Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Volvo penta not honoring warranty

O

oceancounty

New member
Volvo penta not honoring warra

Volvo penta not honoring warranty

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bought boat new in late 2007. Had to have outdive / lower unit repainted after first season due to pitting and corrosion ( told it is not related to grounding). Called dealer beginning of August 2009 because the same pitting condition was occuring. Dealer said that parts were back ordered but claim was submitted. Volvo is now rejecting the claim because it was too close to the expiration date that a claim was being filed. This is absurd!!!!!!
Is this typical Volvo? Is anyone else having problems with corrosion and pitting on new volvo penta outdrive?
 
"No, Have you called their cu

"No, Have you called their customer service department or are you relying on the dealer?

Corrosion is a really touchy issue since there are so many factors that can cause it and most are not the fault of the manufacturer.

I can tell you this much... They did not deny a legitimate claim because it was too close to the warranty expiration date."
 
"Joesoph, you couldn't hav

"Joesoph, you couldn't have a better drive than V/P. It does not sound like v/p to turn you down if this is a v/p issue.
IMO, there's either something that we are not privy to, or a reason that is not being disclosed here."
 
The boat is trailered. The De

The boat is trailered. The Dealer showed me two new boats that have never been in water that are starting to pit just like mine. Evidently VP had to changed the paint they use. So I am told. This is the second time I am dealing with the issue. I did not have any warranty issue the first time around. Thanks for your posts.
 
"From what I got from a normal

"From what I got from a normally 'reliable' source some time ago, the problem was not related to the paint, that was a mere excuse.
The main culprit was a casting batch with 'unclean' alloy!
You may re-paint to the cows comes home, will not cure the origin of the problem.
Lower unit must be changed."
 
"This is helpful info. As of

"This is helpful info. As of right now, the dealer is going to re-paint and eat the cost. As you indicated however, this may be an ongoing issue that I may wind up eating the cost of."
 
"Several years ago when I re-e

"Several years ago when I re-engined my ChrisCraft w/280 drive, I intentionally had the mechanic order a MERCRUISER...you might ask why.


My current boss, had a "picnic boat" ( used to cruise, anchor and party) semi custom built up in New England. He had a pair of Volvo gas engines installed. Almost from day one, he had problems.
After multiple attempts by local mechanics to fix it he eventually complained directly to Volvo who sent a "factory rep".. The rep inspected the boat, took it out for a ride and pronounced..all it well. Problems persisted until like clockwork, a week after the warranty expired, both engines (gas) also expired. The boat had been gently used, engines never run much above 60%

The owner of the boat tried to get the engines replaced/repaired by Volvo but was told...sorry, warrranty has expired. He sent a long letter to the Pres of Volvo in Virginia explaining the whole history. Volvo's pres response... Sorry.. not liable, engines were improperly installed at the factory. This "determination" was made totally by mail, i.e., a Volvo factory rep did not come out to the boat a second time.

It does not make any difference how good a product is, the buyers experience is defined by the willingness of the seller to "do the right thing".

Yes, I know that there are two sides to every story, HOWEVER, I got involved in this story well after the fact when my boss found out that I had A USCG License, did 99% of all my work and was familiar with Volvos. He told me the story, and then handed me a 1" thick correspondence file on the boat, including the boat manufacturer invoice, every repair and maintenance bill, the Volvo Factory rep's report that all was well, and the letter from the President of Volvo saying.. Sorry... warranty expired, invalid anyway as engines were improperly installed at the factory.. My boss chose to not sue since Volvo is in Va, and we are in NJ and the legal costs and time weren't worth it. Probably what Volvo relied on.

Personally, I think it is a case of "How the mighty have fallen..."

A year after reading the file, it was time to re-engine my Lancer... I chose Merc."
 
"'My boss chose to not sue

"'My boss chose to not sue since Volvo is in Va, and we are in NJ and the legal costs and time weren't worth it.'
That is why companies like Volvo have 'Bean Counters' to calculate risks like that!
No one is better that the other, from time to time 's*it happens' and it all goes wrong!
Don't know how many Mercruiser trim cylinders I have replaced due to corrosion!!
As for this case, re-paint is a 'temporary' solution that might keep it nice until warranty has expired! No paint, no zink no nothing will solve the original problem, just keep it alive a bit longer.
You decide."
 
"RE: "from time to time &#

"RE: "from time to time 's*it happens' and it all goes wrong! "

Yes that's true... sooner or later even the best manufacturer will ship a "lemon" out the door.
What separates the quality companies from the "not so quality oriented" ones is what they do when a bad product gets out the door.

I had my own electronics development and manufacturing company for almost 20 years. Unconditional warranty for 2 years, repair/replace for 10% of original cost thereafter forever. I repaired a few for free and one lot of badly mistreated items for 10%.

The ones I fixed for free and the loss on the 10% repairs, were the best advertising dollars I ever spent."
 
"I agree with all posts...Volv

"I agree with all posts...Volvo should properly fix your drive to keep you as a customer. I would without hesitation buy a Merc Engine(great customer service)and good reliability.However, I wouldnt put a Merc drive on my boat if it was the last one left on earth!!! Im a volvo aquamatic drive guy for life(as long as I can get parts every 4000hrs of service)I work at a Chrysler dealership and I sometimes have to go beyond the call of my job to satisfy current customers and keep them Chrysler brand buyers!! Good Luck and I would not give up on this with Volvo!!!"
 
"[b]Jesse, Amen to the later A

"Jesse, Amen to the later AQ series! (SP C and DP C etc.)
What a shot in the foot when Volvo took the new direction!

AQ series to me =
**Larger foot print against the structural transom core....
**No Gimbal affair.....
**No engine alignment after initial install.....
**No Rubber Hub drive coupler..... (Borg Warner spline all steel drive coupler)
**Better steering geometry with the main suspension fork/pivot tube type system, IMO.
**Easy addition of the Duo Prop lower uint to any 250/270/275/280/290 SP and so on.
**Very easy drive bellows replacement... (no Gimbal Bell to fight)
**No thru prop exhaust!
**Not dependant on exhaust back-flow prevention flapper being at/on the bellows or in Y pipe connecting area.

There is room for improvement on the ease of PDS bearing replacement.

Oh well!

."
 
"Rick,

We are thinking on t

"Rick,

We are thinking on the same wave length on this one together. Shot in the foot, more like total suicide IMO..... Dont get me wrong, I love the looks and function of the new DPS and XDP composite drives, however, to me its as much of a pain to service those as a Merc drive. Volvo AQ series drive was the simplist,most reliable, bulletproof,most user friendly drive in all of man kind!!!!If they still currently produced those drives and everybody caught on to those, Merc Outdrives wouldnt even be in business these days!!!

Anyways,

Joe....Do not give up with the Volvo be polite but very stern with the company and make sure they warrant your drive like it should be and give you a brand new one with hopefully a better batch of metal...DONT GIVE UP...something should break for u and hopefully in a good way"
 
"I did own a boat (Bert 25

"I did own a boat (Bert 25 softtop) for a couple of years with twin MERCs. I was in the middle of planning swapping the drives for a pair of Volvos when I was forced by a divorce to sell the boat.

I upgraded my present original 250 drive power boat to 280 and besides the exhaust gas flow restriction which I solved by going thru transom w/mufflers, I a VERY pleased with the fit, finish, design and quality of the materials... MERCs have a poor design, and they use poor materials... Sooo... 200 series for as long as I own a boat."
 
Boat Tech - Thank you so much

Boat Tech - Thank you so much - That is not me so the info is very helpful. I posted a link earlier in the thread to Chaparral for a gentleman that is also having the problem and he has pictures that fit my situation exactly. I must of missed the one you forwarded which provides better info on the outcome.

Jesse: Thanks for the well wishes!
 
"If you want to see a fairly g

"If you want to see a fairly good example of how well these drives hold up, visit a boat salvage yard.
Look at an array of similar year boats (and similar size boats) that have been deemed un-sea worthy and are being parted out!
Look at the various drives and the corrosion issues between the brands.
(to be fair, try to separate trailered boats from boats that may have been moored!)

It may not be a perfect science or a science at all....., but it will give you an idea as to which ones predictably offered more corrosion issues.

The older V/P's have usually fared better..... and I'm sad to see these issues with this later drive.... and more saddened that V/P is not stepping up to the plate regarding this known issue!

."
 
"VP finally stepped up on this

"VP finally stepped up on this dispute and agreed to replace the bearing carrier, top cap and pivot housing and repaint any other area of the outdrive that looks suspicious of paint bubbling."
 
well i hope this made everybod

well i hope this made everybody happy here

volvo is tighter on warranty work

you need a good dealer and a good dealer rep!!
 
Back
Top