Positive experience with VW

[Tempest 0]

It´s maybe time to also report back on a very positive experience with VW.

 

Back in 2006 or so I contacted a friend over in the US, who works as a mechanic for a VW dealership, to run the VIN of my US-G60 through their V-Crest system, VW (US) open recall system. Sure enough my Rado came back with 3 open recalls.

 

This chap then very kindly sent me the official VW documents that are sent to each dealership on how to service the recalls, bit like repair manuals, including lists of part numbers of parts needed to do each recall.

 

I subsequently approached VW (UK) kindly asking them to service the open recalls. This is the slight negative experience: Dealing with VW (UK) in Milton Keynes. They could not find my vehicle, despite me having sent them both VINs (US cars also have a VIN where the normal filler Z-characters have been replaced with meaningful further coding letters) of my Rado. After lots of letter writing VW (UK) ultimately told me I should approach the US. That was it as far as they were concerned.

 

Somehow I´d given up hope, and somehow had forgotten about the whole thing till last November, when I retrieved the last letter I had received from VW (UK) again, and decided to follow their advice and contact VW (US). I promptly received a reply from VW (US) stating that as a matter of course the 3 open recalls should be serviceable by any VW dealership in the world, free of charge, and that I should approach my local dealership in this matter as soon as convenient, which I did.

 

Now most dealerships are franchises, so need paying by VW in one way or other for any work they do. So my local dealer, Listers Volkswagen Coventry tried to contact VW (UK). You can see where this initially went: After 3 months Listers gave up, having escalated to my case worker´s superior, who could also not get any positive decision from VW (UK). Listers gave up.

 

I subsequently contacted Wolfsburg (sent a letter in German, of course). That did the trick. They wanted to know who my local dealer was, Listers Coventry, in turn contacted VW (UK), and within 2 days I had the head of customer services Luxury Cars VW (UK) on the telephone to me! This chap was apologetic, and told me to contact Listers, who would be informed about everything. Indeed they had been, when I re-approached them to get my Rado booked in for the open recalls.

 

Dropped off the Rado on Monday, after good customer contact with both VW (UK) and Listers (to arrange the drop-off of my C), and received a call from Listers telling me my Rado was ready for collection this Tuesday just gone. Went in to Listers, inspected the C, tested everything still working, signed paperwork, and happily drove off with all open recalls serviced.

 

Had a chat with the master technician at Listers today, who´s done the work on my C, possibly not to a small extent thanks to the excellent chaps on the parts counter, who know me quite well, and with whom I must have spent I forgot how many thousands of pounds throughout the years. Techie and I had a chat about the work done, he likes the Corrado, still an old-school techie. Then went in to the service desk folk, thanked them, and one lass on the counter who works for Listers told me she nearly had bought a G60 Rado recently, but missed her chance and has got a new Scirocco now (not quite the same thing, were her words). Driving off my C from Lister´s car park the day before a nearby sales person commented on what a nice car I had.

 

All in all a very enjoyable experience, which also goes to show that some dealerships still have passionate staff, who like their older Dubs.

 

Moral of the story is that sometimes you shouldn´t shy away form writing a few letters here and there, and don´t get put off by initial fob-off attempts.

 

Tempest

[owen g60 10]

Could you send me the info you got on the service recalls that apply to uk g60s and the ones that cover all models?

Would like to check if I have had everything done that should be.

[Jim 2]

Obviously I have been following this story with Eric and I must say I was the first to say that he was making a critical mistake leaving his car in the hands of a VW dealer, especially for a job as tricky as the heater matrix. All I can do now is eat my words because it looks like I was very wrong. Fair play to Listers for proving a cynic like me wrong! And so pleased they looked after your pride and joy!

 

---------- Post added at 9:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 9:07 PM ----------

 

Could you send me the info you got on the service recalls that apply to uk g60s and the ones that cover all models?

Would like to check if I have had everything done that should be.

 

His is a US car.. so the same recalls will not necessarily apply!

[Supercharged 2]

22 year old car! - I used to think it was good that they honored this in the UK for so long on the MK2...

 

Well done Eric - especially as you've got no bl00dy VW badges on that car!!!

 

---------- Post added at 9:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 9:38 PM ----------

 

UK Recalls here -

 

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/search.asp

 

Also if you phone VW customer Services they are always pretty helpful!

[seanl82 23]

I cant fault my dealerships parts desk. If I phone (generally with part numbers) asking for prices, and no one at the parts desk is available, they take my name, number, and details of what I want, and I can guarantee a call back within 15 minutes with a list price etc. Both the guys that work on the desk know me by name now, and always give me a 10 - 20% discount dependant on how much I'm spending! :cheers:

[VWVW 1]

I get 10 percent from my localvw dealrship. I did get annoyed when I had to buy a bag of 15 blue badge lug once when I only needed 4.

[davidwort 0]

I've just heard from Eric, the matrix failed, vw forgot to use hose clamps on the new matrix, when the car filled with steam he went to slam on the brakes and they failed where the garage had jacked it on the brake pipes, they're still trying to cut him out of the shorted electric seatbelts afaik

 

 

:)

what? ... Well it's plausible???

 

But seriously, glad they seemed to have done a good job, not bad they supplied and fitted a new air con matrix after 20 odd years!

Edited May 24, 2012 by davidwort

[VWVW 1]

I've just heard from Eric, the matrix failed, vw forgot to use hose clamps on the new matrix, when the car filled with steam he went to slam on the brakes and they failed where the garage had jacked it on the brake pipes, they're still trying to cut him out of the shorted electric seatbelts afaik

 

 

:)

what? ... Well it's plausible???

 

But seriously, glad they seemed to have done a good job, not bad they supplied and fitted a new air con matrix after 20 odd years!

 

Do you know if they did the matrix change the dash out method or not ???

[Supercharged 2]

^lol!

 

Plus 2 year parts and labour warranty!

[Tempest 0]

especially as you've got no bl00dy VW badges on that car!!!

 

Reid: It´s been ages!

 

Just checked the recall campaign text from VW (US), where it specifically states:

All US-spec G60s are covered by this recall campaign, whether they have VW or Karmann badges or not, but only if the owner appreciates the car was built by Karmann using VW parts, some of which were inferior at the time (such as the heater core), and if the owner accepts that a Corrado is in actual fact the Mk3 Scirocco. Vehicles specifically excluded from this campaign are virtual G60s.

 

Sorry mate, seems your G60 is excluded then :lol:

 

Davidwort: Damn, you´ve been contacted by my alter-ego, driving a new Scirocco, built in Portugal with US seatbelts. Always knew they´re crap :lol:

 

Do you know if they did the matrix change the dash out method or not ???

Dash out, because with aircon, it´s impossible to remove the heater box whilst the dash is in. Most if not all UK-spec Rados should be do-able with the dash in, albeit this is not necessarily the optimal approach.

 

Tempest

[Supercharged 2]

Who is this Car-Mann you speak of?