Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review Wanted to share an update of my 2015 Polo GT TSI which has done around 58k+ in 5+ years. To summarize:
1. Car had a DSG failure in June '20
2. 5th year add-on warranty expired in March '20
3. Car was with VW for around 2 weeks for investigation/diagnosis
4. Mechatronics was replaced by dealer/VW under goodwill
5. Car is back in action
The DSG failure was relatively free of any drama. The gear indicator began blinking one fine day after having started the car while still in P (it's default state) and continued to blink in all gears in D/S. The shifts became jerky and a little bit weird. On one occasion the DSG would refuse to shift to an odd gear (2 -> 4 -> 6) for upshifts as well as downshifts. The malfunction indicator was also lit on the cluster.
Gave BUB, Pune (short for B.U Bhandari) a call and shared the symptoms with them. Although I was convinced that the DSG has gone kaput, decided to let them take a call as after all they are the experts.
As for the rest that unfolded, let me just put it in short - the response from BUB/Volkswagen was exemplary, to say the least. They handled the entire process brilliantly and there wasn't a single occasion where I felt that things were going sideways. The SA that I interacted with was not known to me and I did not have to escalate anything to higher-ups within BUB/VW.
Drove the car to the workshop on June 27 as per the appointment that I received. They informed me outright that the car might have to remain in the workshop for 2-3 weeks until the issue is diagnosed and solved. I asked for a loaner car to be provided ASAP and left the place.
Long story short, they took 1 week to confirm that the Mechatronics had failed. They informed me that VW has decided to replace the Mechatronics and will bear the cost of the same, but that I would have to bear the labor cost. The labor cost was around 2.5k INR. I was also told that the Amaron battery that I had gotten fitted from outside would be an issue while claiming warranty, and that I would have to replace the battery with a VW (Exide) battery - if the warranty claim was to be successful. I was okay with the labor part, and regarding the battery replacement was skeptical but decided to proceed as it wasn't much of a hassle. The Amaron battery was literally brand new, having bought it about 3-4 months back and could be sold off as a buy-back to the person who fitted it.
I gave the go ahead for the above. I was asked to pick up an Ameo Diesel DSG as the loaner car, which I did and was with me for the 2nd week.
Do note that in this 2 week duration I kept getting regular calls/updates from the SA. I treated him with the respect that he deserved as a professional/human being and was calm and polite in dealing with him. The 1 week delay in providing the loaner car and the illogical buy-a-new-battery-from-us request was irksome, but I understood the position the SA was coming from and never made him feel that I was bothered by this. On the contrary, I empathized with him under the principle that one needs to let something go to gain something. It was easier to buy a new battery from VW than a new Mechantronic unit.
1 week later the car was handed back to me with the new Mecha unit installed. The gear shifts were noticeably smoother than before. I was also showed the old Mecha unit. Was surprised to see how big in terms of form-factor it actually is.
All in all extremely happy with the BUB experience, I would give more credit to B.U. Bhandari for the exemplary professionalism demonstrated, atleast in my case, than VW itself. This could have made for a severely traumatizing experience had the dealership been a stealership. To sum up a revised opinion about the the Polo GT TSI 1.2 after this debacle: 1. Is the DQ200 7-speed dry-clutch DSG gearbox overrated unreliable shit: absolutely, yes. 2. Does the DQ200 DSG provide a unique driving experience in the 10l price bracket: absolutely, yes. 3. Is the DQ200 DSG an engineering marvel: absolutely, no. it's poorly engineered for the very fact that it is not reliable. 4. Is the VW Polo a great car: absolutely, yes. 5. Does the 1.2 TSI deserve a Manual 6-speed gearbox: absolutely, yes. 6. Is it the aim of the VW/Skoda company to fleece people: absolutely, not. people need to stop generalizing. 7. Is B.U. Bhandari Volkswagen Pune the best Volkswagen car dealer/service provider in India: absolutely, yes. 8. Do I regret buying the Polo GT TSI: absolutely, no! 9. What if the gearbox fails again?: it worked fine for 5 years/58k km. I'll take my chances with the new Mechatronic unit. 10. Should people buy a pre-owned Polo GT TSI 1.2 (as it has been discontinued and new units are not available): yes, but only if the car is stock (no mods). It is not worth taking the risk of having to shell out ~1.5lacs for a DSG failure if the pre-owned car is modded. I was informed that goodwill warranty is provided by VW only if the car is bone stock. 11. Will my next car be a Skoda: absolutely, no! 12. Will my next car be a VW purchased from and serviced by B.U. Bhandari, Pune: absolutely, yes!
Last edited by GoBlue : 21st July 2020 at 20:20.
|