My partner has had a Volkswagen Passat for 2 1/2 years. The car's been great - it's done 75000 miles and only had two faults. Trouble is, the local dealers took six months to fix one fault, and failed to fix the other at all after a year of trying! The Petrol flap release siezed soon after we got the car, and the local dealer took 3 months to get a replacement part. One of the steering arm bushes started grinding at around 40000 miles, and the car went in three times for repair. The first time they could find nothing wrong (as I have a fair bit of mechanical knowledge, we told them exactly what the problem was before they saw the car). The second time, they agreed with my diagnosis, but couldn't get the part for several months. The third time, after the part had arrived, it transpired they'd ordered the wrong one! The car was then taken to an independent specialist who repaired it in half a day, and handed the car back fully valeted (VW usually manage a quick rinse, and a once over with a vacuum if you're lucky). Invariably the car is collected early in the day, and the garage fail to inform you of any problems until late in the afternoon. Staff give conflicting reports of progress of work, and once the service book was stamped without the service being done at all!
It's incredible how purveyors of such good, reliable and well built cars can provide such shoddy after sales service. For this reason alone, we will not be buying a Volkswagen/Audi when we change in a few months.
Finally, I'm reminded of a colleague who took her husband's Corrado to the local (Reading) dealer with an intermittent engine cut out problem. Out comes a mechanic, lifts the bonnet, fiddles around for a bit, then turns to her and says "looks alright to me, luv". They now both drive Subarus ...
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Oct 3rd, 2000
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