Northern European Auto Recyclers

We’ve been taking our ’96 850 to these fellows for five years, and they have always been super dependable, knowledgeable, quick, and helpful. True — the service is a little rough around the edges, but I can trust them to get the job done. My favorite thing about this shop is that Ty will always let me know when I can go with a used part, and when I should spring for new. That has saved us lots of money over the years, and I never feel like I’m being talked into more than I need. We moved out of Ballard a couple months ago, and we’re still driving across town to take our car here.

Love these guys. Super honest, knowledgable and affordable. Highly recommended. Especially great for 240 folks.

I’ve been dealing with NEAR for decades. If you think the guy in there these days is nuts, you should have been there when Anthony was running it. The atmosphere in NEAR isn’t corporate-​slick. The level of courtesy, and indeed understandability varies widely depending on who you get to talk to. Just a heads-​up, not a judgement on the quality of service or parts.
It’s a good place to go when you need either Volvo parts, or repair work. I just had a rebuilt rack installed on my 1990, and I’m quite pleased with the whole experience. Yeah, it’s a bit of an acquired taste, but you can depend on this place to do right.

***WHY should you read and consider my review? Because I worked here for a few years, and can offer an honest, no-​axe-​to-​grind insight as to prices AND what seems to be a fixation of reviewers here, the personalities you’ll encounter there.***
N.E.A.R. is the best of the best if you need parts for your Euro-​Heap to keep it running. Fair prices, and the best selection in the region.
Now… As far as the stories about the lunatic who owns the place… They are ALL TRUE. He should probably be institutionalized for his own safety, considering the number of people he’s infuriated over the years. That said, IF you can keep a sense of humor, and don’t take yourself, or him, too seriously, you can get out of there with the exact parts you need, and at a reasonable price. If you are: Thin-​skinned, humorless, need to be treated courteously, or with even a shred of dignity, or in a hurry, then this is NOT NOT NOT the place to go. Instead, visit Ravenna Motors, and buy your part new, pay 10 times (that’s not a typo, or an exaggeration) what it would have run you at N.E.A.R. & leave with your nerves and sanity intact, and your wallet considerably lighter.
This is what the British refer to as a «False Economy» which is a polite way of saying «You cheap-​ass SOB, you’ve now spent two days docking around with this car and it STILL doesn’t run the way it should (or at all) and you’re no closer to fixing it. Swallow your pride, spend the money, and take your ass to the dealership, post-​haste.»
Also, it’s worth mentioning that sometimes a new part really IS necessary, and buying one off a junked car is unwise. This is because while they DO offer a «Lifetime Guarantee» on most parts sold, more often than not that represents a guarantee that you will spend a lifetime working on your car because you have mis-​diagnosed the problem, OR because the used part is faulty. And, as stated, they’ll happily swap it out for another, with the same caveat in place. And you will then be officially on the merry-​go-​round of «Guess What’s Wrong With My Car», which is something I wouldn’t wish on most people.
A better option is to take your car (ESPECIALLY if it’s pre-​1992) to an independent mechanic who specializes in Volvos and get a correct diagnosis. THEN, and only then should you proceed to decide whether to buy new or used. Of course money is a factor in any decision, but chances are if you’re trolling junkyards for a part, you are trying to save a buck, or are just morally offended by the idea of a $ 300 tail light. If money is NOT a concern, then don’t fuck about. Go to the dealership closest to you, and get the part and job done correctly.

Best service and repair shop for Volvos (especially older than 15 years). Have had numerous repairs and I can say they do it right the very first time.
Its their experience, good mechanics, plus huge selection of salvaged parts.

This is the place to go to keep your aging Volvo chugging along. Straightforward, honest service, and the most reasonable prices in town. I’ve owned a few early model 240’s and they’ve always had the parts I need.
Took my car in recently for some new exciting noises it had begun to make. Very impressed with the level of communication and the honesty regarding the work it needed. It’s not everyday you hear a mechanic say «We could fix it for you if you want, but it’s fine as it is.» When I got it back I found little things (ie. the speedometer reads correctly again) repaired free of charge.
Maybe look elsewhere if you need a fancy storefront and a polished turd waiting to greet you. As for the «grumpy old man» everybody’s afraid of, you should have seen the smile bomb he dropped on me when I told him I’d be installing the water pump I’d just purchased.
Disregard the haters. Keep those bricks rolling. Go here.

I don’t care what anybody else says, this is a diamond in the rough of European car mechanics. They are nice, inexpensive and will go out of their way to help you. We have been going to them for 2+ years now and our 87 volvo with 300,000 miles on it runs like a charm because of them. People like to get angry and write stupid things, don’t listen to them, these guys are the best!

These guys are awesome! I had a transmission problem on my 1992 Volvo 240 station wagon and was expecting to have the tranny replaced. I was quoted $ 800.
When I went to pick up the car, I was told that the repair did not require a replacement tranny and they only charged me $ 180. They also warrantied the work for 3 months.
The car runs great now and I was thrilled to know that they aren’t the kind of shop that is out to make a quick buck. They could have easily charged me for a tranny replacement, but they were honest and quick — it only took 2 days for the repair.
I will take my car to them from here on out. They rock!

Best place in Seattle for Volvo parts, great service, reasonable prices, great selection. Even the grumpy old man is great, you negative reviewers need to grow some thicker skin. You wouldn’t last 5 minutes outside of Ballard, go back to sunny soCal or Portland. Probably asked a stupid question that you could’ve googled on your iPhone. Sissy.
Anyways, great place, check it out if you have a Volvo. Don’t mind the grumpy old man, he’s there to help you.

I had a terrible experience with these guys. I called them first 2 weeks ago asking for a quote on a volvo I wanted to get rid of. A guy I spoke to said he needed to come by and inspect the vehicle. He said he’d come later that day… but came a week and half later after another call from me. He then said he’d call me back the next day with an offer. Three days later I called them and he gave me the number to his boss and said I should instead call him for a quote. He said he’s already given his boss all the info on the car.
So I call his boss who came off extremely rude and stupid. He started asking me all these basic questions on the car and I said, well I’ve already answered all of these questions and got someone to see the car, I showed him everything and he’s told me he’s already relayed all that info to you and just told me to call you for a quote. He sort of just ignored me and kept asking questions like what’s the model, what’s the year etc often time rambling, yelling or in an accusatory tone. Finally he asks how much I want for it and I told him I don’t really know, I’m just calling a couple of wreak yards to get quotes first. He refused to make an offer and just started yelling things like I’m the owner I should know what I want from him etc. Seriously, among the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced.

I have a 78 Volvo wagon that I’ve had for 18 years and they practically turned it into a new car. I couldn’t be happier with the work that they did.