Advice re service quality and rattles

[mgrobins]

I'm after feedback regarding GTI with leather and Dealer installed tint.

Austral VW are my Service Centre and I'm calling them out here for absolutely crap service and Quality of work.

Summary:
1. Car delivered with perforated tint on one window (from trying to squeegee out a stone or some such) - integrity and QA issue for sure.
2. Car now at fourth attempt to get tint correct.
3. Returned for rattles with minimal response.
4. Told car available to collect after 3rd attempt only to find they could not locate it and it was locked up in an off site garage which then cost me use of it for a planned long weekend road trip.
5. Essentially treated like I'm an annoyance with all of the platitudes that come along with shallow customer service. Polite but no real sense of responsibility.
6. Everyone from Service Manager down is very vocal about how someone else is to blame.



The problems I've had with the vehicle:

Tint:
1. I'm up to the fourth re-install on the tint and getting pretty disgusted with them. same windows keep having bubbles.
- being attended to on Mon (again) and I'm at the point where I expect them to pay for tint at a business of my choosing if they screw it up once more.

Do my expectations pass the "reasonability test"?

2. Rattles:
I get a rubbing and rattle/tapping noise out of the rear seat. Rubbing is loud and appears to be the two seat halves. Anyone else find this with the leather?

The rear centre arm-rest rattles like a bloody maraca. Sounds like metal on metal/plastic

Parcel shelf rattles.

B-Pillar rattle near my right ear. not really loud but annoying.



Austral VW insisted that the seat and parcel shelf are normal due to the "stiffer chassis", and that they are getting no other complaints from customers. My response is that's crap. My 7yr old Mazda had less rattles than my new GTI. Also, Whilst sales pushed the luxury/premium quality I have no recollection of them highlighting the premium rattles. The base model loaner was dead silent compared with mine.

I get the impression that when it's being "tested" they are busy in other jobs and mine spends a lot of time being parked. I acknowledge that rattles can be intermittent and difficult to identify.... but pushing them as acceptable and normal is not enhancing their rep.

I have been assured my 15,000 km service will be free but at this point I am certain I will rack up 15k on their loan cars before I can do it on mine....

[par2]

mgrobins, I cannot comment on how reasonable or otherwise you have been. I can tell you that rattles in the back seat and with the rear sentre arm rest are not normal. I have a Mk7 GTI with leather and it is rattle free. As for window tint, I hate the stuff for the very reason you state as your problems. I am yet to see a perfect window tint job. There is always one little corner, or one window, or one bit of dust or bubble. Just because they can get one window right it is no guarantee the next one will be the same. I am not saying your desire for a quality job is unreasonable here, just that I am yet to see a tint job that I would accept from anyone. Hence, I don't even try. That is what A/C is for....

[mgrobins]

Thanks for the comments regarding the rear seat. There is a 'bouncing' sort of effect on roads /drive-way etc as best I can describe it where the two halves of the seat rub. The centre arm rest has it's own rattle and seems to exacerbate this. I've taken to wrapping a micro fibre towel around the arm-rest to wedge it back into its slot without it rubbing and rattling (the rattle is only present arm-rest up .... never down, and sounds like it's in the hinge assembly somewhere).


As for tint, I have had a number of very good jobs done with no defects. This one has been repeatedly returned with about a 4" square in the middle of the passenger side window that appears sand-blasted with bubbles. Numerous small areas around edges of some other windows as well.

I continue to be polite however am less reasonable now in regard to being jerked around or losing my own time. Am at the point where I'd like to begin invoicing them for my own lost time and productivity.

[Jimi]

I bought a GTI at the same time as my sister bought a comfortline. Hers is dead silent. Mine has a number of rattles (no leather though).

[Dutch77]

Rattles are pretty subjective, and a lot of dealers shy away from spending any real time dealing with the issue. My Mk6 definitely developed the odd rattle here and there, and I'm pretty sure my Mk7 will as well - so long as it isn't annoying and constant then to a certain degree you need to accept it with the car. Your situation does sound like it may be above normal though and warrant extra attention.

As for the tint then you are well within your rights to demand a fix. I'm not sure how someone in Australia would deal without it, apart from the cosmetic upgrade the benefits in reduced heat and UV hitting the occupants and interior is a major benefit. I've put tint on close to 20 cars and can't say I've ever had a job done that made me think twice about it.

[GTI_PAPA]

Sorry to hear about your new car woes. I had a similar experience with my new VW some years ago, leaking cv's and an annoying rattle. I had the car back 12 times in 3 months to get these sorted, and every time the car was returned the same with further damage (too long to mention). Anyway, long story short, I fixed the rattle myself and one call to VW Oz and the dealer called me and the CV's were fixed the next day. VW even called me to check if it was sorted and if I was happy with experience. I think sometimes dealers forget that VW's name is on the line and they might get an ass kicking if customers have a bad experience...

[mgrobins]

I had not thought of that so I may follow up with VW Oz.

[jonoz]

I am really restraining myself for jumping on board with mrgrobins and my experience with Austral but I won't, just yet!

Good luck mate, I am going to raise my noises on the R next week before the fitment of an aftermarket exhaust.

[mgrobins]

I find it very disappointing to hear that you are having not just the impact of quality issues in your car but also the same lacklustre service at the same dealership.

To be clear - I find the service desk staff polite and appearing over-worked with the number of cars. It's not enough though when they are politely offering disingenuous, incorrect information or blatantly misleading about the work they have performed to "correct" a vehicle.

Dutch, I am fussy about my car but also reasonable and understanding. I have a technical background in design, maintenance and support .... and a very clear appreciation of the challenges in troubleshooting for clients. I don't pursue VW on the basis of my personal standards but what I know to be reasonable for the product as they promote and sell it.

I would be pleased to be here writing a review of wonderful service and support after a trouble free purchase but that simply isn't the case so instead I'm looking at advice for correcting the issues and ensuring potential buyers know that Austral VW require a high level of persistence to get results with.

[Dutch77]

Will be interesting to see the outcomes.

Unfortunately what is fairly consistent across the board is that most VW dealerships in Australia offer average to below average customer service. That isn't to say that everyone is tarred with the same brush but just a general perception, which hurts the brand given the amount of vitriol directed towards it and the constant references to DSG and engine failures (partially warranted).

Luckily for VW it produces outstanding vehicles that suck us in..

[jonoz]

I keep typing up a wall of text with all my Austral complaints but feel they are not warranted at the moment as they have been rectified to date.

Austral post-sales seems very poor and I find it relieving that it is not just me that has found this to be the case.

Edit: Oh but I can say that they have lost 2 Golf R sales and 1 Tiguan sale to date as I am recommending to stay clear.

[dening]

Definitely get in touch with volkswagen assist. They have always been interested to hear things out and should give you a call. Regarding rattles etc, perhaps try and get some video evidence to assist identification.

[timetaker]

Having ordered a Golf R only yesterday,I will keep my eyes and ears open for any rattles etc.Every car manufacturer has problems from time to time but for the customer the problem/s are compounded when the service is less than above average.I have had Honda cars and Ford cars and the service has been outstanding. I had a squeaky driver's seat in the Falcon and went in 4 times.The dealer changed the base,the rail etc it turned out all it needed was some grease in a certain area and the squeak was no more to be heard.

[jonoz]

Having ordered a Golf R only yesterday,I will keep my eyes and ears open for any rattles etc.Every car manufacturer has problems from time to time but for the customer the problem/s are compounded when the service is less than above average.I have had Honda cars and Ford cars and the service has been outstanding. I had a squeaky driver's seat in the Falcon and went in 4 times.The dealer changed the base,the rail etc it turned out all it needed was some grease in a certain area and the squeak was no more to be heard.

None of the squeaks and rattles in my R were apparent for the first ~1500kms.

All I can say especially just buying an R is that the best support you are ever going to get is the time right before signing for delivery of the vehicle. Try to really disconnect from the fact that you are getting a new toy and be super critical of every element of the vehicle, check the inside for any marks etc (my R had a chip in the shiny headunit surround) as beyond getting in the car and driving away any damage will be assumed to be done by you.

I have just gotten back from morning errands and the passenger side rattle seems to be non-existent or not noticeable at least during that drive but the rear doors, Oh. My. God. the whole B-pillar sounds as though its rubber on rubber shifting around back there...

[Sunny43.5]

We purchased our new T5 Van from Austral and the salesperson went to great lengths to tell me that "they" had an award winning mechanic on staff WOW , so if you are lucky enough top have your car serviced by this guy you may be okay , not sure how the other poor saps go though . As for issues with rattles from day dot one our two front doors closed with a resounding bounce , when closed you could easily push them inwards quite a few millimetres . I alerted Austral to this problem on first service and as usual a service advisor told me that yes they lubricated the strikers to fix the problem WOW that was pretty clever fix a lousy shutting door by applying more grease to the locks IDIOTS ! The advisor also informed me that the problem may have been caused by the seals hardening , well why not replace them if that's the case . I won't bore you all with other problems as it only raises my blood pressure , suffice to say next service I will not accept the van until that problem has been fixed properly .{and yes I do know how to fix myself it but it's up to the dealer to do the job no right not ME }.