Ithaca Foreign Car Service

If you have a Volvo this place is by far the best place in town! Dave was really helpful even though the shop looked like it was really busy.

Let me save you a phone call: they only work on Volvos. Perhaps a more accurate name for their business would be «Ithaca Volvo Car Service.»

Very knowledgeable guys. I use them when I cannot fix something myself our need a specialty part. Needed a clockspring and the airbag re-​set on a 98v70, they fixed me up with a used one at a reasonable price. Another time, I needed a power window master switch, which of course conked out on a showery day, and they dropped everything and popped one right in for me. Sure, Volvo repairs are not cheap, but what European car is? These guys are more than fair, and they have to charge for services rendered. I’m not a regular, but have been treated well when I need them, and I certainly «get» the fact that they will give priority to the regular customers. My advice, schedule in advance and drop off your car for the day.

I’ve brought my Volvo here for the last two years and have had a good experience.

Ithaca Foreign Car is in every way, shape, and form the best mechanic I have ever dealt with. Ithaca Foreign Car is incredibly affordable and does amazing work. Because they only work on Volvos, they have a level of experience that lets them do work faster (less billed hours) and better than anyone else.
They recently performed a large service on my ’85 240, and what was quoted at over $ 1500 at the (honest) Volvo dealer back home was less than $ 400 at Ithaca Foreign Car. I literally can’t express enough how great they are.
I’m looking to buy a new car sometime in the coming months, and I’m going to buy another Volvo because of Ithaca Foreign Car.

The owner/​manager was brusque, rude, and condescending. We brought our car in for a pre-​road-​trip check-​up; he proceeded to charge us $ 30 for the check-​up, but missed several obvious things (like the fact that the windshield wiper was not releasing fluid). When we asked him about it and wanted an opinion/​advice on other issues, he had no time for us and guessed that whatever was wrong with the car was probably nothing he could fix.
All in all, it appears he charged us to do absolutely nothing to our car, but rather to waste our time and talk down to us.
Take your vehicle elsewhere.

My family has bought multiple Volvos from Ithaca Foreign Car, myself included, and we have always taken our Volvos there as well. They provide excellent service; having worked with them for many years, I cannot think of a mechanic shop that I trust more. Whenever I need to find a mechanic in another city, I always hope that I can fine one as good as Ithaca Foreign Car.
Their repair work is always of top quality. In the 6+ years that I took my car to them, I cannot remember a single time where anything that they repaired was done incorrectly or required me to return. They have always been able to fix the problems that I bring my car in with, or when they tell me that it is something not to worry about, they are right. They have earned my trust. They never felt like a place that would do unnecessary repairs, and try to present you with the pros and cons of a particular service if it isn’t an absolutely necessary one.
Dave, who runs the shop, is awesome. He knows the regular customers, and is always up front about what is going on with your car, how much things might cost, etc. There have been multiple times when I have been out of town and have been having a problem with or question about my car, and I’ve been able to call the shop and ask Dave about it, and he has always been helpful.
They are also great about needing to get random things looked at/​emergencies. If you’re just scheduling a regular service, you usually need to schedule a week or so in advance, but if you have an emergency or there is something that you’re not sure needs to be serviced, they have just said (multiple times), «just bring it down today and show us», so that you can know if you need to bring it in to be serviced or not worry about it.
The only downside that I can think of is that big repairs can cost a lot — but I am pretty sure that that is pretty consistent for other Volvo mechanics as well. Not having had many big repairs done by other mechanics, I cannot 100% compare, but I know that Volvos are not cheap cars to repair. The short version is, I never felt like I was being unreasonably charged for services here.
In short, there is no mechanic shop that I would trust more with my Volvo than Ithaca Foreign Car. All of the Volvo owners in Ithaca are lucky to have them.

We take our volvo to IFCS and have always been pleased with the quality and price of the service. I have always felt that the service we’ve received was honest and top-​notch.
We trust their diagnosis fully, which is something hard to come by around here.
My only wish is that they would service other car makes. I know they specialize in volvos and they do a great job with them, I just wish they’d take on saabs, too, since it is very hard to find suitable mechanics in town who can properly and honestly work on other cars.
If you have a volvo, I’d highly recommend IFCS. They are often booked for a week or more, but in an emergency they do try to work your car in sooner.

I had the pleasure (no sarcasm, really) of being a grad student for two years in Ithaca. While in Ithaca I had my baby, my 2007 Volvo, with me. Outside of warranty work, I’ve always been wary of Volvo dealer service so when I arrived in Ithaca I set out to find a good, honest Volvo mechanic. A friend recommended Ithaca Foreign Car and he was right.
I never went here for anything major, but I was never once disappointed with their professional, competent, and affordable services. I would highly recommend this place for anyone looking to get their Volvo serviced in the Ithaca area.