Golf MK7 GTI formally rejected 10/06/2015
After 8 months of listening to the rear shock absorber racket and where my GTI is on its 4th set of shocks I could not recommend a GTI car to anyone based upon my experience, unless fitted with DCC.
June 4th 2015: Its official, well according to a customer service manager at the executive office of VWUK -
the Golf MK7 rear suspension noise is a characteristic of the model. Really - so why did they bother to change the shock absorbers 3 times in 6,500 miles and why don’t they tell me this before I parted with my money, why don’t they put this in the brochure.
I have now formally rejected the car and have been offered 3 options by the VWUK Executive Office. The last offer of vouchers was adding insult to injury considering the cost and inconvenience and lack of driving pleasure.
This is the content of my letter today to the executive office. Somehow I feel this could go down the financial ombudsman's route but I am prepared, as I have that much evidence of this long standing problem that for many owners is unfixable.
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
For the attention of: Mr
Dear Mr xxxxxxxxxxxx,
As you will be aware, I have had what I presume to be your proposals emailed to me via xxxxx VW that I have had time to consider and now I would like to comment.
Within that email it is mentioned that the noise from the suspension is a
“characteristic” of the model. If this is the official position from Volkswagen Germany then prove it to me by emailing me a copy of the correspondence received from Germany that details this. I think I am entitled to know when this became the official line as obviously, there must have been a time when VW actually decided that they could not fix the issue and therefore had no other course of action but to redefine this fault as a “characteristic”. The dealer stating in an email to me this morning that "the Executive office will not elaborate further" is confirmation that you do not want to show your hand hand or put anything on record directly.
If you consider the noise is a “characteristic” of the Model, then who decided this and when was this deemed a “characteristic”?. Does VW Germany go along with that view or is it just a personal view or that of VWUK as a company? I don’t even have proof that original proposal came from anyone else but xxxx VW and that is not wholly satisfactory. One would have thought that VWUK could have made a more official proposal in perhaps the form of a word document with official letter heading and signature. I therefore formally advise you that I confirm my rejection of the vehicle and request a refund. If the offer is unsatisfactory then that will leave me no alternative to but to commence the process through the financial ombudsman. The question over the details and date of VW’s official position of this so-called “characteristic” of the vehicle will be questioned in my complaint.
The financial ombudsman made it quite clear in the report relating to a MR E who complained of the same issue last year, that he was persuaded that the issue is a recognised manufacturing fault. The adjudicator last year also concluded that this issue was an inherent fault. He made no mention of it being a “characteristic”.
So when does a fault become a “characteristic”, only when it’s convenient to do so by Volkswagen. Therefore I was sold a vehicle with
a recognised manufacturing fault an inherent fault.
Given the ombudsman’s assessment of the same complaint from MR E last year then they already have a little on the history of this suspension issue relating to this model and will therefore look upon my issue very favourably, particularly given the amount of evidence that I am able to produce. As I am sure you will agree that a swift and satisfactory resolution to this long running issue is now required otherwise this will leave me with little option but to withhold payments and initiate legal proceedings?
Yours sincerely
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bvS3g2vXFI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN3-8Ib4k_g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_1cLNtr75Y
I know very well that I am not alone with this issue so if anyone wants more information from me then please PM me or email me at
richard@fuelboss.co.uk.
http://vwgolfmk7problems.uk/ VW in my opinion deserve negative publicity over there failure to come clean about this issue and my full story is being published in as many places as possible on the web. This website will have more content added shortly.
email received this morning 11/06/2015 form another dissatisfied owner. The name has been withheld for obvious reasons.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me. It sounds like you have had a pretty rough deal with your car and I would be very interested to know the final outcome. Not really what we expect is it when we buy a premium product from a reputable manufacturer??!
I have just called VWUK customer services this morning and am awaiting a call back. As I said earlier, my car is now on the 3rd set of shocks and 2nd set of top mounts. I like you have wracked my brain over this issue, taking everything out of the boot, driving at different speeds on different road types etc. The amount of phone calls and trips to my local dealer in xxxxxx has been quite consuming but the worst of it is I do not get the enjoyment from driving my car that I should and this is the bit that pisses me off the most. I know it should be a hard ride but not noisy… My previous GTi MkV was silent even after 80k miles.
Well I will let you know the outcome when it moves to the next stage. No doubt they will be cagey and dismissive of the issue and simply arrange for more shockers to be fitted.
How many are there out there with the same issue?
Interesting to read this morning that another owner has rejected their car.