Disgusted with Audi customer service !!!!!

[328]

SAM2008 said:

Here is my experience with an audi dealer

Ironically we had a very similar issue with the bodyshop of a large VAG dealer. Their 'trained technicians' removed a load of interior trim from the boot of our 2-week-old A4 Avant that had been rear-ended and needed the bumper replacing. The trim had not been replaced properly and the interior trim pieces for the C & D pillars had been damaged when we picked the car up.

I spotted this before we even left the bodyshop. The bodyshop manager initially flatly denied that the technicians would have removed the trim as there was 'no need for them to have done so'. It took 2 follow-up visits for them to rectify the damage. The bodyshop manager was pretty surly throughout (he claimed to have checked the work himself after the first follow-up, even though the damage hadn't been rectified and one piece of trim was still not fitted correctly). He even had the audacity to suggest that the damage to the D pillar trim "must have been caused by you using the load cover" - apparently that comment came courtesy of his 'technician' again. I called his bluff, he pulled the load liner and found it didn't reach the area that was damaged. He didn't bother apologising - clearly that was beneath him.

When I commented that the overall customer service experience had been pretty poor he, somewhat aggressively, said "we fixed the damage; what more were you expecting?"... errr how about (i) not damaging it the first place (ii) fixing it the first time (iii) being apologetic for doing it and (iv) not trying to bullsh*t your way out of it.

In my view he should have been apologising to me and kicking his 'trained technicians' in to touch round the back, as well as learning some lessons about the quality of his own work...

Fortunately it didn't go as far as them suggesting we 'went legal', but part of me kind of wishes they had :-D

Edited by 328 on Wednesday 22 April 17:14

[Tame Technician]

Black5 said:

I accept that if I asked how to change the brakes, they would not want to risk liability.

But "Where is the Gearbox oil level plug?"

Every other car I have owned has told you in the manual!

What type of car is it?? You probably cant check the level yourself, or at least the manufacturer has deiced you are at risk of injury (hot oil) if you do, then as such the dealers hands are tied and we cant tell you. Same thing happens with anything to do with Xeon head lights, hand book reads take it to the dealer, because there is a risk of electric shock.

Typical method for the two most common auto boxes are. You must plug the 5051 into the car and monitor then gearbox oil temperature, when it is up to the specified temp with the engine running in park, after going through all the gears first removed the level bung and it should just trickle.


Regarding service, I can fully understand peoples complaints when cars are damaged or not fixed when dealer says they are. In the dealers defence the last few cars I have had that came back (it doent happen very often) it was simply caused by the customer not demonstrating the fault or the service adviser misunderstanding the customer complaint.

Example Job card reads, "investigate for noise from dash". So I Road test car, noticed very noisy blower motor, investigated found to be leaves in fan, removed now ok. Customer rings back 110% hacked off, because he was on about a diffrent noise which we didnt hear and as such made no attempt to fix.

I say this here a lot, And I know its an inconvenience, but where possible, insist on showing the fault to a technician when you drop off the car.


If you ring up and ask a question, and we say, we cant tell you that, its because we cant tell you. Someone from Audi UK has said, do not give out any technical information, advise people to ring this number or goto this website. Hardly the dealers fault. If its not in the customers hand book, then Audi don't think you should touch it.

Edited by Tame Technician on Wednesday 22 April 18:48

[Fort Jefferson]

Old thread from Friday 6th January 2006 said:

Lots of stuff.

Holy thread resurrection Batman!!!

[Colonial]

My local audi dealer is fan-bloody-tastic.

Warranty repairs (corrosion) done on a repainted car, free power steering fluid, plenty of coffee, just small stuff like that makes all the difference.

[Seez]

I gave up on VAG service a long time ago, my first real car was a VW Polo and I received such shocking treatment from (name removed under name and shame rules) that:

A - I never went back
B - No car I have ever had since has been anywhere near a VAG dealer

And in case they are wondering I have since had:

VW Scirocco
VW Vento
VW Polo Saloon
VW Passat
VW Golf
Audi Quattro
Audi Coupe
Audi S2
Audi S4
Audi RS4

So if any dealers are on this site the above is a lesson for you, I might have been a young whippersnapper with a cacky Polo but everyone gets older and earns more money later in life...

So if you dont like the service, vote with your feet, the idiots are the people who go back...

Edited by Seez on Thursday 23 April 09:24

Edited by Seez on Thursday 23 April 09:25

[TonyHetherington]

Tame Technician said:

post

Nicely written post

[Dapster]

Seez said:

So if you dont like the service, vote with your feet, the idiots are the people who go back...

I've voted with my feet at each Audi dealer I have used for the past 2 years. My "nearest" dealer is getting further and further away and now I have just resigned myself to the fact that it is just a factor of Audi ownership. The next "vote with my feet" I will be placing is to swap my A4 for a 5 series Touring. I am not considering an A6 because the dealer (sales and service) experience I have had has been so poor.

Edited by Dapster on Thursday 23 April 12:57

[Seez]

Yes, I have found a specialist I am happy with near Poole, they are top blokes and always take my cars back there...

[va1o]

I hate vw and audi garagaes, never again is all i will say. I wish I could name and shame the barstards.

Edited by va1o on Thursday 23 April 22:37

[Greendubber]

My local Audi dealer (fairly new on the out skirts of Birmingham, about a mile from the M42) are excellent. Sorted out a paint issue on my 2000 A3 with no worries. Even got given a nice brand new A4 to tool around in. The car came back and wasnt up to scratch (from the body shop) so the dealer sent it to another one and it came back bob on. They even took care of the stone chips in the front for me, the original paint issue was on the roof.

Cant rate them highly enough, not for servicing though....thats what indys are for!

[DirtyHarry88]

Why are these horror stories all too common?!

[Andyuk911]

I have had caused to speak to Audi CS and I found it to be 10/10 ...

[Colonial]

DirtyHarry88 said:

Why are these horror stories all too common?!

I could tell you the same ones with BMW, with Subaru, with Mistubishi, with Saab, with Ford etc etc etc

Why do you think car dealers have a bad name?

[Deva Link]

Colonial said:

DirtyHarry88 said:

Why are these horror stories all too common?!

I could tell you the same ones with BMW, with Subaru, with Mistubishi, with Saab, with Ford etc etc etc

Why do you think car dealers have a bad name?

I honestly think they all know that - so it doesn't matter to them, if for example, Audi piss you off because at the same time BMW will be pissing somebody else off and when the two of you change cars you'll both swop marques. So it's a zero sum game for the manufacturers.


I have an issue going on with SEAT at the moment regarding my daughter's car (which she more or less paid for, but I very much steered her towards that car). It's gone on so long I'm not even sure what we're discussing now but some of the responses, both by phone and in writing are nothing short of incredible. I've written to someone at quite a high level in SEAT UK and apparently 2 of the people involved in my case are "no longer with SEAT UK" which has been made to sound like they've been fired, yet still nothing has happened to resolve my issue.

Edited by Deva Link on Friday 24th April 09:10

[va1o]

I don't think its all marques, the Germans seem to piss people of a lot compared to the others. Don't see too many complaints for the likes of Skoda, Honda or Toyota.

[chrissyr32]

Well sorry to go againest the grain, but ive had my RS4 in an Audi dealer(AUDI TEESIDE) for numerous warranty issues and routine services etc and found the service excellent, very polite everything ive asked for done no quibbles, telephone updates, techincian explaining issues to me,excellent courtesy cars.
Suppose its not the norm but just thought i,d share my experiences.

[Thirsty33]

Deva Link said:

Audiwarrantyguy said:

just because it is an audi badge on the front that does not mean we are responsible for your car.

Hmmm - where have I heard that statement before? I know, talking to SEAT UK, about how crap their dealer is (started from SEAT's refusal to cover a failed item under goodwill).

I guess the VAG training course is at least consistent. Quite handy really - it enables me to eliminate a whole load of potential candidates for our family fleet in one fell swoop.

Well its interesting that I have had a similar experience with VW "customer care" - Brick wall, head, bang it as hard as you like, come to mind. They are well trained in winding you up, I know that much. Does make you consider if any VAG car is worth your cash because if something goes wrong, the corporate machine of VAG will squash you. Ve have vays of making you give in.

[Thirsty33]

Seez said:

Yes, I have found a specialist I am happy with near Poole, they are top blokes and always take my cars back there...

Would that be the FRP?

[Thirsty33]

va1o said:

I don't think its all marques, the Germans seem to piss people of a lot compared to the others. Don't see too many complaints for the likes of Skoda, Honda or Toyota.

But Skoda are German too. However, I do agree with you in general and as I work for a German company, I have an insight to why this is - but I won't share it because I need my job !!

[_Batty_]

the old Audi dealership in (xxxx) was appalling.
again claiming damaged caused by an over zealous detailer (peeled lacquer off the rim with a pressure washer) was caused by my father kerbing the wheel.
problem was, there was no kerbing marks!
needless to say we got it sorted in the end, but it really put me off Audi dealers