gixxerfool
Autocross Champion
- Location
- New Jersey
- Car(s)
- 2016 Golf R
I am a new member here and a new VW owner.
Let me start by saying I have 20 years experience as a dealer tech. Early on made plenty of mistakes, but learned how to avoid them quickly in order to return the car to customer essentially better than they brought it in. I started working on cars because I was never satisfied with anyone else's work. It was usually rushed, half-assed or both. So I started doing it myself at a hobby/enthusiast level. I ended up with a job in a dealer and am still there.
I started searching for a Golf R over a year ago in my price range. Most of them were high mileage or beat up. So I waited for one to come around. Covid somehow shot car sales into the stratosphere pushing the R even further out of reach for me. All the while I was building equity in my car at the time and watching many a websites. Came across a super clean 2016 with DCC in Lapiz blue with only 22,000 on the clock. It was in my price range so I nabbed it.
Fast forward a few weeks and a rock hit my windshield cracking it. Since insurance was willing to pay for a VW glass, I went that route. I am not overly impressed with Safelite's install either, considering I have had four of their replacements leak. I ordered the glass and waited for it to arrive. The night before I was to take it to the dealer, I noticed a coolant leak from the thermostat/water pump area. I was bummed that I would have to pay for this even though I just got it, no big deal. Then after a good amount of Googling I come to find out my car may still have a warranty on it. Score. kind of.
I am very hesitant leaving my car anywhere and even more so having someone else work on it. Its hard to turn down a free repair. With my experience in service, I approached the writer the best way I could. Now let me say, he was super helpful in getting my windshield ordered for me. Since I was on my way to work, I was wearing my uniform and we got to talking shop. I really wanted to be able to build a good rapport with this place since there are other items I will need done by them in the future.
He looks up my vin and says I still have powertrain and he will have the leak looked at for me. Cool. I give him $20 for the help he has already given me and in the hopes of my car going to a decent tech. Car is covered and I have to leave it. It killed me leaving it there all weekend. I get the call Monday morning to come and get it. It was raining when I got it. I paid my bill (for the windshield) and went to inspect under the hood and the interior. All looked good and I made sure to go in and leave a tip for the tech. I get back to work and park it.
While parking a customer car I drive past mine (the rain had subsided at this point) and I noticed what looks like wax on the lower rocker. I go in for a closer look to find it creased and a large chunk scraped out of it with missing paint. I am hot at this point. I call the writer and explain to him what I found and he asks me to send him pics. I do so right away. He calls me to tell me to bring it back in a week so they can send it to the body shop for a couple of days. I told him that I am not really comfortable leaving it again and that I waited a while to find this car and have had it only three weeks. I scheduled anyways and then thought after the fact that they are likely going to try and repair the damage rather than replace the panel. I am not 100% on this, but I do not think I should have a creased rocker with fresh paint on it. But I am trying to give them a shot to make it right.
Sorry for the long rant, I feel like I may be petty in this, but it is infuriating that someone could be so careless and then not say anything. Thanks for reading
Let me start by saying I have 20 years experience as a dealer tech. Early on made plenty of mistakes, but learned how to avoid them quickly in order to return the car to customer essentially better than they brought it in. I started working on cars because I was never satisfied with anyone else's work. It was usually rushed, half-assed or both. So I started doing it myself at a hobby/enthusiast level. I ended up with a job in a dealer and am still there.
I started searching for a Golf R over a year ago in my price range. Most of them were high mileage or beat up. So I waited for one to come around. Covid somehow shot car sales into the stratosphere pushing the R even further out of reach for me. All the while I was building equity in my car at the time and watching many a websites. Came across a super clean 2016 with DCC in Lapiz blue with only 22,000 on the clock. It was in my price range so I nabbed it.
Fast forward a few weeks and a rock hit my windshield cracking it. Since insurance was willing to pay for a VW glass, I went that route. I am not overly impressed with Safelite's install either, considering I have had four of their replacements leak. I ordered the glass and waited for it to arrive. The night before I was to take it to the dealer, I noticed a coolant leak from the thermostat/water pump area. I was bummed that I would have to pay for this even though I just got it, no big deal. Then after a good amount of Googling I come to find out my car may still have a warranty on it. Score. kind of.
I am very hesitant leaving my car anywhere and even more so having someone else work on it. Its hard to turn down a free repair. With my experience in service, I approached the writer the best way I could. Now let me say, he was super helpful in getting my windshield ordered for me. Since I was on my way to work, I was wearing my uniform and we got to talking shop. I really wanted to be able to build a good rapport with this place since there are other items I will need done by them in the future.
He looks up my vin and says I still have powertrain and he will have the leak looked at for me. Cool. I give him $20 for the help he has already given me and in the hopes of my car going to a decent tech. Car is covered and I have to leave it. It killed me leaving it there all weekend. I get the call Monday morning to come and get it. It was raining when I got it. I paid my bill (for the windshield) and went to inspect under the hood and the interior. All looked good and I made sure to go in and leave a tip for the tech. I get back to work and park it.
While parking a customer car I drive past mine (the rain had subsided at this point) and I noticed what looks like wax on the lower rocker. I go in for a closer look to find it creased and a large chunk scraped out of it with missing paint. I am hot at this point. I call the writer and explain to him what I found and he asks me to send him pics. I do so right away. He calls me to tell me to bring it back in a week so they can send it to the body shop for a couple of days. I told him that I am not really comfortable leaving it again and that I waited a while to find this car and have had it only three weeks. I scheduled anyways and then thought after the fact that they are likely going to try and repair the damage rather than replace the panel. I am not 100% on this, but I do not think I should have a creased rocker with fresh paint on it. But I am trying to give them a shot to make it right.
Sorry for the long rant, I feel like I may be petty in this, but it is infuriating that someone could be so careless and then not say anything. Thanks for reading