Rawbear Performance

Nobody in the area knows more about Volvos.

If you're looking to get ripped off of by a bunch of crooks, Rawbear is your place!! I took my 1996 Volvo 850 here a few weeks ago to have my neutral safety switch replaced, as my reverse lights didn't work and all research I did including opinions from ex-Volvo mechanics on the internet pointed to the switch being the culprit. My brother, who is not a mechanic but has a strong interest in cars, usually does general repairs for me, but as replacing the switch is a tricky job I wanted to let a mechanic handle it. So I took my car to Rawbear on a Friday evening around 4 p.m. (a time Robert agreed to on the phone, without mentioning anything about leaving it over the weekend). I explained to Robert that I only wanted the switch (which I had already bought from Rock Auto) replaced, nothing else, and immediately he began talking to me in circular language to try and convince me that it was somehow odd that I thought the switch was the problem (he also then told me they did not have weekend hours and that if I wanted the switch replaced, they wouldn't even start working on it until Monday, which is ludicrous). I told him that all research me and my brother had done showed that it was, but he still had his guys "check it out" for other problems anyway. Not 5 minutes later one of the guys came into his office and told me that it was, in his words, OBVIOUS that it wasn't the neutral safety switch and that the problem lay in the ignition switch (which admittedly was on its way out. I had to turn the key back slightly when starting the engine to be able to put it into gear, but it wasn't a pressing issue by any means). Robert told me they could replace it in half an hour and all would be fixed. Because of the possibility of a cheaper, less time-intensive fix, and the fact that I did not want to go to the trouble of securing a ride to my job Monday morning, I hesitantly agreed. Half an hour and a new ignition switch later, SURPRISE SURPRISE, my reverse lights still didn't work!!! That's when the salesman pitch came in.. Robert told me they would have to keep it over the weekend to "figure out what was wrong with the electric components," and that it was a possibility that the neutral safety switch needed an adjustment, adding that they may even have to end up REPLACING IT LIKE I ORIGINALLY WANTED if that didn't work! EVEN THOUGH HIS DUDE JUST SAID HALF AN HOUR AGO IT WAS "OBVIOUS" THAT THE NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH WASN'T THE PROBLEM?? So either the people he employs are incompetent morons who don't know what the word "obvious" means or they pulled a fast one on me. I'm sure it's the latter. As soon as his pitch was over I told him to ring me up for what I owed him and to give me my car.

A few days later my brother and I bit the bullet and decided to replace the switch ourselves lest get screwed by another band of crook mechanics like Robert and crew, and GUESS WHAT - THAT WAS THE PROBLEM! MY REVERSE LIGHTS ARE NOW WORKING JUST FINE!

I honestly don't know how this dump has so many good reviews across the web, but as Robert had about 4 or 5 people in his shop while I was there just hanging around while he yukked it up and drank beer and made dirty jokes that would make your dead grandmother spin in her grave, I'm willing to bet big money that his buddies wrote most of them. Robert complained a few times while I was there about the economy being rough and them needing more work - the irony here is that had they been honest and done what I asked them and replaced the neutral safety switch, I would have gladly given them much repeat business and recommended them to others. Now I will make sure to let every Volvo owner I come in contact with know to AVOID THIS PLACE! Hope the 130 bucks was worth it, buddy.

I have been going to Rawbear for a few years now. He is very knowledgeable about all Volvos old and new. He has all the tools and technology the dealers utilize and his prices are very fair. I firmly believe he is the best choice if you are looking for a Volvo specialist. He knows these cars back to front , inside and out. I know cars myself and work on them as a hobby often on my own but I bring my Volvos to him whenever I need some superior expertise. I have brought all my Volvos to him and he diagnoses any issues correctly and quickly. He educates all his clients on what their issues are and the most cost effective solutions. If he would charge for the expertise knowledge he shares he would be a millionaire. He has never steered me or anyone I have referred to him to wrong. He is honest and a great mechanic to work with and definitely is a character. I have read a few negative reviews on him and laugh as they are not true. Those people that commented on high pricing are just disappointed that they decided to bring their neglected cars in for service way too late and unfortunately "Rawbear" was the one that had to tell them they are out of luck. Volvos are reliable cars but regular maintenance is key!! Rawbear is a great shop to go too and is very affordable compared to the steelerships He is also conveniently located at the cross intersections of 3 major highways.

is guy blows.. called the other day several times to have simple work done... He is just in it for big time repair bills to rip people off. I'd rather go to the dealership than here now. And that is where my money is going now. To the dealer I go :)

Soooo disappointing. I was excited to do business with rawbear performance because i saw this video BUT IT IS ALL HYPE. Robert aka "rawbear" is dishonest and will try to get as much money as he can out of you. I went to his garage, which is a pig sty by the way, to get my timing belt changed and he quoted me $1300!! I couldn't understand how he came up with this number, the dealer was going to charge me $1100 which is very over priced as it is. He said that the dealer was going to cut corners thats why he was charging me $1300.... seriously??? I call him the next day to tell him that I will be taking the car to another mechanic because I couldn't afford him. He agrees. I call him to ask how much it would be for the consultation, he tells me that he had to do some work on the car and that it would be $307 for cleaning out the throttle and welding the muffler because it was "making noise"..... WHAT?????!! Dude i never told you to fix anything!! Anyway to make a long story short. I ended up paying $380 including 2 days of "storage"!! If you want drama and are made of money i would totally recommend this place. But if you are a normal person, i would stay away from this place. I believed the hype even though my first impression of this place was horrible, the place itself gives me the creeps. If i had to rate this place, i would give it a 4 out of 10. There are many good Volvo shops in New Jersey, for example Autosport Performance in Englewood NJ, and ALK Auto Service in Montclair, RAWBEAR IS NOT ONE OF THEM. I ended up going to Autosport Performance and got my timing belt changed for $720. Unbelievable..