Volvo Cars North America review: Service

I had my car towed to your facility on April 24, 2026, by Volvo Roadside Assistance at no charge. I am The car needed towing because it ran out of gas on the way, and the gas door would not open. I had previously taken the vehicle to Ventura Independent Volvo, where they tried but were unable to open the gas door. They found a Volvo memo stating that there is a known issue with the gas door and the key fob, which can be fixed by reprogramming the fob.

When I called your service department to explain the issue, I spoke with Ms. Chavez. She rudely told me that my mechanic would not have access to those Volvo memos. I confirmed with my mechanic that they do, in fact, pay for and have access to that information and called her back to clarify. After that, she sent me an estimate for over $6,000 worth of repairs. I made it clear what I wanted addressed, just the gas door and fob. She told me the key fob needed replacement, as did the locking mechanism—along with other recommended repairs I was already aware of. My question is: how can you determine the locking mechanism needs to be replaced when the key fob itself is not functioning properly?

There was also confusion regarding text messages and repair approvals. I requested the key fob be reprogrammed, but Ms. Chavez only offered replacement. I then asked that the locking mechanism be checked after verifying the fob’s issue. Once the fob was replaced and programmed, it worked correctly, so there was no need to replace a $600+ part.

I called for three days trying to find out when my car would be ready. On the eighth day, I used a different number and reached Oliver, who was polite and professional. He said he would ensure that Ms. Chavez called us when the car was finished—and that if she didn’t, he would follow up himself. About 30 minutes later, Ms. Chavez called to say the car was ready.

When I picked up the car, I noticed the tire pressure warning was on. After eight days in your shop, no one had noticed or addressed the warning, even though it is the first recommendation on the quote. Nobody notice the very noticeable exhaust leak. Isn't an exhaust leak extremely dangerous? Eight days?

This was the most pathetic experience I have had with a "mechanic." Your agency did a "complete" exam of the car and let me drive off with low tire pressure and an exhaust leak. As far as I am concerned, Miss Chavez has no business in customer service, she refused to listen to me, assumed things that were not true, she refused to return my calls (she was playing games), and was just rude. I will never go to your facility again. I will go to another dealership and have them check the old key fob to see if a replacement was needed. This is all unacceptable behavior. eight days to do 30 minutes of work, if that much.
Sincerely,
Robert Ashley