[thoma]

Why oh why! The exhaust tip now shows, which I think the older version was great. No LED lamps at the rear still.



Disclaimer: Rights of individual images rests with respective owners.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by thoma

Why oh why! The exhaust tip now shows, which I think the older version was great. No LED lamps at the rear still.

Oops, someone rear-ended into the test car I guess.

VW is spoiling the clean and neat look of the Vento by sticking out that tail pipe for no reason! Who gibes these guys ideas is what beats me!

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by thoma

Why oh why! The exhaust tip now shows, which I think the older version was great.

Perhaps, in tune with the times. Same is the case with the Lines too.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Perhaps, in tune with the times.

No way, doesn't it remind us of the Padmini and Ambassador days? Jutting exhaust tip, not integrated with the body? And they had to spend extra metal for this mod; costly!

[venkyhere]

when I was TD-ing 1.6 TDI vento/rapid a few months back, I had concluded that the rapid had better noise insulation and more planted suspension at highway speeds. Has there been any change in the noise insulation & suspension tune in the newer 1.5 TDI vento w.r.t its older 1.6 TDI version ?

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Has there been any change in the noise insulation & suspension tune in the newer 1.5 TDI vento w.r.t its older 1.6 TDI version ?

The 1.5L TDI is more refined and silent be it at idle or on the move.

Found it better than the older engine on this front but overall drive factor was better in the 1.6L TDI.

[RaghuSuresh]

Originally Posted by GTO

From your description, it looks like a sticky brake caliper. Please have that checked up. Faced a similar issue with my Jeep after off-roading, and it was one of the front disks grabbing abnormally.

okay i got the steering linkages checked again, they claimed to have reset the ecu and steering module and brakes are 'fine' as well according to the service centre. But since the service center returned my car and begged me to give them the rating of 'extremely satisfied', the steering now shimmies a bit at speeds over 80.

Is there any reliable service centre for VW in delhi/NCR? I had gotten my 60k service done from the one at sector 63 NOIDA for which I was billed 22 thousand which included changing the bulkhead under the engine bay as it had started to sag. Car wasn't even cleaned on the inside but half of the fuel tank was drained to clean the engine bay. Should I go to them again for the shimmying problem or somewhere else?

[heydj]

Yesterday went for test drive of Vento DSG. Found the driver seat not very spacious. I am 6'3 and my left leg was constantly touching the center console. Did others face the same issue. This car is currently under consideration as my new ride.

[sunsetorange]

Originally Posted by heydj

Yesterday went for test drive of Vento DSG. Found the driver seat not very spacious. I am 6'3 and my left leg was constantly touching the center console. Did others face the same issue. This car is currently under consideration as my new ride.

I have the same complaint and I'm only 5'10"! I booked the Skoda Rapid which had a tad more accommodating dashboard, but I cancelled it and bought the Vento just for the more premium interiors and better service (here it is much better than Skoda ).
I finally found a comfortable seating position and am a happy Vento owner.

If you still think of the vento , DSG means you won't be using the left leg much, right. ...

[abhjain]

Originally Posted by sunsetorange

I have the same complaint and I'm only 5'10"! I booked the Skoda Rapid which had a tad more accommodating dashboard, but I cancelled it and bought the Vento just for the more premium interiors and better service (here it is much better than Skoda ).
I finally found a comfortable seating position and am a happy Vento owner.

If you still think of the vento , DSG means you won't be using the left leg much, right. ...

I am 6'3" as well and driving a Rapid DSG. It does take a bit of time to find the right position but it does exist. Feel that you need push the seat back when needing comfort for a long drive as under thigh support is not that great.

Listen to your heart and go for it. DSG diesel combination is pure awesomeness.

[heydj]

Originally Posted by sunsetorange

I finally found a comfortable seating position and am a happy Vento owner.

If you still think of the vento , DSG means you won't be using the left leg much, right. ...

Glad to hear comfortable drivers position exists in this car. Suprisingly in Polo I did not find the same seating issue.

Really dont like cars with big or extended center console. Will go for a long drive in a friends Vento to see if I can find a comfortable driving position.

By the way VW dealer told me in Vento DSG gearboxes are not covered under company waranty whereas manual gearboxes are covered. Is this true?

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by heydj

Really dont like cars with big or extended center console. Will go for a long drive in a friends Vento to see if I can find a comfortable driving position.

By the way VW dealer told me in Vento DSG gearboxes are not covered under company waranty whereas manual gearboxes are covered. Is this true?

I also struggled a bit to get to a comfortable driving position ( am 5'11). But once you play around a bit it works out.
On the warranty, what the dealer told is not correct. The DSG gear box is converted under both regular and extended warranty.

[premc44]

This is a copy of the email sent by me to Customer care at VW India. Do you think I should wait for the response or send copies to the higher ups, whose email id-s are not known to me. I hope my mail will be self explanatory. Responses are most welcome

Dear Sir,

Ever since I owned my first car, A VW Polo in 1982, while working in the UK, I have been an unpaid brand ambassador of the VW brand. I subsequently owned a Passat also and was always an admirer of the VW build quality and after sales experience.

It was this admiration, which led me to sell my Honda City that served me without any problem for seven years and buy a VW Vento highline diesel in 2012. As a member of Team BHP, I had seen the glowing reports about the build quality and performance of the car in the Team BHP Vento forums, which also influenced my decision to purchase a Vento. Subsequently, when the same forums started becoming replete with serious faults in the cars, like engine mount problems, fuel injector issues, I was hoping that these may be one off issues and that my car will be free from such problems.

Problems started occurring after one year. So far, I had to get the MAF sensor replaced, the wheel ABS sensors replaced twice and the fuel injector O rings replaced. Since I was lucky enough to have taken an extended warranty, all these were done without any cost to me, but I was getting worried about the frequency of failures in a car that boasts of German engineering. The worst was yet to come.

Early in January this year, I was feeling that the smoothness of the engine was lost, the sound had become very harsh and more importantly, the idle RPM had become 1000, which all these previous three years had been 800. As I was aware of the fuel injector problems and having seen the VW service advisory on this in Team BHP forums, I took the car on 7th January to the local service centre, Phoenix Cars, where the car was always been taken for service. I was told there was no injector problem and advised to get the software updated, which was done. Things did not improve and as the car was due for the periodic service, I took the car again to Phoenix cars on 17th Jan 2015. On the second day, the car was given back and as expected, I was told that the fuel injectors were faulty and order has been placed for the same. The car was running fairly well with a high idle RPM, but I did not use the car much. On 29th Jan, the car was taken in for fitting of the new fuel injectors under extended warranty. The same evening, I was told that there is a cut in the fuel return pipe, which had to be replaced and that it will not be covered by the warranty. I was surprised, how come they never saw this when the idle RPM problems was being looked into or subsequently during the service when the fuel injector problem was found out. I was also told by the customer relations head at Phoenix cars that the part is not available with them or any other dealer in Kerala. I requested him to contact Ms. EVM motors in Kochi, to which he replied that they have already been contacted, it is not available and that the part will take a week to come from VW. As he did not sound convincing, I personally contacted the service centre at EVM, Kochi. They had the part and they were willing to send the part on request from Phoenix cars. I conveyed this to him and the part was delivered on 31st evening to Calicut by EVM motors by courier.

The work of changing the fuel injectors, the fuel return pipe and the software updating was done and the car was given back to me on 3rd Feb. The problems seemed to have been solved at least for now, but I was asked to pay Rs. 8292, as cost of the fuel return hose plus labour and taxes., as I was told that a broken fuel return pipe is not covered under warranty. No reason was given for this statement. it was not a rubber part.

I have the old fuel return pipe with me and I am enclosing a photo of the same as attachment. It is broken in one place that is at the plastic nozzle like projection, where it gets connected. What baffles me is how this part, which is not a moving part gets broken just like that without anyone touching it. This could have happened only one or the other way:

1. The piece was originally faulty with a defect in manufacture or

2. Someone at the service centre has handled the hose in an inappropriate manner that resulted in it getting cut off from the attachment. From the close up, it is evident that a twisting force was applied, which resulted in the breakage. Having seen the part, it is easy to believe that it has not broken on its own and that the damage was caused by trying to remove it in a wrong way. The pipe itself is intact; there is no hole or tear in it.

In either case, I should not have been charged for the same. As I was finding it difficult for almost a week without a car, I paid the amount to get the car released. It was highly unethical on the part of Phoenix cars to have charged me for the problem, which, I am sure occurred in their facility due to faulty handling of the hose. They denied me the benefit of extended warranty, as they knew that VW would have refused it, once they saw the replaced pipe and the way it was broken and they would have had to bear the cost.

If you are sure that it is not a case of manufacturing defect in the hose, in which case it should be covered under the extended warranty, you must instruct your authorized service center at Phoenix cars, Kozhikode, to refund the payment to me. As a member of Team BHP, I am obliged to discuss the issue in the forum for the benefit of fellow members, but will do so only after hearing what you have to say in this matter.

As a global player, trying to find a significant presence in India, unless some drastic measures are employed to win back the customer confidence in product quality and after sales service, the future will not be very bright for VW India; that too with very serious and aggressive players around in the automotive field. As a VW loyalist, believe me, I say this with extreme regret.


Vehicle: VW Vento HL Diesel

VIN: WVWJ11604CT008863

Reg. No: KL 11 AL 2214

Attached photos


P.S : I have taken up this issue with my service advisor at Phoenix cars on 3/2/2015, who has referred the matter to the Customer relations manager and the Service team manager. No one has cared to call me and explain till now and the service advisor has informed me that he cannot do anything more. What is the role of the Customer relations manager at Phoenix cars is anybody’s guess. Their indifferent attitude adds to my suspicion that I was taken for a ride. VW may well look into the callous attitude of their dealers and make them more customer friendly.

With regards
Dr.K.Premachandran

Here are the pictures of the broken part:

[thoma]

I really do not know how to proceed on this, but it is sad to note that

1) M/s Phoenix Cars were initially incompetent to identify the root cause for RPM being maintained as high.
2) They misinformed the customer on availability of parts and
3) No goodwill replacement was extended to a case where a loyal customer was not directly at fault. The customer in no way is going to touch or hit that fuel pipes even accidentally. No rat is going to cut the sturdy pipes such. Any other excuse M/s Phoenix Cars?

[miharbe]

Hi Everyone

Need some help as i am really confused what to do.

I gave my car for the 4th service (60,000 kms) today. I suspected brake disc and brake pads would have to be replaced and also some parts of the suspension. I asked the SA to run the necessary checks and come back to me with an estimate of the work needed and associated costs.

The below is what i have received from them


Following are the questions to which i am looking for answers:

1. Assuming all this is required, should I get this done at VW or outside? I am more inclined towards the latter but dont know of a competent garage who can get this done
2. What is the difference between Strut and Strut Kit?
3. What is Lower Arm and Linkage?
4. What is the Steering Rack and he was not too convincing on this and has even mentioned it as suspected which i dont understand why as they have the car with them
5. Like the engine oil is there a specific coolant that is used by VW or can i use any brand?
6. What is "Fender Lining"? What are the disadvantages of fixing it?

I am not getting the tail lights fixed as there are only a few minor nicks on them.

Also there is no way i am in a position to spend even half of the quoted amount. I am more inclined to get the Discs and Brake Pads changed and thats about it.

Would really appreciate inputs here as i have to respond by Monday.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I even have half a mind of selling the car in as is condition given that these expenses have really given me a shocker