TVG

I started going to TVG with my first car which was a Volvo 940 Turbo. I am still going there today with my C30. The team was always so helpful recommending what needed to be fixed, what I could wait to have fixed, and what I could fix on my own. It feels like they genuinely want people to have great experiences with their Volvos, and have them run for as long as possible.

These are the best Volvo mechanics in town, hands down. Super knowledgable, expert work, fair prices. Forget the dealerships– they want to keep you coming back again and again. At TVG, you’ll have the most experienced, honest, detail oriented, and thorough professionals taking care of you and your car in a timely fashion. They are busy, so make an appointment, and realize that a Volvo is not the cheapest car to fix, but if you want it serviced right, look no further.

My husband recently called this location because we’ve had some fraudulent charges on our checking account and this company popped up on our bank statement. Neither of us have even been here, so after filing a dispute with the bank, my husband called this location to give them a heads up that whoever had just charged X amount of money on card **** was using a stolen card number (it was a pending charge and would be recent). The man on the phone (who identified himself as the owner of the business) was incredibly rude and told my husband that it wasn’t his problem. We weren’t notifying him to give us any money (the bank will do that) just to let him know that there was a fraudulent charge posted through his business and he might want to be aware that the charges were being investigated by the bank. Working for a small business myself, this is information I would love to know. Haven’t had any car issues since moving here, but I know where I will not be taking my vehicles… so thank you for making that decision for me!

I never thought I’d find a mechanic that I liked as much as the model garage guys in Berkeley. The folks at TVG have yet to do any repair work on my car (aside from installing a couple of bulbs) but I am, nevertheless, highly impressed! I brought it in the first time for a trip check and they said that there was nothing they could find wrong with my ’86 240 DL wagon and sent me off to Seattle for my trip. Then, after it made a strange noise and smell the other day, I brought it in and again they didn’t find anything wrong. They didn’t charge me this time even though they spent some time looking for a problem– how nice is that? Everyone I’ve dealt with there have been friendly, professional folks and for a plus NPR plays on their «hold» music. Hopefully, when I actually get repair work done I’ll be even more impressed.

these guys do an honest job, but you pay a bit of a premium.
we took my girlfriends car to 4 places to get quotes, this being one of them. the first quote was the lowest from a guy i trusted (and still do trust), but it seemed high. the next 2 places didnt even look at the car and quote my girlfriends (scams). TVG came up with the same analysis as the first quote, and since TVG is a volvo specialist, we went with them. great work all around. the guy on the phone seemed a bit unfriendly, and the price was higher then our first quote, so i’m docking one star.
depending on the need, we’d likely return, especially for Volvo work. and i should repeat, they were honest when others tried to scam us!

Best place in town for Volvo service repair hands down. Excellent customer service, outstanding repair with out the up-​sell. A/​C, transmission, engine, brakes. Volvo only repair specialist.

Just tried TVG after hearing so many good things over the years, and they deserve it. Straightforward guys who do what you ask and don’t try to gouge you. Did good work on my 940 and later advised me where a short was in the charging system so I could do the easy fix myself and save money. I became disillusioned with Vol-​Tech (sold me rotors that warped in no time, other run-​around garage antics– depends on who you get there) so it’s nice to know I can come here for the big repairs.

I have nothing good to say about these guys. I bought a used Volvo 240 and took it there to get an inspection. It needed a few repairs right away so they did that and all was well. However, about a month later, I went to drive my car and the check engine light was on. For some reason if you tried to accelerate out of a stop the engine would die. So we took it back to TVG and they said they’d try a few things and let us know what they found. They tried a new oxygen sensor and a new circuit board and pretty much gave up at that point. They tried to convince us they were doing us a favor by not charging us a hundred bucks an hour to look at my car, however, three weeks went by and my car had just been sitting there, because they were too busy making money on other Volos. They made empty promises and never called us to give us an update on the car, probably because they weren’t doing anything to it. Horrible customer service. So we went and got my car from TVG and took it to a different auto shop, who fixed it in ONE day. They said someone (TVG) put in a new oxygen sensor that didn’t work… Long story short, TVG wasted three weeks of my life because they were too «busy» to bother with an old car like mine.

Such crappy customer service. Not apologetic for leaving me on hold for 5 minutes to help someone else who came after me, then I called back to let him know, and he acted as though it was normal for me to have to call twice. Hostile tone, threatening when I politely stated I wasn’t happy with the reception I was getting, that I could basically shove it. Told me that the noise i heard in my car was not necessarily going to be heard by the mechanics because ‘their hearing isn’t so good, in their old age’. Not helpful. Fixed my lights, almost immediately not working again. Beware! Convenience may not be worth it.

My 17-​year old son just posted this on his Facebook «My car now has +200% braking ability. I would like to thank my mom for warning me that I was driving around with imminent death.» Actually, I would thank Curtis and Bo for years of being told «bring it in.» I’m on my second Volvo with these guys and trust their work to keep my kids safe. We are 30 years and two cars into it and I wouldn’t go anywhere else. I told Curtis recently that my ’86 sedan needs to last until my 15-​year old goes to college. I have no doubts they can do it and on my budget!

TVG rocks! We first went to them when the alternator on our ’82 wagon went out. We called around to all the shops, and TVG gave the best quote by a good margin. After reading the good reviews here, we took it there with no hesitation. I did another price check awhile back when the supports on the back gate went out, and once again they beat everyone else’s price by about 20%. Ever since then I’ve just taken the car there and not bothered to price check.
As a bonus, everyone there is super friendly and helpful. The owner, Curtis, is a total card, always cracking jokes and telling funny stories. If my mom ever met him, she would describe him as «bright eyed and bushy tailed».
Todday we picked up the wagon from them after they had put her back together after a nasty crash. At first I was a little miffed because the bill came in at $ 696.50, when they had originally ballparked $ 500 – 600. I decided that when we went in to pick up the car that I would mention something about it. However, when we went in, they’re all just so damn NICE that I totally forgot about the fact that I wanted to complain!
In retrospect, I’m sure the repairs would’ve been considerably more anywhere else — so I let it go. We just bought a ’96 850 wagon (yes we like Volvo wagons, what can I say), and will definitely be taking it to TVG for as long as we have it!

We have three generations of us trusting our Volvos to these chuckleheads. Yes, they love to talk but they do know what they are about. It’s OK if you are a girl, they are trustworthy. My wife was all concerned because she went in for an oil change and they did a 60,000 mile service, yeah, it needed it.

TVG definitely knows Volvos. In all of my dealings with TVG, Curtiss has been friendly and helpful. They don’t rip me off — they charge reasonable rates to fix my super old car. Plus, they almost always get your car back to you the next day. Also, they don’t treat me like a total idiot just because I’m a woman.

The guys at TVG auto have always taken excellent care of my Volvo. I’ve been going to them for about 4 years. They specialize in Volvos, and they have always been knowledgeable. I have definitely given them a heck of a lot of my money, but that’s owning a Volvo for you. Parts are expensive on these things.
Craig has helped me out immensely in times of need. Always honest (my dad and uncles back in NJ are mechanics and love Volvos), reliable, and finish the job fast. To the reviewer who said that they have «ok rates» I suspect that is because Volvos in general cost a ton when they need repairs.
My experience there has been positive. They will know if your car needs to be seen today or tomorrow, or if it can wait a week or so. Will never go anywhere else for my Volvo, unless some unforeseen change happens at TVG. Highly recommended.

Fast, honest, friendly and ok rates. TVG is one of the best Volvo repair shops in PDX.
How’s that for succinct?

I hate my car, but TVG loves it! Maybe they love it because it brings along my wallet, but they sure do treat the old beast well. They can even decipher my mindless none mechanical description and tell me what wrong before actually looking under the hood. We live in a society where you get what you pay for. If you want the best in Volvo repair then you need to come here.
They may eat up you bank account as fast as your ex-​spouse will, but at least something good comes from it in return. Like a working vehicle!