BE WARNED - ALFA WARRENTY AND BUILD ISSUES
Discussion
Rob_F said:
Pwig said:
Also all UK supplied cars get PDI'd at a main service centre now who have a crack quality control squad operating, this would mean that your problem would not normally have slipped through the net.
I think you mean Alfas quality control squad are on crack.Cheers,
Rob.
It should never have got past the next station on the assembly line.
Each guy on the line QCs the last guy then does his own bit all the way down the line until the final QC at the end of the line.
I genuinely hope someone else writes to alfa.
I'm picking the car up tomorrow, hopefully looking forward to a lovelly sunny weekend on the south coast!!
Having read the comments from the 'alfa customer servcie people' i'd have to simply shake my head at the guy. Surely common sence would suggest that any car coming off the production line should be 100% perfect, it should not matter where the car is being sold.
Incidently I read in the papaer that the British army has bought a load of Iveco (another Fiat company i understand) panther trucks (Hummer like) and they have returned them due to shoddy workmanship. Perhaps I should forward a link to lord drayson
Alfa uk guys. Sort it out. We love your brand. but you guys simply suck.
I'm picking the car up tomorrow, hopefully looking forward to a lovelly sunny weekend on the south coast!!
Having read the comments from the 'alfa customer servcie people' i'd have to simply shake my head at the guy. Surely common sence would suggest that any car coming off the production line should be 100% perfect, it should not matter where the car is being sold.
Incidently I read in the papaer that the British army has bought a load of Iveco (another Fiat company i understand) panther trucks (Hummer like) and they have returned them due to shoddy workmanship. Perhaps I should forward a link to lord drayson
Alfa uk guys. Sort it out. We love your brand. but you guys simply suck.
r1ch1e_uk said:
Alfa uk guys. Sort it out. We love your brand. but you guys simply suck.
They try to sort it out by putting in an extra quality control step, which you miss out by getting a grey import - then you tell them to sort out quality control?Erm... Cuckoo, cuckoo...
Cheers,
Rob.
Rob_F said:
r1ch1e_uk said:
Alfa uk guys. Sort it out. We love your brand. but you guys simply suck.
They try to sort it out by putting in an extra quality control step, which you miss out by getting a grey import - then you tell them to sort out quality control?Erm... Cuckoo, cuckoo...
Cheers,
Rob.
If the factory made the cars properly there would be no need for extra QC steps just for the UK.
IMHO AR GB are admitting that their cars need extra work in order to make them remotely good enough in quality terms to be sold in the UK.
Lets face it we are talking about the guys wing not being fitted correctly, which is kinda fundamental.
If they can't get that right, which you can see, what else did the F up that you cant see?
Big Ned said:
There is no extra quality control step.
Christopher Nicoll claims "There's also a new, rigorous mechanical check, including a test drive, for every car coming into the UK. In the past the check was purely cosmetic which missed those niggling problems that cause huge irritation. Yet 80% can be sorted before delivery".I assume that's the additional QC step being referred to. Or is he lying to us?
Hi Jamie
As I understand it the cars that are delivered to Alfa UK are delivered by boat to Royal Portbury Docks in Bristol and the distributed out to the dealers by a delivery company called Walon www.walon.com you will recognise there lorries.
It is also my understanding that there in no facility to do test drives there, so where is the extras “quality control step” carried out, the docks or the dealer?
Ned
As I understand it the cars that are delivered to Alfa UK are delivered by boat to Royal Portbury Docks in Bristol and the distributed out to the dealers by a delivery company called Walon www.walon.com you will recognise there lorries.
It is also my understanding that there in no facility to do test drives there, so where is the extras “quality control step” carried out, the docks or the dealer?
Ned
Edited by Big Ned on Friday 1st June 13:14
Big Ned said:
It is also my understanding that there in no facility to do test drives there, so where is the extras “quality control step” carried out, the docks or the dealer?
At the docks as far as I know, although I wouldn't claim that to be gospel. A few people over on alfaowner.com have commented that their car was delivered a couple of weeks later than it was meant to, because it was going through this pre-PDI process. This seems to tie in with Mr. Nicoll's published statement that there is an additional QC step for UK-sourced cars.Regarding test drives, I simply don't know - I was quoting what he said in an interview with Auto Italia. Again, perhaps pwig can clarify this?
Or if you're adamant that there is no additional QC step (and your previous post suggests you are) perhaps you could email ARUK for clarification and let us know their response?
I'd agree that in an ideal world this step wouldn't be needed, but until we get to a stage where every car is manufactured perfectly and no damage at all occurs during transit, then I think it's better than leaving it to the dealers. In both my experience and the OP's, even the most diligent of dealers can sometimes miss things.
Big Ned said:
Hi Jamie
As I understand it the cars that are delivered to Alfa UK are delivered by boat to Royal Portbury Docks in Bristol and the distributed out to the dealers by a delivery company called Walon www.walon.com you will recognise there lorries.
It is also my understanding that there in no facility to do test drives there, so where is the extras “quality control step” carried out, the docks or the dealer?
Ned
I visit Walon on a regular basis and they have several huge workshops.As I understand it the cars that are delivered to Alfa UK are delivered by boat to Royal Portbury Docks in Bristol and the distributed out to the dealers by a delivery company called Walon www.walon.com you will recognise there lorries.
It is also my understanding that there in no facility to do test drives there, so where is the extras “quality control step” carried out, the docks or the dealer?
Ned
Edited by Big Ned on Friday 1st June 13:14
While thet have several contracts I an not entirely sure that they do A-R, butthe cars do come into Portbury or Avonmouth.
Walon carry out upgrading ( fitting alarms, radios etc), rectification of transit damage and Predelivery inspections at Portbury and do have the ability to roadtest around the dock side.
The extentto which each manufacture works on their cars at Portbury is a measure of their confidence in their product.
Suffice to say that City Rovers were virtually rebuilt at Walon.
As far as I am concerned the cars we sell are identical to those sold by a UK franchise dealer, they are built in the same factory on the same production lines by the same people.
If there is an extra quality check done it is done at the factory so our cars go through the same checks. From time to time when cars are late we are told it is because extra quality control checks are being done, I always take this with a pinch of salt.
I have three full time members of staff whose job it is to get the cars that arrive with us to the standard to which I feel cars should be delivered in.
Laurence – Registrations and signing off the cars when they are ready to go out.
Chris – PDI (pre delivery inspection) and all mechanical issues
Vance – Valet, trim swaps and check for any damage
If any transport damage is found the cars are taken to the body shop we use, the quality of there work is unquestionable.
I also try and look over ever car that goes out. Please also bear in mind we supply more new Alfa Romeos than any UK franchise dealer. Last month we delivered over 50 new Alfa Romeos. We currently have over 40 new Alfa Romeo here in stock most of them are sold and awaiting preparation.
Mr Odyssey, I too have been to Walon may times, in 03/04 we were buying lots of cars from Alfa UK and I often had to collect cars form Walon my self (day out of the office), I can’t say I was ever over imprested with the way the cars were prepared but this was a couple of years ago I don’t know what changes have been made there now.
We had 4 new GT’s go out today and all the customers were happy with the way there cars were presented. We do our best to get the cars to a standard one would expect the cars to be in.
We do miss things from time to time no one is perfect.
Ned
If there is an extra quality check done it is done at the factory so our cars go through the same checks. From time to time when cars are late we are told it is because extra quality control checks are being done, I always take this with a pinch of salt.
I have three full time members of staff whose job it is to get the cars that arrive with us to the standard to which I feel cars should be delivered in.
Laurence – Registrations and signing off the cars when they are ready to go out.
Chris – PDI (pre delivery inspection) and all mechanical issues
Vance – Valet, trim swaps and check for any damage
If any transport damage is found the cars are taken to the body shop we use, the quality of there work is unquestionable.
I also try and look over ever car that goes out. Please also bear in mind we supply more new Alfa Romeos than any UK franchise dealer. Last month we delivered over 50 new Alfa Romeos. We currently have over 40 new Alfa Romeo here in stock most of them are sold and awaiting preparation.
Mr Odyssey, I too have been to Walon may times, in 03/04 we were buying lots of cars from Alfa UK and I often had to collect cars form Walon my self (day out of the office), I can’t say I was ever over imprested with the way the cars were prepared but this was a couple of years ago I don’t know what changes have been made there now.
We had 4 new GT’s go out today and all the customers were happy with the way there cars were presented. We do our best to get the cars to a standard one would expect the cars to be in.
We do miss things from time to time no one is perfect.
Ned
Interesting Ned.
PDIs are done before they get to the dealers. This is what has been refered to.
This IS the extra quality control step and part of the PDI is to drive the car.
This step is missed out on grey imports.
Also Ned, i'm not too sure about you being the 'largest supplier of Alfas in the uk'. But I don't know how to prove otherwise.
Edited cos I was a bit arsey when I first wrote that
Edited now I have had some sleep.
PDIs are done before they get to the dealers. This is what has been refered to.
This IS the extra quality control step and part of the PDI is to drive the car.
This step is missed out on grey imports.
Also Ned, i'm not too sure about you being the 'largest supplier of Alfas in the uk'. But I don't know how to prove otherwise.
Edited cos I was a bit arsey when I first wrote that
Edited now I have had some sleep.Edited by Pwig on Sunday 3rd June 08:47
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