Swedish Connection

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Pat Pacheco
4 months ago
I have been a customer at Swedish Connection for many many years. First Joe serviced my Volvo wagon. Then I had a Saab I bought from Joe and now I just bought a 2021 Volvo V60 cc from Joe and love it. Joe has always taken good care of my cars. Service is done quickly and reasonably priced. Joe and Dan are great mechanics. I will not go any where else.

  Luis Suazo
a year ago
If you are reading this review it s likely that you are a new Saab enthusiast or an established Saab enthusiast. Either way you need a shop that can service your vehicle quickly and correctly. That s why you need to add Joe at Swedish Connection to your contacts. Have you heard the catch phrase one call, that s all ? Well it s true for Joe. I live out of state and purchased a NJ Saab. Joe evaluated the car and made the necessary repairs to get me home safely. It s more than than just repairs Joe took a personal interest in me and my new used car and went above and beyond to make sure the car was in good shape for its new owner and for the 800 mile drive home. He truly takes an interest in his customers and their well-being. If you are a Saab owner in the tri-state area, you need Joe in your life. If you re a Saab enthusiast, you need Joe in your life. If you re from out of town and need help with your Saab, you need Joe in your life.

  JASE MICHAEL
4 months ago
UPDATE Dec 2023:Had a radiator issue with my 2002 9-3 Convertible. As usual, Joe took care of it as I knew he would. Again, if you have a Saab and live anywhere in the tri-state area, you need Joe on your speed dial. Total professional. Expert diagnosis and repair.Joe is amazing. Recently purchased a 2002 Saab 9-3 convertible from a private seller. It needed some work to ensure that it would endure my daily drive into the city. Dropped it at Joes. Like a surgeon, Joe quickly diagnosed every issue, prioritized the work that needed to be done asap and what could wait. As soon as he got the go ahead he started. Within a day, my car was ready to rock and roll. I m confident I ll get 200k more miles out of this car with Joe as the caretaker. Respect the genius and you will be rewarded. Joe is the ONLY guy I will let touch my Saabs. Couldn t recommend higher. Swedish Connections is the gold standard of Saab repairs.

  Andrew Freeburg
8 months ago
The photo should say it all.But in case it doesn't, I don't think I've ever had a better experience with a car mechanic. Or any kind of mechanic, for that matter. Joe has the attention to detail of a watchmaker, the speed of a pit crew, and the bedside manner of Hawkeye Pierce. He really can fix just about anything, as quick as humanly possible he once called so early with an update that he woke me up and for *extremely* fair prices. As far as I know, the only downside to working with him is needing to take NJTransit back to NYC while he's got your car!Services: Auto body & trim repair, Electrical repair, Air & cabin filter replacement, Tires, Auto battery replacement, Auto power window repair, Steering & suspension repair, Auto water leak repair, General repairs & maintenance, Steering & suspension replacement, Auto A/C recharge, Electrical, Auto engine diagnostic, Body & Trim, Wheel alignment, Auto battery maintenance, Auto tire replacement, Auto interior vacuuming, Auto maintenance, Battery, Oil change

  Michael P
8 months ago
Had a 2005 SAAB 95 convertible taken to Joe. Every one was telling me to trash it because no one, and I mean no one,was able to even start it.Joe, not only got it running, in one day, but had it ready in two.The car works as if it's new. Joe went above and beyond with my car and I truly appreciate it.GOOD JOB JOE!

  dave Hoffmann
2 years ago
Purchased an 06 Saab 9-3 from Joe, the car, and all his cars for that matter are in absolutely mint condition and it was buy far the best and easiest car buying experience around. The car is truly show room ready and ready to go, new tires, brakes etc... the car even came with two keys, I'm thrilled and couldn't be any happier! Joe is a great guy and he really knows his stuff, you wont find nicer cars or a better shop than the Swedish Connection.

  Eileen Koski
11 months ago
My car needed both major repairs and a major service (120,000 miles). Communications were excellent and updates were frequent related to the process of obtaining the required parts for my 12-year old SAAB. The actual repairs were done much sooner than expected and the car drives like new. The owner is highly knowledgeable and experienced with these cars and I could not be more satisfied with the service provided.Service: General repairs & maintenance

  Tom Veraci
a year ago
It has been a year since I have been a customer at The Swedish Connection. I bought a used 2008 Saab 9-3 in December of 2021 and I live in Rockland County, NY.Other than regular oil change and maintenance service, my 2008 Saab 9-3 needed some major work and repairs. Joe changed the transmission oil, replaced the head gasket, replaced the front strut and coil spring assembly units and rear shock absorbers, the front and rear brake pads and rotors, and did a tune-up. Joe also gave me two used front tires for free.Joe is a very knowledgeable and skilled mechanic and, in particular, a very skilled Saab mechanic. I drive from Rockland County, NY to The Swedish Connection in Bergenfield, NJ so that my used 2008 Saab 9-3 s issues are diagnosed and worked on by a competent Saab mechanic. Joe s shop has all the necessary and authorized Saab diagnostic and repair tools and parts that an authorized Saab shop should have.If you are a Saab owner and do care about your Saab when it comes to repairs and maintenance, then I highly recommend The Swedish Connection and Joe.-- Frank12/31/2022Services: Transmission, Air & cabin filter replacement, Tires, General repairs & maintenance, Steering & suspension replacement, Brakes, Oil change

  Sandy SANDMAN Rivera
2 years ago
Joe is AMAZING! He s VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE!! He s a Saab Surgeon. He brought my Saab back from the dead Lol. I would DEFINITELY RECOMMEND Swedish Connection! THANKSServices: Auto engine diagnostic, Auto engine tuning, Engine repairServices: Auto engine diagnostic, Auto engine tuning, Engine repair

  Byron Aguayo
8 years ago
I have been taking all my cars to Joe. My Saab 9-3 turbo has had some serious issues but it was always fixed promptly and done correctly. He services my other cars and I have never had an issue. Joe and his mechanics are well trained in Saab and on any other foreign and domestic vehicle. Not sure why people are so mad on this site, he always saves me money by finding the best part at a good price.

  Peter Vazquez
3 years ago
After two weeks of my car sitting in my regular mechanic's garage where they weren't able to diagnose my SAAB's electronic issues, I took my car to Swedish Connection where several problems were immediately identified and repaired. They were friendly and explained many options. I had my car running great again the next day. A bit far for me as I live in Manhattan, but worth taking a bus and train to insure my car's optimum performance.Services: Electrical, Auto engine diagnostic, Engine repair

  David
2 years ago
Very knowledgeable about Saabs, not only about mechanical issues but also about body work and market values. Went out of their way to inspect a 9-5 I was considering buying. I live a few states away so they couldn't even benefit from future business from me, but they still treated me like a valued customer. Really helped me make an good/informed decision.

  Jesse Velten
6 years ago
Great experience having my 2004 Volvo S60 2.5T AWD repaired by Joe! After paying another shop to fix an oil leak related to the CAM seals, that they didn't completely fix, Joe fixed the issue for a reasonable price and made sure it was 100% fixed before leaving the shop. Also repaired a climate control issue for a reasonable price in a short amount of time. Joe kept me updated on the progress of the repair and made drop-off and pick up flexible! I highly recommend taking your Volvo to Joe... who knows them in-and-out... don't throw your money away taking a Volvo to a shop that doesn't specialize in them!

  Jeff Tate
8 years ago
I drive a Saab 9000 and took it to this place with a headlight issue. The owner, Joe, is the nastiest most abusive shop owner I have ever met. I questioned as to how long any repair work was guaranteed for and that just sent him off. He told me to get out and I felt threatened. It was severe enough that I called the police when I left and they told me I was not the first to make such a complaint and that I should not go back there if I felt threatened. Please do not put yourself in danger, stay away from the swedish connection at all costs

  David Kaplan
8 years ago
Joe is a great guy. He's honest... he gives you a fair shake and always keeps you informed. He or his guys will fix any car, it doesn't have to be a Saab or a Volvo, and there are always good cars (and tires) for sale. He'll accommodate your schedule -- even on a Saturday!

  Luis Lopez
4 years ago
I've brought my daughter's Volvo V70 to Joe numerous times, and I've always been treated in a fair and transparent manner. Repairs (fuel pump, exhaust, etc.) are certainly less expensive than at the dealer, and in the rare occasions when a computer-related repair is not possible (I can only speak for Volvo), I wasn't charged at all. Trust this place.

  Daniel Levine
7 years ago
Owner is a very straight-forward and honest guy. I brought in my car for repairs, and unlike most mechanics, did not try to cheat me out of my money. If you own a Saab or Volvo, or are looking to buy one, make sure you speak to them first. Everyone there is professional and courteous.

  Doel Lugo
8 years ago
I've known Joe for 2 years now and has been my sole mechanic since then. I started working in the area and I would drop my 06' SAAB 9-3 vert in the morning and pick it up after work. He always kept me updated with the work that was done and made sure I approved all work before he did them. "No SURPRISES" like he likes to say. He made it run in tip top condition and told me what jobs I should consider and which ones I shouldn't. SAABs are his forte and he knows everything there is about them. When my family grew I had to let go of the convertible so I had to deal with Joe as a salesman. There was only one place to trade since he really knows the true value of these cars and I didn't feel like I was taken advantage of. Since my "new" car is an 03 with more mileage I expected some wears down the road and when time came he helped me out since he considered me "part of the family". I have to admit; he is very outspoken and strong and has no problems telling you how it is. You have to have a tough skin to deal with him, listen to what he really has to say as he doesn't sugar coat anything and if you say the wrong thing he will let you know. Again, it is his personality, love it or hate it; he is fair, honest and you wouldn't find a better mechanic that knows your car, especially SAABs. I recently took my car for what I thought was a mechanical ticking noise from the engine bay concern it was something serious and it ended up being the plastic wheel well of the rear tire. He actually sent me a video of it.If you have something wrong with your car, give Joe a call, make an appointment, and expect a smooth ride!

  Keith Sahlin
8 years ago
Purchased a Saab 9.5. I got a great price. The car was ready for delivery when promised. I had an issue with it. Joe solved the problem in just a few minutes. He is very knowledgeable, and honest. He will go above and beyond to satisfy your every expectation. It's been a pleasure doing business with Joe and his staff.

  Scott Whinna
6 years ago
Joey "turnkey" Vetere is a trusted source. I traveled from Chicago to NJ to buy a Saab from him i only saw pictures of. When i arrived, collars matched the cuffs, car was clean and as stated. Between agreeing to buy the car from him and coming out there the windshield got cracked, he replaced it for fun and for free before i got there, as his word was the car was completely straight. He has a dealer license so was able to take care of temp tags in situ. Joey even picked me up from my hotel. Other saab nuts feel free to pm me if you have questions.

  Chris Bultman
a year ago
In the last year I have purchased three Saabs from Joe and each one is better than the next they are all front line ready!! If you want a Saab go nowhere else you will get the right car for the right price period.just the best. Great placeService: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance

  Gary Glasgall
8 years ago
I've bought a number of Volvos and Saabs from The Swedish Connection over the past 14 years. Always found Joe to be more than fair. He stands behind what he sells. He is a great mechanic, hard to find these days especially for Saabs. Was able to figure out and fix an intermittent problem I had. If you are interested in used Saabs, this is the place to go. Good selection at reasonable prices. I will continue buying my cars from here.

  Jesse Parsells
4 years ago
The reply below proves my point about awful customer service exactly.1. I never ordered, nor needed, a steering shaft. They are clearly confusing me with some other customer! The only work they ever did for me was a new clutch a few months ago. There was never any talk of a steering shaft. They had no problem talking to me about adjusting the brakes at that time. They had no problem with the idea of giving me a quote for diagnosing the turbo problem at that point. What happened was- they got busy, and now need extra work. They clearly don't want to spend the bit of time it would take to diagnose my turbo issue.2. I had the e-brake adjusted yesterday by a non-specialist for $50. No problem. Rotors, calipers and pads were fine. (handbrake cable & pads are new, by the way, calipers only have 20k on them- my non-specialist mechanic did those jobs without a problem, I thought I'd have a "specialist" look at the "self-adjusting" e-brake. My original brake cable lasted 195k miles. This one has less than 10k miles on it. Anybody who actually looked at the car would have noticed that.)3. He did not look at the car, and did not diagnose ANY problems. What parts is he referring to? The e-brake was repaired with no parts. He didn't look at the turbo, so what part did that need? Its a c900, I know parts are sometimes hard to find, I usually source them myself.... but again- he was supposed to be giving a simple estimate, not sourcing parts, and DEFINITELY not "finding space to keep the car" in his shop! I use the regularly to drive to work, its not a project car and not something I would have wanted him to have for more than a day or two.4. They AGAIN talk about body work. How in the world is this their concern? Neither the turbo or the e-brake have anything to do with the dent in the right rear quarter panel (which has incidentally been there for 20 years). If they MUST know, the car is under warranty for the paint work I had done a decade ago and is going into the body shop for new paint and touch ups next week. How in the heck that has anything to do with his job as a mechanic confounds me.5. Notice they do not mention their idiotic explanation for why they thought it was okay to throw out OTHER PEOPLE'S TOOLS? Or why they think the way they talk to customers on the phone, or in person, or in voice messages, is okay (read the other reviews- unprofessional behavior is the NORM apparently!)1-star for my first visit where they were unprofessional over the phone and unprofessional for throwing away my private possessions from inside the car.1-star for my second visit where they accepted an appointment for a 30+ year old car, but then said they don't want to work on old cars after it sat there for over 24 hours, and an obnoxious voice message.1-star for ME being an idiot and going back to a place that is horrible to deal with because "they know saabs". They might know how to repair saabs, but they actually have to LOOK at the car first to "know" a problem rather than assume. And they also have to have the professionalism to not confuse you with some random other customer who apparently ordered a steering shaft!?!?

  L. Parsells
4 years ago
Customer Service & Communication is a NIGHTMARE.Brought my Saab c900 in a few months ago to get a new clutch. He did a good job installing the item for a fair price. But, talking to him was horrible, unprofessional & confusion (shouting, voicemails one after another before I get a chance to call him back, and opinions about things that have nothing to do with the job at hand).This tranasaction only got worse after I picked up the car, and found that a tool that I had left on the front seat was missing. I call him the next day and he tells me he THREW IT IN THE TRASH. So- now I embarrassingly have to tell the friend I borrowed the tool from that it is gone, and I'm out $50 to reimburse him.Cut to this week.... I don't know what I was thinking.... but I brought the car back to him. When he had it a few months ago for the clutch I told him I needed a quote to adjust the E-Brake and to check on my Turbo. He said he did not have time that day, but bring it in the following week. I wasn't ready to bring it in until this week. I called, told him what I wanted done, and made an appointment.TWO DAYS AFTER I drop off the car he leaves a voicemail for me to come back to pick it up. The car is "too old" for him to bother with and he was too busy to work on it. WHAT??He worked on the car a couple of months ago, it wasnt too old then. It wasn't too old then. It wasn't too old when I made the appointment last week. Why did it take him more than 24 hours to decide he wasn't even going to look at it? Why did the voicemail have to be obnoxious and talk about the BODY WORK the car also needs?? He's a mechanic, he does not do body work, why is he commenting on paint or a dent? Why isn't he doing his job!?How can he managed to do a big job like a clutch, but when I ask him for a price to adjust the e-Brake (not even to do a brake job... the brakes are fine... just to ADJUST the e-brake!) he decides it is too much work for him!?Finally... this is "swedish connection". There is Saab, and there is Volvo. Saab is OUT OF BUSINESS. Maybe he's going to start working on other cars, but ALL saabs pretty soon are going to be "old saabs"... seems like a bad business plan to decide to not work on all 900's!

  Peter August
2 years ago
Joe is the most knowledgeable Saab mechanic in the NY metro area. He has fixed my wife and I's Saabs and Volvo's for years. Support This small business, it is a GEM!-Pete August

  Scott Rendall
3 years ago
In a rare moment of unreliability our Saab 9-5 left us stranded so we had the car towed to Swedish Connection. It was outside normal business hours so was impressed that having spotted our car on their CCTV the owner came into work on a Sunday, diagnosed the fault and had it back up and running that day.

  Josh Kalish
4 years ago
The guy who owns the place is a Saab expert. He fixed everything on my list and was reasonable compared to the dealer who used to work on the car. I will continue to use him for other work.

  Nishant Kumar
a year ago
The owner asked me come to show the car to a fair price value for my car. He was very rude to talk and didn't even want me on his premise.

  C.A.R. CLYDEAUTORECYCLING
7 years ago
Without a doubt the most dishonest businessman i have ever had the displeasure of doing business with. Sold him a part and never heard another word from him about it . Then i see a stop payment on my credit card statement. He then informs me he had a problem with the part, which he never informed me of so i could rectify the situation, and he wasn't paying for it nor was he returning the part. He then said good luck getting your money because he is going out of business. Do yourself a favor STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  JOSE SANTOS
a year ago
A few months ago brought in my 08 Volvo.Bad customer service. Just make sure u don t get him angry