J_C
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- Chino Hills, CA
Q
Last edited:
7
Need you guys opinion! VW dealer's service center rip off me I think...
- Thread starter J_C
- Start date
J_C
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- Chino Hills, CA
Well... as a result, I refused to get back my car from the Puente Hills dealership service center.
I claimed this case to the customer care Advocate at VW USA headquarter. It does not make any sense that how brand new car needs carbon build up and replacement spark plugs at 22,000miles.
And I have talked with the VW Puente Hills service manager, he said he would like to inspect my car couple more days if there is another cause.
They will come back to me with answer on coming this Monday. I don't think they are gonna charge even a penny. I will keep post on it here wish there's no more victim like me.
I really appreciate you guys attention and advice!! [emoji106][emoji106]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I claimed this case to the customer care Advocate at VW USA headquarter. It does not make any sense that how brand new car needs carbon build up and replacement spark plugs at 22,000miles.
And I have talked with the VW Puente Hills service manager, he said he would like to inspect my car couple more days if there is another cause.
They will come back to me with answer on coming this Monday. I don't think they are gonna charge even a penny. I will keep post on it here wish there's no more victim like me.
I really appreciate you guys attention and advice!! [emoji106][emoji106]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
J_C
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- Chino Hills, CA
J_C
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- Chino Hills, CA
I forgot to ask - OP, did you ask them to show you the carbon buildup in each cylinder, and the spark plugs? Ideally, they would have needed to remove the intake manifold unless they have a high quality bore scope, probably with a 90-degree mirror attached. Would you know what you're looking at if they did?
I've personally seen service advisors at dealerships rip off people. One called only women and told them they needed one thing or another. He would say the mechanic recommended they needed brake pads, rotors, or whatever. What he didn't know was the foreman was a friend. When I needed something done I called him personally and gave him the car directly. I always waited. When it was done, the service advisor just pulled up the job and I paid. He never paid attention to me or my car. Too busy ripping people off, I suppose. The one time I didn't wait (too busy right after 9/11) I made an appointment through the service advisor for an oil change because I needed a ride back to my base. I still let my friend know, because he was the only one who worked on my car. I always had a case of beer in the trunk for him
So the advisor calls me and said the mechanic said one of my rotors was too thin, and it needed replacement. Of course I knew it was BS. I told the advisor to put on a new one, and it was at no cost. He asked why. I told him I just had the rotors cut with new brake pads, and if the rotor was thin it was because the mechanic cut it too thin. He told me to hold on, and comes back and tells me he rechecked and it turns out it was OK. I know he never checked. I told the foreman when I picked up my car. The advisor was fired. There's upselling, and there's out and out lying. I don't know if the owner didn't condone lying, or he was afraid I would tell people. I hope it was the former.
The moral of the story is, if you don't want to be ripped off, learn everything you can about your car. Spend the time and money to learn to how to diagnose your own car. Buy a VCDS. Buy the service manual. Sure, it helps if you are/were a mechanic but if you're an enthusiast you should have the interest in learning. Stick with one dealership, and get to know the mechanics. Find out if they have a favorite beer. I never met a mechanic who didn't appreciate a tip. There's people here that will say why should they need to, and that's fine. They're the ones who write rip-off stories. I decided I'd rather tip the mechanic well then to need to deal with service advisors. If you don't know, service advisors work solely on commission. Especially when I want something extra, like when I get new tires I have the mechanic remove every trace of glue from the wheel weights and clean the whole barrel. That takes time. As you probably know, mechanics get paid a flat rate for a job no matter how long it takes. Prettying up your car isn't in the book.
I've personally seen service advisors at dealerships rip off people. One called only women and told them they needed one thing or another. He would say the mechanic recommended they needed brake pads, rotors, or whatever. What he didn't know was the foreman was a friend. When I needed something done I called him personally and gave him the car directly. I always waited. When it was done, the service advisor just pulled up the job and I paid. He never paid attention to me or my car. Too busy ripping people off, I suppose. The one time I didn't wait (too busy right after 9/11) I made an appointment through the service advisor for an oil change because I needed a ride back to my base. I still let my friend know, because he was the only one who worked on my car. I always had a case of beer in the trunk for him
So the advisor calls me and said the mechanic said one of my rotors was too thin, and it needed replacement. Of course I knew it was BS. I told the advisor to put on a new one, and it was at no cost. He asked why. I told him I just had the rotors cut with new brake pads, and if the rotor was thin it was because the mechanic cut it too thin. He told me to hold on, and comes back and tells me he rechecked and it turns out it was OK. I know he never checked. I told the foreman when I picked up my car. The advisor was fired. There's upselling, and there's out and out lying. I don't know if the owner didn't condone lying, or he was afraid I would tell people. I hope it was the former. The moral of the story is, if you don't want to be ripped off, learn everything you can about your car. Spend the time and money to learn to how to diagnose your own car. Buy a VCDS. Buy the service manual. Sure, it helps if you are/were a mechanic but if you're an enthusiast you should have the interest in learning. Stick with one dealership, and get to know the mechanics. Find out if they have a favorite beer. I never met a mechanic who didn't appreciate a tip. There's people here that will say why should they need to, and that's fine. They're the ones who write rip-off stories
. I decided I'd rather tip the mechanic well then to need to deal with service advisors. If you don't know, service advisors work solely on commission. Especially when I want something extra, like when I get new tires I have the mechanic remove every trace of glue from the wheel weights and clean the whole barrel. That takes time. As you probably know, mechanics get paid a flat rate for a job no matter how long it takes. Prettying up your car isn't in the book.PouncingPanzer1
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- Cleveland/Amish Country
At that year and mileage, absolutely nothing should have come from your pocket. Dealers like that give the good ones like mine a horrible rap and it genuinely pisses me off. That wouldn't be warranty, people need to understand the difference between warranty and goodwill. That is an example of something that should've went goodwill. Which means VW cooperate just pays the dealer to perform the service at the dealers pricing.
We began doing so many carbon cleanings that my dealer made it a menu item to select from. The price went from nearly $1,000 for labor and larts to about $600. We bought a couple walnut blasters and a ton of injector seal and intake manifold seal kits and would just kit the jobs up like a 40k maintenance or such.
Sorry, you got skinned man. It's one thing if you had 22,000mi and it was a 2012, but being a 2017, that should've been a freebie for ya :/ In my opinion.
Also, we would provide before and after pictures and attach them to the customer copy of the w/o. The visual aid helped them feel much better about the service they bought, and helps build amazing trust.
We began doing so many carbon cleanings that my dealer made it a menu item to select from. The price went from nearly $1,000 for labor and larts to about $600. We bought a couple walnut blasters and a ton of injector seal and intake manifold seal kits and would just kit the jobs up like a 40k maintenance or such.
Sorry, you got skinned man. It's one thing if you had 22,000mi and it was a 2012, but being a 2017, that should've been a freebie for ya :/ In my opinion.
Also, we would provide before and after pictures and attach them to the customer copy of the w/o. The visual aid helped them feel much better about the service they bought, and helps build amazing trust.
Hoon
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Rhode Island
This makes no sense.
My car needed plugs at 20k, but I'm tuned and drive the car hard.
For carbon buildup to be severe at 22k is abnormal. For it to damage plugs, it would have to be so severe that carbon chips were bouncing around the combustion chamber and actually damaging the plug.
I HIGHLY doubt that.
$999 seems too cheap for plugs and a walnut blasting, so I'm wondering if the "cleaning" was a can of solvent.
About 10 years ago a VW dealer tried to charge my mother $300+ to spray a can of cleaner on a throttle body.
My car needed plugs at 20k, but I'm tuned and drive the car hard.
For carbon buildup to be severe at 22k is abnormal. For it to damage plugs, it would have to be so severe that carbon chips were bouncing around the combustion chamber and actually damaging the plug.
I HIGHLY doubt that.
$999 seems too cheap for plugs and a walnut blasting, so I'm wondering if the "cleaning" was a can of solvent.
About 10 years ago a VW dealer tried to charge my mother $300+ to spray a can of cleaner on a throttle body.
JC_451
Autocross Champion
- Location
- NJ, one of the nice parts.
- Car(s)
- 2017 GTI Sport
J_C
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- Chino Hills, CA
Hi guys,
I just get back my car and I needed to pay $227 to realese back my car. (VWoA paid rest of amount $772 for carbon build up.)
VWoA conclusion is spark plugs and air filter are not under warranty.
I still have concern that the real problem is not carbon build up. The Puente Hills VW Service center said low-quality fuel use might make carbon that made the spark plugs burned so fast but I only gave 91 Octane Mobile gas.
I guess if it was really needed carbon build up there is must be defect on engine, maybe injector inject too much gas in cylinders.
And I just confirmed the other 3 of VW dealer service center the spark plugs needed replacement usually 40,000 miles.
I do not feel good about this I still have many of question mark at their service.
I'm attaching the receipt and valve pictures that they provided.
Anyway, I would send e-mail them this thread.
Please let me hear your opinion.
I really appreciate your help.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I just get back my car and I needed to pay $227 to realese back my car. (VWoA paid rest of amount $772 for carbon build up.)
VWoA conclusion is spark plugs and air filter are not under warranty.
I still have concern that the real problem is not carbon build up. The Puente Hills VW Service center said low-quality fuel use might make carbon that made the spark plugs burned so fast but I only gave 91 Octane Mobile gas.
I guess if it was really needed carbon build up there is must be defect on engine, maybe injector inject too much gas in cylinders.
And I just confirmed the other 3 of VW dealer service center the spark plugs needed replacement usually 40,000 miles.
I do not feel good about this I still have many of question mark at their service.
I'm attaching the receipt and valve pictures that they provided.
Anyway, I would send e-mail them this thread.
Please let me hear your opinion.
I really appreciate your help.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
J_C
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- Chino Hills, CA
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
J_C
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- Chino Hills, CA
Thank you! I would talk to them.
I am going to keep post this on here.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk