Picked up my Edition 30 today - need some advice

[Billy]

Please bare with me me, this may go on a bit...

So I travelled down today from Glasgow to pick up my approved used 2007 5DR DSG Edition 30 from a VW dealer in England (complete with a one year VW warranty).

I was generally happy with the car except for two quite big scratches that the salesman says they hadn't noticed. It's obviously been keyed a bit and they've tried to polish it out a bit and failed. I'll need to pay a professional to sort it out properly.

The dealer gives me a full tank of petrol and the promise of a set of Edition 30 mats. Not as compensation for the scratches but as my Das Welt Auto option that you receive with a used car.

Anyway, I bought the car and headed back home. About two hours into my journey the oil lamp starts flashing on the dashboard. I pulled over and called the dealer, got my sales person and asked them how this could be happening.

He said that sometimes lights just 'come on' in cars and it would probably go off. I ask him to speak to his service department to confirm the full pre-sales check had been done and that the car had had oil in it. He does this and says yes, they say it was fine.

I continue driving until I reach the next garage (about another 30 miles or so) and pull over and check the oil level. The car had bugger all oil in it. I call the dealers back and the salesman says he can't understand it and he'll have stern words with the service dept. He advised me to buy some oil at the garage and send him the bill. I buy a litre of the correct oil, put it in the car and the light goes out when I start her back up.

I arrive home in Glasgow without further incident.

I've gave this some thought and I've decided I'm really not happy about this level of service but I'm not sure how to proceed, so I'm looking for some advice from the learned folk on here.

The car is on 35,000 miles and the salesman told me the last service had been done at 33,000 miles and that that was the car's second service but now I've looked at the service book and it says the car has had three services.

Service one: 4,137 (16.09.08)
Service two: 17,632 (16.10.10)
Service three: 26,817 (18.07.11)

An oil change has been indicated as being done at each of these services.

I can only assume that either (a) the dealer I bought the car from did not in fact check the oil level before selling me the car; or (b) that the car has a fault of some sort and the oil left the car of it's own accord after I drive off from the dealership today.

Should a dealer supply an approved used car with a full compliment of oil?

What should I do about this situation?

Obviously I'm going to check the oil level again first thing in the morning before I go to work but what then?

I'm thinking I take the car to my local VW dealer and ask them to check the car out with regards to the oil situation and if there is a leak or anything and maybe demand a full oil service as compensation (paid for by the dealer that I bought the car from or VW UK).

P.S. Apart from this issue I'm loving the car!

[Greeners]

Taking it to the nearest dealer and getting them to bill the supplying dealer sounds the best thing to do.

I'd also inform VW customer services as letting the car out of the dealership with little or no oil is inexcusable!! 

[MAT ED30]

If your not happy with the level of service give them the chance to sort it and say if things are not sorted then you will be handing the car back to them and getting trading standards involved and seeking a full refund due to bad service. Oil light on is bad that nothing left in the sump   

[dan930]

Taking it to the nearest dealer and getting them to bill the supplying dealer sounds the best thing to do.

I'd also inform VW customer services as letting the car out of the dealership with little or no oil is inexcusable!! 

+1.....take it to your nearest vw dealer and get a service done then send them the bill back or give them the car back & ask for a full refund

[Frodo-anni]

Ask them to provide you with a copy of the MPC report that would have been completed by the dealer when the car entered the dealership network. I did with mine and it brought up a few points for discussion.

Was a service carried out as part of the deal, was it MOT'd, any other parts done as part of the deal?

You mentioned a full tank of fuel and Mats as an option for the Das auto used car service, didnt think this was an option. As you can choose, £100 of vw accessories, VW breakdown assitance, 3 years mot protection, mot tests for life, or a reduction in the 2 year service plan.

Low oil levels would really concern me, as they may have caused unknown damage during your journey if there was below the required minimum. Through the das auto you have a no quibble, 1000 mile, 30 day exchange that can be done, but you are also within your rights to return the car for a refund  after giving them the opportunity to rectify the problem.

[ukdub]

Taking it to the nearest dealer and getting them to bill the supplying dealer sounds the best thing to do.

I'd also inform VW customer services as letting the car out of the dealership with little or no oil is inexcusable!!  

+2 perfect answer    I guess the 'check oil light' will come on before any damaged could occur? 

[ukdub]

Ask them to provide you with a copy of the MPC report that would have been completed by the dealer when the car entered the dealership network. I did with mine and it brought up a few points for discussion.

Was a service carried out as part of the deal, was it MOT'd, any other parts done as part of the deal?

You mentioned a full tank of fuel and Mats as an option for the Das auto used car service, didnt think this was an option. As you can choose, £100 of vw accessories, VW breakdown assitance, 3 years mot protection, mot tests for life, or a reduction in the 2 year service plan.

Low oil levels would really concern me, as they may have caused unknown damage during your journey if there was below the required minimum. Through the das auto you have a no quibble, 1000 mile, 30 day exchange that can be done, but you are also within your rights to return the car for a refund  after giving them the opportunity to rectify the problem.

Even better point I'm guessing your a clever bloke, do what feels best about you purchase 

[pben47]

Mate, i feel for you, I had exactly the same problem.
Picked up an 08 gti, drove 160ml, light came on, called out roadside assistance, no oil in it.
I loved the car, but could not live with the thought that it could have been driven for quite a while on low oil and the possible unknown damage that could have been caused. I made every excuse to keep it but i had lost confidence so took it back.
I demanded a full refund, the salesman gave me a load of excuses so i told him where he needed to go quickly, spoke with the sales manager who was very embarassed and he offered me a swap or full refund.

I now have an 07 Eddy which I love, perhaps things do happen for a reason.

[Billy]

You mentioned a full tank of fuel and Mats as an option for the Das auto used car service, didnt think this was an option. As you can choose, £100 of vw accessories, VW breakdown assitance, 3 years mot protection, mot tests for life, or a reduction in the 2 year service plan.

Because I live so far away from this dealer he said the MOT protections and MOT tests weren't practical as they apply to the supplying dealer. I already have roadside assistance through my bank account. MOney off the service plan seemed to not apply as he said another service would;t be due until 53k miles (although I've discovered now that isn't quite correct). So I went for the option of the £100 accessories made up of the mats (which he said I have to order from my local VW dealer and get them to bill the supplying dealer) and some fuel.

[Billy]

Taking it to the nearest dealer and getting them to bill the supplying dealer sounds the best thing to do.

I'd also inform VW customer services as letting the car out of the dealership with little or no oil is inexcusable!!  

I guess the 'check oil light' will come on before any damaged could occur? 

That's what I'm thinking too but I do want the car to have a full check over from my local VW dealer and a full oil change service too (paid for by the supplying dealer) as I feel that should have been supplied to me full of oil.

[Billy]

Mate, i feel for you, I had exactly the same problem.
Picked up an 08 gti, drove 160ml, light came on, called out roadside assistance, no oil in it.
I loved the car, but could not live with the thought that it could have been driven for quite a while on low oil and the possible unknown damage that could have been caused. I made every excuse to keep it but i had lost confidence so took it back.
I demanded a full refund, the salesman gave me a load of excuses so i told him where he needed to go quickly, spoke with the sales manager who was very embarassed and he offered me a swap or full refund.

I now have an 07 Eddy which I love, perhaps things do happen for a reason.

Nightmare mate. TBH I haven't lost confidence in the car but I do want it checked over so that it's hopefully given a clean bill of health by my local VW dealer (at no charge to me obviously) and hopefully to be given a full oil service too (again at no charge to me).

[Andy]

Think with the scratches,no oil and service history  i would either return the car or tell them to find another one for you

[richtung]

Billy,

im sorry you are having to go through all this - buying from an approved dealer should be relatively stress free!

Anyway, just a couple of points. On the service history you list for your car, there's a 25month gap and 13,500 miles between service 1 and 2 - that seems a big gap to me - i dont know what the intervals are on long life but a car using the same oil for 2 years does fill me with confidence...

My second point is driving with low levels of oil - as someone has already mentioned, i would be worried about the unseen damage that may already have occurred to the internals. Surely if the dealership failed to check the oil level, it begs the question of what else they have failed to check? in my opinion, if you are going to be paying the premium for buying from an approved dealer, i expect the best level of service and the car to be tip top.

They can offer to do as many oil services they want but the damage could already have been done and sods law, the engine suffers a catastrophic failure in 12months and 1 week - landing you with a hefty bill.

If it was me, i couldnt live with that niggling doubt in my mind, expecting the worse every time i start the car up. I would take the chance whilst you still have it and take it back for a full refund. i know that perhaps your heart is over ruling your head (i understand the lure of the Eddy!) but there plenty of clean, decent examples of Edition 30's out there!  

Sorry for the scare mongering, i just dont want you to suffer even more stress if things go wrong in the future.

Just my 2 pence!

Rich

[andrewparker]

Aren't LongLife intervals 20,000 miles?

[ktlstar]

thats correct 20,000.

You'll know if you have done damaged already as you'll hear the bottom end rattle to f*ck when revving.

Its not good seeing the oil light come on though!

Cowboys!!