# What is going on with VW Service personnel?



## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Last week I went in to have a tire replaced and upon getting the car back, the outer rim
of the wheel was damaged during the tire installation. Had to have the rim professionally
repaired.

Now, I go in for my yearly oil change and upon getting the car back I'm smelling burning
clutch material concerning my Stage II Daily Clutch that was installed 750 miles ago. I
find out that whoever drove my car in the service dep't, must have been unable to bring
the vehicle from one (steep) level to the other, without riding the clutch the whole journey.

Don't know if the short distance this car was improperly driven should be something that
will come back to bite me in the future with regard to clutch deterioration. 

If you are a dealership and you are unable to properly install a new tire, tell the customer
to go to a professional. If you don't know how to drive a manual speed car with a slightly
heavier clutch pedal, let the owner do the damn driving in your service area.


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## Skimmy290 (Aug 19, 2012)

That's crazy...

Is it safe to assume you've spoken with the dealership about this manner?


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

Skimmy290 said:


> That's crazy...
> 
> Is it safe to assume you've spoken with the dealership about this manner?


This^

I only let the two people I know at the dealership touch my car, but then again I don't go into the dealership unless something thats still covered under warranty breaks. Hasn't been much.

posted by Tapatalk


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

Did the dealer pay for the wheel repair? Next time place a hidden mic in your car when you go for service. I've seen some crazy stuff from hidden cams/mics when people take their cars in for service. Be vigilant.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

It is 'on record' with the dealership and I have sent off an email to Mike @ TyrolSport, the 
installers of my clutch and a racing professional who's complete staff are performance 
professionals. Want his expertise and thoughts which if are such that damage has been done,
I will want a new replacement clutch including installation. Just finished breaking in the 
current one (750 miles) and am not looking forward to another 750 miles of 'babie-ing'. 
(No offense to Babie).


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## SaberOne (Apr 1, 2012)

I just purchased a new TDI and they swapped out the wheels for me as part of the deal. Shortly after I got on the freeway the tire sensor light came on so I just pulled over and checked the tire pressures. They were off by about 5 pounds in either direction on all four tires. When I got home I inspected the wheels and discovered rim/mounting damage to a one wheel. Apparently, they didn't use any lube when they mounted the tires and two out of the four wheels didn't have any weights. 

This was the worst after sales service I have ever seen from a Volkswagen dealership. This is my fifth Volkswagen in a row but my first one from this particular dealer. I will never recommend this dealership to my friends or family, and I doubt that I'll return for any follow-on service.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

stainlineho said:


> Did the dealer pay for the wheel repair? Next time place a hidden mic in your car when you go for service. I've seen some crazy stuff from hidden cams/mics when people take their cars in for service. Be vigilant.


The dealer did pay for the repair. Funny thing is that when I told the dealer that the wheel repair
shop in our area was going to charge me $115, he said that VW pays $65. Later I found out that
numerous wheels are sent from this dealership, concerning VW, Honda, and Volvo wheels that
are damaged in their service areas.

Have also sent an email to Four Season Tuning since they were the supplier of the clutch, and
asked for their thoughts.

P.S. - The next thing I'll probably be told by the dealer is that the service person who moved the
car around wouldn't be expected to understand the layout of my 'just installed' gated shift plate.
The finger-like cut-outs must have been too much for him to comprehend.....even though the knob and a small separately attached mini plate show the six-speed plus reverse design layout.


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

SaberOne said:


> I just purchased a new TDI and they swapped out the wheels for me as part of the deal. Shortly after I got on the freeway the tire sensor light came on so I just pulled over and check the tire pressures. They were off by about 5 pounds in either direction on all four tires. When I got home I inspected the wheels and discovered similar damage to a wheel rim. Apparently, they didn't use any lube when they mounted the tires and two out of the four wheels didn't have any weights.
> 
> This was the worst after sales service I have ever seen from a Volkswagen dealership. This is my fifth Volkswagen in a row but my first one from this particular dealer. I will never recommend this dealership to my friends or family, and I doubt that I'll return for any follow-on service.


Ding em on the survey.


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## SaberOne (Apr 1, 2012)

Believe you me I'm laying in wait. I'm taking care of the quirks myself and I'd rather pay out-of-pocket to avoid anymore damaged caused by their carelessness.


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

SaberOne said:


> Believe you me I'm laying in wait. I'm taking care of the quirks myself and I'd rather pay out-of-pocket to avoid anymore damaged caused by their carelessness.


Yep, I found some very minor hairline scratches on my car after cleaning it up good. Was going to go fuss at the dealer BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE PERFECT, but said F it...took it to my friend who is a master detailer and got the whole car polished. I got to get pics for you guys soon when the weather clears up.


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## PooLeArMor (Aug 13, 2008)

I think u are overacting on the clutch issuse.... even the guy really did riding the clutch when they were moving in and out ur car ur clutch will still be fine.. it wasn't like hes riding the clutch for miles.....


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## LEBlackRob (Feb 1, 2012)

A buddy of mines shop had a dealership toast a clutch when it came in for a coil pack recall. They drive dual masses all day, maybe single masses are 2 much for them. 

P.S. For insurance purposes customers are not aloud to drive in the shop.


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## Cadenza_7o (Jan 23, 2001)

Going to VW dealers is always a gamble. There are six dealers within one hour's drive from me and I trust about 1.75 of them. The one that's good has people lining up at 6.15am.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

PooLeArMor said:


> I think u are overacting on the clutch issuse.... even the guy really did riding the clutch when they were moving in and out ur car ur clutch will still be fine.. it wasn't like hes riding the clutch for miles.....


I'm hoping you are right. Did hear back from the clutch people at Four Season Tuning who said,
'sometimes if not overly cooked, the clutch can recover but that I should continue to monitor 
its ability to grip'.


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## SaberOne (Apr 1, 2012)

Cadenza_7o said:


> Going to VW dealers is always a gamble. There are six dealers within one hour's drive from me and I trust about 1.75 of them. The one that's good has people lining up at 6.15am.


Yes I will certainly agree. I'm spoiled because I travel to Germany and Italy fairly often and visiting their car lots and serviced departments is a completely different experience. The cars are all immaculate and no salespeople approach you unless you raise your hand or look their way. My girlfriends new Volkswagen did not come with any of the BS add-ons like' the BS wax jobs, etc. All of the sales people actually know the vehicle from the inside out. 

Very professional by comparison to the sleazy tactics used here. The price that's on the car is what you pay - period. No attempts are made to sale you anything _extra_ at closing and the sales person does the sale, closing, and financing. Here, it's intentionally fragmented over several people for the express purpose of confusing or tricking the customer during closing.

The service department is also top-notch whereby the mechanic comes out after a service and talks with the customer to address any concerns.


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## MelindaJBZ (Dec 21, 2012)

Although I havent had any service other than my 30day check up I think I am lucky that I live 15 mins away from a great dealer. The people there are super friendly and seem to be honest and trustworthy. I heard people drive out of their way to get service done here. It looks like they are mod friendly too.


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## Anthony_A (Feb 1, 2013)

ridgemanron said:


> Last week I went in to have a tire replaced and upon getting the car back, the outer rim
> of the wheel was damaged during the tire installation. Had to have the rim professionally
> repaired.


Hey, I'm out on Long Island. What dealer did you go to? I bought my turbo beetle from Sunrise VW and have had all positive experiences with them.


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

stainlineho said:


> Did the dealer pay for the wheel repair? Next time place a hidden mic in your car when you go for service. I've seen some crazy stuff from hidden cams/mics when people take their cars in for service. Be vigilant.


My older brother has a voice activated mic he hides in his car when left with the dealership.
Sorry, but he caught them doing a tire burn screech with his A5, and the porter was fired and he got something out it, cant remember.

I make the walk around the car and sign the work order prior ot leaving noting no defects or dings in my car. When I pick it up, I do a complete walk around and check every thing. 

Ridge, I would file a complaint ASAP with VWOA dealer relations and get to the bottom, hate to hear this.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Babie said:


> My older brother has a voice activated mic he hides in his car when left with the dealership.
> Sorry, but he caught them doing a tire burn screech with his A5, and the porter was fired and he got something out it, cant remember.
> 
> I make the walk around the car and sign the work order prior ot leaving noting no defects or dings in my car. When I pick it up, I do a complete walk around and check every thing.
> ...


Hi Babie ! Car is still at the dealership where some top gun from VW is supposed to get back to me
today with a determination on their part. Was able to get some big-wigs at the showroom to call
them on my behalf and I'm hoping it will help. The service rep I deal with is now saying that if
VW is found to be responsible, they will make it right. I sure do hope so. Have picked up a bit more
amunition from workers who tell me that negotiating the steep incline in order to get the vehicle
up to level 2 (VW's service bay level), it can be a daunting task....and especially so if the person
driving isn't experienced with high performance clutches. They feel such a person could easily
'toast' a clutch if he's forced to stop mid-way and then have to overwork the clutch in order to
get to the upper level. They believe this is what happened.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Was shown camera 'shots' of my car at the base of the steep incline to the second floor
.......and then, aprroximately 12 seconds later, the car reaching the top. After the oil
change and tire rotation, the car was returned to me (two hours later) at the ground
level, being driven down the incline by an attendant. The strong smell of burnt clutch
material was soon noticed but not until I had driven a few blocks away. When I returned
to the dealer, the smell was noted as severe and remained so into the following day. No
slippage of the clutch was evident when I drove the car in a spirited manner from 3rd
gear... or from 5th gear. The smell has subsided condsiderably and will probably be
gone within another day or two. I now need to have the clutch examined professionally
to note if any heavy damage can be noted. If so, then I will have to get it in writing 
that severe damage has happened, in order to procede further with the dealer.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Anthony_A said:


> Hey, I'm out on Long Island. What dealer did you go to? I bought my turbo beetle from Sunrise VW and have had all positive experiences with them.


Bay Ridge VW in Brooklyn.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Haave notified VWOA and was issued a case number, also being told they will get back to me
on Feb 18 after speaking with the dealer. In the meantime I will follow up on something I read 
that involves 'physically' checking the clutch for excessive wear. It involves examining under the
cover of the bell housing (where the clutch is bolted to the engine block) and removing the cover with a flathead screwdriver tolook for signs of abnormal wear. If clutch is going bad, there will be
substantial visable damage, not just black powder.

Another small snippet of information. When they showed me my car going into the mouth of the
steep incline that goes to the second floor for service, the film then shows the car arriving at the
top of the 'one level' journey 12 seconds later. Didn't think much of it at the time but it seems 
to me that 12 seconds seems like a lot of time to negotiate going from 'ground level to ' 2nd level'
in a car that is timed in motion going into the mouth of the incline and getting to the next level.
There is no film inside the actual roadway of the incline, nor is there sound. All you see is the
car disappearing into the opening and emerging 12 seconds later, one flight up.


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

It baffles me how someone could have a problem with a manual transmission on an incline in these cars with that "hill hold" feature.


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## Anthony_A (Feb 1, 2013)

stainlineho said:


> It baffles me how someone could have a problem with a manual transmission on an incline in these cars with that "hill hold" feature.


I was thinking the exact same thing.. How can somebody burn up a clutch in a car that has "hill hold"? The other day I pulled into a parking garage that required me to pull a ticket in order to proceed. The ticket machine and barrier gate were on the steep incline leading up to the parking level. I said to my girlfriend "this is going to be interesting. who the hell puts a ticket machine on an incline?? " As I released the clutch the car did not roll back (very weird feeling). FYI hill hold is designed to work for "just under 2 seconds" 

check out the owners manual. It explains all the scenarios in which the hold will engage. If the attendant really did burn up your clutch either the hill hold is not working properly, or he just didn't know the the car had the feature.


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## Anthony_A (Feb 1, 2013)

ridgemanron said:


> Bay Ridge VW in Brooklyn.


Hmm.. If it's not too far out of your way you might want to think about Sunrise VW. I have an appointment with them in the beginning of March for my "free break in check up" (they called me to remind me) As I mentioned I have all positive experiences with the sales department.. lets see how services is...


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

Anthony_A said:


> I was thinking the exact same thing.. How can somebody burn up a clutch in a car that has "hill hold"? The other day I pulled into a parking garage that required me to pull a ticket in order to proceed. The ticket machine and barrier gate were on the steep incline leading up to the parking level. I said to my girlfriend "this is going to be interesting. who the hell puts a ticket machine on an incline?? " As I released the clutch the car did not roll back (very weird feeling). FYI hill hold is designed to work for "just under 2 seconds"
> 
> check out the owners manual. It explains all the scenarios in which the hold will engage. If the attendant really did burn up your clutch either the hill hold is not working properly, or he just didn't know the the car had the feature.


I had a similar experience and coming from Mustangs it was very weird feeling. I knew it had to be some kind of feature. Then I read the manual cover to cover and was well informed afterwards.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Another possibility is that someone was airing out my car on the upper level since it is 
pretty desolate up there in the late afternoon. Either that or the 12 second jaunt up
the incline has to be the reason for a burning clutch smell to be as strong as it was
at the time I received the car back two hours after its drop-off.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Have now found out something I wasn't even aware of ! I was under the impression that
upon entering VW's 'check in' section that the car would then travel across the length of
the building and go up a separate 'up ramp', only using the ramp at the other end of the
building for 'down ramp' use to return vehicles from the 2nd floor service area.

Not being allowed into the area where I thought an 'up ramp' was located, I now come to
learn that there is only one ramp for both up and down use. Since 89th Street is a one way
street, to get a car to the 2nd level requires it to leave the premises, be driven through 
city streets in a block-to-block 'square configuration' course in order to come down 89th St. and then enter the ramp. 

I can easily picture a young driver assigned to the car, taking it for a spirited 'joy ride' before
bringing it to the ramp entrance. The shortest distance is approximately 4 city blocks long but
there is nothing to stop the driver from lengthening out his course considerably and it is quite
possible that he abused the clutch during the drive and possibly during both the drive and the
ramp 'upward' drive.


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## poopie (Feb 22, 2005)

you're clutch is fine. I've launched my cars with aftermarket clutches a lot actually and taught noobies how to drive manuals and they rode the crap out of the clutches and abused its more than a car porter at a dealer could possibly. They still hold power just fine. If you have the patience for this stuff to try and get something from the dealer then more power to you, but i feel like its not worth the hassle. Its not broken, it drives fine, you were only slightly inconvenienced. Just take your car to another dealer since this one has a bad taste in your mouth. Its going to be tough to prove someone took your car for a joyride.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

poopie said:


> you're clutch is fine. I've launched my cars with aftermarket clutches a lot actually and taught noobies how to drive manuals and they rode the crap out of the clutches and abused its more than a car porter at a dealer could possibly. They still hold power just fine. If you have the patience for this stuff to try and get something from the dealer then more power to you, but i feel like its not worth the hassle. Its not broken, it drives fine, you were only slightly inconvenienced. Just take your car to another dealer since this one has a bad taste in your mouth. Its going to be tough to prove someone took your car for a joyride.


I will definiteky never use this service facility ever again. I showed a copy of the work order, VW
makes you sign when leaving a car, to an attorney friend. The only thing in it pertaining to their
being allowed to drive the car is stated as follows:

'I grant you and your employees permission to operate a car or truck herein described on the
streets, highways, or elsewhere FOR TESTING AND/OR INSPECTION.'

Since my work order only called for an oil change, 'road' testing or 'road' inspection would not be
applicable and my attorney friend agrees. The car is in for an oil change and that would only mean
inspection pertaining to the car when its in/on the area of the service lift. He feels that since Bay
Ridge VW has an odd set-up where they must take the car into the city streets to reach the upper
'2nd' level for service, other VW dealers are not forced to do this. Bay Ridge VW should therefor
amend their 'permission' paragraph to state that all cars needing 2nd level service must be driven
through the streets to reach the desired location and customers should be apprised and made to
approve this condition. Had I been apprised of such information, there is no way I would have 
agreed to let someone take my car on an extended 1/4 mile or more journey without me present,
since I have no idea as to who this person is that would be driving my car. If they persisted in 
trying to get me to agree, I would have simply taken my car to another nearby VW facility where
I drop the car off in the service area and the only driving of the car is within the confines of that
service dept level. The problem at Bay Ridge is that only Honda and Volvo have the ground floor
service area with no need for their cars to be driven around the streets of the neighborhood for
things like simple oil changes.


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## SaberOne (Apr 1, 2012)

Just returned from a local tire shop in another attempt to get the wheels balanced as mentioned in post six of this thread. They road-forced all of them and discovered one tire was defective from the factory. It measured 45 on the computer and tires can only be corrected with a maximum error of 41. Another tire was evidenced of being shaved and presumably from the factory because it was so far out of spec. 

When I consider this new information with my previous post I’m suspicious about the VW dealership. This is simply too many things’ for me to give the benefit of the doubt.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

I've gone thru a scratched door edge that they didn't ' man up' about, damaging an outer rim 
when changing a tire, not applying proper torque to the wheels after rotation, overfilling tires
with regard to air, slightly overfilling oil during an oil change, the infamous window motor fiasco
that resulted in broken trim, greasy fingerprints on door panels, and now the abusing of my clutch. 

How can a company like Volkswagen surround themselves with so much incompetence in one
dealership amazes me. I will avoid Bay Ridge Volkswagen's Service Dept at all times from this
point forward. If it becomes necessary to deal with a VW service facility I will have to travel
a bit more to give another service dept a try but, hopefully, I won't have to anymore.


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## Anthony_A (Feb 1, 2013)

ridgemanron said:


> I've gone thru a scratched door edge that they didn't ' man up' about, damaging an outer rim
> when changing a tire, not applying proper torque to the wheels after rotation, overfilling tires
> with regard to air, slightly overfilling oil during an oil change, the infamous window motor fiasco
> that resulted in broken trim, greasy fingerprints on door panels, and now the abusing of my clutch.
> ...


Yeah. After all that.. I would give Sunrise VW a try. I have not had any service done there yet but I have my checkup scheduled for a few weeks from now.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Sunrise VW look's like a good candidate if I MUST go to VW for something concerning warranty.
The drive there wouldn't be a big deal since I am near the Belt Parkway to begin with....and
that roadway slides right into Sunrise Highway.

I'm sure they have a normal set-up that isn't a sneaky one like Bay Ridge. As I've mentioned,
had I known some young kid is given my car, every time I come for service, and is allowed to
take it with no supervision or knowledge to me that he's given the car, which will require a 
'who know's how long' drive around Brooklyn before he reaches the service area, just makes me
'boil'! 

I'm going to mention all this to the neighborhood newspapers here in Bay Ridge since they do
have a sizable amount of circulation. They need to alert the public and especially VW owners who
have 'performance enhanced' cars. Other than trying to keep this information from the public so
as to not lose 'service customers' who won't like their procedure, there is no logical reason not to
make the customer fully aware of their procedure. To this day I still have not been told who drove
my car? I guess I shouldn't have told them that I want to know if he has a safe driving record.


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## Anthony_A (Feb 1, 2013)

ridgemanron said:


> I'm sure they have a normal set-up that isn't a sneaky one like Bay Ridge.


Yeah. The setup there sounds really bad. Then again it's Brooklyn and real estate there is prime. Sunrise VW is all on one level and it looks like they have at least 6 or 7 bays.


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## Njaneer (Oct 2, 2006)

Most dealerships don't care, once they get you to buy or lease a car, the quality of service is crapola besides Lexus who wears white gloves and offers lattes and the red carpet service during your visit, the rest are a joke often. I have experienced the worst with VW, a friend of mine also had similar experiences, bought a brand new Jetta, took it to get an oil change which was free and tire rotation, get's the car back, there was oil residue all over his hood release latch, and inside door panel, mind you he had the beige interior, dip stick was broken and not replaced, also he noticed two of his wheels had scratches and chips all over the rim, well it appears the service tech did not care about dropping the tires over face down on the concrete and chipped the hell out of them in the process as well he bounced the impact wrench off of the rims during removal.

The car only had 10k on it at the time and was cherry, Dealer offered to clean up the oil and fix the parts, but said he would have to leave the car, get a rental that they would comp and they would send his wheels out to be refinished. :what: They estimated a week or so till he would get the car back. Of course the same tech would be remounting the tires so expect more of the same.

I have had experienced the following during service on my cars at VW:

-broken or missing parts either interior or exterior
-damaged interior surfaces, scratched dash, or seats stabbed with a screwdriver or sharp object. 
-oil not changed, tech didn't bother doing it and just filled out the ticket that it was changed.

I will not go to one of my local dealers again, Schumacher VW in West Palm Beach they have the worst service imaginable.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Received a call from VWOA (Volkswagen of America) and must say that with regard to 
trying to find out who's truly at fault in a situation like mine, they are worthless. Here's
the gist of their communication with the manager of the service dept at Bay Ridge VW,
'manager says his service dept is not at fault in any way......for anything that occurred...
and there's nothing VWOA can do about it.' In other words, I will have to pursue the
matter in small claims court. 

I do want to alert the various Bay Ridge newspapers about their sneaky procedure for
taking cars to their service dept.. Namely having the car driven through the streets of
Brooklyn by young drivers, under no supervision, and not informing the customer of 
this procedure.Therefor, if the driver wants to abuse the car during the trip, who's going
to know? Any problems that might develop can just be left for the customer to believe
that he/she was responsible.


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

WOW, Sorry Ridge, I am having a similar problem with one of our family cars now. A local NO touch car wash, touched one of our cars and scratched it.

There insurance carrier is avoiding and delaying everything. So small claims it will be. The owners are not answering and say to see one another, they have 3 owners. 

My brother will social media-iz-it it to death and YOUTUBE it as well.


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## jtrujillo86 (Aug 21, 2005)

I'm pretty convinced all VW service personnel are wretched. Before we hit 1k miles on our Bug we had to have a tire replaced because a screw that pierced the sidewall. After getting the car back, I saw they scraped one of our wheels pretty hard. I spoke to the manager and got it replaced on the spot. 

At another dealer, we had the tweeter replaced in the driver's door. Of course, when I opened the door to get in, the door panel was hanging on by only a few tabs :facepalm: 

It's common knowledge in the VW community that a good dealer service center is hard to find, but man...it seems like even basic stuff they can't do right. 

- Jeremy.


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

Babie said:


> WOW, Sorry Ridge, I am having a similar problem with one of our family cars now. A local NO touch car wash, touched one of our cars and scratched it.
> 
> There insurance carrier is avoiding and delaying everything. So small claims it will be. The owners are not answering and say to see one another, they have 3 owners.
> 
> My brother will social media-iz-it it to death and YOUTUBE it as well.


Eh, I could almost say you are to blame for sending your own car through a drive-thru car wash.


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## SaberOne (Apr 1, 2012)

Well, my continuing saga of defective tires, damaged wheel and now; the starter switch are all related to my very first service. I had a 'We Owe' for upgraded wheels, tires and a KARR alarm system. They told me the push button start was difficult to work with when installing the alarm system, but I had no idea they would damage the switch in the process. After all, they have a sub-contract company that supposedly does all their cars on the lot for those opting for the alarm of which they expressly promote at closing. 

The push button switch was apparently scratched during the install and today the plating lifted up and sliced my finger in two places. Blood went all over my center console. I was in town at the time so the VW first aid kit came in quite handy (pun intended). 

Discount Tire is replacing the tire that was so out-of-round that it couldn’t be balanced. They really didn't have to do that as it was a dealer installed tire and I didn't by from them. My hats off to the Manager of this tire shop in Yuma, Arizona.

The other tire that was determined to have been shaved/trued cannot be replaced because it presumably occurred after manufacturing. Still, it is considered serviceable but should not have been sold as new.

So, are we having fun yet?


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

SaberOne said:


> Well, my continuing saga of defective tires, damaged wheel and now; the starter switch are all related to my very first service. I had a 'We Owe' for upgraded wheels, tires and a KARR alarm system. They told me the push button start was difficult to work with when installing the alarm system, but I had no idea they would damage the switch in the process. After all, they have a sub-contract company that supposedly does all their cars on the lot for those opting for the alarm of which they expressly promote at closing.
> 
> The push button switch was apparently scratched during the install and today the plating lifted up and sliced my finger in two places. Blood went all over my center console. I was in town at the time so the VW first aid kit came in quite handy (pun intended).
> 
> ...


Damn. That sucks. I've driven through Yuma a few times heading to and from San Diego. I think it is safe to say that bringing a vehicle back to the dealer for something after it is purchased is rolling the dice.


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

stainlineho said:


> Eh, I could almost say you are to blame for sending your own car through a drive-thru car wash.


It was suppose to be touch less, no touch, but yet it did. If you get a good one, they are great to high pressure wash all the nooks and cranny's crap can get into. There are a few in town, and the newest is laser guided, but the one that damaged our car, it was what I call, fudged up and we did not know that. The owner made it from crap parts.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

I'm readying all my documentation for small claims court. The service mgr at Bay Ridge
tried to insinuate that I damaged the clutch by asking about the oem one and what condition
it was in when I had it removed after 11 months? Remembering that I asked the technician
at Tyrol Sport to tell me what kind of wear was on my original clutch, I was able to get a letter
from them stating that it did not show any abnormal wear. I can produce the old clutch if
need be, since it is sitting in my friend's body repair shop. I gave it to him, thinking he might
have use for it when doing a repair on a VW.


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## PooLeArMor (Aug 13, 2008)

if u filing a small claims court, most likely the dealer wont even borther to send anyone to the court and u will win by default , then u have to find a collection agency to go after the $$$


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

PooLeArMor said:


> if u filing a small claims court, most likely the dealer wont even borther to send anyone to the court and u will win by default , then u have to find a collection agency to go after the $$$


In New York there is a small claims court guide that shows you how to get paid. If VW refuses
to pay, I would alert the area newspapaers and then seek the assistance of a city marshal who
can then seize those assets to satisfy my judgment. Wouldn't it be a 'hoot' if he goes into the
parts dept and begins seizing parts? The marshal in our jurisdiction is located around the corner
from the dealer so I would at least not have to pay traveling expenses for his services.

Went to Small Claims Court today and started my case which is scheduled for May 23rd. Had
I wanted a morning session, the earliest date would have been June 14.


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

ridgemanron said:


> In New York there is a small claims court guide that shows you how to get paid. If VW refuses
> to pay, I would alert the area newspapaers and then seek the assistance of a city marshal who
> can then seize those assets to satisfy my judgment. Wouldn't it be a 'hoot' if he goes into the
> parts dept and begins seizing parts? The marshal in our jurisdiction is located around the corner
> ...


I hope you win, i hate people that think they can get away with crap. We have plenty of them where I live. My brother said, you can add what it takes to collect a judgment to collect. Make sure you get final cost of collection added to the judgment. Document all, that you made reasonable efforts to collect a debt, and failed each step, so you get get more back it if take a 3rd party to collect.


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

LOL

posted by Tapatalk


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

So this is over the clutch? How does the car drive now?


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

stainlineho said:


> So this is over the clutch? How does the car drive now?


I have not as yet reached the break-in miles that I was told to record before even thinking
about applying 'full throttle'. I do know that the burnt smell went from extremely strong, to
moderate strength, and can still be noted albeit at a lower scent level now.

How much was the friction material damaged? Your guess is as good as mine. I went on-line
to a Professional Shop in the UK who offers photos and educational information concerning 
clutches, which I will present for the judge to examine, and in the body of the report a list
of 'The Main Symptoms Of Burnt Out Clutches' and included in their listing is:
* A pronounced burning smell
Per - www.jemservice.co.uk/clutches.html 

Did I mention that to examine the clutch a complete removal process is needed and this labor 
cost is the same when you install a clutch. In my case that was $600......just to properly examine
it in the only way possible.


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## PooLeArMor (Aug 13, 2008)

ridgemanron said:


> In New York there is a small claims court guide that shows you how to get paid. If VW refuses
> to pay, I would alert the area newspapaers and then seek the assistance of a city marshal who
> can then seize those assets to satisfy my judgment. Wouldn't it be a 'hoot' if he goes into the
> parts dept and begins seizing parts? The marshal in our jurisdiction is located around the corner
> ...



bring as many evidences as you can to the court and a list of all the receipts for the repairs, inspections, parts and labors.

I remember u said u had a shop to inspect the clutch already and have it in wirting ?? , but I suggest that u find another shop to do one more inspection on the clutch to prove that the VW dealer really damaged it..


u can show a pic of the differ between urs clutch and a new one to the judge 


by the way the Small Claim Court in NY is a joke.... so I really hope that the dealer don't send anyone to the court and u will win by default , but even u won the judge wont allow u all the $$$ u are claiming..


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

PooLeArMor said:


> bring as many evidences as you can to the court and a list of all the receipts for the repairs, inspections, parts and labors.
> 
> I remember u said u had a shop to inspect the clutch already and have it in wirting ?? , but I suggest that u find another shop to do one more inspection on the clutch to prove that the VW dealer really damaged it..
> 
> ...


I will come well armed with more than one report from professional mechanic shops, for sure.
Will also show the judge a diagram revealing how the dealer has to take my car on the streets
for an extensive amount of driving (minimum of 6 city blocks) for him to reach his service area,
which gives a guy transporting the car a lot of time to play like he's an F-1 racer.

I did offer the dealer what I felt was a more than generous offer on my part. I said that since the
$600 install charge would be no where near that cost to him if he put in the clutch, I would want
$250 from him to apply to the $1,100 cost of the clutch which in essence splits the $1,700 cost
to me in half. He refused my offer.


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

Not to be the jerk in the room, but you are going to waste a hell of a lot more money trying to fight a dealership than its worth. You really think your going to get any money back in small claims court? Their lawyers can bury you very quickly with motions that can cost you thousands. I've been through it and it ain't worth it. Cut your losses and never go back to that dealership.

Oh and lastly, why would you trust a dealership with a modified vehicle like that? I would barely trust them with a stock vehicle lol! I don't even let them drive my car into the shop if I have to take it to them which after so many modifications isn't gonna happen again anyway lol

Anyway that's my $.02, interested to hear what happens.

posted by Tapatalk


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

drtechy said:


> Not to be the jerk in the room, but you are going to waste a hell of a lot more money trying to fight a dealership than its worth. You really think your going to get any money back in small claims court? Their lawyers can bury you very quickly with motions that can cost you thousands. I've been through it and it ain't worth it. Cut your losses and never go back to that dealership.
> 
> Oh and lastly, why would you trust a dealership with a modified vehicle like that? I would barely trust them with a stock vehicle lol! I don't even let them drive my car into the shop if I have to take it to them which after so many modifications isn't gonna happen again anyway lol
> 
> ...


$20 is wasting a lot of money? That's all it costs to sue up to $5,000. Can see you've never been
in Small Claims Court. Representing yourself is no big deal and the key is to present a concise,
well explained complaint. I've never 'completely' lost a small claims case, usually getting half of
what I sued for. Want to really drive an attorney 'nuts'? Ask the judge for a continuation one or
two times when personal reasons dictate you need to. That lawyer has to come back over and over
and evening sessions, which I not he decides on, is also something they aren't thrilled about.

With regard to trusting a dealership. They never told me about having to drive my car through
numerous streets to reach their service dept.. I thought the car would remain where I dropped
it off, go into a nearby bay and have my oil changed. Looked over the 'permission' part of the
work order and the only thing I authorized concerning this is if the car had to go on the road
for a road related examination or test. Doesn't apply for an oil change and I was never aware of
their 'driving my car through the streets with an unsupervised attendant' procedure. Had I
been informed, no permission would have been granted.


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

ridgemanron said:


> $20 is wasting a lot of money? That's all it costs to sue up to $5,000. Can see you've never been
> in Small Claims Court. Representing yourself is no big deal and the key is to present a concise,
> well explained complaint. I've never 'completely' lost a small claims case, usually getting half of
> what I sued for. Want to really drive an attorney 'nuts'? Ask the judge for a continuation one or
> ...


We'll see, you've obviously never gone up against a large company in small claims court. They don't give in to that **** lightly.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

drtechy said:


> We'll see, you've obviously never gone up against a large company in small claims court. They don't give in to that **** lightly.


Is Marriott a big enough company? I complained about an end table that was affixed to the
wall, not on the floor, next to the bed and when it came crashing down due to a faulty wood plank
holding it, I reported a foot injury. Their 'super' lawyer tried to say there was no proof I didn't
pull it off the wall. Result he lost the case and I got $3,200.


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

ridgemanron said:


> Is Marriott a big enough company? I complained about an end table that was affixed to the
> wall, not on the floor, next to the bed and when it came crashing down due to a faulty wood plank
> holding it, I reported a foot injury. Their 'super' lawyer tried to say there was no proof I didn't
> pull it off the wall. Result he lost the case and I got $3,200.


 Like I said we'll see what the outcome is. I truly hope you do get some sort of reimbursement without too much hassle.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

drtechy said:


> Like I said we'll see what the outcome is. I truly hope you do get some sort of reimbursement without too much hassle.


Like I said, $20 is the total cost. To be honest it's kind of like watching a T.V. court room program
with some of the cases that come up. I can guarantee you that VW's cost will be more than $20,
no matter what the outcome is. I can either 'win'...'tie'.... or 'lose $20' for a small amount of 
chit-chat time with the judge. In this day and time, that's quite a bargain.


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

ridgemanron said:


> Is Marriott a big enough company? I complained about an end table that was affixed to the
> wall, not on the floor, next to the bed and when it came crashing down due to a faulty wood plank
> holding it, I reported a foot injury. Their 'super' lawyer tried to say there was no proof I didn't
> pull it off the wall. Result he lost the case and I got $3,200.


LOL sorry about your foot but that's funny.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

stainlineho said:


> LOL sorry about your foot but that's funny.


Nothing was broken, for had there been a break I could have gotten the maximum.
I couldn't understand who would design a room in a motel/hotel and decide to pin
the end tables on the wall instead of letting them rest on the floor? The judge couldn't
understand either.


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## PooLeArMor (Aug 13, 2008)

like i said the Small Claim court is a joke... lol


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## Cadenza_7o (Jan 23, 2001)

I see an easy win. Just show the judge a photo of the VW Tech driving your car...


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Cadenza_7o said:


> I see an easy win. Just show the judge a photo of the VW Tech driving your car...


He is sporting VW's Blue and White colors !


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

ridgemanron said:


> He is sporting VW's Blue and White colors !


Ridge, my brother the attorney says to hang around the dealer with a video camera or smart phone and see if you can catch anyone driving nuts. Video in court rules from what I am told.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Babie said:


> Ridge, my brother the attorney says to hang around the dealer with a video camera or smart phone and see if you can catch anyone driving nuts. Video in court rules from what I am told.


Babie, I really don't think they get that many modified cars at this dealership and I'm sure very
few would be stick-shift where a driver is so important so as to protect the integrity of the clutch.
They can't run away from their need to drive cars through numerous streets to get to 'service'
and with this being the case, customers have to be made aware of this. Like I said, I wasn't.


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