RANT: VW Western
I apologise in advance, this is becoming a major rant of mine. So why I am posting on the blog? Well, two reasons. Firstly so I have a record of events, and secondly so I have a record of events. I need the backup.
It all started in January 2001. Western VW, Edinburgh, me and The Fat Lady bought a New Beetle. And we had problems from day one. And that is NOT used as a turn of phrase, it was literally from day one.
I picked up the car after work. It was a late January day, and the weather was typically wet. On the way home I’d managed to rack up a whole 19 miles on the clock, 9 of which were on the car when I picked it up, when I needed the wipers. Shortly after they were switched on there was some thudding noise coming from them. I couldn’t stop as I was on a trunk road, dual carriageway. To cut a long story short, the grease monkey who checked the car hadn’t fitted the wipers correctly, so the rubber slid out from its housing, the thudding noise was the loose rubber hitting the side of the car. New windscreen was needed as it was scratched as a result.
Then it all started:
New windscreen in, car went in, couldn’t fit it as it had been damaged.
New windscreen in. No contact. When I went in I was told they had sent me a postcard and left a message on my answering machine. No postcard arrived, no message on the answering machine.
Car now at six months old:
Rear brakes squeaking. Car in for a looksee, no fault found. Squeaking getting rapidly worse, every time the car went in I asked for a look, “NFF”.
First service. Spare tyre never checked. Couldn’t prove it, but the stuff in the boot had never moved so it was never looked at. Service regime changed from a 12,000/annual to a 24,000/bi-annual with longlife oil due to expected increase in mileage. Asked for a litre of oil to throw in the boot, was sold oil for a diesel engine. “NFF” on squeaking brakes.
10,000 miles since first service, circa 6 months. Service warning came on, but still some way before due. In to get regime change checked, was told they carried out a 10,000 mile service and that’ll be £184, please. Errm, no chance. Oh we haven’t done the service, just changed the regime, that’ll be free. “NFF” on squeaking brakes.
Second service – car at 30,000 miles and 2 years old. “NFF” on squeaking brakes. Asked them to check service regime, all OK. Mileage covered now back down to normal. Tyres checked as part of service, recorded at 4mm tread depth both front tyres. I had a tyre changed at 17,000 miles, so one had done 30K, one 13K. I had checked them in the morning before the service, 4mm and 2mm respectively. “Oh, just a mis-type”. Aye, right. My guess is one tyre was checked and the other assumed. The trap I left for the spare tyre proved they checked it this time.
Dealer is not
measuring up
to the logo's
reputation.
12 months later, service warning light after half the time and half the distance it should be set for. Complained, was told it was my “driving style”. So how come my BMW has actually increased my mileage when I drive that in a similar fashion? And it is EXACTLY half way through? ECU checked, fault in the service regime not being stored, forced and OK. “NFF” on squeaking brakes.
Car just under 3 years old, in for MoT. Squeaking brakes now doing my nut. Guess what – MoT failed on rear brakes. They were locking on. Cleaned for £65+VAT, not under warranty. 2.5 years I’d been driving a car with “NFF” yet would fail an MoT. But the fault was found in the MoT. Funny, eh?
Just before age 4 years, warning lights come on for brakes – ABS and ESP switched off. Only now and again so not too concerned, especially as only happens when wet and been sat idle for a while, and will clear will a stop/start of the engine.
Second MoT. Fail on front brakes, imbalance above legal tolerance. Second MoT failure on brakes.
July 2006 – car in for check on brakes system as warning lights coming on more often. £141 for guided diagnostics, cleaned earth connections, basically “NFF”. 3 hours later, lights back on.
Now, a detailed list of faults is being collated. There have been faults with the brakes far more than not during the ownership of this car, which was from new. I do not feel safe with The Fat Lady driving it, and Western are as much help as an unhelpful person from Unhelpfulville.
So this morning I gave the detailed list of fault warnings over the last 2 weeks and said this would be in the formal complaint I would be making regarding this car. I didn’t say it was going to VOSA, VW/Audi UK and Western’s head office, and completely bypassing the local manager. I’m expecting a call (because I was advised I would get one) from the customer service manager at Western. I wouldn’t like to be him when I offer him the opportunity to drive around in the Bug for a few days.
Comments
Get rid of the thing. I don't want my daughter-in-law and my grandchild riding round in a death trap.
Posted by: Doris | July 26, 2006 12:45 PM
A replacement is on the cards.
Two immediate issues with this - we'd get a lower trade-in due to the fault showing so quickly, and I'd be unhappy passing the problem on. The brakes are fine, it's just the ABS switches off when the fault comes up. But that is exactly what I'm kicking up about.
The solution is for the dealer to fix it. The main issue is the dealer, not the car. No contact from them yet today, but they are being told to keep it until it's fixed, and I'll refuse to accept it back until proven. We don't need it on a day-to-day basis yet, so I'm happy to cause a scene.
Posted by: Lee ? | July 26, 2006 1:34 PM
You should have told them that you did need the car and really made them feel bad (if at all possible) If they know you are not in a hurry for it back then they will not rush to do anything about it.
Posted by: Doris | July 27, 2006 8:23 PM
I haven't told them anything yet, other than I'm not taking the car back unless it's fixed.
No contact from them at all yesterday.
Caved and rang them this morning, the technicians don't start until 9 and the form's with them. That's at 08:50...
Will be making a request for a courtesy car now that they have had it for a third day with no progress made (or at least informed).
Posted by: Lee ? | July 28, 2006 8:54 AM
Not unexpected, but bit of a shock nonetheless to hear it: The ABS control unit is to be replaced.
This offers no guarantee that the fault will be fixed, and at £815 for parts alone I'm looking for something a little more substantial.
Costs incurred so far - £141 for detailed diagnostics.
To incur:
£815 for new ECU, plus labour, plus VAT.
The dealer, to be fair, has already opened a case with VW, and even though the car is out of warranty they have agreed to contribute a percentage totalling £214.
Not enough.
I've put my case with repeating problems with the brakes and asked for an increase in that contribution. I did forget to mention the recall the ABS control unit, I'll bring that up when I get another low offer.
That contribution is almost swallowed up by the costs incurred so far with the guided diagnostics, so is hardly a contribution at all.
We'll see how it goes, I've already stated my case, and bolstered it with the sales of goods stating goods must last a reasonable time, and my interpretation of "reasonable" for a control unit is not 4 years.
** As I type, call back - request fro increase in contribution rejected **
Checking the recall for this item and how far out of scope my unit was from it, but my mobile battery died. Hoping for a call back, but not holding my breath.
Posted by: Lee ? | August 1, 2006 12:22 PM
The offer is an insult.They have clearly waited until the car is out of warranty before doing anything. Take it further if you have to and help out people that are a bit shy of doing things like this. Why should the big guns get away with it every time. Good luck Son
Posted by: Doris | August 1, 2006 12:28 PM
Final, final offer. No increase in contribution, at 35%. Quote of £1100 to repair, so £715 to pay, on top of the £141 diagnostics that didn't diagnose.
My wallet feels violated.
Posted by: Lee ? | August 1, 2006 12:50 PM
To be fair the ABS warnings started 10 months after warranty ran out, and this constituted a third problem with brakes, only one of which became apparent during the warranty period.
VW have refused to up the offer, but the dealer has reduced their labour charges to "warranty rates" rather than "man-on-the-street" rates, and are not charging the 5/6 hours of diagnostic work done on it in the last week. So all in all I've got it down by about half.
I could fight this, but for what little there is to gain versus the stress, and they would just do it to the next person anyway, I can't be bothered. I just want a car for the Fat Lady that can be relied on.
Posted by: Lee ? | August 1, 2006 2:56 PM
That's it, we have said our goodbyes to the Bug, it's gone. I'm still hanging onto my "VW Beetle Parking Only" tin sign on the garage wall. See how long it takes MOTS to figure out it's still there!
Posted by: Lee ? | September 2, 2006 6:18 PM