Baker Garage / Volvo Specialists

I have only been there a few times so far, but I could not be happier with the place. Starts with Rudy at the front desk… very courteous & responsive. Completely unlike the people at the dealerships you have to deal with. The jury is still out a bit somewhat, because I have yet to bring them one of those super challenging issues on a car that can strain your relationship with your repair place. But attitude and customer service goes a long way, and these guys have satisfied in that respect, and have also done a great job with the small issues that I have had so far. I’ll be taking my Volvos here in the future. Plus, they have a cool shop, tasty scones, and an excellent location close to downtown.

I’ve been to this place a few times since moving to Denver last year, and will never go anywhere else when my s60 needs some attention, or even just a routine oil change. They are always very honest and their service costs are extremely reasonable. As a grad student trying to get the most out of his 2008 Volvo, I am really glad that I found this place!

If you hate good customer service and enjoy over paying, this is not the place for you. The customer service at Volvo specialists are 2^nd to none. The mechanics will walk you through the shop and explain to you the issues that you are having and they don’t talk down to you. The front desk people are amazing and even the back office lady is fantastic. I highly recommend them over any other Dealership or mechanic in the area.

Have been going here for several years, ever since I bought my first Volvo. This place is great! Excellent service and knowledgeable mechanics.

The best repair shop I’ve ever dealt with. Honest mechanics, fast friendly service, and very reasonably priced. If I knew anyone else who owned a Volvo, I would definitely convince them to go here.

Sadly I agree with other recent Unilocalers, this place used to be very good but a business can’t sustain a 5 star rating without consistency and honesty.
Volvo Specialists has gone way downhill over the past year or so since Brett left. Brett was the heart of this place and always seemed dedicated to making things run smoothly and professionally. He was always on top of things and as the longtime manager his impact on the business was an absolute positive for many years.
Mike (the owner) displays an attitude of greed, is rather unethical and he knows it.
I have a few friends who have also jumped this ship over the past year. I won’t ever return here and encourage others to look elsewhere for honest Volvo repairs, performed correctly at fair prices.
Volvo repairs are never really in the «cheap» category but contact Voltek or Tim’s if you are looking for top alternatives to this once 5-​star business.

Called 722-​Volvo twice. I called once (I am a woman) and was told over the phone that my 2003 Volvo S40 needed a timing belt change at 70,000 miles. I knew this to be inaccurate, since multiple inspectors and vendors told me my Volvo needs it between 100,000−110,000 miles. Once finished giving me a lecture over the phone about the Timing Belt and mileage I was quoted almost double all the other dealers I spoke with on pricing.
I had my boyfriend call back and get a quote. Probably spoke with a different person, but he was told that the TB didn’t need to be changed until 100,000 miles and was quoted less, almost $ 300 difference.
Will definitely NOT be using 722-​Volvo for any of my future repairs. Not only was I turned away by the sexist and cliché approach of their handling and price quote with a woman, but was appalled that they would either give false information about the TB mileage or lack of knowledge in knowing when a Volvo S40 TB does need to be changed. Whether they lied, or just didn’t know, I will not ever be using Volvo Specialists or their services. If I could rate them no stars, I would.

Since I first bought my Volvo, it had suspension issues. Every bump in the road was felt while the struts thumped on something inside. I finally got my car fixed when my tax return came in and I have to say I was pretty impressed with Volvo Specialists Service.
First of all, they worked with me on the price. I told them I could only afford $ 1000 and they were able to find affordable parts to get the price to just above that. They were also very quick, fixing all four struts in only one day.
More impressively, when I noticed an odd chik-​chik sound coming from the same area as the struts, they quickly fixed the problem when I brought the car back at no extra charge. They did this despite the problem maybe only being tangentially related to the original problem. So basically because they have awesome customer service.
I’ve only owned a car for five months and have definitely been worried about all that comes with owning a car. Because of Volvo Specialists Service, I no longer have to worry about finding an excellent, reliable mechanic, because these guys are definitely top-​notch.

I’ve used these guys in the past and they’ve always been great. I’m not sure what happened, but something has clearly changed. I recently requested a quote for a brake job which came back quite high. I then checked with Rickenbaugh and got a quote for the same job using the same parts for $ 600+ less! I was able to drop the car off (unscheduled) and had it back in two hours. I’m stunned and saddened that I don’t feel I can blindly go with VSS anymore :(

Update: Wow, has this place gone downhill — not only in service, but in price too (although I guess technically that’s UPHILL). Set up an appointment a week in advance to have my timing belt on my V40 done. They also had told me, during my previous visit, that the water pump would have to be replaced as well. $ 850. I dropped the car off in the morning, returned 8 hours later and they hadn’t even touched it. Same thing happened the previous time.
Took the car to the dealer who said the water pump was just fine. Cost me $ 400. I’m so disappointed in these guys; like I said, it was a great place to go and i’d referred several Volvo owner friends there. When Brett left, he took the honesty and quality with him.
You lost a solid customer (whose 10 YO car is starting to need things-​things I would have blindly paid you for).
I’ll never be back. Even the dealer is cheaper – WOW!

While they’re not the cheapest shop in town (maybe they are, but no one who works on Volvos should really be called «cheap», right?) they are the only guys I’ll trust with my car. I’m on my second Volvo, but still on my first shop. You can tell the level of trust their other customers have in them by the quality of the cars in the parking lot. The cars are unique, special, and in perfect condition — which means their customers are picky and attentive. The employees are the same way. Total Volvo nerds — and proud of it. I’ve never seen anything outside the shop that wasn’t a Volvo, and clean, well-​sorted ones at that!
They love Volvos. They know Volvos. You could say they eat, sleep, and breathe Volvos. I’ve been on several drives with the guys who work here, and it is clear that their blood is 91 octane. They love their cars, and drive them like they were meant to be driven.
I’m often disappointed by the price of the parts (more Volvo’s fault than the shop), but the labor is reasonable and I’m always happy with the support I’ve received. I never get the sense that I’m being hustled. And Brett always has an opinion on OEM vs Aftermarket parts, and I’ve done very well to listen to his advice these past few years.
My favorite thing about the shop is their willingness to troubleshoot and guesstimate over the phone. I’ve never felt pigeonholed into «coming in for a diagnostics check» which really is a typical game I’ve seen at just about every other shop — the typical «open the hood fee». Brett is not afraid to tell me «That’s not a big problem, and we can take care of it in a few weeks when you come in for an oil change — don’t worry. It won’t do any damage». If it’s something they can’t diagnose over the phone, I never worry about bringing my car in the next day because I know they’ll give me a courtesy ride to the office, call me once they know the problem, and — my favorite thing — they’ll ask me what I want to do to fix it — they’re aware that I’m not made of money.
Finally, the last page of every repair packet has recommended repairs, their cost, and their urgency. It really helps take the sting out of the repairs to know the problem has existed for a while and I can save a couple of bucks to prepare for solving it in a month or two.
These guys are all about long-​term relationships and not the quick buck. I recommend them hands down.

Great guys. Brett at the front is helpful and informative. Justin did a great job on my V70R and was patient in explaining things.
Fair priced and honest.
Will use again

I have been using Volvo Specialists since 2004. Brett (at the front desk) is knowledgeable and shares his personal experiences with his own Volvos. More than once, I have called with simple over-​the-​phone questions and they always take the time to provide detailed answers.
Most recently, they replaced the oil coolant lines on my older Volvo. Upon arriving home, I noticed that oil was unexpectedly leaking from my engine. Bright and early the next day the Volvo Specialists did everything to return my car to working order: they provided a tow truck, prioritized resolving the issue, dropped my vehicle off while I was working and cleaned my driveway where the oil had spilled.
The Volvo Specialists truly went above and beyond and made a frustrating car experience a minimal impact on my busy day.
For the past eight years, they have provided this level of service and i personally believe it is worth every penny!

We, as a family, have been bringing out Volvos here for at least 15 years and have never been disappointed! The quality of work is excellent and speedy! We have never questioned if we are getting the best deal and trust them explicitly. Take your Volvo here!

Mike runs a great business here and all the guys are very knowledgeable about cars in general but specifically volvos. I get my R serviced nowhere else. Justin always get things done in a timely manner and all the guys are great to hang out with as well. Brett has even invited me on some of the volvo drives that they do with the RMVCOA.

Outstanding service. These guys are the real Volvo nerds. I’m an amateur/​wannabe gearhead myself, and they really took the time to let me know what was going on, answered all my stupid questions and listened to my janky analysis of what might be wrong without laughing at me. They even sold me a part at a discount so I could install it myself and save on labor costs. Way over and above the call of duty, high integrity people. Big fan.

I had a number of items that I brought in for repair, and I wanted an opinion on a dealership warranty item, from an independent repair shop.
I told them that I needed the radio antenna motor replaced. I ended up being incorrect; they said I just needed the antenna replaced (savings @ $ 300). Dealerships had told me my which wouldn’t stay up, couldn’t be replaced. VSS had a used visor that looked like new and was replaced inexpensively. They checked my warranty item (breaks) with a test drive, and then inspection. It was determined that the brakes were not unsafe, but simply needed more grease in a certain area. They took the time to explain this in detail.
While waiting for the repair I used their wireless internet and sat on their sofa provided in a waiting area (small, but with restroom and snacks nearby).
T.J. and Quin helped, and explained each aspect of my diagnostics and repair. They did not use the opportunities presented to dis dealerships, instead explaining the probable reasons/​thinking of the dealerships.
Overall, I spent half to 2/3’s less than expected, had excellent customer service with pleasant, knowledgable personnel, in a minimal amount of time.

This place came highly recommended by a buddy, and after three visits I agree. The oil change is reasonably priced (around $ 40 if you download the coupon from their website), and they give you a laundry list of all the stuff that’s wrong with your car after the oil change. They always remember me, even though I come in sporadically.
They are definitely not ‘discount’, but if you want quality care for your Volvo and a feeling that you aren’t being hustled, check them out.

My husband and I have been taking our cars here for over a decade at least. This has included three volvos, all of them over ten years old, and a BMW and probably some other autos. These guys are honest, do good work, and we have never ever had a problem with the shop. I highly recommend them. Listen to what they say – they told my husband one of his old favs was not worth fixing and they were right!

I had to deal with the dreaded «check engine» light and scheduled maintenance on my Volvo and I decided to fore-​go the overpriced dealer service for a specialty Volvo shop. I chose this place based on their decent website, reasonable prices and the friendly staff that talked to me on the phone.
Of course, I was really worried that this was going to be a major repair because my car just went out of warranty and that is the kind of luck I have with cars, but thankfully it was nothing major. The bill for the scheduled maintenance was reasonable and they gave me some good suggestions for things I can do myself to prolong the life of the car.
The only thing I didn’t like was that they didn’t tell me over the phone that I had to pay $ 90+ for them to hook my car up to the computer to find out why the check engine light was on. I did appreciate that they took the time to explain the bill and the suggestions that they had for future maintenance. Overall, the experience was pretty painless and I will go back in the future.