Vol-Spec of Escondido

This place has really saved me money and the car keeps running great.
I had a problem with the engine light coming on the dealer wanted to replace the computer 1300, but Dave diagnosed the problem and the body shop crossed some wires into the wrong plugs, it cost me $ 100. Next savings was the engine wasn’t running well. the dealer wanted to replace some pump in the oil pan and that was going to cost at least $ 1100. Axel said it was carbon build up on the intake, which would have been done during the dealer repair but would have replaced parts two. They cleaned the carbon and the car ran great for less that have of what I was expecting. Last was my transmission was shifting hard going into 1^st gear. Friends of mine said their mechanic told them to sell there Volvo when that started so they did. Axel Flushed the trans fluid and put some conditioner in it and a few weeks later the transmission was shifting like new again, saving the cost of a new car. These guys are smarter than the dealer it seems in most cases. 145,000 miles and the car still runs like new.

8 months of spending money and agony trying to get the engine light to stay off. These guys sound so intelligent with Volvospeak, but the only thing they know how to do is to replace parts that aren’t Volvo parts, and with that they charge ¹⁄₃ more than other mechanics, and don’t know how to diagnose at all. All they know is to look at the engine light and doing what it says. Unless its something they already fixed, and because of their guarantee, they would have to fix it for free, then they ignore it. And replace yet another part to get money from you.
April 2015 I bought a used 2000 Volvo S40. The engine light was on. I had it diagnosed at another mechanic who said it was the thermostat. So I bought the part, not a Volvo part but made sure it was OEM spec, and had the mechanic replace it. Engine light came on again after 30 miles of driving.
Engine light info: In this Volvo I found out that like in most cars, disconnecting the battery will make the engine light go off temporarily. But if the issue is not fixed, it will come on again. In my car this takes 120 miles of driving to see if the engine light is truely off. It would usually come on again in about 30 miles of driving, but it takes 120 miles of driving to reset the car computer. In 8 months of trying to fix my Volvo, and over $ 1500 in replacing parts, Dave could never keep the engine light off. Every time I go in, he would say something real intelligent with Volvospeak words, and replace another part. One time was the thermostat because it was not a Volvo part. $ 300. I was desperate so I said OK. I knew it was only 2 bolts to replace it, and $ 300 was such a ripoff, that 10 minutes later I called him back and requested that he not change it. Well he was done already. A 10 min. job and $ 230 labor. $ 70 for the part. RIPOFF So I challenged this by pointing out that $ 300 for 10 minutes is a ripoff, and he did reduce it to $ 200, which is still a ripoff. And the engine light still came back on in 30 miles of driving.
A small note. I don’t make much money, so I’d have to save for a couple of months to go to see him, because I knew every time I go in it would cost me $ 300+.
A couple months into this he told me I needed the timing belt and cams redone. $ 700 fix. I thought this was strange, but the engine light says that was the problem, so I said OK. I thought this was strange because the car ran great when I first brought it to Dave, so I couldn’t understand that the timing was off. But he said the cams were at an off angle, and were chewing up the belts. I had looked at the belts, and they were in perfect condition, but the engine light said so, and Dave’s Volvo speak said so, so I said OK. From this point on, my car never ran good again, until I finally took it to another mechanic months later.
Dave said part of the issue was a bad pulley, which he gave me the option of replacing with a used one, and I said OK. But after all this, the engine light still came on after 30 miles of driving.
This went on and on with me saving a little money so I could bring my car back to Dave, and him charging me high prices to replace a «non Volvo» part, and the engine light still coming on after about 30 miles of driving. I needed the engine light to go off so I could get the car smogged to sell it.
The straw that finally woke me up was 7 months into this ordeal, I told him to keep the car and drive it to see if he can find out what is going on. He had it for a month, drove it twice, and charged me $ 140 for «diagnosing» it and telling me he couldn’t find the problem.
In the meantime a friend of mine found a cheap non-​volvo mechanic who worked on any vehicle, and actually would fix it. I took it to this other mechanic, who put an oscilloscope on the engine, found out it was a faulty pulley, replaced it (for a third of what Dave charged me) and for the first time since I’ve owned the car, it ran great, and the engine light stayed off.
I rarely write reviews, and I waited to write this one because I wanted to cool my emotions down, and also to make sure that was the issue. Now over 500 miles later, the engine light is still off.
DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR TO DAVE FOR DIAGNOSTICS!
He is only good at reading the engine light, speaking intelligent sounding Volvo speak, and replacing a part. Which any mechanic can do for a third less cost.
I kept coming back to Dave because he sounded so convincing. Do yourself a favor and find an independent mechanic who works on any car. They can read engine lights and replace parts just a easily as Dave. There are other intelligent mechanics out there. Keep looking until you find one. Dave is a ripoff. A really nice guy, but a ripoff.

Dave is the man when it comes to Volvo’s.
Brought my Mothers s80 here for repairs and it was brought back to life.
Very honest and extremely knowledgable when it comes to Volvos.
Do your self a favor don’t waist time anywhere else.
Come to this place

I send my ’95 Volvo 960 to Dave whenever it needs a service or repair. His diagnosis has always been spot on, and the charges very reasonable. Dave’s treatment of customers is one reason why I am driving Volvos.

Dave is the best there is. I have recommended him countless times to other Volvo owners who have mystery problems others can’t fix. He wins every challenge, usually within a couple of hours ater getting to the car. Saying that he is an expert is an understatement, and just a wonderful low key/​laid back guy. He has a new associate, Axel, who spent years at Volvo in Sweden. The fact that Axel passed muster with Dave is a testament unto itself. Axel brings deep domain expertise in Volvo onboard computer technology. You can’t beat this line up.

My 2001 Volvo S40 had the check engine light on. I went to Volvo Specialist to ask them to turn it off so I could get the car smogged. I had been there a couple months ago and had a $ 1200 repair done. Well, the owner told me to drive the car into the shop. He hooked the machine up and told me the diagnosis code. He didn’t mention anything about charging me. I thought «That’s really nice of him to help his loyal customers like this.»
He then tells me it’s nothing serious and that it will be $ 50 to clear it! If he was going to charge me for such a simple service (it took about 5 minutes), he should have said something ahead of time. I will not be back to Volvo Specialist.

We have 2 Volvos & have had both repaired & maintained here for several years. They are knowledgeable & have the equipt. to interpret computer codes. They are reasonably priced & honest. We’ve never had problems after any work they’ve done. Highly recommend.

I went to another Volvo «specialist» and spent thousands and over the course of 3 weeks the problem never got fixed. The dealership was clueless and overpriced. I went to VolSpec and they fixed it right in a day and a half for a couple hundred dollars. They are not the cheapest, and they are not the most expensive, right in the middle. For me the little bit extra I would have spent with them the first time (I was going to the cheapest) would have saved me at least $ 3,000. When dealerships do not know how to fix a Volvo they actually bring it to them to check out. They are true experts and worth it. I have never been upsold here. I have always been told everything that was wrong and what was urgent and what wasnt urgent to fix. They have been totally honest. The shop is no frills, its a straight up repair shop. If you want to sit in a plush lobby and get ripped off while they dont even fix your Volvo right go to the dealership!!! (They didnt even know my Volvo had a turbo on it!) I recommend them to all of my friends. If you dont live near by its worth the drive and there is a great car rental place next door if you need it, they gave me a great discount because I was using VolSpec. Seriously no reason to go anywhere else if you have a Volvo.

Top notch mechanic! We are going on 180,000 miles on our Volvo S60 and we owe a lot to Dave and Axel. The oil changes are a bit pricey but Dave goes the extra mile to look over the entire engine to make sure that it’s good to go. Much better service than Volvo of Escondido and Vol-​Spec is right around the corner!
Thanks Dave and Axel!

Surfer owned business since 1985. I drive all the way from the coast. Excellent service