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Warranty denied…as I did not put enough mileage on car

Funtuzzi

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Canada
This is some serious BS. Ask them to produce the language in the warranty that states that you must drive the car a certain amount of miles to cover the battery - or any other warrantied component for that matter. They won't be able to, because it doesn't exist. Then demand your money back and that they warranty the battery. If they refuse, call VW and report the incident, and request a refund from them.

Crap like this makes my blood boil, it's like the old VW of the '80s, where virtually every dealership was run like absolute crap.

Totally agree! This really pisses me off, as well!

The reason the dealer denied warranty on the battery is because they make more money when not charging warranty rates. Simple as that! I am a mechanic by trade, and run a shop now, but worked in dealerships for a long time as a Tech.

In my area, a typical shop rate is around $120/ hour when customer is paying for work performed. When warranty is paying for work, that rate might go down to $70 or $90 per hour, depending on your dealer status. Plus the book time for the repair is also lower because vehicle is newer, and doesn't have rusted bolts,......etc.

This is the main reason warranty claims are denied, and consumer gets the BS line of this is not covered by warranty. The shop Service Manager makes more money for the Dealer, and in turn he makes more money on commission. This is why some Dealers cover lots on Warranty, and other dealers bow out saying, this is not covered. It's GREED! Screw the customer, and make more money than if Warranty pays, even though it IS covered under Warranty! :mad:

Fight it, and get your money back, if you can. Might be too late now, and even fighting with VWoC might not get you anywhere. I've seen car companies back the Dealer, even though the customer was right!

Good luck!
 

Shane_Anigans

Drag Race Newbie
Location
SE MI
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport DSG
This happened a lot when I was a BMW service advisor. Before authorizing a warranty battery replacement, we'd have to download the data from the DME so the shop computers could analyze the driving profile, and if certain criteria were not met, they would not approve warranty replacement. Customers were generally unhappy to hear that, when the replacement cost was around $400 (parts and labor).

On newer cars, city driving barely charges the battery, if at all. At idle, the alternator is producing enough power to keep up with the electrical demands of the car, and not much else (all those control modules need electricity to work). You have to either drive on the freeway regularly, or get a charger/battery tender.

I'm not sure about how the VW warranty works in Canada, but I asked the service department at my local dealer, and they said that if the battery failed for any reason while the car was under warranty, it's covered.
 

Urlik

Go Kart Newbie
Location
San Angelo, TX
This happened a lot when I was a BMW service advisor. Before authorizing a warranty battery replacement, we'd have to download the data from the DME so the shop computers could analyze the driving profile, and if certain criteria were not met, they would not approve warranty replacement. Customers were generally unhappy to hear that, when the replacement cost was around $400 (parts and labor).

On newer cars, city driving barely charges the battery, if at all. At idle, the alternator is producing enough power to keep up with the electrical demands of the car, and not much else (all those control modules need electricity to work). You have to either drive on the freeway regularly, or get a charger/battery tender.

I'm not sure about how the VW warranty works in Canada, but I asked the service department at my local dealer, and they said that if the battery failed for any reason while the car was under warranty, it's covered.

I do know they have to hook it up to the VAG Tool to change the battery. The tool can test it too.
 

oldorange

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Canada
Update here on the battery being denied warranty. After calling the Ops manager and speaking with him, he told me that VW Canada was refusing to warrant batteries for low mileage cars. He said he had 10-12 refused in the last year and even tho' its not explicitly written that you must do minimum 10,000KMs per year VW jus twant allow the warranty claim. To his credit he refunded the cost of the battery and labor. Some faith in my local VW dealership now restored. :)
 

lcubed

Ready to race!
Location
midatlantic
fwiw, finally got my own battery replaced under the campaign this morning.
2.5 year old R with a mere 13,400 miles.

the only dealer requirement was that the vehicle had less than 35,000 miles accrued.
 

buyingconstant7

Ready to race!
Location
Calgary, AB
Car(s)
2007 GTI 3 Door 6spd
I work as a dealer tech at a VW dealer, we warranty batteries no matter what if it's under the 4 years/80,000km. But recently, VW did change battery warranties so the dealer may have a valid point, since VW post-dieselgate is beginning to get stingy with warranty claims. Also, yep we charge about the same for a battery. I believe the part is $140-150, and labour is 0.7 hours. Fair price? Labour not so much I'll admit but the part at $140 for an OEM battery rated for your starter, electrical system, etc. you can't beat. I would stick to OEM.
 

oldorange

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Canada
I work as a dealer tech at a VW dealer....

I was not overly concerned about the cost of the OEM battery. The labour cost aint terrible either. I mean, you cant get your washing machine fixed for <$100. :)


buyingconstant7 do you see many modded cars in for warranty work? What is your dealership's approach to this?
 

George Ab

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Pacific NW
I work as a dealer tech at a VW dealer, we warranty batteries no matter what if it's under the 4 years/80,000km. But recently, VW did change battery warranties so the dealer may have a valid point, since VW post-dieselgate is beginning to get stingy with warranty claims. Also, yep we charge about the same for a battery. I believe the part is $140-150, and labour is 0.7 hours. Fair price? Labour not so much I'll admit but the part at $140 for an OEM battery rated for your starter, electrical system, etc. you can't beat. I would stick to OEM.

Not questioning the pricing, I am questioning that the OEM battery is "properly" rated for our car. The OEM battery has a woefully inadequate capacity for all the electrical load of our cars. I believe this is at the heart of the battery problems. That is why at the first opportunity I upgraded to a larger capacity battery more suited to our load requirments.

http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7926
 
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