That is a bit extortionate as the standard time for downloading a piece of software is 18 minutes ... I dont think you will find a dealer with a labour rate of £45 an hour or it would be booked up months in advance . However i can well believe 18 minutes of labour will cost around £45 .

Well my personal thought is that all software updates unless it is adding enhanced capability (Cruise Control, Trip Computer etc...) then the manufacturer should supply these free of charge for the life of the vehicle?

For instance ECU/TCM/CEM etc... software that is fundamental in the cars operation and clean efficient running of the car should all be free? Sometimes these updates are there because the original software wasn't quite good enough or flawed and updates are required to ensure the product is kept running correctly.

Yes there are updates that just enhance what is already there but this again should be provided free as thrugh life support of vehicle that they produced in the first place?

Personally I think software updates and the cost of them is a con and manufacturers should be providing them free, either as a service or in such a way the end user can apply them to the vehicle.

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Yes thats what i have been saying for the last 14 years since it appeared ... Unless it improves something rather than fixes a factory mistake in programming ..

This is mine down to a T. . So I'm off to Volvo Garage to have a service and the FREE updates they said if needed ( 2002 xc70 petrol )

Now then is there a way to find out what's on before the service and after. As they said NO. . . which is strange I would have thought there computers would say this is on and then it needs this update so to say or are they correct ?

Yes indeed , before the software is downloaded it lists the modules which will be updated ... Ask for that before they do the job .

Just picked up my v70 geartronic 2.4t from Harrats volvo in Huddersfield after an ATF change and software update(never had one) and difference is amazing!!
Neutral stop has been removed and the car is much more responsive and the jerky 2-3 change is smooth now. Cost was £185 including fluid counter reset and adaptions reset. Invoice shows £48 for fluid and £16 fro update and the rest labour and vat.

I have just purchased an S80 D5 and it does this. The guy who sold it did say there was a software update from Volvo. All the other gear changes are fine. The car did have a new torque converter and starter motor only 13,000 miles ago so would the gearbox oil have been changed too.

Probably a bit out of date for this thread now, but Volvo will now issue software updates FOC for cars under 10 years old if you have a standard interval dealer service carried out

Well it is a good step in the right direction.

I'm pretty sure it won't be long before cars are fully connected (wirelessly) and update as quick and simply as an app on your mobile phone.

To be honest, I don't think we would expect anything less from the new owners (Geely - made in China).

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no limit on 10 years it goes right back to 1999 cars ...