Caution - dealer service rant.
02-07-2003, 10:31 AM
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Caution - dealer service rant.
Thought I should post here (to blow off steam) before I call the "Service Advisor" ;-)
5k - took it in for an Oil change, tire rotation, gripes about the tranny lag, persistent cluster squeek and the infamous 30-55 shudder. I left with just a tire rotation - I wasn't willing to pay $75+ for an oil change. The other problems got the standard "could not duplicate" response
8k (10 days ago) - service indicator comes on. In for early 10k servcice. Mention same problems again. Same respose again. Inform advisor that the desired "5" rating was not likely. To his credit, he schedules me in again to try and pin down the problems.
8.1k (yesterday am) they come get the car (nice). I point out to the tech the exact area of the squeek. Advisor calls calls late in the day - they have replaced the brake rotors - run-out was just beyond allowable. This may help the shudder. He also mentioned the tire pressures were all wrong. (i'm pretty careful about this....and generally run 38/40)
Car is delivered to me at work - as it approaches I hear the grinding/squealing sound one hears when Pads get worn out. No big, they must have noticed this after doing the work. I'm sure it will clear out on the drive home. Note slight shudder remains...
This morning, check pressures after night in garage - 32/32! Duh. Quick look at rotors, uneven dark circles would suggest pads were not replaced... Drive slowly down the street. Kids waiting for the bus look quizically at my nice shiny car, happily squealing away from the front wheels.
Take freeway to work to get some high speed time on the rotors. Note shudder still present, perhaps worse from tires too low. Drive through garage at work, note smirks from BMW owner at my squealer Audi...
It's experiences like this, and similar ones with my S4 before that make me wonder why the hell I bought a nearly $50k car. Why is it so difficult to get things done right the first (or even second) time? I want to love this car, but they are making it tough.
The best part - I just got a JD Power survey in the mail this week, asking about my experiences...
5k - took it in for an Oil change, tire rotation, gripes about the tranny lag, persistent cluster squeek and the infamous 30-55 shudder. I left with just a tire rotation - I wasn't willing to pay $75+ for an oil change. The other problems got the standard "could not duplicate" response
8k (10 days ago) - service indicator comes on. In for early 10k servcice. Mention same problems again. Same respose again. Inform advisor that the desired "5" rating was not likely. To his credit, he schedules me in again to try and pin down the problems.
8.1k (yesterday am) they come get the car (nice). I point out to the tech the exact area of the squeek. Advisor calls calls late in the day - they have replaced the brake rotors - run-out was just beyond allowable. This may help the shudder. He also mentioned the tire pressures were all wrong. (i'm pretty careful about this....and generally run 38/40)
Car is delivered to me at work - as it approaches I hear the grinding/squealing sound one hears when Pads get worn out. No big, they must have noticed this after doing the work. I'm sure it will clear out on the drive home. Note slight shudder remains...
This morning, check pressures after night in garage - 32/32! Duh. Quick look at rotors, uneven dark circles would suggest pads were not replaced... Drive slowly down the street. Kids waiting for the bus look quizically at my nice shiny car, happily squealing away from the front wheels.
Take freeway to work to get some high speed time on the rotors. Note shudder still present, perhaps worse from tires too low. Drive through garage at work, note smirks from BMW owner at my squealer Audi...
It's experiences like this, and similar ones with my S4 before that make me wonder why the hell I bought a nearly $50k car. Why is it so difficult to get things done right the first (or even second) time? I want to love this car, but they are making it tough.
The best part - I just got a JD Power survey in the mail this week, asking about my experiences...
02-07-2003, 10:43 AM
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Gotta tell it like it is, or this stuff will never get better. Personally, I've had great
experiences with my dealer service, but there are plenty of tales like yours to know that Audi has a long way to go to play in the same league as Lexus and Infinity when it comes to customer satisfaction. There's a local dealer here whose slogan hits it on the head, "Service sells the second car."
02-07-2003, 10:51 AM
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I agree...
There are a lot of people who say" If you keep complaining about the service the value of our cars will go down." Weel the only way Audi will start to address this is if the the cars are no longer selling well. Hit them in the market share. Then when Customer satisfaction goes back up so will the resale value of the cars.
02-07-2003, 11:16 AM
#5
I had persistant, yet mild pulsation in brake pedal
even after runout checked, rotors resurfaced etc. Similar in that I returned several times to get resolution. The thing that finally got me all new pads and rotors all the way around was that I insisted that the head service manager drive my car with me in it to reproduce the problem. The quick around the block road test that the tech's do was not enough to heat the brakes to reproduce the problem.
When I left warranty at 50K miles I was on my 3rd set of pads and 3rd set of rotors at all corners.
When I left warranty at 50K miles I was on my 3rd set of pads and 3rd set of rotors at all corners.
02-07-2003, 01:34 PM
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Please name dealers ... good or bad
Your posting would be much more useful to others here if you included the name of the dealership. Whether good or bad, information concerning the quality of service is somthing of real use to readers of the messages here.
02-07-2003, 01:44 PM
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No problem - Barrier Audi. Sales folks there have always been great to me. Service however...
they keep trying. I met the GM of the dealership last year and let him know where they needed improvement.
I bought both Audis there and going somewhere else for service is a PITA.
Maybe I'm just expecting too much?
I bought both Audis there and going somewhere else for service is a PITA.
Maybe I'm just expecting too much?
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02-07-2003, 01:59 PM
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Re: No problem - Barrier Audi. Sales folks there have always been great to me. Service however...
barrier audi sales person made my ride in the allroad the worst test drive in my life. note that these folks also sell porsches and jags from that location. they sell volvos around the corner in their other shops
after talking to friends in the neighborhood i went to university audi, because i really wanted a good test drive. They have the 'passport' service plan. i would highly suggest going there instead. They are the largest audi dealer around and they don't carry those 'other' cars.<ul><li><a href="http://uvas.com/en_US/">http://uvas.com/en_US/</a</li></ul>
after talking to friends in the neighborhood i went to university audi, because i really wanted a good test drive. They have the 'passport' service plan. i would highly suggest going there instead. They are the largest audi dealer around and they don't carry those 'other' cars.<ul><li><a href="http://uvas.com/en_US/">http://uvas.com/en_US/</a</li></ul>
02-07-2003, 02:05 PM
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Good point, although...
This Barrier location is only Audi/Saab now. They ditched Jaguar and moved Porsche downtown.
I've been to UVAS when I was shopping several times in the last 5 years but wasn't very impressed with the sales folks attention at the time.
They also sell VW there although the Subaru part seems to have vanished. So they aren't a one-brand dealer either.
I've been to UVAS when I was shopping several times in the last 5 years but wasn't very impressed with the sales folks attention at the time.
They also sell VW there although the Subaru part seems to have vanished. So they aren't a one-brand dealer either.
