2011 TDI taillight out......$1900

[EEVLWYS]

Just wanted to vent!

Took my car to the dealer yesterday because of drivers side tail lights are not working. After $180 for troubleshooting, the dealer proceeds to tell me that the ECM or PCM whatever they call it needs to be replaced and reprogrammed.

The car is only 3 years old and has 47k miles on it. I'm really aggravated right now about the whole situation.

 

[guitarsail]

tried a new lightbulb?

 

[EEVLWYS]

tried a new lightbulb?

All bulbs, fuses, and wiring have been replaced / checked 3x over by myself and the dealer.

 

[truman]

What about a salvage component?

 

[guitarsail]

I'd be looking for a second opinion...

 

[JBell]

Have you escalated this to VWOA for goodwill repair. These are the kind of stories that they don't want negative publicity to spread. They SHOULD help you.

 

[xjay1337]

Unfortunately this can happen with LED components, often the circuit board is all one unit and non servicable.
That being said if you are clever with electronics you could split the light and POSSIBLY repair it.
In the UK we can get those lights used for about £600 / $850 for a pair.

 

[dirtysouthjacket]

Yes, call VWoA and explain it is a safety issue. Keep asking for higher ups. I would also go to a TDI guru and get a second opinion. I know some TDIs have had issues with fuse panels melting. But doubt that applies to you.

 

[bennybmn]

My AC went literally as I was rolling over the warranty mileage on my way to VT, I called VW and got reimbursed. Give it a shot!

 

[KITEWAGON]

$1900 for a taillight out? Dear god. New cars are so scary. I don't believe in buying extended warranties, but getting a diagnosis like this one could turn me into a believer.

 

[GD]

Perhaps trying a bridge wire from the passenger side tail light to get by.

 

[EEVLWYS]

Well..... I had already called Volkswagen of America the day I came home from the dealer. They called me this morning and offered to have the car repaired for $450.

I still try to state my case, my concerns the safety issues, but they would not budge anymore.

So this morning was the first time I've driven the car since coming home from the dealer 2 days ago. I had noticed when I returned home the light on the speedo cluster was now off.

Tonight I turn on my headlights and lo and behold the tail light is now working!! So are the side marker and the city light.

So I will assume the dealer cleared the fault when it was in the shop. Do you guys think the problem will reoccur? Was my car misdiagnosed that the ECM was bad by the Volkswagen dealer?

Hopefully it doesn't come back, but why would the dealer tell me but I need to replace the ECM?

 

[Vw/Audi Only]

Most likely yes. The fault has been cleared, so you can monitor when and, if it come back again. I can not say they have misdiagnosed your vehicle or that what they included for the diagnosis is accurate, but it may take days-months for the same fault to occur again.

It is rather unfortunate that this issue has occurred, but do not blame the dealership on this issue, but at least VWOA is trying to help instead of blowing you off entirely. I've had a Client who needed repairs similar to you(1000+) who I will not state who or what, but VOWA issued 0 assistance, and this client was definitely eligible client for assistance in my eyes I.E. he has down all his services required.

As my first auto tech instructor has taught me, cars are not made in heaven whether you have a vehicle with little to no faults, or multiple may occur in the vehicle's life span it is always a good idea to invest in an extended warranty in any case, if you do not have the means to spend the repairs on, which even myself we do not all have.

 

[NAZ TDI]

Hey, do what Bubba Redneck would do: mount a couple of trailer lights on the back bumper, run some wires, put a toggle switch in the dash and call it good!

 

[GD]

Do you get a bulb out message in your cluster?

 

[rwehuman]

I had the same exact problem! here is a video http://youtu.be/tq-_q_gI1ug The dealership said their hands were tied because I was out of warranty although I had been in over 5 count'em One Two Three Four Five SIX! Flippen SIX times with in two years to replace a bulb. driver low, passenger low driver high, passenger high, tag lights!

The dealer I went to was never much help while I was in warranty
They would just replace the bad bulb and say.......
Dealer: ummm duh we fixed the problem duh
Me: well what was the problem?
Dealer: ummm duh the bulb was burnt out duh
Me: but what caused it?
Dealer: ummm duh light works fine now -be on your way until you are out of warranty
Me: No you just replaced the bulb, why in GODS NAME did I loose not one not two not three or four or five but SIX Mother love'n bulbs in less than two years?!?
Dealer: ummm duh, your bulb was burnt out duh. its fixed now. -be on your way until you are out of warranty
Yea that was Winner VW of Dover in Delaware.

So I took it up the food chain to VWoA. I brought up the safety concern of a rear light being out and at first VwoA wanted nothing to do with me saying.....”umm duh its an electrical problem it could be anywhere duh and you are out of warranty. To which I replied well why wasn't it fixed at any one of the last SIX times I brought it in while it WAS under warranty? So then I said the “L” word......litigation and I started to hear from WvoA well do you want to go to another dealership? I agreed, the new dealership would be Garnett in Pennsylvania they too were stumped but then I got the gremlin on tape, well not tape but video (which killed the radio star I might add) The tune changed completely, “Mr Smith, here is a complimentary loaner until we have the problem resolved.” They fixed it. So far 5 months and I >knocks on wood< have not lost a bulb.

 

[GD]

I had the same exact problem! here is a video http://youtu.be/tq-_q_gI1ug The dealership said their hands were tied because I was out of warranty although I had been in over 5 count'em One Two Three Four Five SIX! Flippen SIX times with in two years to replace a bulb. driver low, passenger low driver high, passenger high, tag lights!

The dealer I went to was never much help while I was in warranty
They would just replace the bad bulb and say.......
Dealer: ummm duh we fixed the problem duh
Me: well what was the problem?
Dealer: ummm duh the bulb was burnt out duh
Me: but what caused it?
Dealer: ummm duh light works fine now -be on your way until you are out of warranty
Me: No you just replaced the bulb, why in GODS NAME did I loose not one not two not three or four or five but SIX Mother love'n bulbs in less than two years?!?
Dealer: ummm duh, your bulb was burnt out duh. its fixed now. -be on your way until you are out of warranty
Yea that was Winner VW of Dover in Delaware.

So I took it up the food chain to VWoA. I brought up the safety concern of a rear light being out and at first VwoA wanted nothing to do with me saying.....”umm duh its an electrical problem it could be anywhere duh and you are out of warranty. To which I replied well why wasn't it fixed at any one of the last SIX times I brought it in while it WAS under warranty? So then I said the “L” word......litigation and I started to hear from WvoA well do you want to go to another dealership? I agreed, the new dealership would be Garnett in Pennsylvania they too were stumped but then I got the gremlin on tape, well not tape but video (which killed the radio star I might add) The tune changed completely, “Mr Smith, here is a complimentary loaner until we have the problem resolved.” They fixed it. So far 5 months and I >knocks on wood< have not lost a bulb.

And the fix was...........

 

[rwehuman]

Oh to fix the trunk lid running light they claim to have replaced the board the bulb sits in. Their words, I never saw it, regarding the head lights nothing was ever done I did put in an after market passenger side high beam bulb I think the gremlin just got tired of bugging me.

 

[EEVLWYS]

I had the same exact problem! here is a video http://youtu.be/tq-_q_gI1ug The dealership said their hands were tied because I was out of warranty although I had been in over 5 count'em One Two Three Four Five SIX! Flippen SIX times with in two years to replace a bulb. driver low, passenger low driver high, passenger high, tag lights!

The dealer I went to was never much help while I was in warranty
They would just replace the bad bulb and say.......
Dealer: ummm duh we fixed the problem duh
Me: well what was the problem?
Dealer: ummm duh the bulb was burnt out duh
Me: but what caused it?
Dealer: ummm duh light works fine now -be on your way until you are out of warranty
Me: No you just replaced the bulb, why in GODS NAME did I loose not one not two not three or four or five but SIX Mother love'n bulbs in less than two years?!?
Dealer: ummm duh, your bulb was burnt out duh. its fixed now. -be on your way until you are out of warranty
Yea that was Winner VW of Dover in Delaware.

So I took it up the food chain to VWoA. I brought up the safety concern of a rear light being out and at first VwoA wanted nothing to do with me saying.....”umm duh its an electrical problem it could be anywhere duh and you are out of warranty. To which I replied well why wasn't it fixed at any one of the last SIX times I brought it in while it WAS under warranty? So then I said the “L” word......litigation and I started to hear from WvoA well do you want to go to another dealership? I agreed, the new dealership would be Garnett in Pennsylvania they too were stumped but then I got the gremlin on tape, well not tape but video (which killed the radio star I might add) The tune changed completely, “Mr Smith, here is a complimentary loaner until we have the problem resolved.” They fixed it. So far 5 months and I >knocks on wood< have not lost a bulb.

Wow, that's crazy man!!! Not the exact problem but similar. I had no trunk light, or tail light, or city light, or side marker.

It makes me mad that they wanted $1900 to so call fix it........but yet they cleared the fault and I have had no issue since.