The official; I've ordered a new Multivan, Caravelle, Transporter thread

[shtoney]

...this is all sad to hear, customer service is just as important to the vehicle ownership experience as the actual driving itself. makes me somewhat nervous having ordered my 4motion T5GP a month ago, thou my dealer has told me they only need the vehicle for 2-3 days at the dealership for pre-delivery preparation etc...

not sure it will help much, but have you contacted volkswagen head office for australia...? I'm sure they would not want such stories to affect sales, even if its an isolated incident. I find that making noise sometimes gets people's attention...

...good luck, n I'm sure once you finally get the van you'll be happy to put this behind you. thou I'm guessin you'll be taking it elsewhere to get serviced...

[IN2VWS]

6 weeks since arriving at the dealer****:

Had to call them on Thursday - they cocked up and bought the wrong harness for the RVC. More delays.

TJM employed some monkeys to fit the rear glass, who then scratched the paintwork, floors & seats.
Failed to paint the fresh cut steel which is a tops move in tropical Cairns.

Was supposed to call back Friday, was I surprised to hear no phone call? Not at all.

Westco Motors Cairns - you want a **** dealership - thats where you should go.
Ask for the dry F^#% service.

sPuDd..

Whoa......that is crap service. Do they have to paint the car to repair the scratch? Is it metallic paint? They won't be able to match that.
I can't tell you what to do, but if that happened to me, I would get my deposit back and walk away from them, or at the very least, get a substantial discount. Don't just settle for some free floor mats.
Have you contacted Volkswagen customer service yet?

[Transporter]

Yes, as others suggested, contact the head office, I would be sending the email to Germany as well.

[Tornado T5]

Yes, as others suggested, contact the head office, I would be sending the email to Germany as well.

I would do just as Transporter suggested. I would ask VW Australia to also pass on to me the contact details of the most approproate person to speak to in Germany. I would also drop a hint to the dealer that when it's ready for pick-up, they can contact my lawyer and send through their final invoice because I might take 5-6 weeks to turn up for hand-over and settle, if I even bother to take the hand-over.

[SnowMotion]

Reading this thread brings back so many memories to me.

I decided to order 2 x Transporter Crew vans 4motion for use by me and my business partner.. That was i mid July 2011.
We went through the process of specifying all the options we wanted, if i had found this forum prior to ordering it would have been a great help.

Vans order with estimated delivery mid November and taken to the finance people who don't want to do the leasing work at the time but want a deposit of what ever we nominate, so $500 per van paid.
6 weeks later manufacturing dates still not confirmed. With a bit of hassling we are able to confirm production dates of weeks 44 & 45. Eventually we hear that Van 1 is on the water and due to land 13th December. Van 2 confirmed on the water and due 19th November.
We contact dealer in September and November to discuss finance but they don't want to talk anything factual as delivery is "too far away"
Van 1 arrives at dealer around 24th December. Dealership is making noises, clarifying leather details etc, like work is being done to prepare the car for delivery.
Van 2 arrives in docks 8th January.
I chase up dealership 14th January to do finance approval for vans. This is not easy as my business partner is traveling OS for a few weeks.
I get a phone call from dealer 27th January to tell me No work will be done to prepare the van for delivery.
Van 2 still not at dealership.
Business partner gets back from OS 12th February and we submit finance documents. Approval comes on the 14th February.
Sales man advised that car can be finished for delivery.
Van 2 still not at dealership.
Van 2 arrives at dealership 16th Feb after a 6 week delay on the docks because the jack had the wrong sticker and Compliance plate would not be issued.
Delivery promised 2 weeks from the 19th Feb.
Delivery actually happens 21st March. 8 months after ordering.

Now there are problems with the the delivery and delays from VW Australia and the Dealership.
A letter of complaint was sent to VW Australia and the Dealership on the 16th February.
The Dealer has recognized that their service was not up to standard and have given compensation by way of free servicing of the vehicles for 3 years along with gift baskets supplied with vehicles and delivered personally by the sales manager to our office.
VW Australia have not replied to our letter and on follow up phone calls we have established that a case has be registered but they accept no responsibilities for the delays or the hold ups. I would say it is pointless writing to VW Australia as they are arrogant and dismissive of any blame.
To top it off Van 1 was delivered with AC that did not work so sent back day 1 and the seats supplied with custom leather but without the arm rests specified on our order. Apparently some time around the time we ordered the spec for the 2011 and 2012 vans changed and what previous (ZS6) was the code for a single seat with height, lumber and arm rest became split into 3 separate codes to spec this. So the person who then adapted the order to the correct code did not apply it correctly. Can't really get a clear answer on where this would have happened.

Glad to have the Van (as my first) but the process is exhausting and frustrating.

[Tornado T5]

Any update sPuDd?

[sPuDd]

OK,

officially picked up van on Thursday 22-03-2012. Over 9 months from placing order.
After having to do all the application paperwork again (it expired, gee I wonder why) I took delivery.

Took it for a test run that afternoon. Lots to learn, lots of features. Overall a very effective tool for loosing my licence.
Good news is it pairs with my HTC HD7 including BlueTooth streaming audio.

Did not have time to go over it properly on Thursday, (kind of got the bums rush out the door) had a good look over it on Friday.

Found the RVC (aftermarket despite selecting factory option on order) will only trigger on first reverse. Shift selector, then shift back to reverse and no camera or sensors.

Transport tape still on roof, and now baked on after 2 months sitting in the yard. Also clear coat scratches on top of tail gate door from transport wrap, about the size of your hand.

Annoying constant pitch whine at ~70kmh & a higher pitch one at 100kmh. As loud as leaving the window cracked open. Tried turning everything on & off, gears, brakes, windows, stereo, nothing stops it.

Steering pulls to the left, even when driving on the wrong side of the road (ie not caused by road camber).

Found fragments of shattered auto glass, matching the dark trimmed edges of the newly installed (and very delayed) rear side windows. Very odd. Makes me wonder.

Rang dealer thismorning, took van straight in, showed issues, gave to detailers to get started. About an hour later said diagnostic unit was busy & probably better to book vehicle in for another time. No problem. Except when I got home, tape still on roof, scratches still there.... and so the never ending story continues.

sPuDd..

[Sunny43.5]

You have obviously paid big bucks for this van and it seems that you have been given a bums steer by the dealer I would go to the manager directly and let him know your displeasure .As for the whine if the van is pulling to the left I would suggest that the alighnment is way off and its affecting the drive train , I also get a noise in my van caused by a left front tyre that has a slow leak the lower it gets the noisier it becomes through the drive train something to do with the traction control its only a suggestion , might be worth a look . Good luck with your van .

[IN2VWS]

Pulls to the left.......broken glass in the van........Not trying to put a downer on the new van, but has it been involved in an accident?????

[sPuDd]

IN2VWS,
I doubt it was in a prang. Its only travelled from dock, factory, dealer, fitters. More likely the more than 2 weeks delay (and ominous silence) on glass fitting was probably to order another piece of glass after TJM broke one. At least it doesn't leak. Sitting & driving through 130mm of rain in 24 hours yesterday showed not a drop inside.

Sunny43.5,
was the whine a constant pitch, or did it vary with speed/rpm? I'll check tyre pressures and try with traction control on/off. Could be related to alignment. Will also try with engine off at said speeds (in controlled conditions of course). Bit hard to hear it at the moment over the sound of pouring rain on wet roads.

sPuDd..

[Sharkie]

Rang dealer thismorning, took van straight in, showed issues, gave to detailers to get started. About an hour later said diagnostic unit was busy & probably better to book vehicle in for another time. No problem. Except when I got home, tape still on roof, scratches still there.... and so the never ending story continues.

sPuDd..

Which dealer? I'm about to order a new MV in BNE and will avoid this dealer ......

[Tornado T5]

IN2VWS,
I doubt it was in a prang. Its only travelled from dock, factory, dealer, fitters. More likely the more than 2 weeks delay (and ominous silence) on glass fitting was probably to order another piece of glass after TJM broke one. At least it doesn't leak. Sitting & driving through 130mm of rain in 24 hours yesterday showed not a drop inside.

Sunny43.5,
was the whine a constant pitch, or did it vary with speed/rpm? I'll check tyre pressures and try with traction control on/off. Could be related to alignment. Will also try with engine off at said speeds (in controlled conditions of course). Bit hard to hear it at the moment over the sound of pouring rain on wet roads.

sPuDd..

If you can be bothered, I'd drive into TJM and ask them how the glass broke, not whether it was broken, but specifically how, so they think you already know it did.

[sPuDd]

Sharkie,
no problem there. Dealer is in Cairns. Though next time I believe I'll be buying from Brisbane or further South.

Tornado T5,
Cairns seems to be awash with people who claim they can do something, but in reality they couldn't arrange a sneeze in a pepper factory. I asked the dealer why they used TJM and not a panel & paint shop. They said that's what TJM claim to be able to do.... my point exactly.
Having said that, the guy who did the rims (Nico Nea Paintless Dent Repair Cairns) runs a workshop so clean you can do brain surgery in it. He apparently spent the best part of a week and his weekend doing them, testing & making sure the paint would hold forever. I like perfectionists, and I'm happy to pay top dollar for their skilled services. TJM on the other hand....


Once I finish fitting out, pimping etc I'll post a stack of pictures along with a full review of the vehicle.

sPuDd..

[SnowMotion]

Spud,
I have noticed the same alignment issue with my Transporter. Perhaps not quite as bad as your alignment but definatley pulls left. I wonder if the factory spec is like that for safety reasons.
Having new rims fitted today so may ask them to correct alignment.

[Tornado T5]

Once I finish fitting out, pimping etc I'll post a stack of pictures along with a full review of the vehicle.
sPuDd..

Definately looking forward to seeing them. Good luck!