My Audi Misery - What should I do

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Jakkels

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I bought a lovely new A2 1.6 FSI in September last year, paid top wonga to Finchly Road Audi as I had the Open Sky roof and other lovely bits added.

The sale part was well handled, had a couple of after sales calls etc, all very impressive.

Then, towards the end of Feb a little problem started. The Hazard lights would come on of their own accord whilst driving, it would take repeated pressings of the Hazard button before they would stop. I would also wake up in the morning and the Hazards would be flashing, they could then only be turned off by pressing the Hazard Button, so not a dodgy alarm? In any case, this happened during the week and I thought I would take the car into Finchly Road Audi over the weekend to look at the problem.

Unfortunately, the battery had run flat come the weekend, so I got roadside assistance to charge me up. They were pretty good, the mechanic looked at the car but could not tell anything as the cars memmory was cleared when the battery went flat. I was advised to take it into the dealer....which I did.

A week after the car was taken in I was wondering what was happening to the car, so I phoned them up. I was told that the RADIO was causing the battery to run flat and that a new one had been ordered and the car should be ready in a couple of days. They would call me.

Another week goes by, no calls from Audi. I phone them up, leave messages with the secretary, with the Service department Secretary etc. No one calls me back.

After three weeks I am a bit miffed, so I cab it to the dealer. After waiting at the service desk for over an hour I was informed that they were still waiting for the ner Radio!. No one could explain as to why my calls were not returned but I was promissed that they would call me with a weekly update.

Which of course never happened.

7 and a bit weeks later, after numerous calls and telephone tag with assosrted buffoonary, I am inormed the car is ready.

I pick up the car, grovellingly grateful to have it back. Its Thursday, almost 2 Months to the date since the car went in. The wife and I take a trip down to Cornwall, starting on the Saturday.

By the Sunday, the old problem had reared its head again.

It woz not flipping fixed!!!!!!!!

As soon as we are back from Cornwall, I take the car back to the dealer. That was a week ago. Despite promises that the car would be checked and myself updated by last Thursday, I have not heard a thing!!!!!

And I have done the whole telephone thing already today. The promise taht my call would be returned is now 5 hourse old.

I am tempted to tell them to use the car for a suppository.

What should I do?
 
Hi Jakkels,
Forget the "bufoons" and talk directly with the Dealer Principal. Explain your dilema and ask him what he proposes to do with regards to your predicament and the inconvenience you have been caused. Ask for some sort of recompense. If you cabbed it down to the dealer does that mean you haven't had the use of a courtesy car, that is poor.

You will probably get a lot further in sorting your problem because backsides will be kicked. The people at the top need to be informed about what is going on within their dealership's. All too often we don't take things to the top, as you say you picked the car up grovellingly grateful to have it back.

Try the dealer principal and see what happens.

Good luck

Nov 2002 TDi Sport, Silver,Black/grey interior,climate. Replaced previous Mar 2001 TDi SE
 
Yep get to the top man and make his life a missery? It works wonders i took a car back and they would not do anything until the top dog got involved!
 
Thanks for the advice. I had never even heard of the Dealer Principal. I will try to find out the contact details of such a person tomorrow
 
What treatment of a person paying their wages.

After the dealer principle, and I do hope you get some joy there (my dealer principle told me to go away after I asked for compensation for all the hassle his incompetent staff made me suffer but that is another story) I would try the motoring press. The likes of What Car and Autoexpress love a story like this, especially with a marque such as Audi who should know better.

You could start making a noise about rejecting the motor. Hazard lights coming on willy-nilly can cause other motorist a bit of a shock, especially on the motorway where they are a known sign of impending sharp braking.

When did the new law about a fault being present from day one etc come into effect? Was it this January-shame, as you would have had an even clearer case.

Let us know how you get on.

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
Just a suggestion !!

Why don't you drop AUDI UK a line or e-mail i'm sure if you vent your frustration and anger on them they will do something since it seemed to work for me when i had a problem with my A2 concerning wheel alignment.

Hope you sort your problems, sounds to me like a short on the indicator relay since it keeps setting itself off, much like these alarms that seem to set themselves usually a loose connection or a continuity problem in the wiring.

Keep Calm!!

Cheers



A.D.Simmons
 
AutoExpress magazine also has a Watchdog feature that sorts people's problems out: email them at [email protected] or write to them at:
Watchdog, AutoExpress, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 30 Cleveland Street, London, W1T 4JD


____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/11882/a2andme2.gif[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
If its any help My Audi dealer seems to buck the common experience of others : they have been nothing but helpful and courteous for ANYTHING I have had problems with (not much so far, except THREE replacement windscreens on my first A2, an accelerator relay and a window relay (both replaced under warrantee depite 60K miles), worn starter motor dog (whole starter changed under warrantee)). Over last three years I have purchased two (successively) S/H A2's and two (successively) TT's , one S/H one NEW V6 DSG. Always got fair exchange trade-in values for the first ones in each case (thus avoiding the tyre kickers). Most recent courtesy was adjusting my headlight dip on the TT for my trip to Ingolstadt and rectifying a miss-aligned rear bumper panel (due to someone obviously driving into it when parked) on my return : all done as buckshee good-will which I certainly appreciate. Therefore can I suggest you change your dealer: I cancertainly recommend Listers Audi Stratford-on-Avon - bit far from Finchley Road tho', I suppose.
 
Oh, and they also cleaned up the 'kerbing scuffs' on all four of the 17" seven spoke alloys on my latest 1.6 FSI (the second A2 I referred to) before I bought it, although the good work was undone by myself within two days!!!
As regards Listers Audi Stratford (I have no connection with them other than as a customer) the boss is always out on the 'floor' and they seem to value customers and always ask after one's welfare. I couldn't fault them for diligence. Courtesy cars are usually available for most problems (I had an unrepairabel puncture in the first A2 and they couldn't get a replacement tyre for 24 hours so lent me a car for 24hours) and they even came to pick up the last windscreen problem (see picture on the A2OC picture site) as it was undriveable.
 
WOW

Pity we did'nt have more dealers like that!!

Seems to me they are far and few between glad you have managed to find a good dealer i have yet to find one in the Manchester area!!

cheers

A.D.Simmons
 
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