VW Dealers... Argghhh

[Blimey 0]

Hi All,

 

Need to vent spleen about my local stealers!! My sunroof needs to be repaired and VW have said that they have no one old enough to know how to repair it.. wtf is all that about?

 

Has anyone else come across this type of thing with VW stealerships?

 

Does anybody in the Middlesex/ West London area know of a stealer who can repair a VW sunroof? The Insurance are paying for it so I can't fix it myself..DOH!

[Joe M 0]

Ive got a cousin who works for a vw stealers, the impression I get is that the pay is awful so most of there staff consists of apprentices with very few people who know what there doing, as soon as the apprentices complete there time they move on making way for more new apprentices.

[Blimey 0]

That makes sence m8, really weird to be told by the people who make thew car that they cannot fix stuff.

Think I'll try and find where these guys go after they get qualified by VW...

[G60Jet 1]

Phone VW UK and Tell then your story, you never know you may get it fixed for free.!!

[G60 0]

"the impression I get is that the pay is awful so most of there staff consists of apprentices with very few people who know what there doing, as soon as the apprentices complete there time they move on making way for more new apprentices."

 

i'll agree with that! when i worked at the stealers, it was a total mushroom farm. they keep you in the dark and feed you shit! ..and the pay is feckin brutal.

 

only reason to work there is the parts discount!! :lol:

[chuck 0]

Yup, asked the local VW a simple question like

"whats the torque settings for the head bolts on my early 16V"

I was told that their records didn't go back that far, and that it might take several hours to find out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stormseeker 0]

That makes sence m8, really weird to be told by the people who make thew car that they cannot fix stuff.

Think I'll try and find where these guys go after they get qualified by VW...

 

But they're not really the people who made the car - they're just franchised to sell them. If they're any good they might have some decent mechanics who've done some VW courses (or at least read some VW manuals!!!)

 

I think you should have the opportunity to send the car back to Karmann - they're the ones who should know!!!

 

Always makes me wonder why people place such value on a full VW dealer service history when buying a car, but then slag off VW dealers at every other opportunity.

 

Often the mechanics are paid so poorly that they have to work "foreigners" at weekends, booking out extra parts on paying customers services during the week!

 

We should start a "Rate your local VW dealer" thread so people can gauge the worth of their FVWSHs.

 

For starters - In my opinion Corkills Liverpool are a waste of time, space and money.

 

Phew, I feel better already.

[Blimey 0]

lol!! Sounds like lots of peep have had problems with 'em!!

 

A m8 of mine took his new Golf to the Stealers when he had an electrical problem, the Engine Managment System ended up getting replaced at the cost of several hundred pounds.. this didn't work. So then the Stealers changed the fuse and what do you know, everything started working again...

 

I've stopped taking my car to VW got servicing now, they are pants!

[VR6 0]

Well ideally when we (Andi :)) get the forum running on the new software, we are intending to have a 'how to' section.

 

So hopefully, if you need to sort something out, you can refer to the necessary section where we will have a step-by-step guide (with pictures?) that willl cover most things you come accross.

 

Of course we need nice people to write these in the first place. ;)

[stormseeker 0]

Well ideally when we (Andi :)) get the forum running on the new software, we are intending to have a 'how to' section.

 

So hopefully, if you need to sort something out, you can refer to the necessary section where we will have a step-by-step guide (with pictures?) that willl cover most things you come accross.

 

Of course we need nice people to write these in the first place. ;)

 

Or lots of links to other guides like the Corrado clubs of the US & Canada???

[VR6 0]

Yeah we could do that as well. Would be nice to keep everything 'in-house' as it were.

[ClassicStorm 0]

I had my sunroof motor replaced by a Stealership in the North West all is ok and it works but I must also say that the standard of service from the stealership is complete sh**!They replace components that don't need to be replaced and take far too long,f**k you about coz they book too much work in without having the staff to cover it.Ahhh that's better,feel like I have got rid of some of my bitterness now.....What exactly is the problem you have?

[Blimey 0]

Well, I had a minor accident in June last year, unfortunalty my insurers (Elephant.co.uk) sent me to a cowboy outfit call Abbey Coachworks of Wembly who had the car 7 weeks. In this time they did more damage to the car than the accident, so I figured the insurance are paying so I'll get the repair work done "properly" by the VW stealer.... They are nice enough but really do not know how to fix my MFA or Sunroof, theyt referred me to a car radio company to repair these items, I am just glad I am not having to pay for it or I would be fuming as well.

 

Fortunalty I have found a garge in my locality where the qualified VW engineers go after quitting at a VW stealer, they seem good there are are completeing the works.

[Scott 0]

I had my sunroof motor replaced by a Stealership in the North West all is ok and it works but I must also say that the standard of service from the stealership is complete sh**!They replace components that don't need to be replaced and take far too long,f**k you about coz they book too much work in without having the staff to cover it.Ahhh that's better,feel like I have got rid of some of my bitterness now.....What exactly is the problem you have?

 

 

I'll second that - I had a full service history on my Corrado from VAG and the first time I use VW in the North West the service was terrible..... even now when I order parts from them they give me so much sh** its ridiculous - they dont shut up until I give them the reference numbers from ETKA!!!

 

I now use a friendly specialist in the North West and they do everything I ask and more - been established for about 60yrs. Im off down there Sat to sort out a problem with the VR6 - they fitted me in at moments notice :D

[Blimey 0]

So begs the question... whats the point in looking for a full VWSH when you by a VW when they are so bad? I am amazed Top Gear and various other motoring media outlets say this is essential when buying a VW, seems to me that anyone who owns a C is going to look after it so as long as they have sod the VWFSH!!

[G60 0]

i didn't give two shits about a service history when i got my car. i had read online about how most mechanics don't know corrados.. so what good is a history that says someone worked on the car.....but you have no idea if that guy know wtf he's doin?!

 

for everyday cars (golfs, jettas, passats, etc) and everyday problems on those cars (suspension clunks, brake grinds) vw service can do the job no problem and they are probably the best ones to go to because they have the VAG tools, VAG books (hopefully) and VAG training (hopefully). when i worked at the stealers there was a guy that did most of the brake jobs on the vw's. he'd take off the discs even if they didn't need to be replaced and give em a good scuffing to bring them back to nice smooth metal. doing 5-10 brake jobs like this a week i'm sure he knows exactly what to do and exactly what problems look like. ask him where the co_pot or mass air sensor on a G60 is and he'd probably look at you like you're mental (although he did find a vacuum leak on my car when i got it!)

 

anyway... point is... for everyday jobs that they will encounter frequently, the stealer is great, but expensive. for anything out of the ordinary (which i've found...means anything corrado) they don't have proper training and they get pissed off at the inconvenience of having to figure things out.

 

your best bet if you're mechanically inclined (or know someone who is) is to go online when you have a problem, read as much as you can, and use that info to diagnose the problem. when you've found the problem (or its something obvious) go online and read as much as you can on how to fix it. don't like reading? don't like working on the car? don't like getting buggered and frustrated trying to get the car serviced at a shop? sell the car. that's just my opinion from owning the car for a couple years. if i didn't do everything i possibly could myself, i'd sell it...or i'd have to get a second job.