I own a 1998 Volvo V70 AWD - 94k miles. Every time I take
Carla in for a tune up it comes out acting older and clunkier than when she went in. Mind you, Carla should be a cute, and spunky V70 with lots of guts. I drive her that way.

The last time she went in, the mechanic handed me a list of 'TO DOs' that threw me over the edge. My latest repair replaced the VS170 Broken Spring Seat Bearings (56 CV = $350; 2 8646713 spring seats = $87.10: total $444.72).

Along with the bill, they wrote out a list of things to get done: Front Bevel Gear Leaking - $700, front to rear driveshaft front cv seal blown $800 to replace front cv joint assy or recommend $1150 for new fron tto rear driveshaft, rf engine mount collapsed $280, replaced front upper strut
>mounts. (When I asked, "So what needs to be done right away? Dealer Mechanic said "The front bevel gear is most important; with leak you can never tell when something might cease up." So what does that mean? I'd stop dead in the road?)

Also, how serious is all this stuff? My car sounds like it's hawling a cement
truck. The heavy heaving sounds are all in the front end but only when I'm driving at slower speeds and usually when it's cold. The breaks grind (report says 'front brake ginds when in reverse -- front and rear brake pads appear to be new but not greased also no signs of rotor grind').

What's my next move? Do these prices sound reasonable? I'm not happy with any of the Volvo dealers I've been to in Berkeley and I've checked out four of them. They all have given me back a car that has aged tremendously over the 8 hours they had her.

Thank you so much for your help-
Bonkers in Berzerkeley.