So the dealer can't fix my new car...
Discussion
My new car is two months old today (collection date). For the last 5 weeks ish the clutch pedal has been creaking on hot days and the Nav has lost its position 3 times, once for about half an hour before finding itself again.
Now, I appreciate that these faults are not life ending, however the car was £20,000 (its a Skoda Superb) and I don't think its unfair to expect the Sat nav to work all the time and for the clutch to be smooth all the time, certainly with just 4,000 miles on the car.
The car is currently at the dealership for the 3rd time and is due back on Friday. They have called to say that they cannot reproduce either issue and unless they can, theres nothing they can do. I demonstrated the issue for them the 2nd time I took it in which resorted in them greasing the clutch pedal but that had little effect and now the problem is back. The clutch only creaks on hot days and not every day and I appreciate that it can be difficult to reproduce, however, it can be infuriating when its really back and the clutch actually judders when you release it.
They tell me they cannot do anything with the clutch or Nav unless they see the problem and as the Nav has only lost position 3 times in 2 months, its unlikely that its going to happen at the dealers.
I'm getting the impression that their attitude is that they don't have to do anything if they can't see the issue.
So what is my position here, as putting up with this for the next few years is not an option. I'm wondering if I'm going to be left with no choice but to just take it to dealer after dealer until one will actually admit there is a problem.
Now, I appreciate that these faults are not life ending, however the car was £20,000 (its a Skoda Superb) and I don't think its unfair to expect the Sat nav to work all the time and for the clutch to be smooth all the time, certainly with just 4,000 miles on the car.
The car is currently at the dealership for the 3rd time and is due back on Friday. They have called to say that they cannot reproduce either issue and unless they can, theres nothing they can do. I demonstrated the issue for them the 2nd time I took it in which resorted in them greasing the clutch pedal but that had little effect and now the problem is back. The clutch only creaks on hot days and not every day and I appreciate that it can be difficult to reproduce, however, it can be infuriating when its really back and the clutch actually judders when you release it.
They tell me they cannot do anything with the clutch or Nav unless they see the problem and as the Nav has only lost position 3 times in 2 months, its unlikely that its going to happen at the dealers.
I'm getting the impression that their attitude is that they don't have to do anything if they can't see the issue.
So what is my position here, as putting up with this for the next few years is not an option. I'm wondering if I'm going to be left with no choice but to just take it to dealer after dealer until one will actually admit there is a problem.
The problem dealers have is they are paid by the manufacturer for the work they do or the parts they replace. If they can't verify the issue or replaced a defective part, then they will be unwilling to spend hours trying to find said problem as you aren't paying for the work, Skoda isn't paying so who is? Likewise, if they replace a clutch assembly or sat nav unit and then return said parts to Skoda who then say they aren't faulty... they won't pay the claim and thus, the dealer will have to take it on the chin.
So, as frustrating as it is... if there's nothing obvious and no known concerns with any of the parts, until the issue manifests then a dealer will be reluctant to take it any further. You could ask them to raise a case with Skoda/VAG technical so the issue is logged as an on going concern. It may not solve the issue now but will help get some weight behind your campaign in the future.
So, as frustrating as it is... if there's nothing obvious and no known concerns with any of the parts, until the issue manifests then a dealer will be reluctant to take it any further. You could ask them to raise a case with Skoda/VAG technical so the issue is logged as an on going concern. It may not solve the issue now but will help get some weight behind your campaign in the future.
I work in electronics, finding a fault that is not prevalent all the time is tough, the only thing I can say is that most intermittent faults will get worse over time, so hang on for a while, when the fault has developed to a point its constantly there then take it back to the garage. You might feel a bit miffed about this suggestion but its pragmatic.
You need to work with the dealer on this one. The problem you face is that if the issues can't be replicated for the dealer then they can't be replicated for anyone else either - for instance an independent engineer or a judge.
What you must do is record your difficulties in a written letter and send it to the dealer by "signed for" delivery. This way you can at least, if and when necessary, prove that you have been raising problems.
In the meantime you need to soldier on and see if the issues get better or worse.
(Is there a model specific forum which might shed light on whether these issues are common?)
What you must do is record your difficulties in a written letter and send it to the dealer by "signed for" delivery. This way you can at least, if and when necessary, prove that you have been raising problems.
In the meantime you need to soldier on and see if the issues get better or worse.
(Is there a model specific forum which might shed light on whether these issues are common?)
rumple said:
Op are you the guy that got rid of his M5 for this, or have I got you confused
Thats me. The M5 is a great car but the Superb is far more relaxing to drive over long distances (which I am doing alot)I've not experienced Nav issues like this before and I've had BMW Nav for 7 years. I do get areas in Germany (normally valleys) where signal seems weak and it can seem to loose track but its never for very long. The Superb did it for half an hour on the M25, hardly a dead zone. I then got the same problem near Winchester a few weeks later but for a shorter amount of time. To me, its not acceptable for the Nav to get lost for half an hour, not on a 10 week old car.
The clutch is more annoying than anything else but the creaking and clicking can be so bad its winds me up and I end up resenting it. I do appreciate the suggestions and although I have a photo of the Nav telling me I'm in a lake, I don't have a video which I will try and take next time.
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