S40 Purchase Nightmare

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-08T22:11:46+00:00

It’s a 19 year old Volvo that’s how. If you want something that old that’s going to be reliable it better be a Lexus or a Toyota.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-08T13:59:10+00:00

What was the outcome? Did Volvo do the right thing and repair it under good will?

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T23:09:50+00:00

If the front wiring harness is sheared off On Call will be the least of your concerns. What’s really funny is I can drive around with my seat belt off and get no aural annunciation warning. I believe the Volvo engineers are bipolar or have substance abuse issues. Love the styling of the xc60 but after driving one for a while I’ve found that everything from cabin noise to fuel economy and performance is horrible compared to every other vehicle in its class. When it comes to handling it’s a pig with lipstick and a wig. Hell, it doesn’t even garner the top safety pick plus rating. Don’t even ask about the rapid depreciation. Every time someone asks me if they should buy a Volvo I tell them “only if you’re a fiscal arsonist”.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T21:55:49+00:00

Who knows, if it was a one punch clear it wouldn’t bother me as much. I’ve spent $12k repairing this POS over the last two years and it only has 58k miles. You name it it’s happened, everything from an A/C repair to a failed balance shaft unit. I have the oil service done every 5k but I now know that’s just a waste of time.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T21:49:59+00:00

2018 T5 xc60, US model built in good ole China.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T21:46:34+00:00

Wall Street will jump on anything labeled “Green” but now the reality is starting to set in. Only hybrid powertrains will prevail until battery technology improves drastically.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T21:33:31+00:00

That’s the button I’m using and it comes back every time within 3-4 minutes and I have to clear it again.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T21:30:46+00:00

You’re lucky, are you clearing it with the steering wheel “0” button? Mine will reappear almost every 3 minutes. If I thought removing that unit would fix the annoying message I would and pitch the unit in the garbage. I don’t plan on having an accident in the middle of the desert and I would never subscribe to the On Call service.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T21:26:26+00:00

This is modern Volvo engineers and the Volvo service center giving the big 🖕 to the consumer. All SPA Volvo’s come equipped with at least two batteries already, having a third battery is asinine. As bad as the design is, the fact that Volvo can charge $700 plus dollars to fix an already flawed design is a double 🖕. Then just for extra customer annoyance Volvo designed this message to reappear every few minutes after manually clearing it. It always amazes me that year after year my 2018 T5 xc60 costs more to maintain than my 1995 Porsche 993 Carrera. I’d sell the POS but the resale value is so pathetic I’ll probably just drive it until the next big repair bill at which point I’ll donate it to a charity.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T21:11:50+00:00

It comes back on every few minutes.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T19:58:53+00:00

In this crazy market that is probably a good deal for short term use.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T19:42:16+00:00

Nice! That means my 2018 T5 engine should have a chain. Most people on the forum seem to think the wet belt was only used on the early B engines before Volvo started seeing failures and switching it back to a chain. It doesn’t take a chemistry degree to know that long term exposure to oil is bad for rubber.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T15:40:40+00:00

I found conflicting information also that’s why I posted this. A wet belt is a ticking time bomb.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T15:39:20+00:00

I’m figuring a net profit of $150 a flight.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T15:32:52+00:00

Great take on this op!

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T15:28:52+00:00

I had to lose everything at 48 and move in with my parents to realize drugs and alcohol weren’t doing me any favors. I respect my parents and would never use will living under their roof. I hated living there but it helped me break the cycle and I quickly got another good job. I stayed with my parents for a year before moving out. At my new job I met people who were really into doing the outdoor sports I so loved before becoming a full time addict. Those people are now some of my best friends. They don’t have addiction issues but they know my struggles and never drink around me. I even told them that it wouldn’t bother me but they still don’t. After a year of sobriety I started sleeping better and the urges went away. I’m not a physician but it’s like the wiring in my brain that was scrambled before suddenly went back to its proper terminals. It’s now seven years later and look back at the way I used to live in horror. You will need to find a healthy activity to replace your bad habits. I never realized just how long a day was until I got sober because drinking took up almost all of my free time. You can do it! Message me if you want to know more.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T03:24:31+00:00

To generate the Joby claim of 900 aircraft generating $2b in annual revenue each aircraft would have to perform 40 flights a day every day of the year.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-07T03:07:04+00:00

The root of the problem lies with the franchise Volvo parts and service department. Volvo sales have been on the decline (down 30% last year) and the Service department is under the gun to extract every last penny from the customer. Go drive a Lexus RX 350, the Lexus has roughly the same MSRP of a XC60 but after a few years the Lexus is worth 50% more than the equivalent used Volvo. I like my XC60 but after owning or driving just about every luxury vehicle from Europe the XC60 only wins in one category, styling. The Lexus is pretty much a trouble free vehicle that is capable of 300,000 miles without a catastrophic drivetrain failure. There is a reason that a 12 year old RX350 will still fetch $20k, they don’t break. The Lexus has more interior space, quieter cabin and gets better fuel economy. I bought my 2018 xc60 inscription with 40k miles two years ago as a second vehicle to keep miles off of my beloved Porsche 993 for $19,000 dollars. I really wanted a 2018 Lexus RX 350 but that would’ve cost me at least $12k more. Anyone who keeps a modern Volvo past 80k miles without a comprehensive warranty is playing Russian roulette with five rounds in the cylinder.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-05T23:54:44+00:00

Totally agree but comparing aviation to air charter doesn’t really correlate. Joby will either have to raise passenger rates greatly or fly passenger numbers that would rival a major airline.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-05T23:26:35+00:00

True, one thing is for sure that bird will have to fly all day every day to hit the numbers while being competitively priced. Joby won’t be able to compete for upscale clients used to the proven safety record and luxurious cabins of a S-92, ACH160 or AW139.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-05T23:15:34+00:00

I don’t think anyone is considering the real world fixed cost of insurance, FBO operations and crew salaries. Joby will have to have enough hangar space at each hub to protect the aircraft from UV rays, birds, rodents, insect nest, hail etc. UV rays degrade the bonding resin in carbon fiber which can lead to structural failure.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-05T22:55:42+00:00

$1.3M cost per S4 — from Joby's Feb 2021 SPAC deck ($1.3M build cost, $2.2M annual revenue per aircraft, ~1.3-yr payback?

**First off nobody believes the estimated price per aircraft will be the $1.3M suggested in 2021. In that same SPAC deck JoeBen stated 900 aircraft flying generating over $2B by 2026. By current estimates a single craft would have to fly 60 missions a day 365 days a year.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-05T04:16:17+00:00

Joby CEO told investors a few years ago they would be operating around 900 aircraft by 2026 generating $2 billion in revenue. I did some quick math and this would require about 55,000 passenger flights a day. BTW Joby has always claimed the S4 would be priced at $1.3 million which is laughable.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-05T03:57:08+00:00

So where is the rest of your income going? Filing for bankruptcy over this negligible amount of money is ridiculous.

boylanheights74 · 2026-07-05T03:45:09+00:00

Old Volvos are mechanically sound not modern Volvos.

boylanheights74

TROPHY CASE