Just found this site and it seems the perfect arena to vent my utter exaperation with VW. Also, I think it is good for VW users to use a forum like this to exchange experiences as I am not at all sure customers are being treated, dare I say it, honestly. This is a bit long I am afraid, but hopefully enlightening.
The warning light came on to say that brake pads needed fitting. I had been told by a friend, who is not altogether totally ignorant about cars, that only the front pads are likely to need doing, 'dont have the rear pads done until I look at them, or the discs'. I duly booked in for front brake pads and also a new cam belt. I had been told several times by VW that it was important to have this done even though the car only has 35000 miles on the clock. I was warned of the potential cost I could incur if the belt went. I relented and agreed to have it done yesterday with the brake pads. However I received a call from VW to say that the brake pads all round together with the discs were very very low and scored etc etc and all needed doing. £958.65 was the bill for this. That was yesterday. Yesterday, all I had was a brake pad warning light - today I have the ABS warning light on, I cant move out of parking into neutral easily and I have taken the car straight back.
By some strange coincidence, the very day after the work has been done (but I am assured by VW this is purely coincidental), the ABS pump needs replacing at a cost of £1000+ just for the pump plus labour and VAT! I had a brake sensor fitted to alleviate the gear change problem, which at the moment seems to have done the trick.
This is not the first time I have left a VW garage with more wrong with the car than when I went in. With my last VW - after servicing I found nails in the tyres - on three occasions! On one occasion I discovered that the service hadnt in fact been done, although I was charged for it, not even the oil was changed.
This has come at a very bad time for me because only last week my daughter (for whom I had leased a POLO for 2 years), had the end of lease inspection. The car was in immaculate condition and had only 9000 miles on the clock. The front wheel trims were scuffed, I replaced them, the 2 year service was due, I had it done, I replaced a couple of bulbs and had paint repairs on a couple of small scuffs to the front bumper, minor and very tiny dents on the doors (hardly visible and certainly not photographable). I was confident the car would pass any inspection. At the end of the inspection I was given an estimate for £1700 plus VAT to 'put the car right'. I immediately took it to two garages for an independent inspection - both agreed with me the car was in good condition and had a very small amount of use - which they considered fair wear and tear. I have had leased cars myself for many years (including VWs) and have never, ever, had to pay back one penny in 'refurbishment'. The inspector said I needed two new tyres at the front - the VW dealer I subsequently took the car to for their opinion, disagreed and said the tyres were legal. Sensing I was in for a battle and feeling extremely anxious that the inspector I had was on a commission earning exercise - I took the car to a renowned body specialist and had every tiny imperfection taken out. On reinspection, the inspector noticed a speck of dirt inside the paint on the bumper (seriously I am not making this up) where the car had had a minor paint repair. He said they would have to redo the paintwork. In all I spent £1515 getting the car to their very high standards. I have just received an invoice for £134 to cover the wheel trims at the back and a new front tyre!! The wheel trims at the back were very very lightly marked and the tyre was legal even according to the VW dealer. I have refused to pay it on principle. Can anyone tell me how I trace the lease car so that I can see if they had the 'refurbishsment' work done, which I dont believe they did. I am going to sell my VW Golf and buy another make of car altogether. I feel I have been dealing with complete charlatans. Would love to hear from anyone with similar end of lease experiences or major problems materialising after a visit to the VW dealership for servicing, minor repairs or indeed if anyone else has had a cam belt replaced and their ABS pump suddenly needed replacing??? If so then VW are aware that this is a problem and this would account for the pressure to get the cam belt done - they recommended I had the cam belt changed when I only had 20,000 miles on the clock, but left it until I had 35,000 miles on the clock.
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