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Volkswagen UK customer service, various complaints

In the past few months I have received numerous emails and responses to a gripe about the quality of customer service provided at various UK Volkswagen dealerships around the country.  I'm sure the customer service at VW isn't always this bad, but as ever it is probably a good idea to take into account the opinions of others before embarking on any purchase or handing over hard earned cash!

Various gripes about Volkswagen UK customer service

P. Bevin - Here's a review of sorts for you. Ever contacted Volkswagen UK customer services to try to resolve a problem with one of their franchises?  Don't bother - the bottom line is they have little or no influence.  I experienced the worst ever customer service from a Surrey based Volkswagen dealer, they wouldn't reply to letters or phone calls from me over a disputed bill and then ignored Volkswagen UK when I turned to them for assistance.  Ridiculous when you consider the new car Im getting this year was going to be a Volkswagen and will now be a Honda thanks to this awful experience.

MG - My new Volkswagen Passat (6 months old) has been in the Volkswagen garage for the past 2 weeks.  The problem this time is that the car cannot be locked.  They tried to change everything, but still cannot get it working.  I am extremely frustrated with Volkswagen because I do not know where or how to contact them.  The only route as far as I can see is to contact Volkswagen through one of the franchises.  My car has been in for the service for almost a month now during the past 6 months.  In my opinion, Volkswagen service is not exactly the best in the world.

Volkswagen UK customer service - VW Logo Margaret - I bought a new Polo 1.4 FSI in November 2003.  It has had two non-standard faults.  The first when the car cut out for no apparent reason, randomly.  The VW garage in Guildford could not find the fault until I refused to return the coutesy car until they did.  Lo and behold the fault was found (a chip in the engine not recognising the ignition key even when it has been running for some miles).  The garage were very dismissive of me (as a woman) but did eventually mend it under warranty.  It is a few months out of warranty and has done 31,000 miles and the catalytic converter has gone which I am told will costs 700 for parts, let alone labour!  This is the second non-standard fault on the car and the local VW agent (Martin's in Farnham) are not prepared to make a goodwill gesture.  Grrrh!

Annoyed - I ordered a brand new Volkswagen from a West Yorkshire dealer on 31st March 2007, at that point we had not had the best customer service from and were treated a bit patronisingly (maybe should've thought twice then!).  I purchased the EOS and my partner wanted to purchase the Golf GTI as his company car.  I was allowed to test drive the EOS, however my partner was not allowed to test drive the GTI!  (Consequently he took his business elsewhere and ordered a Honda).  I was contacted a week after my order; since then, nothing.  I have made contact with them, but not had my call returned, nor is there a definite delivery date on my car despite being told 8-12 weeks.  When I do contact them I am treated as a hindrance and feel that I am wasting the sales rep's time.  I am very unhappy and cant really in all confidence recommend this particular VW dealership to anyone.

S Hussain - I own a VW Touareg and believe me I have had 2 years of nothing but pain from this dealer in Twickenham.  If you can get past the feisty receptionists you are very lucky!  I have called 3 times in as many days and they do not bother to call me back.  Compared to BMW who were always keen to help and very polite, always requesting feedback on their service - I can't stand VW and cant wait to change manufacture

Anonymous - I have just had my VW Golf to a main dealer for service and it has come back with more faults than it went with, i.e.  leaky rear wash wipe, broken exhaust bracket etc.  About a day after the service, the engine management light came on, faulty ignition coil!  Guess what, I have now got to wait 3 weeks for a spare, because there aren't any - it really makes you wonder!  I am seriously considering abandoning my brand loyalty - I've had VW cars for 20 years!

By: Volkswagen Customers

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For those of you who have to contact the VW "Customer couldn`t care less department" be warned, at all costs avoid having your complaint handled by a Miss Natelie Williams as I am sure you will find, like I did, that her arogant manner and her inability to keep her mouth shut and ears open so that at the very least she could hear the details of the issue, will infuriate the hell out of you. Why someone thought she has the skills required to deal with any customer is beyond me.......you have been warned!

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John DR - 24-Jan-12 10:53 

ESP light came on in my 2006 Golf GT TDi. Visited Citygate in Ruislip who had the car in for a diagnostic test. They told me I needed a repair to the ABS unit at a cost of £650. I therefore used a local VW Audi Specialist who charged me £298 for the repair. Also turned out the the VW dealer has wrongly diagnosed the fault in the first place and charged me £40 for this priviledge! Citygate Ruislip are useless rip off merchants! Stay clear!

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Stevo - 12-Jan-12 12:04 

Just thought I'd let you all know Beadles are not to be trusted. Came to this conclusion after their VW MAIDSTONE dealer sold me a car which had already been purchased by another buyer. Got my money refunded but nothing in the way of compensation for the huge inconvenience it caused me. Am left wondering whether this was genuinely a mistake or whether I've just been taken for a ride. I'd avoid the whole dealership like the plague.

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Disgruntled - 10-Jan-12 17:47 

Latest shock news from VW. They do not expect thier cars to last more than three years. Without going into the boring details of why they have failed to deliver a new car for over 41 weeks thier "customer care" department refused to offer an extended VW warrentee since this would apparently leave them "exposed to unacceptable costs". How ever they have offered to pay for a "third party extended warrentee" which obviously I have accepted. It makes you wonder dosn`t it that if VW have no confidence in thier own product then why should we as thuer customer.

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John DR - 8-Jan-12 14:00 

Becky. Stalag 14 is quite right, in that a snapped crankshaft is a rarity, I only know of two, strangely enough both owned by the same motorist, a personal friend of mine. Ask your garage for the pieces of the offending crank. It is so rare an occurrence they are bound to still have them, after all they are your property. Then send the pieces to VW for their comment. If the garage is telling the truth there is no problem, if they are telling lies & the snapped crank does not exist you will then know. Stand your ground girl. I would also show them the replies you have received to your G,O, T,W.

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Boblet - 30-Dec-11 18:02 

I would have thought it impossible for a crankshaft to snap unless it had a latent defect in the metal when it was manufactured.

Don't you mean a big end or main bearing gone? This is usually caused by lack of oil due to bad maintenance or a blockage caused by adding additives or using the wrong grade of oil.

If indeed the crankshaft has snapped you need to get it examined by a metallurgist, try your local university or college they may help you as an "exercise"

If it has a defect you have a valid claim against VW

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Stalag 14 - 28-Dec-11 15:49 

The crankshaft snapped in my 3 year old Eos. Just out of warranty and VW claim this must be driver error or the car would not have last 3 years! The best they can do is offer me 25% off the £9000 bill. They've had my car 8 weeks...still no courtesy car! Anyone any advice who to complain to/contact for assistance??
Thanks

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Becky - 28-Dec-11 15:06 

I am picking up my volkswagen golf tomorrow from my Volkswagen dealer. It is 5 years old and I bought it new from this dealer. They are repairing the cylinder head gasket. They have had it for a week and they are charging me £1610 and this is after they gave me a rebate of a £100 after a prolonged debate. Is this not an extortionate price?

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Mr C - 19-Dec-11 12:44 

i bought a vw golf on a 58 plate and wish i hadnt. it has had a high ambient temp starting fault since new.it has been back and had software updates etc but come next summer it will be apain again.i am going to sell the vehicle because the entire vw organisation is fraught with incompetance.
bob west yorks

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bomber lomas - 3-Nov-11 19:07 

I can only agree with others regarding vw service, I bought a brand new vw transporter lwb with Sportline kit, just found out its illegal, as the wheels and tyres are not suitable for the vehocle I.e can't take the vehicle wait VW Customer Care don't want to know, still fighting after 2 weeks, so gone to rospa & vosa, see what they say as so far 3 mot stations including a VW one have failed it, although all Original VW Kit!

If anyone else has the issue contact me
Gary-heath@btclick.com. All lower case

Maybe they'll listen to a crowd

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gary - 6-Oct-11 20:40 

Where have all the Beatles gone?
Long time fixing.
Where have all the Beamers gone?
Rotting in the drive.
Where have all the Audis gone?
Fools have bought them every one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the Mercedes gone?
Long time broken down
Where have all the Porsches gone?
In the garage everyone
Where have all the Opels gone?
The Krauts have kidded you again
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

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Boblet - 18-Sep-11 10:27 

Subject : PASSAT 2010 DISSAPOINTMENT

Dear sir ,
Iam Dr.Ahmed soliman Lasheen From Egypt ,
owner of passat 2010 .
Start from june 2009 i was believe in passat and intend to have it BUT hear from some 2009 passat owners that the car has problems in gearbox and Volkswagen Egypt recall from the market to solve this problem .
start of 2010 i asked Volkswagen Egypt custumer service and informed me that overcome this problem in 2010 model and the evidence the new changes in the car in (v model in driving wheel) .
and then i take 2010 model from Volkswagen Egypt .
Now i have the same problem with my Passat 2010 and now the car in the agent maintanance work shop with the same problem in gearbox.
this problem start in 8/9/2011 while travelling in high way the car stoped in the middle of the road and no way to re-engine it again .and i call the agent told me that this problem in gearbox and the car now in the agent workshop and they no idea how to solve this problem and i don't know what to do.
and i can't understand till now what's happened ?
car like Passat with its money value here in Egypt after taxes has problem like this and after 33000 km and put me in situation like this in high way road with my family and kids '
really we face death in this day.and now the agent have no idea and the car stopped in the agent till what?
the car code is( wvw 3z3czapo22778)
(3c21c7 passat lim)
please now i wait for your quik response

thanks
Dr.Ahmed soliman lasheen
ahmd.lashin@yahoo.com
002-0106074777

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Ahmed Lasheen - 16-Sep-11 21:30 

VW' customer service is very poor and the dealers not any better. The quality of product is certainly not how it used to be. In 2008 I took delivery of a new Golf 170GTD on a 12 month lease (thank god) the thing then broke down 19 times in 9 months with DPF issues and in only 4,000 miles, it spent 2 months of that time in the dealer. VW Customer service were useless.

I have just taken delivery in March of a new T5 Shuttle SE DSG at a cost of £41K, there have been a number of issues from a noisey DSG box to poor trim to electric side door failing, lumbar support not working, expensive factory fitted sat nav not working off postcodes etc. etc. VW Van Centre Bridgwater, Somerset completely useless, even hit the car for me, supplying dealer Listers of Worcester not much better and VW Customer services well words fail me. I have made a decision that I will not touch another VW product again. Back to Mitsubishi for me.

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all624 - 27-Jun-11 17:36 

My wife's Golf, was put in for a 'fixed price' service for £95 in January 2011. During this service the garage suggested that glowplugs 2 and 3 were replaced.I agreed to the work. 20 minutes later they sheared off glowplug 2 in the cylinder head, this required the cylinder head to be removed at a cost of £518! I refused and claimed one of 3 things; the VW service interval was incorrect, faulty workmanship or faulty part. The price was subsequently reduced to £350. On collection the service manager produced an invoice from February 2010, this stated "advise customer glowplugs 2 and 3 will require replacing". I claimed had it been categorically stated that the glowpugs had to be changed then I was sure we would have had the work done. Arriving home I checked my invoices again to find glowplugs 2 and 3 had indeed been replaced less than a year ago. Tthe garage agreed to refund the costs incurred in total. Great customer service, but, lousy servicing. A day later the car would not start and had to be towed away. It stayed for another 5 weeks. It does not even take that long to build one! The diagnosis then included broken wires, multiple faults that could not be diagnosed and eventually the ECU. It was with extreme reluctance that I agreed to allow them to change the ECU at a cost of over £1000. When my wife went to collect the car the bill was over £1600. She got as far as the forecourt when the dashboard lit up like a christmas tree, the car stayed for a further 2 weeks. During that time they replaced the battery and all of the faults disappeared? However, they still swear blind that the original ECU was at fault. Did I pay £1600 for a new battery?????........and how will I ever know if the main VW Customer Service is as bad as everyone tells me?

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Peetey G - 13-Jun-11 15:14 

my 2007 passat broke down in Spain .
I was towed to a VW dealership in Salamanca they diagnosed replacement of a fuel injector the cost was 900 euros VW paid 70% of this. I broke down again the next day, by this time I was 130 mile away from the repairer. I was towed to another VW main dealer who diagnosed the same problem, with a repair cost of 3000 euro to change the other three injectors. this garage new of this problem as they had changed several before. They contacted VW HQ who agreed to pay the whole of the bill. Thank you VW.

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SMUDGE - 26-May-11 16:32 

VW staff have no manners at all, i'm speaking of the staff who work at vw sinclair cardiff, their garage serviced my car and the fixed priced was £240, but in the end they charged me well over £1300 and guess what?the very next day my car had permanent problems, for three years the car has been in constant limp mode,fuel cuts or power loss, I took the car back to them and all they ever did was switching off the engine management light as soon as it came on, and told me the car was fine but obviously it wasn't. then I complained to the staff at vw and the idiots in suits who think they are better than customers, said to me, ''well we diagnosed your car and fixed all the problems, these must be new problems occurring'' I kept on arguing but once vw takes your money they don't care about anything else.since then i've spent around £4000 trying to fix the problems from different garages but this was never sorted, now the car is in it worse state ever and I can't sell it, the car is stressing me out knowing that I own a car that can't be fixed and nobody wants to buy, the car is valued at £5500 but it seems like I have to sell it for £1000, , I don't understand how these VW stealers people sleep at night, no conscience nor guilt,THANK YOU SO MUCH VW you have been a great help

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Thedon - 25-May-11 09:13 

VW staff have no manners at all, i'm speaking of the staff who work at vw sinclair cardiff, their garage serviced my car and the fixed priced was £240, but in the end they charged me well over £1300 and guess what?the very next day my car had permanent problems, for three years the car has been in constant limp mode,fuel cuts or power loss, I took the car back to them and all they ever did was switching off the engine management light as soon as it came on, and told me the car was fine but obviously it wasn't. then I complained to the staff at vw and the idiots in suits who think they are better than customers, said to me, ''well we diagnosed your car and fixed all the problems, these must be new problems occurring'' I kept on arguing but once vw takes your money they don't care about anything else.since then i've spent around £4000 trying to fix the problems from different garages but this was never sorted, now the car is in it worse state ever and I can't sell it, the car is stressing me out knowing that I own a car that can't be fixed and nobody wants to buy, the car is valued at £5500 but it seems like I have to sell it for £1000, , I don't understand how these VW stealers people sleep at night, no conscience nor guilt,THANK YOU SO MUCH VW you have been a great help

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Thedon - 25-May-11 08:37 

Golf mkv gti ignition coil recall, no problem or so I thought! The first one fitted put the car into limp mode for a week, back to vw and a replacement fitted all ok until I lift the bonnet a couple of days later! Air intake cover screws where loose, the cover missing completely where the intake pipe was virtually hanging off where it goes into the engine cover, not even clampled back on, they had also lost my rubber washer on the oil filler cap! Three trips to garage later i'm still missing the intake cover as they ordered the wrong bit, so far it's cost me 250 miles, £80 in fuel and this from the garage I was recommended after the previous one tried to rip me off for two front tyres and pads all round that I got another 8500 miles from! Havent got much faith to say the least!

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Gristy - 20-May-11 17:47 

I owned a small back street garage, lock stock & barrel, however when I went to the local VW garage for spares for their broken wonder cars, I was never allowed trade discount & was treated like rubbish by VW staff, they think they are superior, as do VW drivers, as do Germans. I can guarantee the VW car is no better than a Ford or Vauxhall. The superior attitude of VW staff may come from the German parent company. VW owners are all part of the myth. German cars are no better. You are no better. Germans are no better.

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Boblet - 11-May-11 11:13 

My VW Polo 1.4 automatic, 52 reg, has just suffered engine falure after 28882 miles in spite of regular service by an appointed VW dealer, Beadles of Dartford. Otherwise the car is in excellent condition. The dealer has dismissed my grievance on the grounds of the age of the car hence prior assurances of quality of VW service and customer care are worthless.

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Roger - 11-May-11 09:26 

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