[F50]

Something is fishy here. This car might well be the Demo car. There is no way brakes can wear out on car which is used for 6000 kms and driven around mostly by 70 year old, unless it has 500/600nm of torque and has frequent acceleration and braking which is not the case.
Going legal is the best way, send in few notices and they'll start talking.

[DKG]

Maybe a call to the regional service head will get you some results

[navin]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Send it back to them and make them skim the discs, though against their recommendation of replacing there is a good chance it will solve the issue. I've noticed cars which are sparely used in Mumbai or left standing for a while do tend to get warped rotors. This is very noticeable on Honda cars.

1. My FIL or BIL drive the car every day. It is his biggest joy with all the kids out of the house. In fact when my son (now 9) goes over my BIL makes it a point to take him for a ride in the car (you know how boys are with cars )

2. My wife's Opel Sail 1.6 sits in the same parking area and is used about once in 15 days and sometimes once a month when my wife visits. So does a neighbour's Corolla which sits most of the time since the owner works for an airline and is flying most of the time.

3. The dealer refused to skim the brakes and insisted that the brake discs have to be changed. I suspect that now that the dealer has parts in stock he wants to palm them off to an innocent customer.

Originally Posted by F50

Something is fishy here. This car might well be the Demo car.

If the car is indeed a Demo car then should not VW pull up it's dealer instead of keeping silent on the issue. My BIL has the return reciepts from the courier to prove that the letters (he wrote twice) have been delivered.

It is usually not the dealer's business that is affected. It is the VW brand that will. I was considering getting a Passat to replace my vRS but have dropped the idea in favour of the Teana.

Some time ago a Skoda dealer also cheated a customer. The case was well documented here. I hope this case does not become like the Skoda issue.

Originally Posted by DKG

Maybe a call to the regional service head will get you some results

DKG, If you have contact details please PM me.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by navin

3. The dealer refused to skim the brakes and insisted that the brake discs have to be changed. I suspect that now that the dealer has parts in stock he wants to palm them off to an innocent customer.


It is usually not the dealer's business that is affected. It is the VW brand that will. I was considering getting a Passat to replace my vRS but have dropped the idea in favour of the Teana.

Ok so that rules out warping due to non usage. I think number 3 is very likely and they think anyone who would pay 20l for a hatch would be willing to part with 20k at the drop of a hat. It might be a bit far but is it possible for you to try sending it to VW Downtowns service centre at Lalbaug for a check up? I haven't heard any bad things about them yet and it might just help.

From an RS to a Teana? Naah please stick with the Passat. Anyway thats for another thread.

[navin]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

try sending it to VW Downtowns service centre at Lalbaug for a check up? I haven't heard any bad things about them yet and it might just help.

From an RS to a Teana? Naah please stick with the Passat. Anyway thats for another thread.

Great idea Akshay. Is this the same center that services Skoda. In which case they know me well.

After this my FIL will disown me if I buy a VW! Considering that my FIL is probably my best buddy (we have a great time when we meet) I dont want that.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by navin

Great idea Akshay. Is this the same center that services Skoda. In which case they know me well.

After this my FIL will disown me if I buy a VW! Considering that my FIL is probably my best buddy (we have a great time when we meet) I dont want that.

Its actually right next to Arya Honda, the Lalbaug one. The Skoda one I believe is in Sewri and not at Lalbaug.

[Cesc]

I always thought VW servicing = Skoda servicing. This is just proving that. The negligent attitude of VW only helps in painting the brand in Skoda colours. Skoda (both India and global) wouldn't listen to Harish and other people who sufferred at their hands. VW was and is least bothered about improving the image of a brand it owns. I guess VW is interested in the same kind of reputation (or disrepute depending on which way one looks at it).

Doing this to a Beetle - the car which perhaps put VW on the world map is just plain disgusting.

[navin]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Its actually right next to Arya Honda, the Lalbaug one. The Skoda one I believe is in Sewri and not at Lalbaug.

Ok i KNow the palce my mom and wife both drive Hondas.

[Macfreak7]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

...
It might be a bit far but is it possible for you to try sending it to VW Downtowns service centre at Lalbaug for a check up? I haven't heard any bad things about them yet and it might just help.
...

Unfortunately I've heard at least one case of shoddy service from the Lalbaug service center. A friend (Oceanstar on TBHP) almost got ripped off by them due to his limited experience with cars. The Polo he purchased was his first car. Anywhoo, don't mean to digress, but I'd suggest being cautious with them as well.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Macfreak7

A friend (Oceanstar on TBHP) almost got ripped off by them due to his limited experience with cars....but I'd suggest being cautious with them as well.

Is this some VAG policy? No wonder the Japs have the market all to themselves.

The only advantage for me is that Lalbaug is much much closer to me (Breach Candy) than Tornado and I can follow up with them more aggressively than my FIL/BIL could with Tornado.

If this is VW service (My FIL/BIL at Tornado and Oceanstar at Lalbaug) then VW really ought to take India more seriously.

[bala80]

Dear Navin - Please try emailing kundenbetreuung@volkswagen.de and you will atleast get an response. I have never heard of any customer who received an response from the indian customer care team. In addition, I suggest you to log a complaint with the VW helpline, who in turn will again assign it to the dealer. However when the dealer formally responds to your complaint on the email, he will need to mark the respective VW counterpart (RSM?) and you may get some leads there.

Also sent you a PM on this. Please check.

Originally Posted by navin

If this is VW service (My FIL/BIL at Tornado and Oceanstar at Lalbaug) then VW really ought to take India more seriously.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by navin

the steering started to wobble/shake under braking.

Hi Navin, I'm very sad to hear this happen to a premium customer.

As for the wobble under braking, IMO, the most probable reason (for this car) would be bad quality (hard compound) brake pads. These pads, slowly warp the brake discs. If diagnosed early, the problem can be solved by skimming the brake discs, and of course replacing the pads with good quality ones.

Brake discs and pads are wear and tear items, and I think they are not eligible for warranty, but considering the age of the car, the kilometers done and the niche segment, VW ought to replace it. Also, 360 bucks for removing and reinstalling four tyres? I wonder what they will charge for a tyre rotation!

IMO, please consider a second opinion, then escalate this matter to higher officials at VW and seek legal advice. Also, please consider going the legal way as a last resort.

Originally Posted by srishiva

I saw a Vento with brake pads and disk needing replacement. Looked like brakes were applied to stop at high speed and they had gone bad.

Sorry, I cannot help but laugh-out-loud!. Whats the purpose of brakes if not to stop the car? Or is it some special, one-time, use and throw type?

[navin]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Brake discs and pads are wear and tear items, and I think they are not eligible for warranty, but considering the age of the car, the kilometers done and the niche segment, VW ought to replace it. Also, 360 bucks for removing and reinstalling four tyres? I wonder what they will charge for a tyre rotation!

IMO, please consider a second opinion, then escalate this matter to higher officials at VW and seek legal advice. Also, please consider going the legal way as a last resort.

1. I do agree that brake pads and discs do wear and tear. But like you said in 5-6000km and within 10 months? I dont believe this is a simple wear and tear issue. I may be wrong but I believe that either (a) VW-Tornado has ordered a set of brake pads/discs and now wants to palm it off to an innocent customer or (b) VW-Tornado sold my FIL a demo car that had been used and hence the brake wear.

2. We have couriered the details to John Chacko at VW India twice and got no answer. When we emailed VW's global site (I will ask my BIL to send me the email address he emailed tomorrow) we got a standard answer to contact VW India from whom we are still to get an answer.

3. If Bala80, yourself, or anyone else can provide us (via PM if you have to) email addresses of the perople most likely to help us please do.

[.anshuman]

VW's true colors are started showing up as the volumes have grown, going by various examples we have on forum, the customer care and company's response is similar to what we have seen with Skoda in past. Here is a example, a Jetta owner(Quoted post from VW Jetta review thread):

Originally Posted by carizma

The car has been lying with the dealer for the past six weeks for repair. Two weeks of ownership and six weeks in workshop! But it is not the dealer to be blamed. It is VW India that does not seem to be serious on the after sales services. The dealer informed that there was a delay in procuring three or four parts due to which the repair was held-up. After he confirmed that two of the parts had been dispatched by VW and the remaining part was taking longer (more than 4 weeks), I offered to get them arranged them from abroad. It took me a total of five days to arrange the part. Now the dealer says that VW has not dispatched the promised parts and is not even confirming the scheduled date of dispatch. Ever heard that a company like VW can keep on changing the dispatch schedule of the spare parts every other day?? I wrote to VW India and even VW Germany but have not received any response till date. Another car, another customer left at the mercy of an irresponsible company.

[sahakar]

Man all these car companies, dealers and the entire value chain needs a strong dose of ethics.
Its apparent that they mostly act like thugs and want to take the customer for a ride every chance they get.
It doesn't matter to them whether its a 2 lakh car or a 20 lakh one. All of them just salivate at the prospect of cheating the customer.

God help us all.

Cheers