[vjbox]

Hi everyone,

I had a minor service request to attend on my car and realized that Artemis Volvo Chennai service center still remains closed. Upon speaking with one of the known SA I got to know that they arent servicing any cars yet due to lack of parts inventory and he has no idea on when they will open up. He mentioned some of their customers are going to Martial Motors Bangalore for major repairs and service. It appears to be a challenge for the customers to deal with this. I believe the business is understandably affected pretty bad and I hope they resume operations soon. I am awaiting an update from them on the situation though.

Do any of the Chennai based Volvo owners have any recent experience with this matter?

Thanks!

[GTO]

Oh dear, that sucks. This problem does come up now & then with brands that sell very few numbers in India. If your car is in warranty and you have a service due, record this fact via email and also ask Volvo what to do (don't want a warranty rejection later because of missing a scheduled service).

[androdev]

Sorry, but it looks like a lame excuse to keep the business closed. I think it has to do with financial viability to operate in these times. If they keep the business open, then they have to pay rent, full salaries, utility bills, etc. which may not make sense for many businesses these days. By keeping it closed, they can try to avoid paying full rent and salaries, etc.

If it is availability of parts then it should apply to all the dealerships in the country. You should definitely contact Volvo to clarify.

[reignofchaos]

Artemis was in financial trouble well before the corona epidemic. Not surprised one bit about this.

[flipsyde]

Artemis was a sinking ship way before the pandemic. They never had any parts in stock and every part used to take them 2-3 weeks to get even after Volvo started stockpiling parts in Mumbai.

It's about time someone else took over the dealership.

[ShortShifter]

The Parts situation is similar in other cities/showrooms too, I have been waiting on a replacement engine mount from the month of May for my Volvo S80 V8 in Hyderabad and they have no update so far, decided to order the part from a website called FCP Euro which has stock of all OE Volvo parts in the USA, part will be arriving in 2 weeks time, best bet would be to find a good Independent Garage who could service your car if its out of warranty period.

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by GTO

Oh dear, that sucks. This problem does come up now & then with brands that sell very few numbers in India. If your car is in warranty and you have a service due, record this fact via email and also ask Volvo what to do (don't want a warranty rejection later because of missing a scheduled service).

It sure does GTO. I did visit them today to attend the minor issue and they still seem to have a few staff and a load of cars in the shop waiting to be serviced. They arent doing any major repairs/parts replacement and are only attending to minor niggles. It does seem to be a sorry state though. They still dont know if they will resume in 2 months and if they dont, there is a very good chance they will wind down the business as it appears.

The SA did say that after Mumbai, its the Chennai dealership that sold the most cars, not sure if the stats are true but most Volvos are are majorly seen in Chennai when compared to rest of TN and the brand does have the patronage within that niche segment.

My car's manufacturer warranty is about to expire next month but I do have the extended warranty that is supposed to be honored by the service center for another 3 years. My service is due in 1.5 months and if they dont open up then, it looks like I need to take the vehicle to Bangalore for a service and I will certainly write to Volvo India on this matter and make sure to clarify on future warranty.

Originally Posted by ShortShifter

The Parts situation is similar in other cities/showrooms too, I have been waiting on a replacement engine mount from the month of May for my Volvo S80 V8 in Hyderabad and they have no update so far, decided to order the part from a website called FCP Euro which has stock of all OE Volvo parts in the USA, part will be arriving in 2 weeks time, best bet would be to find a good Independent Garage who could service your car if its out of warranty period.

Oh wow, sorry to hear that. It is very hard for one to leave the car unattended at the service center while waiting indefinitely for the parts to arrive. I hope you manage to find a competent garage in Hyderabad to get the job done.

[chandu]

Originally Posted by ShortShifter

The Parts situation is similar in other cities/showrooms too, I have been waiting on a replacement engine mount from the month of May for my Volvo S80 V8 in Hyderabad and they have no update so far, decided to order the part from a website called FCP Euro which has stock of all OE Volvo parts in the USA, part will be arriving in 2 weeks time, best bet would be to find a good Independent Garage who could service your car if its out of warranty period.

Is this after the service got taken over by Krishna Volvo or was it during the Talwar volvo times? I had a lot of trouble getting my V90CC fixed when the transition was going on and it took many weeks for the parts to come.
Since then its been generally ok. But, yes most of the time they have very few parts in stock and if the part has to come from Volvo it takes 2-3 weeks. Its a sad situation for a premium brand car.
I also happen to know the person who bought out the remaining spare parts inventory from the old service center and he is selling the parts directly to whoever wants them. Let me know if you want a contact.

[reihem]

I’ve was following up during the “main lockdown” with Volvo to enquire about replacing my keys and the locking mechanism as well (I guess) under insurance. Initially they were simply not reachable. I had a couple of admin people’s numbers saved from 2018 and tried one. A lady picked up and said that since they had cases in and around the workshop (the one near the Hilton) it would remain closed. Post the lockdown, I got a few calls saying things were up and running, but didn’t follow up due to laziness; a bit irresponsible on my part given that I have just one key now, and if that goes too, I’m doomed ! Keen to know how things pan out for you. Chennai has a unique relationship with many car brands. For years Skodas were considered taboo here because the dealer, who also had a monopoly, was becoming notorious. Chennai is definitely a Volvo city; a lot more specimens than I see elsewhere. Would be a real shame if things fall apart. Just last month I was checking out the XC60 and pondering my next step, looks like it will be a step in the opposite direction !

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by reihem

I’ve was following up during the “main lockdown” with Volvo to enquire about replacing my keys and the locking mechanism as well (I guess) under insurance. Initially they were simply not reachable. I had a couple of admin people’s numbers saved from 2018 and tried one. A lady picked up and said that since they had cases in and around the workshop (the one near the Hilton) it would remain closed. Post the lockdown, I got a few calls saying things were up and running, but didn’t follow up due to laziness; a bit irresponsible on my part given that I have just one key now, and if that goes too, I’m doomed ! Keen to know how things pan out for you. Chennai has a unique relationship with many car brands. For years Skodas were considered taboo here because the dealer, who also had a monopoly, was becoming notorious. Chennai is definitely a Volvo city; a lot more specimens than I see elsewhere. Would be a real shame if things fall apart. Just last month I was checking out the XC60 and pondering my next step, looks like it will be a step in the opposite direction !

Ah! You better get that duplicate key sorted Reihem. I am in touch with the Manager at the Service center and learning on the situation. They did attend my car when I went a couple of weeks back for a mild whistling noise from the driver side AC vent (although they couldn't diagnose the issue) The Service center was full of cars all waiting to be serviced/repaired. I will do a check in early October for any positive developments and if not it looks like a drive awaits to Bangalore to get the car serviced.

I got to agree on the Volvo patronage in Chennai. The SAs always told me on how some of their customers only bought Volvos adding to their fleet and never turned into other Makes. It would be a shame to let that customer loyalty die down.

Bingo on pondering about the next car and it did cross my mind too especially after checking out the V90 CC (man its one complete package). The SA did tell me while its a good car, parts availability isnt as free flowing as their fast moving models like XC60 and he wholeheartedly recommended that I consider the XC60 even pre worshipped but not more than 4 years old. He mentioned its one of those trouble free models in the lineup and compete value for money. Can you please PM me your contact details so we can be in touch?

[vjbox]

Update : Spoke to one of the CRM in confidence and I understand Artemis Volvo is winding down operations and I am told Volvo is already appointing a new Chennai Dealer who is expected to go live in the next month or two. They mentioned that we can very well wait and get the vehicle serviced with the new dealer as they already have several hundred appointments that needs be transferred to the new service center it seems. I hope this is the case without having to travel to Bangalore for servicing. I have also asked them to confirm if the new dealer will honor the extended warranty that was originally issued by Artemis. Awaiting their confirmation in this regard.

Chennai Volvo Owners- Please take note and I suggest you all to actively followup on your servicing schedules (if any due) and also sort the extended warranty that you may have opted.

Mods- please change the thread title as needed.

[lionell]

Originally Posted by ShortShifter

The Parts situation is similar in other cities/showrooms too, I have been waiting on a replacement engine mount from the month of May for my Volvo S80 V8 in Hyderabad and they have no update so far, decided to order the part from a website called FCP Euro which has stock of all OE Volvo parts in the USA, part will be arriving in 2 weeks time, best bet would be to find a good Independent Garage who could service your car if its out of warranty period.

You may want to look at Man and Machine in Hyderabad. I've heard and read very good reviews about them. Have you come across them? Here is their Instagram handle https://instagram.com/mandmachine?igshid=1o8s2xwyk5ots

[mehulr]

How is the spare parts availability at other service centers, specifically Chandigarh? Someone in my circle is considering Volvo XC60/90 and wanted to check this as it would be a major point in narrowing down the options. Thanks

[reihem]

This is Volvo India's response. They have lost a loyal customer.

Being asked to go to Bangalore was sort of the limit for me.

[vjbox]

Ah! this is not good Reihem and this is exactly the stuff we wanted to avoid when you and I spoke over the phone the other day. It is not cool for them to ask customers to do a 700 KM round trip to get the vehicle serviced. I have also written to Volvo from my side and have asked for clear updates on the situation.

Btw, did you check on your Extended Warranty if you opted for any?