I purchased a Volkswagen Golf (1900cc) diesel GTI in 2005 for just over 11000 with a full Volkswagen dealer service history. The car had covered 42000 miles.
Each time it needed a subsequent service I took it to the Volkswagen dealership in either Bristol or Weston depending on which was more convenient at the time. Then after 88000 miles it started producing a lot of black smoke from the exhaust and was down on power. I took it to the Volkswagen dealership in Bristol and they told me it needed a new camshaft and this was going to cost me 1200!
I asked how a Volkswagen diesel with full Volkswagen dealership service history could possibly have a camshaft failure at only 88000 miles and they could not explain. I asked if they could pay for it as I believed a Volkswagen Golf diesel with full Volkswagen dealership service history should not have suffered a camshaft failure at only 88000 miles and they refused. I also explained that I never revved the engine excessively from cold, I never used the car for short trips, I never laboured the engine, and most of my driving was on the motorway where I would have been mainly in 5th or 6th gear so that gave me even more reason to question the camshaft failure. Again they could not explain.
I needed the car and therefore paid for the work to be done.
By the way, it also needed a new bulb in the glove compartment and they told me that would cost 20 but I told them not to bother with that as I was already paying 1200 and would have thought they could have replaced that for free as a nice gesture!
I decided to write to Volkswagen head office seeing as I was not getting anywhere with the Bristol dealer. Their first response was by telephone to say according to their records, the car had not received any services for the first 20000 miles and therefore they refused to refund me. I explained that it had received a full Volkswagen dealership service history and I had the dealer stamped up service book as proof. They then asked me to fax it through to them so that they could see for themselves. I faxed it through as requested and they then offered me a 10% refund only. I said if they were offering me a refund then they must surely have agreed with me that the fault should not have happened in the first place and therefore they should refund the full amount not just 10%, but they said they were admitting nothing and that the refund was a goodwill gesture only!
Eventually after many phone calls and letters explaining my point and getting nowhere I decided to accept the 10% refund.
I always thought Volkswagens had a reputation for reliability and good build quality, but after this experience I don't think I will ever buy a Volkswagen again!
Andy
weston super mare
United Kingdom
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