Hey there... I have a question for you all. My Dad drives a '98 V70 AWD and the rear wiper stopped working reliably. It was still good for one or two passes, but then it would seize. It would stop moving, but you could still hear the motor going, making the same sounds it normally would, back and forth. On the first visit to the dealership (we no longer deal with them... this has been the last straw...) we were told it was the transmission in the tailgate between the motor and the wiper arm. Fair enough. Having never taken one apart or worked on one, we just had it fixed. $280 or so (CDN) and a week later, the same problem returned. This time I took the car to where I have my car serviced and asked them to have a look at it. They were shocked to hear that we paid anything to have a transmission replaced as they've never done it. They repair them on site, at a fraction of the cost. I was reassured that this was the problem still (read: the motor was operating properly), and decided to go back and complain that my 'new' transmission was not functionning. This time around I was told that the problem was the wiper motor. That's interesting since I can still hear it operate(a car with a blown transmission will still idle right! Just not move...). I was then told something that blew my mind and this is what I need to clarify. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE TECHNICIAN TOOK THE MOTOR APART AND THAT THE GEARING WAS DAMAGED, THUS THE REASON FOR THE NEW MOTOR (funny those cost $480 after tax and installation...). I'm fully convinced that I was lied to my face, and I'm really pissed.

I made an appointment to have them inspect/fix the transmission, and made this painfully clear at the time. I was out of town and Dad took the car to them, dropped it off and got a loaner. They called and left a message at work saying that they assumed he wanted it fixed and went ahead and did so. What do you do now? Dad isn't confrontational, just paid and left. I'm trying to decide what to do. At least the bloody wiper works now...

And to make things even more awkward, the service manager at the dearlership is a member of the local VCOA chapter!

Your comments and input are greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post.

ERIK NORDIN SMITH
'90 745Ti - "ICE RCKT"
'98 V70 AWD - Dads car