Volvo S40 Anti Skid Steer & Warrantywise

[tomlad]

Hi all,

Been a member here for a few months, however im trying to get as much advice as possible from as many forums as i can on this matter. Plus everyone was really helpful when i was asking for advice on purchasing a new car here! So please excuse the fact this isnt MB related, however any advice would be fantastic.

Here is my issue;

Ive had my 2006 Volvo S40 SE for just over 6 months now. And a couple of weeks ago i got the 'Anti Skid Steer Service' light pop up on my dashboard.

I purchased a 10/100 Warrantywise plan the same day i bought the Volvo.

Took the car to Volvo Blackburn on Friday, they charged me £120 for it to be hooked up to the computer, for them to find that the ABS sensor needs replacing. They informed me it was a £900 fix, and Warrantywise were only willing to pay £92.00 of the repair bill. They also wanted the faulty ABS unit to be sent to Warrantywise for inspection?! (The bloke at the dealer said he has never heard of this procedure before with WW) Which would have also meant my car being off the road and stuck at Doves Volvo Blackburn for at least a week.

Turns out that because I pay for my plan monthly, that Warrantywise will not cover me for anything further than the remainder of the years premiums (which equates to £92).

I wasnt informed of this when i bought the policy (the girl on the phone was too busy selling me air con and multimedia cover) and now im stuck with a £900 repair bill that I simply cannot afford!!

I think around £300/£400 of that £900 from Volvo is labour. I have read that its a common fault and in the past Volvo have paid between 50%-100% of the repair bill, however I havent spoken to them yet and dont fancy my chances as the car is a 2006.

Anyone got any advice on perhaps somewhere that is local (Lancashire area) that are able to help in not charging me a fortune on the repair?

Cheers
Tomlad

 

[Satch]

Can you a bit more precise in terms of what you mean by "ABS sensor"?

 

[tomlad]

it says on the invoice from the diagnostic (and i quote);

"Requires ABS module replacement, due to internal fault in brake pressure sensor"

 

[Satch]

VOLVO S40 ABS (PUMP & ECU/MODULE COMBINED) Products

 

[tomlad]

wow! totally going to look into this!!

massive thanks Satch

 

[bolide]

What level of cover does the Warrantywise warranty say it has in the paperwork?

Nick Froome

 

[flango]

Hi I've run Volvos for over 20 years currently have a V70 and a C30. That quote is quite frankly ridiculous. To hook it up to VIDA for diagnosis is £60 standard dealer charge so they ripping you off from the start.

The ABS module on these is a well known fault rebuilds trade are around £150 + 3 - 4 hours labour.

If you go over to the volvo forum someone will recommend a good Indie near you who will sort it for you for a fraction of the cost.

As for warranty wise they are useless best after market warranty is Warranty Direct.

Here's what I would do as Volvo may make a contribution even though it's a 2006 car. Take the car to Rybrook Volvo at Warrington or Clive Brook Volvo Bradford and tell them I sent you. (Ian from JAR Motorsport) get them to check the car out which they will do for free or show them the diagnostic report from the previous dealer. Either of these 2 dealers wiil really help you I buy all my cars from Rybrook and Clive Brook service them all so I know them well.

Let me know if I can help any further

 

[tomlad]

What level of cover does the Warrantywise warranty say it has in the paperwork?

Nick Froome

it includes ABS (which theoretically should cover this fault i think!)

as i say, they are unwilling to pay out because im paying monthly and im claiming within the first 12 months of having the policy. surely if you cant technically claim inside the first year (they seem to pay the remainder of the years premiums, which will cover about 90 mins of labour to fix my problem!), im giving away my money for non existent cover. basically its like a downpayment on the second year cover, in which they may or may not pay for an issue like this. reading up on other complaints, it seems like they ask for the part in fault to be sent to them and they find a way of blaming it on the owner.

so yeah, feeling like a valued customer!!

 

[tomlad]

Hi I've run Volvos for over 20 years currently have a V70 and a C30. That quote is quite frankly ridiculous. To hook it up to VIDA for diagnosis is £60 standard dealer charge so they ripping you off from the start.

The ABS module on these is a well known fault rebuilds trade are around £150 + 3 - 4 hours labour.

If you go over to the volvo forum someone will recommend a good Indie near you who will sort it for you for a fraction of the coat.

As for warranty wise they are useless best after market warranty is Warranty Direct.

Here's what I would do as Volvo may make a contribution even though it's a 2006 car. Take the car to Rybrook Volvo at Warrington or Clive Brook Volvo Bradford and tell them I sent you. (Ian from JAR Motorsport) get them to check the car out which they will do for free or show them the diagnostic report from the previous dealer. Either of these 2 dealers wiil really help you I buy all my cars from Rybrook and Clive Brook service them all so I know them well.

Let me know if I can help any further

Hi Ian,

thanks for the advice! i wouldnt mind but i was quoted £100 for the computer hookup, then when i got there he said its actually £120 with the VAT. I was in such a huff with my conversations with WW that it didnt click until i got home. to be honest i thought it seemed expensive however not having previous comparative experience with Volvo or other main dealers, i couldnt really confirm my suspicions!

oh and i have put a post over on volvoforums.org too, just trying to cover as many forums as im a member of really for as much advice as possible.

is this a problem which can be fixed within a visit or is it something i will need to leave with the mechanics for a couple of days?

 

[flango]

Hi Ian,

thanks for the advice! i wouldnt mind but i was quoted £100 for the computer hookup, then when i got there he said its actually £120 with the VAT. I was in such a huff with my conversations with WW that it didnt click until i got home. to be honest i thought it seemed expensive however not having previous comparative experience with Volvo or other main dealers, i couldnt really confirm my suspicions!

oh and i have put a post over on volvoforums.org too, just trying to cover as many forums as im a member of really for as much advice as possible.

is this a problem which can be fixed within a visit or is it something i will need to leave with the mechanics for a couple of days?

If you go the rebuild route it's usually about a 7 day turnaround but much cheaper. A new unit can be swapped over in a few hours but is the more expensive option.

I'd also start looking at the warranty closely to see if you can find anything about what you describe in it as I have never heard of that before.

Volvoforums.org is a good site but a little slow on responses.

 

[redbaron]

Why do people buy aftermarket warranties? Surely everyone knows they are not worth the paper they are printed on?

 

[flango]

Just seen your post on the Volvo forum and responses from Clan. Clan is a top bloke so whatever he comes back with will be good advice.

 

[flango]

Why do people buy aftermarket warranties? Surely everyone knows they are not worth the paper they are printed on?

I totally agree

Get a quote what it would cost for a warranty then put that amount in the bank every month, you'll find it pays for many things like holidays, home improvements as well as the car repairs.

 

[tomlad]

yeah the link provided in this thread states around 7 days. however (excuse my naivety here) im unsure of how to locate and remove the unit myself. and i presume the car wouldnt function for a week without it being in place?

so i could potentially be looking at a fairly long (2 week?) break without a car?

for example, would i have to take the car to say, warrington, ask them to remove the unit and send it to be rebuilt, i pay for the rebuild and then wait for it to be returned to the garage in warrington, for them to then fit it and me collect?

again excuse my naivety!
cheers

 

[tomlad]

I totally agree

Get a quote what it would cost for a warranty then put that amount in the bank every month, you'll find it pays for many things like holidays, home improvements as well as the car repairs.

well i guess i fell for the marketing spiel! plus the endorsement from Quentin Wilson and his insistence on avoiding 'Weasel Words' sort of sealed the deal.

as stated i should have just put my money in the bank every month. guess i was just keen on keeping my new car 'protected'. as you can imagine i feel like a bit of an idiot for actually falling for the hype. im usually not the type to give this sort of thing the time of day, however the fear of ridiculous repair bills (this is the first time ive spent considerable money on buying a car) made me want to go down the warranty route. wish i never bothered now!

 

[flango]

yeah the link provided in this thread states around 7 days. however (excuse my naivety here) im unsure of how to locate and remove the unit myself. and i presume the car wouldnt function for a week without it being in place?

so i could potentially be looking at a fairly long (2 week?) break without a car?

for example, would i have to take the car to say, warrington, ask them to remove the unit and send it to be rebuilt, i pay for the rebuild and then wait for it to be returned to the garage in warrington, for them to then fit it and me collect?

again excuse my naivety!
cheers

The cheapest way is to find an Indie get them to remove the unit send it away and refit it on return, you are probably looking at 10 - 14 days. Unless you can find one who will do a direct exchange like BBA reman who will dispatch a recon unit upon receipt of your old unit or immediately if you pay them a deposit this could shorten your time to 5 days or so.

If you go the dealer route then if Volvo make a contribution then the dealer could do this easily the same day so this would be the fastest way I think your best chance of a Volvo contribution is from the 2 dealers I mention they have been brilliant with me for many many years

 

[tomlad]

excellent. i will give the guys in Warrington a ring tomorrow and see if they can help. Is it dealer specific whether or not im likely to get a contribution? or is it just that they are more helpful when it comes to fighting for said contribution?

 

[flango]

excellent. i will give the guys in Warrington a ring tomorrow and see if they can help. Is it dealer specific whether or not im likely to get a contribution? or is it just that they are more helpful when it comes to fighting for said contribution?

Some are more willing to fight for a contribution than others. Rybrook have a good track record of getting Volvo contributions and good will payments

 

[tomlad]

Some are more willing to fight for a contribution than others. Rybrook have a good track record of getting Volvo contributions and good will payments

cheers mate, really appreciate your help.

 

[flango]

cheers mate, really appreciate your help.

No prob and if I can help further just shout, I know a lot of Indies but none over your way, but if you need that route the Volvo forum will come up with some options.