maintaining Volvo's for very reasonable cost and minimal inconvenience. Interestingly, I have done so in one situation without doing any spanner work myself too (just ordered the bits and sent them off with the car to the mechanic).
Who said 2000NZD wasn't expensive for the same item!
Like Jazz says if you are forward thinking then yes parts can be had cheap, but being forward thinking doesn't mean you can legislate for sudden component failure.
Would you pay say 400NZD and wait for two weeks or pay 2200NZD of the dealer (if they've got one)!
incar.,
Oct 1, 5:39am
lols i dont bother to read most of the crap splattered out by some, in simple terms, you live up north, parts are hard and expensive to buy for this vehicle, if you break down do you think you can drive to Volvo for repairs, No! tow truck job,can you afford huge costs to keep it running! Or do you want a vehicle that??
bignzer1,
Oct 2, 9:15pm
Well said Incar
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