VAG !!
Girlfriend at work had to have somthing done at VAG last week on her 2004 golf , and she got back a list of MUST do items for her mot
that included all four disks and pads, new brake pipes new handbrake cables, 4 off cv boots, (2 inner and 2 outer) 4 tyres
a couple of other things that i cant remember and a couple of console bushes ?
She was distraught, at the £1200 looming quotel. so i took her car for an MOT today,to the place ive never used and it failed on
ONE outer CV boot is leaking grease, total bill £65 plus mot cost
After the mot i let the guy see what VAG had written, and he could not belive how calous they were with the "estimate"
She does plan on taking it further, but we/she are not sure of the next step
WHY DO DEALERS / garage places think they can rip people off like this !
Steve
1st Step is ring VOSA, and maybe fill in a VT17 - See http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Mot/DG_4022113
Then trading standards would be the next call.
Why not name and shame
quote:
Originally posted by steve m
VAG !!
Girlfriend at work had to have somthing done at VAG last week on her 2004 golf , and she got back a list of MUST do items for her mot
that included all four disks and pads, new brake pipes new handbrake cables, 4 off cv boots, (2 inner and 2 outer) 4 tyres
a couple of other things that i cant remember and a couple of console bushes ?
She was distraught, at the £1200 looming quotel. so i took her car for an MOT today,to the place ive never used and it failed on
ONE outer CV boot is leaking grease, total bill £65 plus mot cost
After the mot i let the guy see what VAG had written, and he could not belive how calous they were with the "estimate"
She does plan on taking it further, but we/she are not sure of the next step
WHY DO DEALERS / garage places think they can rip people off like this !
Steve
My friend had the same at an Audi garage (maidstone). They serviced his 2007 a4, and gave him a huge list of items that needed doing... which he had
to sign a declaration to say he didnt want them doing and that it was his fault if something failed (to do with their service warranty)
Low and behold a week later his turbo pipe came off, pulling part of the turbo with it!! AA man said there was no way it just came off taking the
mountings with it...
Having no option but to get it towed to Audi, they made every excuse possible that it couldnt of been their fault and charged him £1000 for a new
turbo 
VAG manor royal Crawley
I will add that They did not, by my instruction do an MOT, it was all adviseries, that needed to be done for the MOT
VAG manor royal Crawley
I will add that They did not, by my instruction do an MOT, it was all adviseries, that needed to be done for the MOT
My dad had a similar but less extreme experience with our local Audi dealers recently when he took his 08 plate A4 for its second service. They told
him it needed rear disks and pads as the rears were 90% worn which my dad thought odd as he had looked at them days earlier.
He let them do the windscreen wiper blade and told them not to do the rest. He was a mechanic for 45 years and ran his own garage and was an mot
tester so they will try it with anyone. I told him to complain but he just paid and walked away. To be 90% worn they must have been 2 inches thick
when fitted!!!
Basically he accepted they were full of sh1t and just wanted the basic service and stamp. It s a real shame they think they can con people.
Rich
VAG manor royal Crawley
I will add that They did not, by my instruction do an MOT, it was all adviseries, that needed to be done for the MOT
One of the reasons I won't own a german car is the ridiculous parts prices. When I was going through my twin turbo for toy car phase I popped
into Audi Tonbridge to get turbo oil and water feed/drain pipes.
They quoted over £650. Went to local hydraulic spesh bought the bits and made myself for prob less the £30
ATB
Simon
"WHY DO DEALERS / garage places think they can rip people off like this ! "
Because they can.
And genarally those who don't/can't, are not in a position to question their judggement
Oh and dont forget , you get your book stamped FFS
It seems to be a new practice with VAG dealers. I quite like it; I've gained several new customers who have always previously gone to the dealers
but will never return... and they always think my bill is suprisingly low, even when I think it's quite a lot.
Best I've seen was a customer took their car to dealer for a noise. Came out with a (3 figure) bill foir an audible inspection that was
"inconclusive". In other words they listened to it and heard nothing.
Mercedes are the same, went in for an oil change service for which they charged an eye watering £450 and was told car needed £2100.00 worth of work
doing on bushes etc. i took car away saying I would think it over.
Took it too a independent Merc mechanic he said it was like new underneath.
Stealers praying on Folk who don't know better stinks!!
By the way that was Mercedes Leeds.
Hmm, I always thought german cars severely overrated; so, it appears do the dealers
All these things that need replacing!
ATB
Simon
I had a similar 'audio examination' problem with ford.
My 59plate focus started donking on the front right over bumps. It was under warranty so we took it to the same dealer my company always use.
They phoned me up saying it was the dual mass flywheel, £500+ please. I said er no you bonker. Try again. They then said its the steering rack. Both
times i said are you sure its flywheel / steering rack.
They changed the rack and it still happened. We tried to fight our corner that they were wrong and not fixed it but they said it was warn and needed
doing anyway, utter ballox. The ended uo giving a 40% discount.
I now insist my car does not go to them.
When i was an auto electrician. We used to call them main stealers!!
Never take your car to a stealership or large chain, never take it to anyone if you can help it and get your MOT done at local council one or a place not affiliated with a garage. Trust no-one.
quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Trust no-one.
Sadly those prices don't seem too bad. My Audi dealer's philosophy is to look at the code; not know what it means; replace everything they can think of, one at a time, charge me a fortune, and have the engine light go on AGAIN a day later. This has happened 3 times in the past 6 months. I hate the car now. Basically, they are not set up to diagnose, only to read codes and keep replacing parts, and hope for the best. A bit hit and miss, if you ask me, which they aren't, because they hit it big when I became a customer obviously... For me it's been one big miss.
They do it because most of their customers either don't know any better or don't care. You vary rarely seem to get anyone who knows anything
about cars at big dealerships, my cousin told me it's because the way they work pretty much forces out enthusiasts (He has worked for a few
including Fiat and Mercedes) and now works at the supermarket.
My Dad almost had a fight with the guy that runs Audi in Maidstone about 6 years ago over the way he was treated when he was a potential customer (He
drove to Maidstone twice to see a car that didn't seem to exist, Basically he phoned up about a car and they said come and have a look and when
he got there it was mysteriously absent with a different reason each time and both times they tried to sell him a completely different car). I seem to
have simillar problems. If I've come to see a Jag I'm not going to be intrested in a Corsa that I can't even drive yet I got the same
BS every time when I was looking for one.
VW dealers, over priced, over rated, and OVER HERE!
isn't that how it normally goes?
would have been beter with a BMW, blah blah blah 
quote:
Originally posted by mrwibble
quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Trust no-one.
ok black fox, i will let the badger cry 3 times at midnight before the eagle flies! for the cause we salute you!
quote:
Originally posted by mrwibble
quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Trust no-one.
ok black fox, i will let the badger cry 3 times at midnight before the eagle flies! for the cause we salute you!
84 78 87 86 66
84 73 65 80 89
81 67 70 71 68
78 73 86 72 70
66 79 66 74 78
78 68 72 89 89
84 70 75 78 85
74 86 79 84 72
75 90 72 73 87
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79 69 74 74 83
78 89 75 90 77
87 71 88 85 87
66 81 65 68 69
74 72 83 76 68
86 89 84 82 84
67 82 65 69 65
77 72 74 68 66
71 70 68 84 90
72 66 72 87 80
That maps a bit rich in the cruise area 
I love this place sometimes.
I'm frightened 
quote:
Originally posted by scudderfish
84 78 87 86 66
84 73 65 80 89
81 67 70 71 68
78 73 86 72 70
66 79 66 74 78
78 68 72 89 89
84 70 75 78 85
74 86 79 84 72
75 90 72 73 87
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78 89 75 90 77
87 71 88 85 87
66 81 65 68 69
74 72 83 76 68
86 89 84 82 84
67 82 65 69 65
77 72 74 68 66
71 70 68 84 90
72 66 72 87 80
quote:
Originally posted by clairetoo
42 ?
quote:
Originally posted by scudderfish
84 78 87 86 66
84 73 65 80 89
81 67 70 71 68
78 73 86 72 70
66 79 66 74 78
78 68 72 89 89
84 70 75 78 85
74 86 79 84 72
75 90 72 73 87
79 90 82 65 81
79 69 74 74 83
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66 81 65 68 69
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67 82 65 69 65
77 72 74 68 66
71 70 68 84 90
72 66 72 87 80
see below v
Had another today.
VAG dealer diagnosis of a rattle = DMF+clutch = 4figure estimate
My diagnosis... heat shield screws missing and resting on the exhaust = replaced+overcharged at £10 = coming back next week for cam-belt change
instead of going back to VAG
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
Had another today.
VAG dealer diagnosis of a rattle = DMF+clutch = 4figure estimate
My diagnosis... heat shield screws missing and resting on the exhaust = replaced+overcharged at £10 = coming back next week for cam-belt change instead of going back to VAG
I would take a complaint to VAG themselves....
If the dealer is padding estimates for customers they are likely padding warranty work as well. Might get them investigated.
Porche US has a reputation of sending test cars into dealers then dumpster diving for the used parts supposedly changed out. More than one dealer has
lost his franchise via this tactic.
These things are a classic - I actually found Ford the worst with SWMBOs last car. Among other things they were always claiming brake discs were
needed - they soon shut up when you ask for measurements and minimum thicknesses. The service manager got tongue tied when he stated that he was just
informing me that the discs were wearing down. My response contained the words "sherlock" "no" and "shit".
JC
Remember speaking to a mechanic at a Ford main dealers and he said on the old 2.8 V6 Ford engine the tappets had to be reset at a certain interval,
but if the car came in and they sounded ok they never even touched them
I'd guess its pretty common place with main dealers and that's why its better to find a decent independent
Had an MG once that was almost new and the PDI must have been done by a 3 year old
I listed a ruck of issues to MG themselves and it went to another dealer and they had it for a week...