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Alan Auto Volvo Service History Since I 1st touched wrench to Volvo way back in the winter of '69 I knew I'd be making a long term dedication to understanding, repair, and preservation of these cars. Each model, from the 444 to the 70 series, has had a uniqueness which has set it apart from its automotive contemporaries and endeared it to it owners.
Reviews (16)
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Chrystie Henderson
May 18, 2021
Our 1990 240 DL was restored by Alan and he and his team did an outstanding job. When done the car looked like it just came off the showroom floor when it was purchased new. Alan's attention to detail is outstanding. They kept us informed weekly of the progress with pictures and decisions that needed to be made. They delivered on all their commitments, very professionally! Highly recommend Alan to anyone restoring a Volvo. I live on the west coast and shipped the car to Alan in Maine because I felt they were the best and I was right.
Bill H.
Sep 02, 2017
Just read that review from 2007. What a joke. We've been customers of Alan's for years. He's great, honest, knows Volvos better than Volvo and we wouldn't consider going elsewhere. Some people.
Steve Northup
Jun 24, 2016
I have been taking my 240 to Alan for almost 2 years now. His extensive knowledge of the model keeps me coming back. He has in depth knowledge on every part, allowing him to quickly and knowledgeably assess when to use aftermarket parts vs when to pay the extra for the Volvo name. His thorough mentality can occasional cost more, but after having 2 'repairs' by other shops that left me stranded on the side of the road I always go to Alan to ensure that the job is done right.

He also has the experience to explain when and how to preform preemptive maintenance. As a true Volvo enthusiast, he was happy to chat with me for long durations about what parts of my car were likely to fail next, where the rust generally sets in, etc., and how to prevent these occurrences. He was happy to share insider knowledge that allowed me to make many minor repairs on my own, even at the expense of costing him more business.

I take my car to Alan because I want him to not only patch the problem, but to approach it with a detailed understanding of the car. He fixes problems once, so that they don't come back again. I know that I can be confident leaving his shop that I won't end up on the side of the road.
James Epstein
Jun 10, 2016
I have been bringing my 2003 V70 to Alan Auto for about 5 years. From the beginning I was shown respect and professionalism. Now living an hour and a half away in central Maine, I never hesitate to make the trip to Portland to have Alan and his team handle the maintenance and repairs on my car. With my mom receiving cancer treatments last year it was vital piece of mind to be able to depend on my Volvo to get me to my family whenever I needed to. thanks to Alan Auto.

I will keep my car for much longer than anticipated due to the service I have received from this establishment. I really enjoy being shown faulty parts when they are removed to help me learn and understand the reason behind the repairs. A great example of this was when my catalytic converter needed to be replaced. Alan made a point to show me the removed part in the shop and its faults.

That was great! I have also appreciated recommendations on the proper tires for my car which has saved me lots of time and hassle dealing with a tire store on my own. The willingness to accommodate my need for a loaner car is always appreciated. At other establishments it is difficult to attain a loaner so this is an excellent service to have! I would highly recommend taking your Volvo to Alan Auto if you want it to last!
Galen Koch
May 19, 2016
When I went to Alan, it was on a whim. My 1984 Volvo 240 broke down in Portland, it was sputtering and hardly made it the one mile to Alan's shop. I am weary of mechanics and shops that I don't know. And at first, I was weary of Alan. He is very sure of himself and after our first interaction I really assumed that he thought I was an idiot. But after that initial conversation, I went back to see how the car was doing. Alan was really communicative about what was happening with my car.

He calls ANYTIME there is a question or he needs verification for work. Alan ran a diagnostic (YES this cost me $100 and was so worth it! I found out about things that my hometown mechanic missed) and also discovered the starting/running problem had to do with my mass air flow sensor. This part had broken just one year before in the same car. and I was pretty bummed out.

It's a part that's hard to find for my year and model, I had struggled with that all before. Alan fixed up my car, got it running & test drove it all around town, got me a good deal on the part AND spent a couple hours on the phone to the parts shop in Portland, Oregon where I got the replacement mass air flow sensor last year. He secured me a $200 refund (they were going to give me nothing) and truly went above and beyond to help me out.

Since then, I've gone to Alan for a lot of work. My car was rusting from the inside-out, it's in pretty amazing condition being a west coast car, but the interior driver's side was coated in rust. I didn't even know this, but in the winter cold air blasted on my feet from the huge rust hole underneath the floor mats! Alan and his technicians fixed the car up BEAUTIFULLY.

And yes, this cost me a lot. I'm a twenty-something with not a ton to spend on my car. Rust is a pain and Alan sent me pictures, invited me into the shop, and explained the rising prices and was very, very sensitive to my money problems and my trepidation. With Alan, it's important to speak up if you are feeling taken advantage of. He LOVES these Volvos and gets obsessed with fixing them up to his standards, which are not everyone else's!

That is not a bad quality, at all. In the end, I am so glad I got that work done. My car is in great shape. I spent a lot on my car and now Alan cuts me deals left and right. I got a set of snow tires for $100 and he put them on for $50. He fixed my exhaust system charging no money for the used (like new) part. Since the body work, I've told Alan that my #1 concern is being able to get from point-a to point-b.

He works with me to get my car running, gives me great deals, and spends time teaching me about my Volvo. I love my car, and Alan does too! If you have a beater and you don't care about it lasting for many years to come or don't want to put in the work to get it there, then maybe go to someone else. Alan Auto is for people who love their Volvos and who take a genuine interest in learning and knowing more about their car.
Chris B.
May 15, 2016
Alan Auto is a very special place. Alan's attention to detail with regards to keeping my 1991 740 running well, along with all aspects of running his shop with a deep respect for the environment is noteworthy. From Alan's retro dot matrix printer to his obvious passion for all things Volvo, visiting the shop is always a true adventure. I didn't expect to have the Volvo I bought from Alan for so long, or that it would end up driving across the country and back along with many other miles.

The car has never left me stranded. As my son, who has the car now pointed out, "I have rescued many friends with newer cars that broke down". The mechanics at Alan Auto have a deep knowledge and respect for Volvo cars old and new which always gives me confidence as I write the big check.
Sara P.
Apr 28, 2016
If you own a Volvo and live in the Portland area, you should be going to see Alan. My husband and I have owned 4 Volvo's over the past 10 years and have really struggled finding a reputable mechanic. Alan and his team are knowledgeable, helpful and fairly priced. We have brought my car twice to Alan over the last 6 months to have routine maintenance done (long over due) and have been very happy with the service. Alan and his mechanics called us while the car was in the shop to let us know what they found and what work they suggested to be done.

They also save the parts they replaced to show the wear and tear and explain why it needed to replaced. Alan has loaner cars available, which make the whole process of getting your car worked on really easy! I really like my car and am excited to know that I have someone working on it so I can drive it for many years to come.
C. B.
Feb 09, 2016
Alan is so dishonest I can't believe he still has a business. So my car was towed there on a Monday after speaking to him on the phone, he never mentioned he wouldn't be able to look at my car for another week. Alan also never mentioned that I would have to pay over $100 to look at my car, had he been honest with me I would have been fine paying this, but he failed to tell me he couldn't look at the car for another week.

At this point I made plans to have the car towed to another shop after sitting there for a week of not being fixed. Alan called my girlfriend to tell her that she was being foolish, and she should not listen to me. This guy is a joke.
Sarah H.
Dec 10, 2015
We took my mother's ancient Volvo wagon to Alan for an estimate and for repairs. I writing this review months later because I want folks to know that Alan provided top notch and professional work for our Volvo. We decided to repair this neglected car for our son's first car. Although it took many weeks to get the car "right" (there were multiple issues!) - it was worth the wait.

I will say he is not the least expensive mechanic you might find - but he is very trust worthy and worth the expense in the long run. It's been 5 months since the red wagon left his shop - and after all the headaches in the beginning - the car has been trouble free since then! Alan is also very good at communicating what's going on with your repairs - even during the weekends.
Tayla K.
Nov 18, 2015
I brought my Volvo here when I was a student at USM. My car had a "grinding" feeling while driving. I explained that I did not have a lot of money and if the fix was more than $600 I didn't want it done. At the time, I was a broke college student and my car was 16 years old with over 200,00 miles. The mechanic told me my rear suspension needed to be fixed and estimated my car would be $550, so I agreed to have it fixed.

The mechanic called me when my car was finished and told me the job took a lot longer than expected and my car would cost $1200. I began to panic, I asked him if he could hold onto the car for another week so that I could ask my parents (who live in MA) to help me out. He told me I not only had to pick up my car that day by 5pm but if I didn't he would have it towed as there was a snowstorm coming the next day and he had no room for my car on his lot.

I was forced to dip into my tuition money to pay for the car. Needless to say, I arrived to pick up my car in tears. Never go here unless you want to be ripped off and always get an estimate in writing!
Joseph R.
Apr 04, 2014
We brought our 2000 Volvo v70 to Allen after we broke down and the car would not start and it had a hole in the radiator. Then we get the call that he wanted to do his 100 point check and from there its all down hill. Before Allen ever even test drove the car we had a bill of $4294.55 that seems very unprofessional especially knowing we were on a very tight budget.

Then he finally test drove the car only to tell us we have a transmission problem. Now if he would have test drove the car after the $600.00 radiator job maybe we would not have dumped so much more money into a car with a bad transmission. All in all we spent over $5000 dollars at Allen's Auto in a short span of 1-2 months and after a transmission flush that did not solve the problem we pick up are car only to have the engine blow 2 weeks later due to a timing belt tensioner that should have been noticed during his supposed glorious 100 point check. I've never bad mouthed an business before even if I felt I was wronged but this was the worst and most expensive experience I have ever had.
Ren H.
Nov 01, 2013
My experience was terrible, just terrible. Curiously enough, I was forwarned by a friend not to use this garage because he heard that Alan's had a unsavory reputation. I like to form my own judgements about people so I I dropped my vintage Volvo off for a diagnostic anyway. I met Alan and almost immediately he proceeded to try to intimidate me by disagreeing with me on the things I pointed out that I wanted to have done to the car.

I guess you could say he is a purist for Volvo's. When I called him later in the week for an update, I was surprised that the car sat for a week, was not looked at and Alan claimed that "these classics" need time and was in the "que". When I informed him that I wanted to pick up the car and I'll make another appointment for a diagnostic at a later date, He informed me that "it doesn't work that way" and that "it's in the best place possible", "people drive thousands of miles to see him" and basically insinuated would not release my car from the bay of his garage.

I eventually hung up on him as he kept going on and on and on about he is a "master" has all the parts I need (funny because he didn't even look at the car), blah blah blah, he would not let me get a word in! I immediately went over to his garage to pick up my car with two other people to ensure that I would not have problems rescuing my car.

After about 45 mins of listening to him drone on about these classics needing his attention, and that he doesn't work with my type of personality (abeit female with a brain), he finally removed my car from inside of the bay. Meanwhile I watched his mechanic put a door ding in the car that he was working on. It was the most unpleasant experience I've ever had with a garage. I called another Portland foreign auto specialist who verified several customers complaints after dealing with Alan's Auto. Stay away from this shop.
J. G. Archambault
May 15, 2013
I went to Alan Auto Volvo Services to repair my 1997 Volvo 850, instead of purchasing someone else's vehicle of neglect. The Vehicle Mechanical Analysis was something I liked. It was integrated and sobering, but not far off of what was expected. Things come up in repair and I was made aware, and had say in, before any unplanned surprise was resolved.

Between Alan, and Igor the technician, I felt encouraged to participate and enjoyed the opportunity. A loaner car was available for use. I have had this car "fixed" many times. I went to Alan Auto to have it repaired. It was a good decision on my part.
Mark F.
Jul 20, 2012
DO NOT GO TO ALAN AUTO! They are a RIP OFF artists! Alan, who is very weird, and his equally odd wife are a team of thieves. We took our Volvo in for some basic repairs and the next thing I knew they were on the phone telling me I needed far more extensive work and that for safety reasons it should not leave the shop until fixed. THOUSANDS of dollars later, we got our car back.

We knew we had been SCAMMED. We talked around town and heard similar stories from other FORMER customers. One of these customers wanted to sue Alan because he got USED parts when he paid for new ones. This guy happened to be a carpenter who knows Alan and absolutely despises him for being so crooked. Alan Auto is NOT A REPUTABLE BUSINESS. Take your car elsewhere!
David H.
Dec 14, 2010
I wish there was an option to not give any stars at all. Alan auto is an absolute rip-off operation. Alan is a scum-bag. He uses intimidation to get customers to lay down their money. The guy wears a big silver SKULL ring for christ's sake! He will treat you with no consideration, making you sit around and wait while he casually takes call after call before even talking to you. You'd think he'd treat you a little better considering he was about to get thousands of dollars out of you.

I can not warn you all enough. Never, ever, ever give this rotten human being your business. THIS GUY SHOULD BE BURNED AT THE STAKE IN THE CENTER OF PORTLAND, FOR ALL THE CUSTOMERS HE'S WRONGED TO SEE! Alan if you're reading this, I hope you rot in hell! P.S- I bet the review by "TONY F" was written by Alan or one of his workers to try to balance out all the negative reviews they are bound to get. Sure the shit-head knows a lot about Volvos. He also knows a lot about being a rude bastard and taking full advantage of his customers!
Tony F.
Jul 29, 2009
I live in Chicago and keep a 1989 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon running because.it's cheap and still more than drivable and I'm attached to it. My mechanic is an all-purpose guy, not a Volvo specialist. We had trouble finding a part in the usual Volvo dealer, junk yard spots. I searched the Internet and ended up talking to Alan. He charged me a very low price for this obscure part, and moreover was very helpful talking my mechanic through a few other eccentricities of working on this old car. Alan is a walking-talking Volvo encyclopedia.

I can appreciate the 7/26/07 poster's complaint. But, I appreciate more the mechanic's responsibility to know the car well before accepting a diagnosis brought in by a customer. And, not wanting to fix something that still leaves a vehicle "coming back for more", with the resultant complaints from the customer that "I just had it in here!" Alan's team does good work and they take pride in it, as you can see on their website. If you're a Volvo knucklehead, especially someone keeping an old one going, then Alan's your guy.