V-Garage

Great garage for Volvo. Honest and reliable.

The owner, Peter, seems to know his way around Volvos and is very meticulous. However, his attitude is generally very negative. I found that instead of proposing solutions to the problems the car had, he dwelled on the problems and made them seem insurmountable. I recently purchased an XC90 and came for a transmission fluid change (preventative maintenance), and he helpfully identified some other problems I didn't previously know about. However, he was of no help in trying to figure out how to fix the newly-identified problems (i.e. the cost of the parts, the downtime required, whether it was better to replace just the bushings or the whole control arm, etc.). He just complained that it would be a lot of work, expensive, difficult, bad design, etc. He also didn't seem to like the XC90 very much, and his pricing is also not much cheaper than a dealer, if at all (I got quoted a similar amount from Volvo of Toronto, but they were busy for a few weeks and he was available the next day). He refuses to use customer-supplied parts even though he himself offers the choice of using aftermarket parts. In many cases, websites like rockauto can significantly undercut even his aftermarket parts costs, using the highest quality parts from reputable names and factoring in shipping costs.

Ultimately, a mechanic like Peter is great for people who take a car to him and say "Fix this problem". He uses good quality parts and will do things the same way a dealership will. For many jobs I'd imagine he would work out to be cheaper than a dealer. But I know a little about cars and need someone to handle the jobs I cannot as well as discuss the best ways to deal with problems and prevent others. Peter is not the guy for that, which is unfortunate as he clearly likes the brand and the cars as much as I do. Five stars for the quality of his work, three stars for attitude / helpfulness, and one star for the parts cost, which was even higher than the dealer in my case.

Peter is a fantastic mechanic. Very detail oriented and he is extremely fair.
I brought my xc90 with a slew of unknown problems and he diagnosed them and guided me through the repair process in an unbiased manner.
Great shop overall, very pleased with the experience and the work done.

Commute from Barrie to Toronto. My S60 went bonkers on the way down on a Fri. morning.Called Peter for first time, was able to drop car off which he quickly diagnosed, ordered part, and had me back on my way that afternoon. Peter was very knowledgeable and trust worthy. Would bring my S60 back here in a heartbeat!!! Dean

Honest guy who does great work and uses real Volvo parts, all high quality, for a fraction of what the dealership will charge you. I've been taking my 2008 C30 to him for three years and he has been a great help. Being a young female I'm a huge target to get ripped off with mechanics. But Peter is so nice, he would show me what needed fixed and why and also suggested other things that could wait. I can't recommend him enough!!!