Two recent problems with my VW TDI and my answer would be no !
When my car was under warranty just over a year ago, it had a new turbo fitted because the old one was overboosting due to sticking variable vanes and a new CV boot because the old one had split.
6 months ago, the same CV joint started making the classic clicking/grinding noises which usually means it's time for a new one. Now I did the replacement myself and on taking the old one off, I found that the "technician" who replaced the boot had not bothered to repack with grease.
I am also guessing that he probably did not bother to clean it either before wacking on the new boot, so thats probably why the joint failed in the first place.
Over a period of weeks, the cars performance had steadily been getting worse until it got to the point where there was no boost and the car would not pull at all. I only noticed this because
my wife usually drives the car but we had to drive to the airport to collect my daughter and I noticed straight away but my wife just said " I thought it was not driving right "
Anyway, loath to take it to the dealer, a bit of detective work on the internet suggested that the fault would probably be a leaking vacuum pipe somewhere, leading to none operation of the turbo.
Imagine my joy when feeling at the back of the engine at the pipe the went to the turbo actuator, to find a big hole. Replaced the pipe and it now pulls like the proverbial train again.
Imagine my dismay when I realised that the reason the pipe had a hole in it was because it had not been clipped into place, in clips provided for that purpose and had been left hanging loose causing it to chaff and ultimately fail.
So two repairs done under warranty not done correctly meaning more work was necessary at a later date.
Is this just incompetence or a subtle way to get more work later on.
A letter of complaint to the dealer has not had a reply as yet.
{Made non make/model specific as could apply to all dealers, and not just VW}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 23/10/2008 at 13:33
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SEAT dealer that services daughter's Ibiza is equally useless.
Interestingly, a nearer, and as far as I know unconnected, but also known to be useless, VW dealer wrote to her recently inviting her to take her Ibiza there for servicing. I'm intrigued as to how they got all her details.
Edited by Bill Payer on 23/10/2008 at 00:27
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My experiences as a VW owner (94-2000) would suggest your dealer is a quite efficient one. Mine were even worse. I'll never buy another VW as a result.
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You always have to check all the work done as soon as you get home, but preferably a few hundred yards from the garage so you can take it straight back and point things out.
I've just taken my Isuzu D-Max to the Swedish dealer for the first 20k km service. Just an oil change they say, so I wait. What oil do you use, so he showed me a tub of 15/40 mineral oil. Not right, must be 5/30 synthetic as it's on 20K km changes. Anyway, after 20 minutes they come out and tell me the diff and transfer oil needs changing as well.
When they hand me the keys back I ask them if they added the LSD additive to the rear diff - oops, forget. So back in it goes.
On checking later I see they managed to miss the engine oil fill hole, so now I have oil blown back along the underside. Of course, if they'd taken an extra 10 seconds to pull off the plastic engine cover (no screws used), then it's much easier to get the oil in the hole, plus a good old fashioned funnel usually works quite well. It would have been nice if they'd put the dipstick back in the tube as well, instead of leaving it lying in the engine bay. I also decided I may as well grease the prop shafts myself, as they obviously had trouble finding the grease nipples.
Oh well, at least it only cost £190.
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Over the last 43 years I've used umpteen franchised dealers of several makes of car and never had any complaints. Inevitably a minority of people will have problems, and they're the people who will publicise their experiences. The hordes of satisfied customers don't feel the need to say anything.
Most dealers like to hear about customers' problems so that they can take the necessary steps to prevent them happening again. Go back to your dealer in person and and express your concerns ~ in a calm and rational manner of course. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised at their response.
Edited by L'escargot on 23/10/2008 at 11:15
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I have to say I've had mixed service. Toyota were poor as were Vauxhall. VW were a joke, actually returning the car in a non-running state after a warranty repair. And Renault - don't get me started!
And Ford, have actually been pretty good in my opinion. Its all down to the individual dealerships I suppose.
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I'm sure you are right, Snail - it would be daft to suggest that all VW dealers are useless or that all Saab ones are great. Most franchised dealers have high overheads, which means their hour-rates are eye-wateringly high, so maybe they cut corners or use poorly trained staff to get the jobs done for a 'reasonable' price - and then there won't be much slack, which may explain why dipsticks are left on the scuttle, etc. They may even send a car round the corner for simple servicing.
Go to a respected indie you can trust. Warranty upkeep doesn't seem to be a constraint any more.
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