To all the whiners complaining about spending 40k and having problems..
01-01-2001, 06:49 AM
#1
New Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 416
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To all the whiners complaining about spending 40k and having problems..
My partner bought a BMW 740. 2nd day dead battery. 2nd week dead battery. Waited 3 hours for tow. 6 months- waterpump disintegrates causing failure of power steering, and general control of car. 3 days in shop.
Another prinicipal buys a Boxster. First rain the top leaks like a sieve and the interior get drenched along with him.The defroster quits working along with the radio. A week in the shop and the top still doesn't close properly.
Yeah, expensive cars do have problems and I think the more complex and expensive the more possibility of having things go wrong.
On the other hand, I have also owned the following without ANY problems, ever:
1983, 1985,1990, 1992, 1996 Mustangs
1996 Bronco, 1997 Explorer and currently a 1999 Explorer (yes it had a major problem the Firestone tires)
My opinion for what it's worth: it;s damn hard to build a complicated machine with tens of thousands of parts and never have a problem or malfunctions.
Another prinicipal buys a Boxster. First rain the top leaks like a sieve and the interior get drenched along with him.The defroster quits working along with the radio. A week in the shop and the top still doesn't close properly.
Yeah, expensive cars do have problems and I think the more complex and expensive the more possibility of having things go wrong.
On the other hand, I have also owned the following without ANY problems, ever:
1983, 1985,1990, 1992, 1996 Mustangs
1996 Bronco, 1997 Explorer and currently a 1999 Explorer (yes it had a major problem the Firestone tires)
My opinion for what it's worth: it;s damn hard to build a complicated machine with tens of thousands of parts and never have a problem or malfunctions.
01-01-2001, 07:15 AM
#2
New Member
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree that it is difficult to move cutting-edge engineering to
production without having problems. At the same time, the manufacturer should stand behind their product and admit the limitations and notify everyone of known problems (rather than a random few) and the service providers (dealers) should all become knowledgable about the product so they can/will actually fix problems rather than reply to most problems with "it's supposed to do that".
01-01-2001, 07:20 AM
#3
New Member
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 231
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not a whiner, and yes there are problems
First of all, we all accept problems with complicated modern cars. I think the average car sold in the us has 2 or 3 defects in the first year. So that may mean some of the cars have no problems, and some have a lot.
The point with our "whining" on the TT is that the problems are consistent across the line. Grounding wires, DV valves, etc. are problems on nearly every car. Audi should fix that.
And finally, I'm picky about quality whether it's a $10 CD that has a broken jewel case or a $75,000 M5 that has had, well, not a single problem with it.
My M Roadster, which was replaced by the TT, had a loose plastic part on the rear license plate holder. It kept falling off, and the "fix" never worked. Finally, I called BMW NA, they sent a rep to my place of work, looked at it, and authorized a replacement of the trunk lid, which fixed the problem. I hated the problem, because it was so annoying in a $42,000 car. But at least BMW recognized it was a problem and fixed it.
I'm glad you have had so few problems with American built cars. I don't believe you, but I think our tolerance of the quality level of American cars is such that we ignore a lot of the problems. I will never, ever buy another American built car (except for the X5, since I'm hoping that BMW has kicked some rear end in SC).
The point with our "whining" on the TT is that the problems are consistent across the line. Grounding wires, DV valves, etc. are problems on nearly every car. Audi should fix that.
And finally, I'm picky about quality whether it's a $10 CD that has a broken jewel case or a $75,000 M5 that has had, well, not a single problem with it.
My M Roadster, which was replaced by the TT, had a loose plastic part on the rear license plate holder. It kept falling off, and the "fix" never worked. Finally, I called BMW NA, they sent a rep to my place of work, looked at it, and authorized a replacement of the trunk lid, which fixed the problem. I hated the problem, because it was so annoying in a $42,000 car. But at least BMW recognized it was a problem and fixed it.
I'm glad you have had so few problems with American built cars. I don't believe you, but I think our tolerance of the quality level of American cars is such that we ignore a lot of the problems. I will never, ever buy another American built car (except for the X5, since I'm hoping that BMW has kicked some rear end in SC).
01-01-2001, 07:27 AM
#4
New Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 363
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My two most trouble-free vehicles have been Fords...
I have owned several German cars and I love my TT. However, I drove a 1989 Probe off the dealer's lot and never had to return for any adjustments, trim problems or other warranty work (routine maintenance excepted) during the 3 years I owned it. My 2001 Sport Trac is following along the same way: I picked it up in July and have not been back for any reason--it is well equipped and not a thing out of adjustment or out of place in almost 6 months. The worst two cars I ever owned--as far as integrity and reliability--were an Oldsmobile (boy, did GM screw that marque up...and why did they improve it only before killing it?) and an Opel.
01-01-2001, 07:34 AM
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,702
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Doesn't it bother you that the Audi, for the most part, refuses to acknowledge most of the problems?
Doesn't anyone read? I think I got the most recent "whiners" thread going, but it seems everyone wants to voice their opinions without taking the time to read what I wrote. I understand there are going to be problems, no car is perfect, ever. But dammit, the company can take responsibility for the problems instead of leading some damn JFK cover-up. You could easily visit two dealerships in your city and get completely opposite responses about the existance of any particular problem. Minor problems are acceptable. They are a reality in anything mechanical. But a companies refusal to own up to their problems is BS. Sorry if that's whining to you.
01-01-2001, 07:44 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 9,428
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Agree. The point is that Audi's customer service stinks. That's why the President of the local....
Quattro club here just sold his Audi and bought a Lexus. Not saying I'd do the same, but it is irritating when Audi can't even acknowledge and resolve the consistent problems such as the DV, the CD noise, the light/lock bug, etc.
That said, I think there is a greater awareness of problems than ever before due to the internet and services such as this forum. In the past, I never would have known whether or not others were experiencing the same type of problems as I was. Also, all of the minor problems I've had have been easy to work around or fix. The biggest problem I've had with my car has been the DV, and all it took to fix it was a $150 part.
That said, I think there is a greater awareness of problems than ever before due to the internet and services such as this forum. In the past, I never would have known whether or not others were experiencing the same type of problems as I was. Also, all of the minor problems I've had have been easy to work around or fix. The biggest problem I've had with my car has been the DV, and all it took to fix it was a $150 part.
01-01-2001, 07:45 AM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 7,832
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
IMHO Audi HAS acknowledged and attempted to correct
most perceived problems... there hasn't been a warranty issue on my TTQC that hasn't been resolved fairly and to my satisfaction. The cost to Audi of attempting to solve the perceived suspension problem must have been significant and yet they attempted to do so, and when offered, most of us in the U.S. declined to have our cars "fixed". When one purchases a state of the art vehicle, at the begining of its production run, one has to recognize that there are some risks in doing so. There is no testing like real world testing. While $40k may be a lot of money to those of us purchasing the TT, it isn't really a significant amount for the purchase of a car in reality. I think we got one heck of a value for the price.
Trending Topics
01-01-2001, 08:26 AM
#10
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 5,866
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BMW's made in Spartanburg, S.C, ...
Orange just wanted to check my statistics but many Fords are made in Mexico and quality is top notch. I owned a new 97 Escort wagon as a second cheap low emmission vehicle. Never back to the dealer. I'de buy another. BMW suprisingly is making many models in the USA. See link. From the site:
"BMW Manufacturing Corp., BMW's first full U.S. manufacturing facility, is the worldwide production home of the entire Z3 model line, the M coupe, M roadster and the upcoming BMW X5, BMW's new Sports Activity Vehicle™. Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the plant has almost doubled in size since opening in 1994."<ul><li><a href="http://www.bmwusa.com/contact/manufacturing/manufacturing.html">http://www.bmwusa.com/contact/manufacturing/manufacturing.html</a</li></ul>
"BMW Manufacturing Corp., BMW's first full U.S. manufacturing facility, is the worldwide production home of the entire Z3 model line, the M coupe, M roadster and the upcoming BMW X5, BMW's new Sports Activity Vehicle™. Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the plant has almost doubled in size since opening in 1994."<ul><li><a href="http://www.bmwusa.com/contact/manufacturing/manufacturing.html">http://www.bmwusa.com/contact/manufacturing/manufacturing.html</a</li></ul>