Very Very disappoint with my new Golf 6 and Dealer

[REXman]

IMO, same same. Goods or services protected by your Statutory Rights. A car is not exempt.

In fact, I would be pushing for refund instead of replacement. Wise to get legal advice and go from there.

Yeah same here. I can't believe the attitude of some people. Transporter, champion you must work for, or at a dealership to be talking this nonsense of staying calm realistic and satisfied. Are you reading with this guys situation?!?! He just bought a car and it's a dud!! It's christmas time and he's catching the bus.

Sorry but I can't read any more of your akward opinion on this unfortunate topic.

Get a good lawyer. I'm sticking with that cause that's what I would do..

[Mountainman]

OP not getting much value out of his registration and insurance while it sits in the workshop either.

[Transporter]

Yeah same here. I can't believe the attitude of some people. Transporter, champion you must work for, or at a dealership to be talking this nonsense of staying calm realistic and satisfied. Are you reading with this guys situation?!?! He just bought a car and it's a dud!! It's Christmas time and he's catching the bus.

Sorry but I can't read any more of your akward opinion on this unfortunate topic.

Get a good lawyer. I'm sticking with that cause that's what I would do..

No, I don't have any connection with any dealer, other than I bought the car from one, the same as you and many others. Only the the difference is I don't see the car as a lemon when it has it's first fault (it doesn't matter when it happens) and I don't demand the refund or replacement when it happens. I also see it as extremely rude to threaten with lawyer some one who tries to repair the car I bought. Especially during Christmas.

Many members of this forum in his situation, including me, achieved more and quicker when they stayed polite. Once you start threatening, make sure you sell the car when the warranty runs out, because you may wait a long time to get the car back on the road when it brakes down.

Good luck!

[dave_r]

Many members of this forum in his situation, including me, achieved more and quicker when they stayed polite. Once you start threatening, make sure you sell the car when the warranty runs out, because you may wait a long time to get the car back on the road when it brakes down.

So you're saying the OP should cop it just so he might avoid unfavourable treatment in 3 years time? lol seriously?

Minor items, day here or there ok. **** happens, it gets fixed. But being told your new car is now unavailable for weeks and they take away a loaner? Bull**** stay calm and polite.

If I went to pick up the R and I then had to hand it back for 3 weeks, I'd be ropable. But then again, my dealer seems to be of much higher calibre than the OP's so I reckon they'd have looked after me, avoiding any rage or threats.

[markwid]

I also see it as extremely rude to threaten with lawyer some one who tries to repair the car I bought.

I don't suggest OP threaten with lawyer - I mean OP should actually use one. A letter of complaint written in proper legalese to extract a refund.

I don't think the OP should, as you suggest, bend over and take one up in the xxx. Just to keep peace and get good dealer service down the road? Seriously???

[pologti18t]

May i suggest that you don't return the loan car......

[Umai Naa!!]

The level of maturity shown by some members in this thread is amazing.

Firstly, the car is not a lemon no matter what way you look at it. Yeah, it has a fault, but the dealership, from how I read it, are pulling out all stops to fix it, before returning it to the customer, so that the fault does not reccur in the hands of the customer.

Secondly, what's legal action going to do? Make the technicians work through Christmas? I doubt it.

[b0son]

For all intents and purposes, the car was DOA... ok, so the OP was able to get the car home, but from then on, it was toast.

AFAIK, DOA goods are refundable. Full stop. The last time I looked through the Fair Trading Act, there were no exceptions given to cars. That said, Dept of Fair Trading have been known to ignore elements of the Act due to the cost/complexity of the car and expecting the consumer to 'bear with the dealer/maker' ....

A friend of mine, many months into his purchase of a Ford Falcon was able to get a full refund... there was an intermittent electrical fault that they could not isolate and repair. As a result they had no option but to refund the car. They only found the fault after Ford factory took the car back, stripped it to a shell and tested the loom in isolation....

I dare say, if the part from Germany doesnt do the job, you have an excellent case for exchange with a new car or full refund.

In much the same way as you the consumer are expected to make allowances where a complex machine such as a car is concerned when it comes to repairs etc, the opposite should also be true - a failure this early shold be treated as 'goods not of merchantable quality'. Be prepared to lawyer up.

[ethosguy]

Car's not a lemon after one fault. Repeated failures of one or more types would be reqd. but we don't have 'lemon' legislation AFAIK...
Dealer's not an arse because they didn't solve the fault while you waited...or thereabouts.
Good will should supply a loaner for the duration. Discretionary IMO.

What happens if they agreed to replace your 'personal spec' with months of wait...fair & reasonable or not? The repair might be preferable but if you've been aggressive the Dealer might choose to play to rule at your inconvenience & cost?

Do you want the dealer doing an X? number of kms in every car to ensure they are not DOA (by the time you get home ((not really DOA then, eh?))). How hard would you require them to test the car before handing over. I bet this unit passed every quality assurance test prior to delivery. 'Infant mortality' is an unfortunate reality despite the most genuine and expert manufacturing approach.

I work in Military-Aerospace and have good exposure how the US Military prescribes hardware delivery; there is no way you want this cost amortised into consumer product...

Some expressed opinions indicate little understanding of troubleshooting...
Hard line attitudes expressed in this thread make me glad I don't design & manufacture consumer products any longer under my own banner.
Many unreasonable, unrealistic, PIA comments. Don't be encouraged by them.
Transporter I agree with you. Be cool, be clear, be reasonable.

[b0son]

ethosguy,

yes, consumers should give the dealer/maker an opportunity to rectify a fault.

however, where do you draw the line if repeated attempts to fix the fault are unsuccessful? 3 strikes?

[REXman]

No, I don't have any connection with any dealer, other than I bought the car from one, the same as you and many others. Only the the difference is I don't see the car as a lemon when it has it's first fault (it doesn't matter when it happens) and I don't demand the refund or replacement when it happens. I also see it as extremely rude to threaten with lawyer some one who tries to repair the car I bought. Especially during Christmas.

If you get a new car, and it's a lemon, it will continually break down. I bought an SS Ute, and same thing. It just fell apart after 4 months use. So sold it and was that pissed off spent up on a BMW. If dad wasn't good mates with Suttons at the time, we would have done something but we chose to leave it.

You might be a mechanic so you have naturally a view that leans towards thing being able to be fixed. Which is fine but shed that for just a second. It's not about demanding rudely or anything. It's about the rights you have.

You buy a car, it doesn't work. You take it back. You get a new one or refund, that's it. If VW don't want that happening they need to make it better next time. And at XMAS time, the lovely dealer seemed to have no problem, taking the loan car off his hands.

Many members of this forum in his situation, including me, achieved more and quicker when they stayed polite. Once you start threatening, make sure you sell the car when the warranty runs out, because you may wait a long time to get the car back on the road when it brakes down.

Good luck!

+1. even if you feel like killing someone at the time must stay cool and calm or nothing can be gained.

As for servicing, Just take it to a friend to service if your worried the dealership is full of monkeys.

[gerhard]

Thankfully there are some cool, sensible replies in amongst the childish rantings of some others.

The last important remark made by the OP was at 4.55pm yesterday "VW Representative will contact me tomorrow morning"

The way I interpret that comment is "VW Representative will contact me tomorrow morning".

Since the OP has not posted today about the outcome, we have no further information. So the sensible amongst us will wait for news of VW's take on the situation with this car, while others will continue with irrelevant rantings about this, that, the other, which should be done by the Dealer. In my view the dealer has still done nothing wrong, and has in fact gone above the call of duty by providing the loaner.

I'm interested in how VW will address the issue.

If I were VW I would put the customer in a similar or better loan vehicle (without onerous insurance excesses as with "normal" loaners) until the purchased vehicle is fixed. It's wrong to expect the dealer to do anything like this, as opposed to the Manufacturer.

Re-purchasing the car should not be needed at this stage of proceedings, since diagnosing electronic faults in complex vehicle systems is not an exact science like looking for a broken rocker arm.

Should VW stock spare ECUs in the country? Should they air freight one? Maybe, but if they do the loaner it's not critical to stockpile components that have a very low failure rate.

[Cossor]

Thankfully there are some cool, sensible replies in amongst the childish rantings of some others.

The last important remark made by the OP was at 4.55pm yesterday "VW Representative will contact me tomorrow morning"

Exactly.
Can a loan car be arranged? Even using one of the stock SH vehicles on display? We DO NOT KNOW until OP gives an update. All the rest is assumption, and getting upset over these assumptions, while showing supportive concern, does not really assist.

I AM critical with VW over delay to ship out this particular part. Why not in stock in Australia?
Is it used only for this particular model? OR was there a change for MY11 models, so stock items playing catchup? But thinking of the range of models in Australia, VW has my sympathy.

[bm2amb]

23/Dec/2010 9:30am VW Customer Care Representative Called, No guarantee that third attempt repair will be fully operational afterwarrds. Had argued with them, finally offered a hire car for 28days but with excess fee is $2.5K, no extra reduce insurance is covered. No ETA time on ECU, answer always is [you know this time of the year..].

I paid RACQ comprehensive insurance on my DOA Golf 6, now I have to pay another $1960 to reduce my excess fee to $0 or pay $2.5K to hire car company!?

Dealer just look so different Before have your bank cheque and after.

A $1000 dollars DOA iPhone can be replace immediately, why my $35000 worth Golf can't?

You pay more and you get less ??? or less is more?

This is a strange world!

[Capercat]

Haha, I've had a few VW Customer Care Representatives try sort out a few issues in the past (they were basically Uni students working part-time) Didn't help much, my advice is deal with the dealer's principal service manager.