My R8 - not,impressed with audi dealers

[prg123]

I bought my Audi R8 from an Audi main dealer..... Went for a service this week, turns out half the screws are missing for the rear light clusters ( which are loose ) and some undertray screw. According to my selling dealership this was done by another dealership because of a gearbox recall.

So screw ups in this order.

1. Dealership I bought from didn't pick up the issues in PDI checks or pre-checks before supplying it to me
2. Dealership who did the recall work were rubbish and didn't refit the back of the car properly.
3. I had to do all the chasing discussion with the service dealership and the one I got the car from. Why couldn't they sort it out together and get it fixed.

Ho hum rant over, think I will be going to an independent Audi service centre in future,unless someone can recommend a good Audi service centre near Berkshire.

- Pete

[abbotsmike]

Have you considered complaining to Audi HQ? They do take this sort of thing pretty seriously.

[prg123]

The dealer I bought it from is rectifying it, but if I'm not happy wtth what they do, I will..

- Pete

[vjj]

That is terrible - if that happened to me I would go mad - you seem to be a very reasonable man.

I know the Audi dealer scene quite well - they are supposed to treat A8/R8 customers like gods.

The main thing is giving your dealer a chance to rectify his mistake - then go ballistic with Audi UK.

[gbbird]

Use a good respected Indie next time. I have never been impressed with Franchised dealers.

As earlier posts suggest, report it to Audi HQ

[TTwiggy]

I understand this isn't good, but maybe some people are over reacting a bit here? Nothing dangerous happened, no damage was done to the car, and presumably the fault will be rectified. Maybe the OP deserves something for his 'troubles' (some free oil perhaps?), but I don't think it warrants a 'wrath of god' scenario.

My dad was one of the first people to have a Renault Fuego in this country, back in the 80s. He took it for its first service at a Renault dealership, and they forgot to reconnect the rear brakes - that's the sort of thing to get properly miffed about.

all IMHO, of course.

[Dr G]

I like crappy main dealers, they keep me employed

[anonymous-user]

Have to say that mine was looked after by Poole Audi (although I purchased the car from Warrington) and I had great service from them. Handled all recall/warranty issues very effectively.

[prg123]

I'm not bothered about compensation ( I'm not American :-) )

Just would like Audi to know that some of there dealers are making elementary mistakes both technical & customer service wise.

- pete

[Fast Eddie]

If you need a service makes sure the book is stamped by a main dealer or it will affect the resale value.
Best indie imo - APS in Brackley.

[prg123]

Well they had the car for 3 days, the left hand side light cluster is still on flush with the centre panel ....

My wife phoned them to say this, but the guy said that the 'master technician' did it and compared it to another R8 so should be ok....

So i phoned them on Friday, and the guy wasn't there but didn't get back to me.

So will phone them on Monday hopefully they can fix it second time around....

- Pete

[anonymous-user]

prg123 said:

the left hand side light cluster is still on flush with the centre panel

Can you explain that a little more please?. I'm struggling to understand the issue.

Unless you mean that the left hand lights are NOT flush with the bodywork above the number plate that separates the left and right lights. If you do mean that then, weird as it sounds, they are all like that. I took mine into my dealer for some other work and wanted to check the mis-alignment and when I looked at 3 other R8s they were all the same.

[prg123]

Its the left light cluster and the panel with R8 and the Audi badge.... I could understand that they might not be flush, but both sides should be equal ie the right cluster at present is flush with the panel, and the left cluster isn't (if that makes sense).

- Pete

[anonymous-user]

prg123 said:

Its the left light cluster and the panel with R8 and the Audi badge.... I could understand that they might not be flush, but both sides should be equal ie the right cluster at present is flush with the panel, and the left cluster isn't (if that makes sense).

- Pete

Yep that's exactly how mine was and exactly how it was on the 3 others I looked at.

Edit to confirm - one side (left) not flush, other side perfect. If you push the panel/light on the left can you get it to go flush? Mine could - it's almost as though they made the light cover on the left the wrong shape.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 12th August 12:03

[prg123]

Not quite flush but almost

- pete

[truck71]

Well it seems the poor dealer disease is spreading. Booked my Lease A4 in for a 60000 mile service for tomorrow with a courtesty car- booking made over 2 weeks ago, all confirmed.The dealer is close to me in chiswick, the big multistory one on the A4- my daily commute takes me past the door.

Call received at 1645 today- sorry courtesy car not available, what would you like us to do? I ask for a satisfatory resolve which means being rebooked first week of September- the car will have gone beyond the indicated miles and I'm on holiday, so not a satisfactory resolve.

OK, we'll pass you to central booking to find an altenrative dealership. OK.
Central booking service can put the car into Victoria Audi (behind Victoria station so central London) on Weds with a co car. I ask if this is in the congestion charge zone- answer no? Hmm, I'm not sure but regardless it's the wrong way for my commute, hugely inconvenient so I ask they deliver the courtesy car to Chiswick and collect my car- given I've been let down shouldn't be too much trouble for a premium brand outfit to sort. Apparently not. So central booking send me back to multistory Audi who offer me a taxi to work. Fine I say. Just give us the receipts when you pick your car up says the chap and I'll claim it back for you. Err, yeah right- can just imagine the fight I'm going to have to see that cash again. So no satisfactory resolve.

In the end I give in and rebook it Monday without a courtesy car and change my diary round for the week and use public transport for the day.

Oh well, I'm only a customer and can rejoice in the fact that one day the car will go back to the lease company and I'll order something else. And also make doubly sure my customers never have such a frustrating time as this.

[aj84]

I used to work next door the the dealership you speak off...it used to be even closer/opposite to Sky so I thought great
However - when I discussed booking the car in with them, I was repeatedly warned of them...still took a risk and true to their word, they were utter crap.
Bad service, bad workmanship, bad loan car, bad prices

They then moved into the big one which if I am not wrong is Europe's (if not the worlds) largest Audi dealership...and so I tried them again
And nothing at all changed
the only good thing about them was that when I used them for the MOT, it sailed through but the customer service guys are very moody, they cancel/rebook at will, no communication when things go wrong.

Parts dept: Requested a price for a small part (light fitting)... the guy was searching and swearing when he couldnt find it
Prices: Wheel alignment = £400 + £££ for each fix (and they even justified this in an email!)
Wheel refurbs @ £90 + vat when all they do is bring a mobile guy down

List goes on but I really really don't like them :- )

[truck71]

Yep sounds about right. Dropped it off yesterday morning and agreed to collect at 4pm. Arrive at 330 and happy to wait, service dept say it just needs a wash and a road test following the wheel balancing.

4pm comes and then the story changes to "we're having trouble with the recall issue, need to make a gasket and then wash it - probably another 40 mins".

I elect to come back in the morning fearing a long wait, simply don't believe a word I'm told. Pick it up, wheel balancing not done as apprently it's a nail in the tyre that's caused a slow puncture and this probably explains the situation. Or it could be a buckled wheel. Righto, the saga continues- refuse to get agitated as it's now hilarious.

[madmover]

I wasn't impressed with my Local dealership in Shirley when I had my TT. I found them to be useless when it came to things like that. Not only did they not get the message that I didn't want to take it to them for service when they went to look at the stereo code and the wheel arch liner not long after I bought it they ended up scratching the metal finish on the glovebox handle and lost a locking wheel nut. They didn't want to know initially and it took an argument before it was resolved.

From then on it went to the local independent guys and never had a problem with them. Hope you find somewhere, i'd be questioning if they did their pre sale checks at all if my car was delivered with bits missing.

Unacceptable IMO especially on cars of this nature.

[prg123]

R8 goes back today.... Left hand side light cluster still doesn't line up with the centre panel..... Hopefully they can sort it this time

- Pete