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Update

They have begun paint preparation.. Am grateful for fellow mod Vid6639 who popped over there on his way home to check progress. Bumper is off for painting so it will be a proper job not a botch up.

The plastic panels etc will then be fitted. As for the alloy wheel, that is still elusive!


I hope VW will learn from the collective experiences of members. It is no point shouting, it only leads to a lot of negativity and lead to a breakdown of what little service there is. VW do know what is happening, as I had to leverage someone in the regional office but there are limitations on the control they have on the dealership. (read - hot selling products = good leverage)

Hopefully at least 4000 people have read this over here. I know around 20 people who will never recommend VW's because of my experience.


Thanks, as a customer, i have a right to choose and the choice has been made!

I bought my Jetta in May. Its a fabulous car, as long as it doesn't require a visit to the workshop.

- Within the first fortnight, one of my side windows broke in a dust storm. The dealer from whom i bought did not have a window glass in stock and indicated a waiting time of 25 days to order the part and put in place. I called up all the VW service centers in Delhi NCR and finally found the part. But was left to fend for myself by my dealership.

- Next, got tailgated by a speeding Esteem in the 2nd month. The bumper did not come off despite the force of the impact - kudos to the build quality of the impact. There was a slight paint peel off, the bumper got a slight dent and the frame on which the bumper is put got recessed in. Did not get that rectified since i could live with the damage

- Next, last month, got hit on Jaipur highway (NH 8) by a stone drunk driver. Damage - front left headlight, front left fender, front bumper. Took vehicle to my dealership service center (Frontier, Gurgaon) - nobody entertained me for 30 odd minutes, they just kept directing me from one person to another. Lost my cool and shouted at their GM service, post which someone promptly came and surveyed my damage. Estimate was 50K with 5 days repair time. However, lost my trust with the dealership and decided not to give my vehicle to them - anyways the workshop was choc-a-block full and hardly any space for cars. I reckon cars would invariably get scraped/dented if left in the workshop for more than 2 days

- Started scouting for another service center. Finalized on World Class Auto, Delhi, basis online reviews. Calls made to the service center were answered politely. Tool my car there for examination and estimate - the workshop was even fuller than the Gurgaon one. No space for people to stand, let alone cars. However, the body shop manager and service advisor were polite and receptive, so left my car there.... Its now been 5 days in the workshop - i have sleepless nights imagining my car scraping others in the workshop... Last update from the body shop - the repair is done, parts fitted but there's a paint mismatch.. they are getting some experts from outside to help identify and rectify the paint problem....

Bottomline, its a premium car with pathetic after sales. Even the service center staff complain of overwork all the time, irrespective of whom you interact with. I remember a similar hit that happened with my Maruti Baleno - the workshop arranged a pickup, they provided me a replacement car while my car was being repaired, the car was done in 2 days (the damage was much more than the damage on the Jetta).

When you buy a Jetta, in terms of post sales service, you get nothing, but hassle.

Hats off to you Ajmat and your patience and composure. I just read through your entire experience at one shot and I am feeling agitated :). This is not the service center experience one would expect after buying a fairly premium product. Wish you get the car soon and never have to go to A.S.S again other than regular services.

The end is in sight

I popped in to review progress yesterday

The paintwork is complete and the job is complete. Light was not too good as there was no power but quality seems okay. Slight misalignment between wing and sill but that might require a bit of beating and repaint of whole panel which I would prefer not to happen.

The wheel has arrived and is fitted however they are using original tyre since insurers will not replace as there is no visible damage or bubble. I will certainly interchange with the stepney.

The front bumper was removed. VW Downtown have decided to paint this for me free of cost.

I asked the service advisor how come VW Downtown and Elite have stopped taking in cars for service. He mentioned that there were too many issues and a customer had to wait for 3 hours for delivery. They have stopped taking cars in until they replan processes and get their systems re-aligned.

There is hope!

I should get the car today or tomorrow inshallah!

What's the update, Ajmat?
Is the car back? How has the paintwork job been done?

Everything is completed except for one small thing, the wheel centre logo. It was there when I gave car in. It was in the boot and the service advisor pit these in the glovebox. They have ordered a new one but cannot release car until the invoice for this is completed. ( I thought they lost it) I suggested them to pull one off a Jetta in stock.

Systems over customer!

Ring the service manager who says they found the logo on the old wheel sitting in VW Downtown

Confused!

Now am not confused!

The dealer lost the wheel logo. It was taken by the service advisor and put in the glove box and someone stole it. The dealer is claiming this as part of the repair cost under my insurance claim. Hence the part needs to arrive and be invoiced. The overall invoice then needs to be passed and then the car is released. In other words, I am held hostage to VOlkswagen Downtown's fraud.

19 October 2012

I get to understand that VW Downtown is claiming the missing wheelcap as part of the repair cost under my insurance claim. Hence the part needs to arrive and be invoiced. The overall invoice then needs to be passed and then the car is released. In other words, I am held hostage to Volkswagen Downtown's fraud. If this was my company - Intel, I would be sacked or penalised heavily

22 October 2012

Ring Casi, not picking up phone, ring Ranjit, not picking up phone but sms'd me since he was in a meeting and to call Ramdas. Called Ramdas who sms'd me saying that he is not at the workshop. Sms'd Ranjit again the fact that it has been 55 days for a 2 day job and it is time I got an answer when do I get the car.

10 min later, Narendra his assistant calls, the wheel cap has come and is fitted. Insurance formalities need to be completed. We will call you in the evening.

They promptly did not call me in the evening.

23 October 2012

Usual round of non answering phones leads me to get pretty stroppy so I call Ranjit who says he cannot do anything more and that he was merely trying to assist in resolving this- Ramdas is the person who can advise. As usual, no answer, I keep calling and Narendra his assistant picks up and will call me in 5 min.

True to his word, he calls me and tells me the insurance surveyor needs to complete everything and it will take 3 days. I go ballistic and tell him why could they have not got this done last week as the wheel cap in not under the insurance scope. Being a person with not much authority there is nothing he can do. All he answers is "yes sir!, I know". Poor guy is merely a pawn in the whole set up.

Ramdas later rings me and suggests, I pay and claim back from the insurance. I lay it on about this and the minor fraud happening, he is unrepentent and comments that he never committed when the car would be delivered. True to his word, he never calls back.

Later that evening I get a call from Suveer, VW. VW have been following my thread and ask him to follow up. I make it clear that I am not happy. Suveer assures me that he will call VW on thurs (as 26th was a holiday to follow up).

25 October 2012

Ok, so the ball is in Bajaj Allianz's court! I call up to see where we are on this. They respond that we have no invoice still. My blood pressure rises - It is a toss between the Incredible Hulk or the Joker in me! As mitigating step, I call Suveer who promises a call back. 10 min later, Suveer calls me and tells me to expect a call from the VW DT service manager....which never happened.

I ring Suveer again after an hour and this time he put the VW DT Ranjit manager on the line who starts talking about about paperwork, reimbursement etc. Suveer cut him short and told him to give a proper status update by 3 PM today.

3 PM passes, 4.17 PM - Ranjit calls me and says the car is in Magrath Road but delivery will only be the next day. I immediately go there to examine the car.

To be fair, they seem to have done a good job. I review the final invoice. Rs 56000 or which the wheel was Rs 26000 and tyre Rs 8700 (you know never to go to a dealer for this!). Labour came to Rs 7000. I am promised delivery before 5.30 on Friday.

In terms of time

2 weeks to complete the insurance survey ( actual time 1 day)
3 Weeks of nothing
1 week lead time for all parts except wheel
2 weeks for wheel (due to goof up on wrong wheel)
4 days to complete repair (power cuts halted things)
10 days of nothing

A rough estimate is that even for Murphy's law - 3 weeks all inclusive (as they wanted to hold car till parts come in) would have been the maximum time taken.

This is all that was replaced (wheel arch liner is missing)

Attachment 1006512

That's pathetic service .They should make the process simple . Take car to dealer, surveyor sees and agrees, all parts available , yes ,give car to service , If No , they should order all the parts and call the customer when the all parts arrive .Why keep the car with them if they are not working ?

Who will pay for all this downtime (not having car) ?What are you driving till then , volvo ?

Hi!
I have booked a moon-rock silver VW Jetta Comfortline, and am expecting its delivery by Wednesday, on the day of Dusshera.
This will be my first Diesel car, both, as owned and driven.
You, and the rest on this thread are diesel sedan drivers, and i found it the best place to ask my queries.
1) How do i do a run-in on my car? I also own a Hyundai i10, and did its run-in for the first 2 services upto 2000rpm. The VW, as the sales rep told me, needs to be serviced once every 10,000km kms. So, i didn't get the puzzle here.
2) What diesel do you suggest? Well, i know the normal or the "sada" diesel is something that most of you would suggest me into, but if someone could spare some time and explain me the difference?
Thank you very much! Hoping for a reply soon!

Congrats on the Jetta, you will certainly enjoy it.

1) Many people say keep it below 2000rpm, which is ridiculous. That is so low that the turbo kick hardly even starts. Keep it below 3500rpm or 75% of the engines rpm for about 2000kms. Infact after 1000kms you can start giving it the beans once in a while. Personally I waited till 1000kms for my cars and even redlined them a few times before, and I know it would have caused no harm to the engine.

2) Sada diesel is the recommended one. The so called premium diesel contains additives which are bad for new common rail diesels running at high pressure. Infact they may cause more black smoke. Hence sada diesel is considered purer.

Ajmat, thats pathetic! Unbelievable even.
Car still on hold for a lost, nay stolen wheel logo! This is just not done.
If VW even cares about customers, they would just put that damn wheel logo and let the car go. Paper work can always be done later
.

They still don't care!

Rang service advisor, never picked up phone

Rang service manager, never picked up phone but he sms'd me since he was in a meeting and to call bodyshop manager

Called body shop manager- he never picked up and sms'd me saying that he is not at the workshop. I sms'd him saying my car was.......!

Sms'd the service manager the fact that it has been 55 days for a 2 day job and it I time I got an answer.

10 min later, I get an answer, wheel cap has come and is fitted. Insurance formalities need to be completed. We will call you in the evening.

They promptly did not call me in the evening. No one picked up their phones

Dealing with the Government is a lot more easier!

Wow Ajmat, I think you have been pretty calm about the whole thing. Like really calm. Many people in your place would have lost their temper a long time ago. Also, I remember one of your reasons for buying a VW was that Skoda service was bad, well I guess that reason isn't true anymore is it?

More so if the dealer is new. I do think there is no other way to deal with this situation than showing patience. He still needs the car at the end of the day. This situation can happen to each one of us. We are just plain lucky and we should continue to pray.

@Contimental- Start here. This forum is dedicated for TDI engines. I started using cruise after 15K KMs.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=252501