Marin Volvo-Saab

I feel lucky to have found Marin Volvo & Saab after recently relocating from Los Angeles. Their work is thorough and reasonable. Communication was attentive. I brought in my wagon for what seemed to be an issue with the struts. They got me back on the road in no time. Rick has been in business for 34 years and I can see why.

Rick and his team have done a great job of keeping my 98 V90 wagon in tip top shape. Always recommends only the absolute necessary regarding service, and notes things that can wait a little, being conscious of my pocket book, which is appreciated. He really knows the ins and outs of various years and models of Volvos, as some years are better than others (I didn’t know that!). Highest recommendation I can give regarding upkeep and servicing your Volvo. Hopefully you will be as pleased as we are.

I brought my 09 S80 T6 to Rick and his team when I had a minor headlight bulb that went out. They quickly realized that some wires had melted slightly in the lamp housing and expertly found a replacement connection. These guys are real mechanics who know their trade. I’m not going back to the dealership anytime soon. Rick and his team are local experts with the right tools (highly technical) to get the job done right the first time. Great experience working with them and will be going back for any future car maintenance. Think local and support independent business whenever you can.

I called to inquire about a check engine code in my Volvo XC90 because air wanted to know if it was urgent or not, the guy who answered to phone told me he didn’t have time for me. He could of just told me the same and be more polite. Worse costumer service I have ever received from Volvo.

I was shopping for a used Volvo, and took a potential candidate to these fellows. They gave that 2008 S60 2.5T a thorough going over! The result was that I felt comfortable buying the car, and I am now driving happily ever after in my beautiful Volvo! Thanks so much, guys!

Honest, down-​to-​earth business. I love taking my old Volvo wagon here, and after just one visit, the staff even knew her nickname.

I have been taking my Volvo to Rick for the past 2 years and he has always been wonderful. He is straightforward and honest regarding repairs and services.
His staff was also helpful. When I was stranded at their place by the tow truck driver and no way to get home one of Rick’s mechanics gave me a ride.
And just today when I had a problem with my car I called and Rick talked me through it and I was on my way.
Great service.
Great customer service.

This is the first (and to date only) Unilocal review I have ever written and I am doing it because Rick and his mechanics treated me so well in a time of mini-​crisis. The short of it is that I drove to Marin from my home in Los Angeles and my Volvo broke down in San Anselmo at about 3:30 pm on the Friday of a holiday weekend. I towed the thing to Rick’s shop and explained that I needed the car back Tuesday night or early Wednesday to drive back to LA. He told me he would look at it first thing the shop re-​opened on Tuesday — which he did — and found that a wire to the battery had been fried out. He completed the repair the same day and left the car outside for me to pick up after hours — total charges were about $ 120. Rick knew I was a totally desperate, probably one time customer and yet he treated me fairly and honestly. In light of my experience I am baffled by reviewers who claim that Rick or his team would ever try to «rip off» anyone, overcharge for parts or recommend unnecessary work. That is comical. It is true that Rick favors using Volvo manufactured parts rather than cheap knock offs. Given his pragmatic nature, I am guessing he is also more conservative in recommending that car owners take care of developing problems before they progress any further. It seems that many of the less positive reviews here were from people looking for the absolute cheapest, immediate solution to a car problem. Rick seems like someone who takes the longer view, recognizing that a $ 100 part or repair that lasts for 5 years makes more sense than a $ 50 part or repair that will only last you 1.

As a longtime, multiple Volvo owner, I can attest that this outfit is what you want and need if you have a Volvo or Saab and want to maintain it properly and at the lowest cost.
Rick is as experienced, knowledgeable and honest a fellow as you will find anywhere. He has decades of experience with these cars and maintains the most up-​to-​date equipment, diagnostic computers and staff. I trust him 100% to advise me as to what the cars need and he invariably offers less costly alternatives where they are available and advisable for an older car (e.g. using less costly rebuilt parts in some circumstances rather than new). I also trust him to tell me when an item can slide without any decrease in safety.
After several years of great experience with this shop and its owner, I recommend them without reservation. I can’t comment on those who have posted reviews with a contrary experience but perhaps they ended up finding lower prices at shops that use lesser or used parts or have staff with lower qualifications. As I see it, you get what you pay for. I hope these guys are around for a long time.

Marin Volvo — Saab owner Rick Palumbo and his service team
are one of the few auto repair facilities in the Bay Area
who truly care for your car.
The entire team regularly goes above the beyond the their
call of duty to insure that their customers are not only
satisfied but really amazed by their attention to detail and
and their desire to do a GREAT job. In this day and age of
fast-​food customer service everywhere, it is totally
refreshing to feel good about having your «car in the
shop».
I’m pleased to praise your reputation and make
customer word of mouth your most valuable marketing tool.
Keep up the fantastic work!

My fist review (which I have since removed) was a solid 5 stars. I have received exceptional service from Marin Volvo Saab on many occasions. However, I had to have my CV joints replaced last year and they tried to charge me $ 500 for the part I KNOW FOR A FACT only costs $ 140. I understand markup but c’mon. The quote ended up being a minimum of $ 1500 for a job that ended up costing less than half that at another shop. If you’re going to gouge people on prices, make sure they dont have a fast Internet connection in their pocket.

Rick and team did great work on my 2001 9 – 3 Viggen. They were quick, professional and priced right. I was impressed by how quickly they were able to get parts and complete the work. I will definitely go back for future repairs.

Called them for an estimate, and the owner seemed friendly at first. But, that soon went downhill fast when I started asking questions. Someone needs an attitude adjustment. Boooooo.

In my experience, Marin Volvo-​Saab is an all-​around excellent place to have a car serviced. Owner Rick Palumbo is kind, accomodating, funny and helpful. He always goes above and beyond with my Saab 9 – 3, and turnaround is always timely. Other employees at the shop are likewise kind and helpful. I highly reccomend Marin Volvo-​Saab!

Marin Volvo-​Saab has worked on my 1994 Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon and on more than one occasion owner Rick Palumbo & his mechanics went way beyond the «call of duty» to troubleshoot a problem with my car’s transmission, keeping it overnight and having one of the mechanics drive it during off hours to try to get an intermittent problem to reappear.
Rick is an honest business owner who will find used parts for you if you ask him. I’d recommend Marin Volvo-​Saab to any Volvo owner looking for great service.

I have been a loyal customer of Marin Volvo Saab for 15 years and have never had any complaints about quality or cost of work done on my multiple Saabs. Rick has been in business for over thirty years and this alone says a lot about his customer service as we customers keep on coming back!

Rick serviced my wife’s Saab and did an excellent job at a very fair price. He is professional, courteous, and very knowledgeable when it comes to a Saab. His price was very fair compared to comparable shops, and way less than what the dealer wanted.
While there I mentioned the review from Amanda D. Rick told me that he did an pre-​sale inspection on her car for a customer of his that was considering purchasing the car from Amanda D. He said he did not try to sell Amanda D anything, did not price any work or offer to do any work for her and did not even give her his report, as she was not his customer.
Oh — and while I was there his shop was not slow, but rather busy, and he has apparently been in business for over 20 years. I was also impressed by the certificate he had from AAA on the wall certifying his shop as reliable.

Rik is a good guy, and I believe in his work and his mechanics’ ability to properly diagnose a problem and get the job done right the first time. Problem is, having owned both Volvo and Saab cars, there’s mucho opportunity to bleed cash everywhere! These guys are my first stop for repair, and I almost always cringe at the bill. But I guess the point is, if it’s worth fixin’, they’ll get you back on the road in good measure.

Do not go here!!! (unless you enjoy being ripped off…)
I brought my Saab here and left with a list of stuff that was supposedly wrong with it. I Brought that list to another mechanic for a second opinion because I had a hard time believing some of what they told me and I left with a much shorter list.
One Example: With my brake pads still at 50% and my rotors only having «tiny flecks of rust», as my second mechanic put it, trying to sell me a total brake job – new pads and rotors – based on how things were was, as my other mechanic put it «out of control».
Basically, they wanted me to do a lot of work to the car that it did not yet need. My second mechanic told me that most of what they said was exaggerated, like trying to replace my drive belt when it has a minimal amount of wear and could last for thousands of miles more.
I guess I understand, their shop is very slow, and when you don’t have a lot of business you may feel forced to up-​sell services that aren’t quite needed yet, but you’re definitely not going to sell them to me.

I wasn’t really enamored with this place. At $ 100/​hr it’s seemingly the cheaper of the independent Saab shops in San Rafael (by $ 10/​hr). I’d venture that any labor savings were quickly erased by some nickel and diming.
I went in for a CHECK ENGINE light and some other minor issues. I came out with a CHECK ENGINE light and $ 320 less in my checking account. I got charged $ 50 to diagnose and fix a smell from my engine compartment… it was a plastic bag melted to my catalytic converter. Really? $ 50 bones to look at some melted plastic and scrape it off? Mmmmm, I dunno…
To their credit, these guys did do me the favor of finishing off a repair I couldn’t complete. So I basically I bought the part online and they did the install — something mechanics don’t like doing b/​c they lose their margin on selling the part.
The bottom line is that I won’t be going back… I’m going to try the other local shop and see if they’re any better.