Main dealer = clueless??

[Garth]

Why is it that the worst place to take your car it it develops a fault is the one place that is supposed to be the best 

I have yet to find a good main dealer (BMW, Audi, VW, Subaru, SEAT or FIAT) and that's just ridiculous!

After me complaining about my noisy clunking steering to VW Leeds, they had 'never heard of' the noisy steering rack issue before despite it being a valid warranty claim from VW. They said they couldn't find a problem with my car. VW Harrogate confidently said "It's not the rack, both your front springs have snapped!". Well after buying new AP springs and looking forward to fixing the problem.... The garage that are fitting my springs (which is a small independent garage that I actually trust) have phoned me to say they have just taken ther springs out and there's nothing wrong with them 
They can hear the noise and suspect it is to do with worn top mounts so I am getting them replaced with the new springs. God knows if this will cure the noise now though.

How can the main dealers stand there and confidently talk BS or lie to you and expect to get away with it? Only a couple of weeks ago VW Harrogate replaced a part at a cost of £80 to cure the engine light problem onyl for the 'repair' to make sod all difference. 

Don't even get me started about how no VW dealer can fill in the service book properly without having to cross things out or tick the wrong box. My service book looks like a child has had a go at it and that's 3 different VW dealers making a pigs ear of it.

I'm never taking my car back to VW for anything again, I'm fed up with them 

Rant over

[monte]

Why is it that the worst place to take your car it it develops a fault is the one place that is supposed to be the best 

I have yet to find a good main dealer (BMW, Audi, VW, Subaru, SEAT or FIAT) and that's just ridiculous!

After me complaining about my noisy clunking steering to VW Leeds, they had 'never heard of' the noisy steering rack issue before despite it being a valid warranty claim from VW. They said they couldn't find a problem with my car. VW Harrogate confidently said "It's not the rack, both your front springs have snapped!". Well after buying new AP springs and looking forward to fixing the problem.... The garage that are fitting my springs (which is a small independent garage that I actually trust) have phoned me to say they have just taken ther springs out and there's nothing wrong with them 
They can hear the noise and suspect it is to do with worn top mounts so I am getting them replaced with the new springs. God knows if this will cure the noise now though.

How can the main dealers stand there and confidently talk BS or lie to you and expect to get away with it? Only a couple of weeks ago VW Harrogate replaced a part at a cost of £80 to cure the engine light problem onyl for the 'repair' to make sod all difference. 

Don't even get me started about how no VW dealer can fill in the service book properly without having to cross things out or tick the wrong box. My service book looks like a child has had a go at it and that's 3 different VW dealers making a pigs ear of it.

I'm never taking my car back to VW for anything again, I'm fed up with them 

Rant over

Garth, I could have wrote alot of what you have just wrote. My service book is a joke. I had a new steering rack fitted under warranty, under a year ago, and just the other day I started to hear a clunk when I am turning whilst reversing.

I don't even want to tell you about the laugh I had with my R32 brake pads, but they told me were sure that the pads in the OSF caliper were the wrong way round.

....Its not even possible. The springs are different. 

[Kiwi]

Basically if they plug in the computer and no fault found they are lost.

Comedy.......................... Computer says "NO"

I had an experience with VW blackburn, wrote all the notes down for them about the problem and how it should be fix, ooohh and the fact the computer will not show any faults, they had the car from 8:30am and phoned me at 5pm to say it was ready for collection. I got there for them to tell me the computer showed no faults.

I wish main dealers would employ real mechanics, not computer operators.

[Neimad]

Last time I was in at my local VW dealer I asked if they could check the diverter valve on my car whilst carrying out some other work after so many people on here found their valve's in a poor state.  The service agent said he'd have to ask the technicians first, then came back, asked what engine I had and on hearing my reply of 2 litre turbo petrol, said that I didn't have one.  Needless to say that I was left wondering whether I'd been the subject of a massive internet hoax, or more likely, these people that I trust with my car don't know the first thing about it...

It does concern me that someone such as I -- a software developer -- can know more about a car than these "trained professionals" whom I trust with one of the most expensive purchases I have ever made.  And I like so many others, including the OP, cannot even console myself that this is a single isolated incident -- it is indicative of the industry as a whole.

[Mako V12V]

VW Blackburn had my Ed30 twice to fit the RNS510 sat nav. First time took then 2.5 hours to install but the unit didn't know where I was. Second time they had it for 1.5 hours after i told them where to correctly install the antenna so it would work.
Same result. Took it to Darren on here and 15 minutes later it worked fine. They hadn't even moved the bloody antenna so no idea what they did for an hour and a half.
Useless feckers!

[Garth]

At least it's not just me 

[keano]

VW told me my extended warrenty was now void as i bought it from a car dealer. Despite having the warrenty transfer form signed by the previous owner!

 

[no golf clubs at all]

VW Jordanhill Glasgow wanted my car for THREE days to investigate and hopefully fix a retrofitted cruise control system that wasnt working (previous owner not me)......this after they had the car for ONE day to look at it!

I took it to an indy and the bloke hooked up his pc and changed a zero to a one and fixed it on the spot and for FREE!

Also last time I was in for a service, they put ordinary oil in! I was amazed they admitted it...so they flushed it out and put in new stuff (so they said) but who can tell...I hate being suspicious but it is rarely straightforward when you visit these places.......

[QD MBE]

VW Jordanhill Glasgow wanted my car for THREE days to investigate and hopefully fix a retrofitted cruise control system that wasnt working (previous owner not me)......this after they had the car for ONE day to look at it!

I took it to an indy and the bloke hooked up his pc and changed a zero to a one and fixed it on the spot and for FREE!

Also last time I was in for a service, they put ordinary oil in! I was amazed they admitted it...so they flushed it out and put in new stuff (so they said) but who can tell...I hate being suspicious but it is rarely straightforward when you visit these places.......

i had my car serviced by a well known aftermarket tuner.  Got it home, and during my weekly checks, I noticed the oil level was 'way' over the full mark.  I drained off 350ml.

thev tuner said, sorry, but the techie checked the oil whilst the car was on a jack!  WTF!!

[Garth]

Also last time I was in for a service, they put ordinary oil in! I was amazed they admitted it...so they flushed it out and put in new stuff (so they said) but who can tell...I hate being suspicious but it is rarely straightforward when you visit these places.......

Leeds VW did this at my last service. I requested a 'longlife service using longlife oil'. When I picked the car up and enquired they said they had done a time and distance service using normal oil. When asked why they said they had simply copied what had been done on previous services in the log book. I opened the log book and showed them that every single service so far had been long life. Muppets didn't even check teh book or listen to a work I said. Needless to say, I had them drain the oil and re-fill it with the correct stuff

[FamilyDub]

VW Jordanhill told an .:R32 owning acquiantence, who had just enquired about a Haldex service after 20k:

a) 'Intervals were 60k' - I though they were 40k, but turning away business... mmm...
b) And about the same .:R32 - 'That's not even 4WD anyway'

Also, some spotty, fresh out of uni salesman pr1ck told me I couldn't afford a MKVI Golf R when I was peering in the window one day, the last time I was in....

Ok, he was right ( ), but should I ever be able buy one, it won't be that garage that gets my business!

[Russ_leeds]

Why is it that the worst place to take your car it it develops a fault is the one place that is supposed to be the best 

I have yet to find a good main dealer (BMW, Audi, VW, Subaru, SEAT or FIAT) and that's just ridiculous!

After me complaining about my noisy clunking steering to VW Leeds, they had 'never heard of' the noisy steering rack issue before despite it being a valid warranty claim from VW. They said they couldn't find a problem with my car. VW Harrogate confidently said "It's not the rack, both your front springs have snapped!". Well after buying new AP springs and looking forward to fixing the problem.... The garage that are fitting my springs (which is a small independent garage that I actually trust) have phoned me to say they have just taken ther springs out and there's nothing wrong with them 
They can hear the noise and suspect it is to do with worn top mounts so I am getting them replaced with the new springs. God knows if this will cure the noise now though.

How can the main dealers stand there and confidently talk BS or lie to you and expect to get away with it? Only a couple of weeks ago VW Harrogate replaced a part at a cost of £80 to cure the engine light problem onyl for the 'repair' to make sod all difference. 

Don't even get me started about how no VW dealer can fill in the service book properly without having to cross things out or tick the wrong box. My service book looks like a child has had a go at it and that's 3 different VW dealers making a pigs ear of it.

I'm never taking my car back to VW for anything again, I'm fed up with them 

Rant over

i also took my car to vw leeds for this and was told there's nothing wrong with the steering rack, but mainly wen reversing i can hear noises coming from it!!!

[Nasir]

VW Jordanhill told an .:R32 owning acquiantence, who had just enquired about a Haldex service after 20k:

a) 'Intervals were 60k' - I though they were 40k, but turning away business... mmm...
b) And about the same .:R32 - 'That's not even 4WD anyway'

Also, some spotty, fresh out of uni salesman pr1ck told me I couldn't afford a MKVI Golf R when I was peering in the window one day, the last time I was in....

Ok, he was right ( ), but should I ever be able buy one, it won't be that garage that gets my business!

That's bang out of order! I hope you gave an appropriate response.

[no golf clubs at all]

VW Jordanhill told an .:R32 owning acquiantence, who had just enquired about a Haldex service after 20k:

a) 'Intervals were 60k' - I though they were 40k, but turning away business... mmm...
b) And about the same .:R32 - 'That's not even 4WD anyway'

Also, some spotty, fresh out of uni salesman pr1ck told me I couldn't afford a MKVI Golf R when I was peering in the window one day, the last time I was in....

Ok, he was right ( ), but should I ever be able buy one, it won't be that garage that gets my business!

This was the same garage I went in to look for a rocco for my wife....We got completely ignored, not one sales muppet came near....she went to BMW and bought a Cooper S.

[dmac1969]

I dont like the sound of this! Ive just got my GTI so have not had the 'pleasure' of using a dealer yet....