Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

Here you go Q. Miles a little high, but clean one owner, and I love the colors, and has the right options (Navi, BLIS). And the price is right. Heck, If I needed something right now, I would be down taking a look! Helps that I don't put a lot of miles per year on a car, so starting a little high, is NBD.

Should qualify on your get 2 cars to replace 1 plan!

I will actually be at that dealer a week from today (right next to where I will be getting Hyundai serviced).

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/681410051/overview/

stever

A reporter is working on a story about buggy infotainment systems and is looking to speak with car owners who've had issues with their systems. If you'd like to share your experience, please reach out to pr@edmunds.com by no later than Monday, October 10, 2016.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

Here you go Q. Miles a little high, but clean one owner, and I love the colors, and has the right options (Navi, BLIS). And the price is right. Heck, If I needed something right now, I would be down taking a look! Helps that I don't put a lot of miles per year on a car, so starting a little high, is NBD.

Should qualify on your get 2 cars to replace 1 plan!

I will actually be at that dealer a week from today (right next to where I will be getting Hyundai serviced).

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/681410051/overview/

Yes, the T6. I would have it no other way.

I drive a lot, so I can't start high.

stickguy

that one actually seems like a pretty good deal though, right? could be perfect for me. Or a godforsaken money pit. always possible!

tomorrow is 13 months until my 36 month lease is over. I just broke 13K miles. I can start a little higher I think.

breld

Wow - I have 14 payments left on the Sedona, and we're around 29k miles.

mjfloyd1

DRT DSL

roadburner

I just might have a punch in a week or so- if an assumed lease counts...

stickguy

Just made a payment today. So only 12 more since pay at beginning of month!

28firefighter

breld said:

Wow. VW is not faring very well these days.

VW Recall

Oh you've got to be kidding.

Michaell

breld said:

Wow - I have 14 payments left on the Sedona, and we're around 29k miles.

I've made 3 payments on the Jetta ... still less than 1000 miles.

tifighter

qbrozen said:

Yes, the T6. I would have it no other way.

I drive a lot, so I can't start high.

Welcome to the T6 zone.

(time to enable)
Polestar tune wakes it up more than the numbers might initially suggest...

corvette

That is an early model XC60. I'd be leery, especially with 100k on the clock. Also, no backup cam, and the infotainment may have been upgraded on the more recent models.

Sandman6472

If this is a joke, it ain't funny!! Just showed the wife the article and she just said, o k, they'll fix it and we'll move on. My thoughts exactly!!

The Sandman

stickguy

at least that VW recall didn't list my VWs. Don't need that hassle.

and that XC60, I thought it might have a camera, since it has BLIS. But, it does have some sort of parking sensors, so that is something.

qbrozen

Of note, the one I drove did not have a backup cam and I felt the vehicle really really needs it. Rearward visibilty is pretty bad.

i am, in fact, thinking I would work a polestar tune into the deal if I buy from a volvo dealer.

28firefighter

qbrozen said:

Of note, the one I drove did not have a backup cam and I felt the vehicle really really needs it. Rearward visibilty is pretty bad.

i am, in fact, thinking I would work a polestar tune into the deal if I buy from a volvo dealer.

My mom has a 2012 XC60 with backup sensors and no camera. It needs a surround view camera bad. 

stickguy

good point. I am so used to one now don't think I could do without. Certainly not on something like an XC60 that is so visibility challenged.

Probably not going that route next year anyway. Leaning toward a stick Civic. Get a deal, and just finance it out and buy/hold. Then replace the RDX in a couple years with something fancy.

unless I do something else instead.

jpp75

28firefighter said:

breld said:

Wow. VW is not faring very well these days.

VW Recall

Oh you've got to be kidding.

My VW dealer is working hard to make sure they don't improve VW's service reputation.

I dropped the Touareg off Monday morning at 7 am and asked them to call me when they had an update. Wednesday afternoon I hadn't heard anything so I call and speak to the service advisor, who I generally like. He looks it up and says he'll have to talk to the tech and will call me Thursday morning. By Thursday afternoon I haven't heard anything, so I call back. I get put through to service but no one is available so I speak to the cashier in the parts department, explain I called yesterday and was supposed to get a call this morning and could someone call me with an update. She said they were all busy but she would make sure they called, and of course no call back.

This morning I call again and finally get someone who "looks into it." His response is that they still don't know what is causing the transmission shudder, they only have two techs who work on Touaregs, one has been out in training all week (this is the tech who rode with me and noted the shudder) and the other lives by the beach and is out prepping for the storm.

Now both of those are valid reasons, but the no callback annoys me and it would have been nice if they had told me on Monday that they only had one tech available and it may take a day or two, etc.

I'm supposed to go out of town Monday, just a couple of hours away but farther than I would take the Pathfinder so I ask for a loaner. They don't have any but tell me I am welcome to come pick up the Touareg, I asked if it was driveable and they said sure it's just sitting out on the lot and with the hurricane approaching it might be best to just bring it home. So it's sitting in the garage, I'll take it back again next week when I get in town.

Once it's all resolved the Service Manager and Owner will get a nice e-mail explaining why I won't/can't give them a "10" on their survey.

nyccarguy

@jpp5862 - between you & @28firefighter, a GTI & other VW/Audi products keep moving further and further down my "want to own" totem pole. Thanks for the update. Best of luck to you!

corvette

jpp5862 said:

Once it's all resolved the Service Manager and Owner will get a nice e-mail explaining why I won't/can't give them a "10" on their survey.

If they have more brain cells than an amoeba, they know what they did wrong. I wouldn't explain unless they reach out to you to ask why they got a bad survey. Anything you say, they can probably use to appeal to VW when they challenge the denial or reduction of their bonus that month. Plus, if it's like BMW, they get to exclude a certain percentage of the surveys, regardless.

Overall, your experience sounds like about every other VW dealer I've had the misfortune of dealing with. The "no phone call returned syndrome" drives me nuts, whether it's a plumber, HVAC guy, car dealer, etc... At work, the contract we have with our corporate overlord requires us to contact customers within a very short timeframe, which we are very successful at accomplishing, and I expect the same from businesses I deal with.

stickguy

nyccarguy said:

@jpp5862 - between you & @28firefighter, a GTI & other VW/Audi products keep moving further and further down my "want to own" totem pole. Thanks for the update. Best of luck to you!

same here. I think my son is fixated on going through with the A3, but I still could push him toward leasing, I think he will buy. His money! at least under warranty for 4 years.

Not sure I could get him to a much more reliable option. 2nd choice was a 2 series, which would also cost a fair amount more to buy. And be less practical.

I have given up on steering him to anything cheaper/more LT reliable like an Acura even.

28firefighter

Yikes, @jpp5862!  My biggest problem is not the dealer as much as the problem is intermittent. Still, they aren't being as helpful as I think they could be. 

roadburner

It's good to know that the hopeless VW service departments in my area are apparently the rule as opposed to the exception- and I'm doubly glad I passed on a Golf R.

corvette

roadburner said:

It's good to know that the hopeless VW service departments in my area are apparently the rule as opposed to the exception- and I'm doubly glad I passed on a Golf R.

I'm just hoping I get a "satisfaction survey" when I return the JSW TDI, and that it costs one of the incompetent local dealers--all of whom I've had at least one bad interaction with--some of their incentive money.

Michaell

Well, I'm hoping for 34 more trouble free months with the Jetta.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

28firefighter

Michaell said:

Well, I'm hoping for 34 more trouble free months with the Jetta. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I think you'll be fine. Everything about that car is tried and true and you don't have a DSG transmission which is a high maintenance mistress. 

jpp75

nyccarguy said:

@jpp5862 - between you & @28firefighter, a GTI & other VW/Audi products keep moving further and further down my "want to own" totem pole. Thanks for the update. Best of luck to you!

Thanks, what makes it even more frustrating is I truly love the vehicle.

jpp75

corvette said:

jpp5862 said:

Once it's all resolved the Service Manager and Owner will get a nice e-mail explaining why I won't/can't give them a "10" on their survey.

If they have more brain cells than an amoeba, they know what they did wrong. I wouldn't explain unless they reach out to you to ask why they got a bad survey. Anything you say, they can probably use to appeal to VW when they challenge the denial or reduction of their bonus that month. Plus, if it's like BMW, they get to exclude a certain percentage of the surveys, regardless.

Overall, your experience sounds like about every other VW dealer I've had the misfortune of dealing with. The "no phone call returned syndrome" drives me nuts, whether it's a plumber, HVAC guy, car dealer, etc... At work, the contract we have with our corporate overlord requires us to contact customers within a very short timeframe, which we are very successful at accomplishing, and I expect the same from businesses I deal with.

Good point corvette, and quite frankly if they can't be bothered to call me back there's really no reason I should take any time to send a message.

However when they return the car and close the ticket they always give the "If there's any reason you can't give us a 10 on this please let me know... blah blah blah" I need to learn to just say "OK" and then do the survey, but then that gets into the point that these surveys are pretty much a joke anyway. I wish we had another dealer in town,.

One question that brings to mind, I'm guessing the dealer knows "who" gave them a bad survey if they get one so they can "address" the concerns? The cynical side of me expects bad future treatment if I give them a bad survey, so really why waste the time doing it.

nyccarguy

jpp5862 said:

nyccarguy said:

@jpp5862 - between you & @28firefighter, a GTI & other VW/Audi products keep moving further and further down my "want to own" totem pole. Thanks for the update. Best of luck to you!

Thanks, what makes it even more frustrating is I truly love the vehicle.

Its funny, my Mom drives a 2016 V6 Cayenne. Its got the same engine as your Toureg. It must have the same transmission. Her SUV turned 1 this past 4th of July. It hasn't been back to the dealer outside 2 scheduled maintenance trips. My parents both LOVE the vehicle.

Transmission issues are tough to diagnose. It's far more complicated than "my power seat no longer functions or my heated seat only works on the butt fry setting" The dealer (this isn't YOUR fault by any means) can't just diagnose the transmission problem and say to the technician: "go ahead and replace the transmission or it's one of those faulty torque converters again. Rip it out and put in a new one." They've got to get approval from the regional manager who probably has 1 or 2 supervisors above that they have answer to. You know this.

What's completely unacceptable is the fact that you haven't gotten a call back. You are correct about the survey. They have ways of disregarding the really bad ones. If you aren't getting the answers you want from the service manager, then by all means keep going up the food chain. Put a call into the owner, write a letter (not an email) to the owner and to VW of America corporate. Make sure you tell them how much you really LOVE your Toureg, then tell them how disappointed you are with the service. You should get a loaner. You are driving a $50K SUV.

nyccarguy

I know I complain about my Legacy's lack of proper motivation, but the car has been flawless so far. Dealer sales was easy to deal with. Their service department has been wonderful. I'm at the 2 year & have surpassed the 38K mark.

stickguy

It is amazing how many companies/businesses overlook such a simple, quick, cheap way to keep customers happy and spending money. Just talk to them. A quick call (heck, these days, an email or text) with a status update and an 'I'm sorry for the delay, here's why" makes a huge difference, but somehow they can't be bothered.

The dealers just need to talk to the sales department. they are REAL good about constant follow up (whether you want it or not).

stickguy

Michaell said:

Well, I'm hoping for 34 more trouble free months with the Jetta.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Knock wood, but both our Jettas (1.8t engine in each) have not caused any problems. I think 1 recall for something that would probably never happen, and son's needed a software update on the AC (I think the sport needs that too). But mechanically, nothing.

stickguy

nyccarguy said:

I know I complain about my Legacy's lack of proper motivation, but the car has been flawless so far. Dealer sales was easy to deal with. Their service department has been wonderful. I'm at the 2 year & have surpassed the 38K mark.

there is something to be said for dead stone reliable, even if you have to give up a little bit at the margins. So far (better knock wood again) neither of my cars has had to go back to dealer for anything, other than "it's time for an oil change". And I think the only recall on either one was a belt buckle latch on the Sonata (which worked fine but the replaced something anyway).

ab348

corvette said:

The "no phone call returned syndrome" drives me nuts, whether it's a plumber, HVAC guy, car dealer, etc... At work, the contract we have with our corporate overlord requires us to contact customers within a very short timeframe, which we are very successful at accomplishing, and I expect the same from businesses I deal with.

Going thru this right now with a contractor I contacted about some home renos. The guy was quick to respond on initial contact, came out to look it over, and we had a good talk that left me impressed. He explained that it would likely not be until after Labor Day that I would hear from him. Sure enough, he called after Labor Day and asked if he could visit along with his plumber to size up the job. That took almost 2 weeks to arrange but they were here on 9/20 for another walk-thru and discussion. At that point he was supposed to get back to me with some estimates of $ and time. Not a peep since, not a text or a phone message, nada. I have now arranged for a different contractor to visit next week. Drives me nuts.

roadburner

stickguy said:

It is amazing how many companies/businesses overlook such a simple, quick, cheap way to keep customers happy and spending money. Just talk to them. A quick call (heck, these days, an email or text) with a status update and an 'I'm sorry for the delay, here's why" makes a huge difference, but somehow they can't be bothered.

The dealers just need to talk to the sales department. they are REAL good about constant follow up (whether you want it or not).

My center calls every service customer several days after the appointment.

qbrozen

Infiniti dealer sold the 2010 I wanted to look at. Now I am at the audi dealer. Took a 2014 Q5 2.0T for a spin. I like how it handles and feels, but it is noticeably down on power and I could not get totally comfy. He is looking for one with a sport seat now.

corvette

jpp5862 said:

One question that brings to mind, I'm guessing the dealer knows "who" gave them a bad survey if they get one so they can "address" the concerns? The cynical side of me expects bad future treatment if I give them a bad survey, so really why waste the time doing it.

They are generally not anonymous. I've heard different things about whether dealers retaliate for a bad survey. I gave the local Volvo dealer a bad survey once and they did make an extra effort to do a decent job the next time, but after that, it was back to the normal indifferent service.

breld

nyccarguy said:

I know I complain about my Legacy's lack of proper motivation, but the car has been flawless so far. Dealer sales was easy to deal with. Their service department has been wonderful. I'm at the 2 year & have surpassed the 38K mark.

There's a lot to be said for that.

qbrozen

Now drove a 3.0T with sport seat. Oh my. It is a tight race with the Volvo. 

breld

jpp5862 said:

nyccarguy said:

@jpp5862 - between you & @28firefighter, a GTI & other VW/Audi products keep moving further and further down my "want to own" totem pole. Thanks for the update. Best of luck to you!

Thanks, what makes it even more frustrating is I truly love the vehicle.

That's a good summary of the VW ownership experience for many. My first was a 2000 Passat GLX manual. Loved that car - shared the 2.8l 6 from Audi, was quite luxurious for its time and offered all that with the manual. Chose it over a Maxima at the time.

After some annoying issues cropped up on the Passat, I anxiously returned to the Honda fold with the then-new TSX.

But, since then, we've had another Passat, a couple Jettas and a couple GTIs. So we love the product, but not necessarily for the long-term ownership experience. Fortunately, our, ahem, buying frequency works fine with VWs.

breld

qbrozen said:

Now drove a 3.0T with sport seat. Oh my. It is a tight race with the Volvo. 

Yup, that 3.0T is a sweet engine. Sport seats are great too - overall seems they're harder to find on Audis than BMWs, except on the "S" models of course.

Speaking of which, why stop there - give an SQ5 a spin!

28firefighter

I love my GTI, too. I just hope they can get it fixed on Monday. 

While the A3 is sufficient, I don't want to be driving it all the time. 

qbrozen

Stick, you will be pleased to know I just drove a 2014 RDX Tech. Really really liked the powertrain, but I could not get fully comfortable in that either. Just did not tilt enough to compensate for my legs. I also found the road/wind noise to be far greater than in the other choices.

jpp75

nyccarguy said:

jpp5862 said:

nyccarguy said:

@jpp5862 - between you & @28firefighter, a GTI & other VW/Audi products keep moving further and further down my "want to own" totem pole. Thanks for the update. Best of luck to you!

Thanks, what makes it even more frustrating is I truly love the vehicle.

Its funny, my Mom drives a 2016 V6 Cayenne. Its got the same engine as your Toureg. It must have the same transmission. Her SUV turned 1 this past 4th of July. It hasn't been back to the dealer outside 2 scheduled maintenance trips. My parents both LOVE the vehicle.

Transmission issues are tough to diagnose. It's far more complicated than "my power seat no longer functions or my heated seat only works on the butt fry setting" The dealer (this isn't YOUR fault by any means) can't just diagnose the transmission problem and say to the technician: "go ahead and replace the transmission or it's one of those faulty torque converters again. Rip it out and put in a new one." They've got to get approval from the regional manager who probably has 1 or 2 supervisors above that they have answer to. You know this.

What's completely unacceptable is the fact that you haven't gotten a call back. You are correct about the survey. They have ways of disregarding the really bad ones. If you aren't getting the answers you want from the service manager, then by all means keep going up the food chain. Put a call into the owner, write a letter (not an email) to the owner and to VW of America corporate. Make sure you tell them how much you really LOVE your Toureg, then tell them how disappointed you are with the service. You should get a loaner. You are driving a $50K SUV.

I completely agree with everything you've said. The tech immediately knew "what" it was on the ride along, but didn't have a guess as to what was causing it so I understand it being difficult to track down. I googled the issue and only found one random post somewhere about a TSB for a transmission reprogram, so it doesn't seem to be a widespread issue.

I'm going to ask for a loaner next time, I really just want it fixed at this point.

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

Here you go Q. Miles a little high, but clean one owner, and I love the colors, and has the right options (Navi, BLIS). And the price is right. Heck, If I needed something right now, I would be down taking a look! Helps that I don't put a lot of miles per year on a car, so starting a little high, is NBD.

Should qualify on your get 2 cars to replace 1 plan!

I will actually be at that dealer a week from today (right next to where I will be getting Hyundai serviced).

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/681410051/overview/

Yes, the T6. I would have it no other way.

I drive a lot, so I can't start high.

One owner, spent it's whole life in Egg Harbor...but those miles for a Volvo? Risky, IMO.

stickguy

qbrozen said:

Stick, you will be pleased to know I just drove a 2014 RDX Tech. Really really liked the powertrain, but I could not get fully comfortable in that either. Just did not tilt enough to compensate for my legs. I also found the road/wind noise to be far greater than in the other choices.

that is nice. I am fine with the seat, and hate ones that don't tilt up enough in front. But, you are a lot taller than I am and probably much longer legs.

I don't find it noisy, but I am much less of a pill about it than many people seem to be (I always thought my accord was real quiet). Turn up the radio and open the moonroof. That will take care of the problem.

breld

If I were to go back to the 2 car scenario, a used RDX would be high on my list to go along with something like a Civic Si or Type R.  

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

Infiniti dealer sold the 2010 I wanted to look at. Now I am at the audi dealer. Took a 2014 Q5 2.0T for a spin. I like how it handles and feels, but it is noticeably down on power and I could not get totally comfy. He is looking for one with a sport seat now.

I was impressed with the Q5 2.0T's ride & handling as well. The 3.0T with the sport seats might be a winner for you.

I was behind a 2017 GTI (SE or Autobahn) in the dark blue color. Very cool indeed. I hope @28firefighter gets his issue resolved quickly.

qbrozen

Problem with such a Q5 is the price. We're talking $30k. I'm holding out hope that an '09-'10 FX35 meets all my criteria.

oh I forgot to mention I parked next to a QX30 at the dealer. It is barely any taller than my jetta. Hardly SUV territory.

Mr_Shiftright

GEESH...I just priced out a Mini Cooper to $44,000 without t&l . Say WHAT?!