I have been the unfortunate owner of a VW Polo 1.4 Sport since last September and feel the car buying public should be aware of the catalogue of disasters I have experienced over the last 11 months.
One month in and the engine management warning light appears and disappears frequently. Dealer (Dovercourt, Bristol) inspect car and feel they have done all necessary work to resolve the problem.
Throughout the following months, car returned to them on 3 occasions to resolve problem. At one point they advise they are unable to fix problem as they don’t have the correct CD? I thought spanners were used to fix cars not the latest Kylie release??!!
Next the clutch fails and after giving the matter some thought, Dealer decides to replace master clutch cylinder but not before letting us have the car back with the defective clutch cylinder. Engine management warning light still appearing occasionally.
Rear washwipe fails and water somehow manages to escape underneath and into the car.
Steering column then fails and requires new coil. Airbag warning light appears and horn fails! Dealer resolves problems following the car’s 3 day stay with them.
Electric wing mirrors then fail and become locked in permanent synchronised movement. Trim around gear stick and hand brake becomes detached.
In the last week the car has spent 4 days with the Dealer and they have now managed to reduce the engine power to the point that pulling away on even the slightest of gradients becomes difficult.
And VW’s reaction to this catalogue of problems? “Don’t worry, that’s why we supply the car with a warranty so we can fix these little problems when they go wrong.”
Whatever you do, don’t mention the Sale Of Goods Act to a VW dealer. They’ve got excuses coming out their ears why you can’t sight this as grounds for complaint.
So, no offer to replace the car, a flat refusal to release us from our finance agreement and a half hearted attempt to buy our goodwill which is still under dispute.
Not what you expect from the manufacturer who’s latest advertising campaign describes their Polo as Tough! Only thing about VW that’s Tough is their attitude to customer service. But this is not surprising in view of the bad press VW have had over the last couple of weeks surrounding their standards of quality and reliability.
To summarise, great car when it works but a manufacturer who really couldn’t care less about keeping the customer happy and recognising when they’ve failed to deliver what they so frequently promise. RELIABILITY.
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Good review, I had the 1.9TDI Sport and had the same issue with the rear wash wipe, you have to take out the gromit joining the boot lid to the car and drain it every week.
buzios 13.08.2003 15:53
Customer service is so important for cars and this sounds like an appalling attitude. Your op was very good and so I rated it VH but ideally some info about the car and not just it's faults (it must have some good points?) would make the op much better. Still, a very good start and wlecome to Ciao.
Connoisseur_Haggler 13.08.2003 10:21
Oh dear, so sorry to learn of this utter disappointment. What a mess! and appalling service received. The problem with most modern cars these days is you need a computer i.e a software (CD) to fix everything! and there seems to be no element of human mechanical knowledge used by the technicians at large dealerships (such as Dovercourt, Reg Vardy etc) the aim is to encourga econsumers to buy cars they cant really afford buy offering ridiculous finance options. I think you've been treated unfairly and should complain to VW Head office or trading stds. This is a very useful opinion and was tempted to rate it VH just wondered about the other points driving, fuel consumption, handling and corning and interior space, if you have any comment please do let me know, I will be pleased to re-read any update. -CH (Motors Cat. Asst.)
Advantages: Surprisingly powerful engine for a 1.4, economical and of course its a VW promising reliability and good residuals. Disadvantages: Too easy to utilise engine's power and spoil economy!
confusion 17.09.2003 (04.11.2003)
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Aug 13th, 2003
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