I'm Fuming!

[Kevinski]

2005.5 passat tdi. Received recall notice for brake light switch. Made apointment for that. Took car into stealership today with 51,899 miles on it. Figure since it's going in, I would have them look at a few other items: Foggy headlight, bubbled plastic trim on driver side, rusty fuel filler neck, and brake pad wear to the passenger side front that is 75% more wear than on the drivers side, rim gets significantly warmer than on the other side, and lots more brake dust than any of the other wheels.

Was told rust in the filler neck is "normal", and they never heard of replacing the tank. The trim piece is out of warranty, fogged up headlight is normal (even though I brought it up with them before and was told "to watch it to see if it gets worse" -it has), and they would have to charge me to diagnose the brakes (at a charge to me) and then see if extended warranty would cover it.

VW denied any original warranty work stating that "it is out of the 50,000 mile warranty". We also have the extended "bumper to bumper" warranty, and I was told that those items are not covered. My wife was the one who took the car in today and just called me with the news.

I called the service guy and asked him how he could deny warranty on problems that did not occur over night even though it was currently past the 50,000 mile mark. I told them I felt they "witched out" on this and asked for his manager. The manager was "not in" even though my wife could see him in his office while she was waiting for a ride.
Also asked for the name of "the regional VW rep" and was told they could not give out that information. The service guy then hung up on me. I guess I was asking to many tough questions.

Way to go VW! You sure know how to gain a customer for life! Your customer service explains your success in north america! There I feel better now.

Looks like I'm doing a brake job tonight and trying to figure out why the wear to the right is greater than the left side. K

 

[dieseldorf]

Also asked for the name of "the regional VW rep" and was told they could not give out that information.

Yeah, they never reveal the identity of the regional guy...I wonder why.

Kev, now you know why we say that "buying a VW is the same as buying a new car
without any warranty!"

 

[Kevinski]

Yes, just needed to vent! They are good at tap dancing. Less than 2000 miles over warranty, and even less than that when apointment was made, and this is how they treat you. Never mind the extended warranty we purchased.

I suspected something like this would happen, and luckily I bought a set of brakes when I recognized there might be an issue with the brakes. So change out and diagnostics tonight.

Anybody know if the procedure to switch out the pads is significantly different than on the a4 jetta? (my previous vehicle).

Search just gave info on the golfs and jetta's. KD

 

[dieseldorf]

I feel they are required by law to cover issues you complained about while the car was under warranty. They can't really ignore it.

While I haven't worked on the B5.5 brakes, I have to believe the design is similar to other VWs. So, it's not likely you'll have issues tending to them when needed. Don't forget your:

 

[Joe_Meehan]

VW denied any original warranty work stating that "it is out of the 50,000 mile warranty". We also have the extended "bumper to bumper" warranty, and I was told that those items are not covered.

Which is quite true. It is after all a 50,000 mile warranty not 50,000 give or take a little. You now know that "extended warranties" are really insurance policies and are generally a waste of money. However, I brought it up with them before and was told "to watch it to see if it gets worse"

If you have documented a problem during the warranty period and they had told you to watch it, then you should be covered. The rub is I doubt of the aging headlamp covers are covered and they will likley be considered wear items like tyres. While I personally don't like the whole idea of plastic headlamp covers, I do consider them wear items.

Good Luck

 

[owr084]

The rust problem in the filler neck is quite common. I am trying to get my problem resolved right now...

 

[maktas]

Like I always said, why would I buy an overpriced german automobile designed by arrogant people, with substandard quality and with horrible service?

Because no one else offers a performance mid-sized sedan that does over 40MPG on the hwy!

 

[Dunno513]

Way to go VW! You sure know how to gain a customer for life! Your customer service explains your success in north america! There I feel better now.

Slow down the VW bashing train. Not VW's fault that an independant dealership hires a service writer fresh out of rehab.. Not unlike most mechanically inept service writers out there. No dealership wants to pay a mechanic that sits behind a desk answering phones.. think about it.

Brake...pads..your problem...caliper...possible powertrain warranty item. Change pads, clean and lube caliper, bleed brakes and see if it still gets warm. If it does, then it's the caliper....(but I gotta tell ya... the $$$ you will spend on a refurb caliper is so worth not having the hastle of dealing with the dealership. Plus you will already be half way there with the pads and bleeding being done.)

Headlight... tell em to replace since you have a previous complaint. And this is a safety item that can cause a failed inspection, so tell em to do it and stop whinning.

Rust in filler neck... nothing is broken, and unless it is rusted thru and thru then it won't qualify for the rust warranty. (Lots of acids out there that will help this along long before that rust warranty is up. )

 

[Peoria_TDI]

2005.5 passat tdi. Received recall notice for brake light switch. Made apointment for that. Took car into stealership today with 51,899 miles on it. Figure since it's going in, I would have them look at a few other items: Foggy headlight, bubbled plastic trim on driver side, rusty fuel filler neck, and brake pad wear to the passenger side front that is 75% more wear than on the drivers side, rim gets significantly warmer than on the other side, and lots more brake dust than any of the other wheels.

Was told rust in the filler neck is "normal", and they never heard of replacing the tank. The trim piece is out of warranty, fogged up headlight is normal (even though I brought it up with them before and was told "to watch it to see if it gets worse" -it has), and they would have to charge me to diagnose the brakes (at a charge to me) and then see if extended warranty would cover it.

VW denied any original warranty work stating that "it is out of the 50,000 mile warranty". We also have the extended "bumper to bumper" warranty, and I was told that those items are not covered. My wife was the one who took the car in today and just called me with the news.

I called the service guy and asked him how he could deny warranty on problems that did not occur over night even though it was currently past the 50,000 mile mark. I told them I felt they "witched out" on this and asked for his manager. The manager was "not in" even though my wife could see him in his office while she was waiting for a ride.
Also asked for the name of "the regional VW rep" and was told they could not give out that information. The service guy then hung up on me. I guess I was asking to many tough questions.

Way to go VW! You sure know how to gain a customer for life! Your customer service explains your success in north america! There I feel better now.

Looks like I'm doing a brake job tonight and trying to figure out why the wear to the right is greater than the left side. K

I would suggest writing a letter to VWoA relating your dissatisfaction with the service at that dealership, and send copies to the dealership general manager and service managers. Let them know that you intend on telling everyone you know (including the TDIclub) about how poor VW service is...it might get some attention.

 

[Sprocket]

Just curious as to which dealer you took it to.

 

[owr084]

Rust in filler neck... nothing is broken, and unless it is rusted thru and thru then it won't qualify for the rust warranty. (Lots of acids out there that will help this along long before that rust warranty is up. )

I disagree about the rust in the filler neck not being covered. That is a genuine defect in the filler neck. It should not rust period. The rust can contminate the fuel system.

 

[abctdi]

I don't want to sound uncompassionate, but your warranty expired before you reported the problems. Just who are you mad at?
We can all learn from your experience.

 

[Kevinski]

It turns out it is a stuck piston in the right front caliper. The extended warranty is the comprehensive level with a $100 deductable. It does say that it is covered, but as mentioned by some one else, it may not be worth it to take it in.

Who has a source for reman caliper?

The way the dealer handled things is probably what got me so mad. With some of the things I read here, nobody has the right to be ticked off if warranty is denied even if your 1 mile over the warranty. Hmmm. I had other dealers (different manufacturer) have no problem with slightly out of warranty. Which explains my shock to the entire situation. Perhaps the dealer could have handled thing a little better. It was basically a screw you attitude.

Thats all OK, I'm dealing with it. Don't want to be whining any more...

 

[gcarper]

Vote with your $$$ and don't buy a VW next time. Every trip I have to the Dealer reminds me why I will buy a different manufacturer next time.

 

[Joe_Meehan]

Vote with your $$$ and don't buy a VW next time. Every trip I have to the Dealer reminds me why I will buy a different manufacturer next time.

The problem with that is there are just the same kind and number of problems with other dealers.

 

[Dunno513]

The problem with that is there are just the same kind and number of problems with other dealers.

AMEN...

 

[Kevinski]

Reman caliper is in ($65.00 plus core), new jurid brake pads up front (purchased those awhile ago on sale), $8 bucks for brake fluid, and problem is solved. Rotated tires and flushed brake fluid as well.

Probably would have been about 2 days and at least $300 at the stealership.

Have to say S-G Import Auto Parts (michigan) was great to deal with. Had the caliper in stock. KD

 

[MOGolf]

Those calipers are not cheap. I plugged in p/n 8E0 615 124 A at www.worldimpex.com and it came up with two parts with different prices. www.1stvwparts.com has a better price. There might be other places. $65 is steal.

 

[Kevinski]

Yes, I first checked prices from the usual comonly mentioned parts suplliers I see mentioned here. I do business with them for my usual supplies.

Then I started checking places like rockauto and other "generic" online parts places and noticed some lower prices on reman calipers.

Decided to call a few local places and if all else failed I could order one in from the usual suppliers. Guess I got lucky. Nice price, and in stock.

I think some price varience is due to parts either be new vs reman, loaded vs non-loaded. Mine was 65 unloaded, 85 loaded. It was reman'd by "Centrix" and included new pins and a clip. Exact replacement right down to the casting numbers KD

 

[Dunno513]

last I checked, loaded meant it came with the piston pressed in vs no piston.. I don't think that is what I want to be dealing with on a brake job. $85 is the same price when I priced out a reman loaded caliper also. Not outrageous, but a little steeper than the $45 domestic fords I'm used to.

 

[DezlDan]

The rust problem in the filler neck is quite common. I am trying to get my problem resolved right now...

See my post of about a month ago folks......dealer put in a whole new tank, and the part number had been updated. It was suggested that the new tank PN superceded the old one in an effort to ensure that the filler neck rust issue did not return. The new tank looks the same as the old one though, including the filler neck (minus the rust).

 

[Dieseltoys]

I love VW's styling and their engines (diesel) and thats about it. Every single vw I've owned or friends cars' are total hunks. My brother drives an '02 jetta and he just told me that he went to open the fuel door the other day and the button went through into the door. Bottom line is: if you want a good car, buy a Toyota or a Honda. For the price of a TDI I can almost buy 2 Toyotas. I just picked up a Yaris 4 door 5 spd for my girlfriend and she gets a solid 38mpg with mixed city/hwy. It's peppy and was $13,500 out the door including TT&L and a bumper to bumper warranty that covers even the TIRES! We had a slight grind in 3rd gear so we took it in. They replaced the transmission with a new unit and gave us a rental car while the work was being done! Even if VW made good cars their service is horrible!

 

[Dick_Larimore]

Not All VW Service is Bad

I needed the brake switch recall done on a 2005 Passat TDI and scheduled the replacement. They fixed a slight oil leak from the turbo oil return line at that time. The repairs were done correctly. When I picked up the car the service writer noticed that I was driving another VW (2005 Beetle TDI) and asked me if that recall had been done. It was 5:00 PM in the evening and he knew that I lived 30+ miles from the dealer. He commented that he did not want me to drive the distance for another appointment and they would change it immediately and get it done in a half hour (which they did). The dealer was Tom Wood VW in Indy. I have owned Toyotas and the service was OK, but not any better than for the VWs that I have now.

 

[DezlDan]

I have owned Toyotas and the service was OK, but not any better than for the VWs that I have now.

I'll second that emotion. I haven't a single complaint about my dealership. They have been nothing short of awesome. As for the cars.....I'm still driving my 1991 Passat in addition to my TDI Passat, and I haven't made a single repair of any sort in 3 years (yes, its true...touch wood); just oil and regular maintenance.

 

[LoneLIPumpeDuse]

I hear and feel your pain. Since misery loves company you read my tale of woe here ... http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=127588

Please report your filler neck to VW (customer service is more of joke than the dealerships, but it sounds nice when they say "welcome to VW family".... BTW it's a very dysfunctional family )

Also please fill out a safety complaint, the direct link is in this thread http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=180823 We need everyone with a rusty filler neck to report it to both and get these damned tanks replaced with a recall (all plastic but some cheap metal in the filler neck )

Fell free to post the stealerships name. You'll do the dealer complaisant VW company a favor if these guys go out of buisness.

As for you guys with good dealers....send them roses, cuz the others you need to bring K-Y jelly with you.

 

[LightningTDI]

Sorry but I agree with

the perception of the VW dealer network...Just had my car in for a 30K oil change, warranty work on the passenger side headlight, (vibrating), windshield washer nozzle replacement, moon roof repair, (would not close when the car has been sitting in the sun), and inspection on the driver’s side door hinge.

Got the car back with a part on order for the moon roof, nozzle replaced, door hinged greased, headlamp replaced per the TSB, and the tried to charge me for a 30k “service”. The service advisor even whipped out the drop envelope to show me that I had written …OOOPS!…30k OIL CHANGE…then he tells me that when most people write that down they mean 30 service…my reply was ‘How could I have written this any clearer so that you would know I wanted the 30k oil change and not additional service?’

Got the additional 60 dollars taken off the bill…and when I got home, the door hinge still groaned and the headlight still vibrated and the nozzle spray never got higher than 3“ from the bottom of the windshield.

Back I go when the part is in to redo everything except the oil change…(Took them longer than a day so I was given the smallest Hyundai roller-skate from Enterprise). I was told that EVERYTHING had been confirmed by the service manager…I get in the car and the moon roof is making a groan at final inch of travel. I ask if this is what they think it is supposed to sound like…they take it back and readjust the height of the glass…so much for the SM seal of approval! At least the hinge and headlamp are finally correct!

(Sorry for the hijack)

 

[owr084]

warranty work on the passenger side headlight, (vibrating), windshield washer nozzle replacement, moon roof repair, (would not close when the car has been sitting in the sun), and inspection on the driver’s side door hinge.

Got the car back with a part on order for the moon roof, nozzle replaced, door hinged greased, headlamp replaced per the TSB, and the tried to charge me for a 30k “service”. The service advisor even whipped out the drop envelope to show me that I had written …OOOPS!…30k OIL CHANGE…then he tells me that when most people write that down they mean 30 service…my reply was ‘How could I have written this any clearer so that you would know I wanted the 30k oil change and not additional service?’

Got the additional 60 dollars taken off the bill…and when I got home, the door hinge still groaned and the headlight still vibrated and the nozzle spray never got higher than 3“ from the bottom of the windshield.

Which TSB covers the light vibration? I have had a slight vibration in my passenger headlamp since day one. It's only really noticeable if you are at idle and can see the lighht shining on something (like a wall or garage door).

 

[LightningTDI]

Which TSB covers the light vibration?

Which TSB covers the light vibration? I have had a slight vibration in my passenger headlamp since day one. It's only really noticeable if you are at idle and can see the lighht shining on something (like a wall or garage door).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...g?t=1180157363

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...g?t=1180157489

 

[rjr311]

last I checked, loaded meant it came with the piston pressed in vs no piston.. I don't think that is what I want to be dealing with on a brake job. $85 is the same price when I priced out a reman loaded caliper also. Not outrageous, but a little steeper than the $45 domestic fords I'm used to.

loaded means w/pads