£10k gbox bill on 4yr old Audi. Was it ever fit for purpose?

£10k gbox bill on 4yr old Audi. Was it ever fit for purpose?

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Discussion

CraigT007

Original Poster:

48 posts

132 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
I've had reason to put my 2012 A6 C7 3.0 TDI Qtr into the dealer for a gearbox complaint. It's the S Tronic 7 speed and slow speed manoeuvres have become very difficult with the car not moving then lunging either forwards or back, until recently box was silky smooth, in for gearbox oil change and becomes snatchy, abrupt and very sharp changes, to the extent it does throw your head back on up changes. (all in full auto/drive mode only) It's a one owner car and it has been driven mostly sedately. (Not that this should matter anyway?)

I've had the 'kiss points realigned' by the dealer, which fixed the issue for two days, then back to the same. Now they tell me its the whole gearbox that needs replaced with a bill of £9,700. The car has FSH by main dealer, always gets what its needed and has 56k miles on it.

I can feel a fight for some form of goodwill. I don't have the extended warranty and the car was remapped until last week. (Dealer insisted on the map being wiped before they'd make the assessment)

Is this a case of get a second opinion, obtain a full report into the reasons for the failure?, take Audi to task about the premature failing of the gearbox, which at four years old and FSH surely this isn't at the end of it's design life?

Any tips on how to deal with this, that doesn't involve fire?

Any recent cases I can cite, have Audi at any point admitted failing gearboxes and they'd assist?

Some advice and pointers on any of the above that could help my case would be much appreciated. thanks guys

Adz The Rat

13,943 posts

208 months

Friday 17th February 2017
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1 year out of warranty and remapped.

No chance of goodwill I say.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Friday 17th February 2017
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Sad times. Mind you 10k for a gearbox! That is ridiculous money.

If you are a loyal customer hopefully you will get some goodwill, although the map is clearly a get out for Audi if they so wish. Interested to see how this one turns out.

TurboHatchback

4,151 posts

152 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
CraigT007 said:
I can feel a fight for some form of goodwill. I don't have the extended warranty and the car was remapped until last week. (Dealer insisted on the map being wiped before they'd make the assessment)
I would have thought that 'remapping' the engine to beyond the torque level that the gearbox was specified to handle would make any goodwill unlikely. If you dick around with the car and it breaks as a consequence then you pay for your own mistake. Can't hurt to ask and see what they say though, if the car was left as it was designed and the gearbox failed like that I'd be very annoyed.

HoHoHo

14,979 posts

249 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
CraigT007 said:
I've had reason to put my 2012 A6 C7 3.0 TDI Qtr into the dealer for a gearbox complaint. It's the S Tronic 7 speed and slow speed manoeuvres have become very difficult with the car not moving then lunging either forwards or back, until recently box was silky smooth, in for gearbox oil change and becomes snatchy, abrupt and very sharp changes, to the extent it does throw your head back on up changes. (all in full auto/drive mode only) It's a one owner car and it has been driven mostly sedately. (Not that this should matter anyway?)

I've had the 'kiss points realigned' by the dealer, which fixed the issue for two days, then back to the same. Now they tell me its the whole gearbox that needs replaced with a bill of £9,700. The car has FSH by main dealer, always gets what its needed and has 56k miles on it.

I can feel a fight for some form of goodwill. I don't have the extended warranty and the car was remapped until last week. (Dealer insisted on the map being wiped before they'd make the assessment)

Is this a case of get a second opinion, obtain a full report into the reasons for the failure?, take Audi to task about the premature failing of the gearbox, which at four years old and FSH surely this isn't at the end of it's design life?

Any tips on how to deal with this, that doesn't involve fire?

Any recent cases I can cite, have Audi at any point admitted failing gearboxes and they'd assist?

Some advice and pointers on any of the above that could help my case would be much appreciated. thanks guys
I'm not sure the word 'remap' is going to help you here. It wouldn't surprise me if they suggested that's the problem.

I would simply be as calm and professional as you can be.

Will be interesting to hear how you get on.

Soov535

35,829 posts

270 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
CraigT007 said:
I don't have the extended warranty and the car was remapped until last week.

Any tips on how to deal with this, that doesn't involve fire?
Really? I mean REALLY?

Good luck with this one. You altered the car's factory spec and it's ruined the gearbox. Now you want Audi to pay.....????

rolleyes


You have ZERO chance of goodwill. Zero.



Edited by Soov535 on Friday 17th February 10:31

Sheepshanks

32,517 posts

118 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
Soov535 said:
You altered the car's factory spec and it's ruined the gearbox.
That's a massive assumption.

OP: what was the extent of the map and do you know the torque limit for the gearbox in your car?

Edited by Sheepshanks on Friday 17th February 10:38

nickfrog

20,870 posts

216 months

Friday 17th February 2017
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Umm. Tricky one. My only gripe with this kind of situation is that the bill will include a lot of gross profit presumably on both the parts and labour and for both the manufacturer and the dealer, which is kind of profiteering out of someone (self-inflicted) misfortune. Which I guess is why there can be out of warranty contributions, but the remapping is not going to help much...

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
for a start it won't need a new gearbox i bet, the dsg can be repaired, most are the mechatronic failing which is a grand to repair.


The Surveyor

7,576 posts

236 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
Asking Audi to repair this is the reason it's costing so much. On a remapped car out of warrantee, the chances of a good-will offer being forthcoming is slim to nil.

For me, I would be looking for a replacement 'box from a scrapped car and getting an independent VW/Audi specialist to swap it over it, then sell the car and then don't buy another Audi.


Cupramax

10,469 posts

251 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Soov535 said:
You altered the car's factory spec and it's ruined the gearbox.
That's a massive assumption.

OP: what was the extent of the map and do you know the torque limit for the gearbox in your car?

Edited by Sheepshanks on Friday 17th February 10:38
The 3.0tdi is the highest torque engine that Stronic gearbox gets fitted to, and youve remapped it to more. Audi fit the 8 speed ZF torque converter auto to the BiTdi (next more powerful engine) for a reason apparently...

Glasgowrob

3,232 posts

120 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
And there's me worrying about getting warranty on a pair of driveshafts for a 8 month old Mondeo at 60k

Op serious suggestion trade it in

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
OP: what was the extent of the map and do you know the torque limit for the gearbox in your car?
This is an interesting point in this case as I have been vaguely looking at these (A6s) as a next purchase and there are several versions of the 3l with differing power outputs. Not sure of the exact ins and outs but it may be the OP has a lower power version and just wants a bit extra pep.

Soov535

35,829 posts

270 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Soov535 said:
You altered the car's factory spec and it's ruined the gearbox.
That's a massive assumption.

OP: what was the extent of the map and do you know the torque limit for the gearbox in your car?

Edited by Sheepshanks on Friday 17th February 10:38
What matters here is what the Law says, and this is what the Court will find, based on the balance of probabilities in this case. It is more likely than not.




55palfers

5,892 posts

163 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
Presumably Audi will be able to tell if the car has been remapped even if it is now returned to OE map?

MDMA .

8,847 posts

100 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
Audi S-Tronic. German for " how much?".

Soov535

35,829 posts

270 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
55palfers said:
Presumably Audi will be able to tell if the car has been remapped even if it is now returned to OE map?
Of course they will.


Sheepshanks

32,517 posts

118 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
55palfers said:
Presumably Audi will be able to tell if the car has been remapped even if it is now returned to OE map?
He's made it clear the dealer knew anyway. Whatever the cause, taking it in with the map loaded seems rash, to say the least.

As others have suggested, even if Audi did offer, say, 50% goodwill it still leave a 5 grand bill. Likely it'd be better to find a DSG specialist and get them to have a look.

Toyoda

1,557 posts

99 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
Have I read it wrong or did you say the box was silky smooth until you put it in for a gearbox oil change, and then the problems started?

sparkythecat

7,898 posts

254 months

Friday 17th February 2017
quotequote all
Have a root around the VW Audi Forums, there are some knowledgeable people on there including some Audi techs who are regular posters.

http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.ph...