Lockdown lot rot?!
Discussion
I attended my local Audi dealership a few days before lockdown and negotiated a great deal on a new B9 facelift which was in-stock at a site some 250 miles away. It was supposed to be delivered before the end of March. The lockdown meant I will have to wait until they resume operations.
My question is, will the car have deteriorated during the lockdown? The dealership told me they store their cars correctly, and Audi have told me that their cars are built to withstand long periods of not being driven, and are subject to multipoint checks with any issues being corrected.
But from what I can gather, the car will be sitting in a large car park, with some kind of white wrapping on it. Presumably this delay will ruin the battery (and the mild hybrid battery fitted to the new 35 TFSI), along with potential damage to the tyres and brakes.
Should I be concerned?
The deal agreed was Audi A4 35 TFSI S tronic Black Edition in Quantum Grey, 15k miles pa, £650 deposit, £415 x 48 months.
My question is, will the car have deteriorated during the lockdown? The dealership told me they store their cars correctly, and Audi have told me that their cars are built to withstand long periods of not being driven, and are subject to multipoint checks with any issues being corrected.
But from what I can gather, the car will be sitting in a large car park, with some kind of white wrapping on it. Presumably this delay will ruin the battery (and the mild hybrid battery fitted to the new 35 TFSI), along with potential damage to the tyres and brakes.
Should I be concerned?
The deal agreed was Audi A4 35 TFSI S tronic Black Edition in Quantum Grey, 15k miles pa, £650 deposit, £415 x 48 months.
We see cars that have sat registered for over 6 months, before this they have probably been parked for several months, and that could be after a month of sitting around at a factory.
It is not uncommon for modern cars to sit a long period of time, there are airfields full of them so nothing to worry about.
The only thing you need to check is the PDI has not been done otherwise the first service warning might come on from date of PDI.
It is not uncommon for modern cars to sit a long period of time, there are airfields full of them so nothing to worry about.
The only thing you need to check is the PDI has not been done otherwise the first service warning might come on from date of PDI.
I suspect many people have never had an actual new car. If you buy a Fiat these days it could well be several years old (go down the M5 and you'll see!) at the point of registration - many others are similar. Smart for one had new Roadsters two and three years after they stopped production.
I appreciate the reassurance but how does that reconcile with all the advice given to motorists that their batteries will be left with compromised lifespans/capacities if they don’t use a trickle charger or drive it regularly? And what stops the handbrake/eBrake system from seizing up?
AudiMan9000 said:
Does anyone know what prevents these cars from deteriorating the same way privately owned cars are said to during periods of non-use?
What do you determine as periods of non use? I have a car I only use for 6 months of the year and the other 6 months (Winter) it sit's in my garage unused it doesn't deteriorate in that time, it comes out of the garage without issue in the spring maybe with a quick charge to give the battery a boost and runs and drives perfectly. Your new Audi being parked for a month or two in a dealers storage should have no issues whatsoever.
AudiMan9000 said:
Does anyone know what prevents these cars from deteriorating the same way privately owned cars are said to during periods of non-use?
Nothing. It'll be sat in a field until it is delivered to you. If it doesn't work when it arrives, make a fuss about it then. Until then, don't worry.Back in the day all cars waited in a field for up to a year before the next registration release
Things weren’t built to order then....
On the other hand any 50 mile journey was littered with stricken cars broken down, left right and centre ...
I’d start panicking now, make sure your dealer supply’s 5 cones, AA membership, a flask of coffee, some food, and a sleeping bag, The AA will be so busy dragging all these lemons back to the dealers it might be worth looking at small tents as well.
Things weren’t built to order then....
On the other hand any 50 mile journey was littered with stricken cars broken down, left right and centre ...
I’d start panicking now, make sure your dealer supply’s 5 cones, AA membership, a flask of coffee, some food, and a sleeping bag, The AA will be so busy dragging all these lemons back to the dealers it might be worth looking at small tents as well.
Baldchap said:
I suspect many people have never had an actual new car. If you buy a Fiat these days it could well be several years old (go down the M5 and you'll see!) at the point of registration - many others are similar. Smart for one had new Roadsters two and three years after they stopped production.
I recently read that someone bought a "new" Abarth 124 in 2019 for him to find out it was built in 2016And looking at the pictures of the underside he posted the car wasn't stored inside.
Probably by the sea more likely.
AudiMan9000 said:
Should I be concerned?
The deal agreed was Audi A4 35 TFSI S tronic Black Edition in Quantum Grey, 15k miles pa, £650 deposit, £415 x 48 months.
You have no concerns or reasons to be worried etc. The deal agreed was Audi A4 35 TFSI S tronic Black Edition in Quantum Grey, 15k miles pa, £650 deposit, £415 x 48 months.
The car will be fine.
Cracking deal for the car though... £20,570.... Or did you forget the final payment?
I've got one on order as well (tdi though) - I wish mine was that cheap!
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