Volkswagen service queue-4 weeks...! wtf??

Hi Folks,

Basically I've rung my local volkswagen dealer in Wicklow to get my 07 touareg in to fix the air con.
It just stopped working.
The touareg wasn't bought from them.

They tell me it will take the whole day to look at it/fix it as it's a big job and wait for it (no pun intended) the waiting list for to do this is 4 weeks :eek:

I presume they are totally taking the píss or just don't want cars that weren't bought from them?

Anyone else come across this ?

I know nothing of the air con unit in the touareg so does anyone know what sort of job it is to get a look at it?
I presume it's also covered under warranty as its 07 ?

Anan1

I'd try a different VW dealer if I were you, four weeks is a ridiculous amount of time to have to wait. The actual problem could be anything from a faulty switch to something much bigger. The car is under warranty, and you will get a replacement while it's being repaired.

crosstownk

4 weeks - not unusual at all, tbh. A longer waiting time is not uncommon either. I assume it's Sinnots you're dealing with. You could also try Maxwells in Athy (059 863 8611).

It should be a warranty job - unless it's due to damage of some sort.

MarkN

4 weeks is the norm I think... I rang Fosters a few months back and the first question was "did you buy the car from us" and when I said no, I was told "yeh eh it'll be about a month before we can take it".

And BTW, unless the LABOUR on your car takes more than 2 and a half hours, VW will not be giving you a replacement car, that little extra will cost you about €40 if it's a minute less than their rule.

I would contact whoever you bought the car from, I was going to do the same but I bought mine in Newmarket so it's not exactly a trip down the road.

DublinDilbert

i'd be absolutely furious if this happened on a brand new car and a very expensive one at that... now i know any car can go wrong, but if it was brand new I'd expect them to do a back flip to fix it! :mad:

Is there any chance you can get it back to where you bought it and get it done ASAP?

At the end of the day the reason you bought a new car is so things wouldn't go wrong... if you wanted to be going back and forth getting things fixed you could of bought a 5+ year old one...

Anan1

crosstownk wrote:

4 weeks - not unusual at all, tbh. A longer waiting time is not uncommon either.

I'd be raising the roof if i'd bought an 07 car and was expected to drive around without a/c for four weeks. Is VW customer care particularly poor?

crosstownk

Anan1 wrote:

Is VW customer care particularly poor?

Poor - and then some. I agree it's scandalous to have to wait 4 weeks, but that's the attitude of a lot of VW dealers when the car wasn't bought there. It's a ridiculous situation and if the OP decides to contact the importer/distributor he'll get virtually no help.

Yeah it was sinnotts that told me the 4 weeks.
I certainly won't be going to them!

I'm waiting on a call back from the service department in Belgard which is where I bought it.
I got it in january so it's 8 months into it's 12 month warranty.

I very much doubt that I've damaged the air con,there isn't a scratch on the touareg.

I'll be in Mullingar during the week and was going to call into the volkswagen main dealer there but it looks like theres no point!

MarkN

It's a 24 month warranty as it's brand new.

How come you can't bring it to Belgard anyway?

Anan1

Tristrame wrote:

I'm waiting on a call back from the service department in Belgard which is where I bought it.
I got it in january so it's 8 months into it's 12 month warranty.

If it makes you feel any better, I think it may have 24 months factory warranty rather than 12.

Yes I bought it brand new.

Oh its a 24 month warranty,thats right,I remember the volkswagen care team aka AA telling me that.
My dealer didn't...
I'm told the service manager in Belgard will ring me before lunch.
He's on calls..

Glad today is relatively cold

MarkN

MarkN wrote:

It's a 24 month warranty as it's brand new.

How come you can't bring it to Belgard anyway?

I intend bringing it to Belgard,it's just awkward as it's an hours drive at least and then I have to hang around Dublin for the day.

It wouldn't really be worth my while getting a car from them to drive back down here and back.
This was my first time contacting a local dealer (since the rounds pre purchase) and I was hoping it would be a bit simpler than waiting 4 weeks for a service.

The Volkswagen care team aka AA did say that they would deal with a major mechanical fault on a 24hr basis so thats good at least.

But it looks like any servicing will have to be done in Belgard within the warranty period.
4 weeks time wise is just too far ahead to plan and then if you have to cancel,its another 3,4 or 5 weeks!
That would be plain ridiculous.
I'm used to phoning and getting a booking within a week and at least then you can allow for having to change it at short notice without too much inconvenience.

crosstownk

Tristrame wrote:

I'm told the service manager in Belgard will ring me before lunch.
He's on calls..

Don't hold your breath. I'd be mildly surprised if they ever ring you back and I'd also be surprised if they have a waiting list shorter than 4 weeks.

The_Conductor

If its any consolation- its probably a simple compressor failure in the air-con unit. Unfortunately Sanden, the manufacturer of the compressor units, has had a few quality issues.

Tabnabs

4 weeks is what I used to have to wait with Paschal Kennedy for a service when I had the Seat. Doesnt seem to be unusual at all unfortunately.

Anan1

Tristrame wrote:

I intend bringing it to Belgard,it's just awkward as it's an hours drive at least and then I have to hang around Dublin for the day.

It wouldn't really be worth my while getting a car from them to drive back down here and back.

I'd take the car, on the basis that it probably won't be fixed that day. I wonder could you argue for someone to collect the car? I know that Maxwell Motors have offered to collect my mother's car.

Fey!

Isn't Moores in Athlone VW as well?

It may be a bit of a trek, but I've heard stories of them sending a mechanic to Galway when the local dealer, who the car was bought of, wouldn't. Granted, it was on a new Merc, but they do have a very good rep. After all, they'll just bill the manufacturer, won't they?

Del2005

Anan1 wrote:

I'd take the car, on the basis that it probably won't be fixed that day. I wonder could you argue for someone to collect the car? I know that Maxwell Motors have offered to collect my mother's car.

Not meaning to sound bad here. But do they not just add the collection onto the bill? Seems a bit strange if they are charging ~€100 per hour for the work and then let someone spend 2 hours driving it there and back for free.

MarkN

OP - re the VW assist.

I would ring them up, say your air con has not been working and now suddenly a red light has come up on the dash (pick the worst sounding one from the dash picture in your manual).

Red in VW terms, means the car can't be driven, VW assist come out, tell them the red light has now gone but you don't want to drive it anyway, jeep is towed on a truck and brought to a VW service dept. and you avoid your 4 week wait.

The only downside is, it will prob end up in MSL Pottery

crosstownk

MarkN wrote:

OP - re the VW assist.

I would ring them up, say your air con has not been working and now suddenly a red light has come up on the dash (pick the worst sounding one from the dash picture in your manual).

Red in VW terms, means the car can't be driven, VW assist come out, tell them the red light has now gone but you don't want to drive it anyway, jeep is towed on a truck and brought to a VW service dept. and you avoid your 4 week wait.

I've regularly seen AA staff refuse to take the car as it 'can be driven'. Usually the VW Assistance (AA) will send a breakdown van first to attempt to repair/diagnose the fault before requesting a truck.

Give it a go - it won't cost, but there's no guarantee it will work.

Booked in for thursday morning in Belgard which makes a bit of a nonsense of Sinnotts 4 weeks.
Belgard did ring me back

Now hopefully they don't have to order parts.

richie_rvf

4 weeks is an acceptable wait for a service but I would not expect to have to book a car in when something breaks.

Have you contacted VW? I would call them now, ask them why your warranty is only valid at Belgard and why should you have to accept such bad service having bought your new, expensive VW?

Your warranty should be valid in any VW dealer, what if the car broke down in Donegal?

I would call back at 2 - assuming that they have not called you - and raise the roof! That is NOT acceptable treatment of a customer, they have made a commitment to call you at lunch time.

Get names, and title/job description - sounds like it's a load of crap but you need to let these people know that you are serious - sad but true.

Best of luck - keep us posted,

Richie.

MarkN

That's cool.

In fairness to the dealers, where you have actually bought the car they do normally take them quickly.

It shouldn't be that way however!

Got it going today under warranty-no charge.
It had ran low on gas for some reason.

I think I'll send them a doctors bill for pneumonia as it's working too good

Anan1

Tristrame wrote:

Got it going today under warranty-no charge.
It had ran low on gas for some reason.

Not to sound negative, but the reason is a leak.

Darragh29

Tristrame wrote:

I'm told the service manager in Belgard will ring me before lunch.
He's on calls..

Sure he is, he's probably off playing golf, you won't get very far with him, or anyone in Belgard for that matter. You'd be better off bringing it down to the zoo and asking one of the orangutans down there to fix it.

crosstownk

Darragh29 wrote:

You'd be better off bringing it down to the zoo and asking one of the orangutans down there to fix it.

ROFL - great post!!! And so true. Only they actually did call the OP back, but I doubt it was James Mullen himself.

Dude you made me spit beer on my computer with that post