Turns out I bought a tuned CPO car

[Strange Mud]

also they need ALL keys when reprogramming. They had mentioned 1/2 hr to program, the time from dropping off keys till they called my name was <10 minutes.

 

[mrmatto]

Update: I had a great conversation with the dealership's owner this morning. He explained why they CPO'ed the vehicle, why it was eligible, why there were no signs of abuse, and why there was no obvious indication of a tune. And a reminder that the car has not been TD1'ed. He also explained the warranty claim process and how important the dealership is in that process in identifying for VW if a vehicle appears to have been abused or not. They've replaced many powertrain components on tuned cars under warranty before because there weren't signs of abuse. (I think this is what people mean when they say a shop is "mod-friendly.") He suggested that my safest route is to take the car back to stock, but understands why I would want to keep the tune, and noted a warranty claim could still be denied on a stock car if there's signs up abuse. I suggested switching to APR's low torque tune would be my preferred "middle ground" and he will talk to a tech about that. He still owes me an email with everything in writing, but I'm a little more comfortable with the situation now and I think we're headed to a good resolution soon.

 

[jimlloyd40]

Update: I had a great conversation with the dealership's owner this morning. He explained why they CPO'ed the vehicle, why it was eligible, why there were no signs of abuse, and why there was no obvious indication of a tune. And a reminder that the car has not been TD1'ed. He also explained the warranty claim process and how important the dealership is in that process in identifying for VW if a vehicle appears to have been abused or not. They've replaced many powertrain components on tuned cars under warranty before because there weren't signs of abuse. (I think this is what people mean when they say a shop is "mod-friendly.") He suggested that my safest route is to take the car back to stock, but understands why I would want to keep the tune, and noted a warranty claim could still be denied on a stock car if there's signs up abuse. I suggested switching to APR's low torque tune would be my preferred "middle ground" and he will talk to a tech about that. He still owes me an email with everything in writing, but I'm a little more comfortable with the situation now and I think we're headed to a good resolution soon.

Good luck. You've handled this very professionally and I'm sure that's why you're making progress.

 

[RuffledJersey]

If you're in a bigger city, you should have shops that specialize in car keys and fobs

I only had luck at dealer for key. I don't remember price but 2 was around $300 and they threw in programming

I haven’t had any luck finding locksmiths who will do VW keys. Dealers wanted around $350 to $400 to do one key with programming.

 

[GTIfan99]

Good luck. You've handled this very professionally and I'm sure that's why you're making progress.

That and this dealer really is a good dealer. Very mod friendly.

 

[mrmatto]

That and this dealer really is a good dealer. Very mod friendly.

He was very nice and respectful, and very knowledgeable about the inner workings at the dealership, which is frankly not always the case with others.

 

[Strange Mud]

I don't see any promise from him to cover anything if it is denied because of tune.

 

[mrmatto]

I don't see any promise from him to cover anything if it is denied because of tune.

No, and I don’t think that’s possible because denial would be based on the car having been abused, which the dealership would help determine. They can’t promise to cover it because it’s not as simple as TD1-or-not. A guarantee is not going to be possible.

 

[oddspyke]

I don't see any promise from him to cover anything if it is denied because of tune.

Yeah, the dealer line of "it hasn't been TD1 flagged yet" is like someone with herpes claiming they don't have it because they haven't been tested for it yet.

 

[GTIfan99]

I wonder if autocross and tracking is considered abuse?

Only driven by an old man on Sundays is how I'd phrase it though.

 

[Strange Mud]

a price adjustment or filing a claim either with VWoA or small claims. Go in with a fair number $1000? TIDK what the value of a wtty is but I believe that is a ballpark cost. You only have a limited wtty now, that is what you have lost. In my mind I would prefer actual cash in hand over the promise of future repairs.

 

[GTIfan99]

Yeah, the dealer line of "it hasn't been TD1 flagged yet" is like someone with herpes claiming they don't have it because they haven't been tested for it yet.

Truth.

And funny. You win the internet today.

 

[mrmatto]

Yeah, the dealer line of "it hasn't been TD1 flagged yet" is like someone with herpes claiming they don't have it because they haven't been tested for it yet.

His main point for sharing that was because they ran the VIN through ELSA and there weren't any flags that would have stopped them from CPO'ing it. He fully acknowledged it could be TD1'ed in the future.

 

[mrmatto]

Ultimately, what I want isn't possible: They can't guarantee CPO coverage because it's not a simple matter of whether the car is TD1'ed or not. They can't guarantee warranty coverage on a vehicle I might abuse, and I understand that. The best bet is for me to not abuse the car, then they'll have no reason to tell VW the car has been abused, limiting the chance a warranty claim is denied. Being a "mod-friendly" dealership, they've had plenty of successful powertrain warranty claims on tuned vehicles. There were some other "off the record" things shared on the call that I wouldn't want to repeat here so not to blow up anyone's spot or trust.

Their VWOA rep also recommended going back to the stock tune to reduce the chance of a denied claim. I'm not crazy about it, but I'll try it. This will help me decide which is more important: The warranty or the tune. I suspect I'll prefer the free tune. If the tune, they'll flash the tune back and then we'll all go on as it were. At that point, I may see if they'd be willing to offer some other sort of make-good or compensation, but that seems unlikely since they've offered to buy the car back.

In the end, the resolution may be nothing but to be thankful I bought certified at this dealer and not somewhere else. But I'm happier to come to that resolution with respect and understanding between both parties, than not.

 

[GTIfan99]

Ultimately, what I want isn't possible: They can't guarantee CPO coverage because it's not a simple matter of whether the car is TD1'ed or not. They can't guarantee warranty coverage on a vehicle I might abuse, and I understand that. The best bet is for me to not abuse the car, then they'll have no reason to tell VW the car has been abused, limiting the chance a warranty claim is denied. Being a "mod-friendly" dealership, they've had plenty of successful powertrain warranty claims on tuned vehicles. There were some other "off the record" things shared on the call that I wouldn't want to repeat here so not to blow up anyone's spot or trust.

Their VWOA rep also recommended going back to the stock tune to reduce the chance of a denied claim. I'm not crazy about it, but I'll try it. This will help me decide which is more important: The warranty or the tune. I suspect I'll prefer the free tune. If the tune, they'll flash the tune back and then we'll all go on as it were. At that point, I may see if they'd be willing to offer some other sort of make-good or compensation, but that seems unlikely since they've offered to buy the car back.

In the end, the resolution may be nothing but to be thankful I bought certified at this dealer and not somewhere else. But I'm happier to come to that resolution with respect and understanding between both parties, than not.

Get that cool hat.