I thought it might be helpful to report my recent experience with holding Volvo's feet to the fire regarding their "Lifetime" replacement mufflers.

A half dozen years ago, when I tried to get a new OE mid-muffler from a dealer, I was told that it was NLA as a separate part and the only way I could buy it was as part of a cat-back kit (mid-muffler, intermediate pipe, muffler, tailpipe plus all the hardware). I was getting the friendly price at the dealership which was less than I would have to spend for an aftermarket Stala kit, so, I bought 3 of them.

When I opened the first box, I didn't like what I saw. The OE kit had an over-the-axle style intermediate pipe/mid-muffler and I had many painful memories from 20 years before of that type of pipe run. But, we all know that nothing lasts like an OE Volvo exhaust system, or so I thought.

I mounted the pieces and sent my daughter off in the car. After a few years, the car home to roost. Then, predictably, that wretched mid-muffler outlet elbow sheared off - after only 14 Kmi.!

More than a little perturbed, I called the dealer to get a replacement. When the parts guy realized I was trying to exercise a "Lifetime" warranty claim, he told me that there was no such thing. He said NO Volvo muffler EVER had a lifetime warranty and he's been selling Volvo parts for FIVE whole years.

After a bunch of verbal jockeying, he said that if I could fax him a Volvo document which states there is a lifetime warranty on the muffler, then he would submit it to his district service manager. I guess he figured he had heard the last of me with that one, but what he didn't know was that I had a copy of Volvo's "Quick Reference Parts Catalog" and at the top of the page showing the exhaust kit was the following statement: "Limited Lifetime Warranty only on muffler".

The rest is history. I had to fax him the referenced page from the catalog, take him the queefed out muffler and wait a couple of weeks, but I did get a replacement under the terms of the warranty.

The next time should be easier.

Rich - Near Pittsburgh