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#31
03-13-2019, 04:56 PM
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Took my wife's Q3 in for (first) annual service last year. We did the Prepaid Maintenance, so this should be a "free" service.... They called and told us the same thing ..."screw in tread, too close to sidewall to patch". We never noticed any air leakage or anything but since there is lots of construction in our area, figured it was plausible.....about $300 for new tire! Road hazard warranty on tires was the only one we didn't buy for the car. Took my Honda Pilot in for 105,000 mileage maintenance last fall....timing belt, plugs, etc...the works. About $2000 or so in total....Tech Advisor calls me to tell me I have a small oil leak...labor to replace gaskets is normally $1200, but since they have the car pulled apart anyway, it will be $600 plus the gaskets ($100-200). I have never seen a drop of oil on our driveway (new driveway, brushed concrete) nor am I ever low on oil when I check it.... Told the guy no thanks.... It seems to me that I consistently get an estimate for the service, but there is always a call that wants to add $300 to $1000 to the original number. I just get the feeling I am getting played somehow.....car is already in the shop, and they figure my time is worth more than a couple hundred bucks.  These two incidents rub me the wrong way about mechanics
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2003 CSi / Legend Ti / Seven 622 SLX 
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#32
03-13-2019, 05:13 PM
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My local mechanic fixed an oil leak for me recently on a 2009 Odyssey. $1, total. Said he had to put something in his computer for replacing a rubber gasket of some sort or would have been free. No more leak and now a customer for life. He previously fixed my in-laws faulty break sensor for free as well (out of state visiting and put them first in line so they could return home. Point of story ask around and find these hidden gems of mechanics. Our local dealers charge soooo much. My mom who is in her 70’s has basically paid for her car in repairs through Honda dealer. She likes piece of mind in using dealer to do work but they always find something to scare her into fixing.
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#33
03-13-2019, 05:15 PM
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No idea what they would have charged but if I needed to use a mechanic I'd go back.
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#35
03-14-2019, 05:19 AM
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For dgauthier above.. Quote:
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Chisholm's Custom Wheels Qui Si Parla Campagnolo Last edited by oldpotatoe; 03-14-2019 at 05:23 AM.
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#36
03-14-2019, 07:24 AM
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#37
03-14-2019, 08:57 AM
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The service writer we spoke with had to have had some of the worst people skills I've seen, ever. Looked very uncomfortable talking to us & other customers. Seemed to just be uncomfortable carrying on a conversation with anyone. Very short explanations, wouldn't look you in the eye, seemed like we were all wasting his time. I'm not a mind reader, and he may have just been having a bad day, but I've worked in the customer service arena myself and he practically broke every rule of good customer service that I could think of. Also, there were a lot of cars in the service area but only 3 mechanics that I could count. Weird. We have not been back there since. There is another "foreign car" shop in town, been around for years with a good reputation. We will keep going there.
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#38
03-14-2019, 09:02 AM
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Anecdotally it seems like VW has had some dealer culture issue going on for a long time. This stuff gets driven from the top. I had an Acura, Acura (not the dealer, but often in addition to the dealer) was unbelievably proactive about calling owners and looking for any possible detail that the dealership could have screwed up on. And they would hold the dealers feet to the fire over the smallest thing. They wanted everything absolutely perfect. Not sure they do a good job at this anymore of course, that was a long time ago. I used to get free services if I reported something as trivial as incorrect tire pressure being put in my tires by the mechanics. If they actually screwed up a job there was hell to pay. So as a result the service & experience was exceptional. I own a Subaru now, it is not even on the same planet. They mostly do a good job but they don't have a relentless culture of trying to be perfect. I had Fords at one point and they were generally terrible in comparison..
There have been a lot of threads like this complaining about dealer service on this forum over the years. I live < 1 mile from a VW dealer, only car dealer in our town, they have similar stories if you go read their reviews online. I doubt it has anything to do with dieselgate, though maybe it's some how related through corporate culture. VW/Audi Dealers have had a lot to put up with over the years, they have had many design flaw type scandals that caused recalls and TSBs that resulted in lots of relatively new cars needing repairs at the dealer. Lots of interactions with customers that could go wrong. Who goes to the dealer for tires though? That's just a way to get taken for a ride no matter what kind of car you own. They'll have fewer selections and maximum prices. Last edited by benb; 03-14-2019 at 09:07 AM.
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#39
03-14-2019, 10:22 AM
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My Honda dealer is super competitive with tires - I always pick the dealer, the dealer wants more out of you that a tire shop, so they always are thinking of your next major service, selling you a new care, etc. A tire shop wants to sell you more tires, they have less to lose.
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#40
03-14-2019, 11:03 AM
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If competitive...or in the ball park re price.....I try to buy my tires from the local Lincoln/Ford dealership. Then if vehicle doesn't drive just right.....they get all the blame. The tire store can't blame the dealership alignment, and the dealership can't blame the tire store balancing job. Also do a 4 wheel alignment same time.
Also....and this is a big deal to me.....The Lincoln dealership has drivability equipment few tire stores have. When they get drivability complaints from those $90,000 Lincolns....they use road force tire balancing equipment. My Local Lincoln/Ford dealership has this balancing equipment (Hunter I believe), where a arm comes down on the tire with about 500 lbs force, and simulates conditions driving down the road. They know a tire balances slightly different unloaded on a balancing machine VS driving down the road at 60 MPH. Bet Audi, BMW, MB, Acura, Lexus, Infinity, Cadillac, etc all have similar equipment. Very expensive, but necessary if you are going to service those cars and customers. Dealerships have a lot of overhead, and aren't overly profitable. They need those 100 point inspections to keep the service and repair bays full. Personally....I don't mind a dealership telling me I will probably need a brake job next oil change. And for that heads up....I will probably let them do the work. Even if the tire store is $100 cheaper. Last edited by Ralph; 03-14-2019 at 11:07 AM.
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#41
03-14-2019, 12:30 PM
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Mazda3 was total meh. And I was driving a 3 I loved, 14 years old. Toyota - no Android Auto support & a funky blind spot monitor Honda - no lumbar support adjustment on the car I wanted in ANY trim line Hyundai - either in the same price range for less stuff, or more to get EVERYTHING on the car to get one thing AND the stupidest rear cargo area ever. About a 4in lip right in the center of the area. So...I told myself they were caught & being fined, so that was at least something. Good news is I love the car.
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#42
03-14-2019, 02:53 PM
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We're on our 4th VW, and had an interesting time of it - I've had 2 - '98 Jetta and a 2017 GTI - 0 problems with either. 165,000 miles on the Jetta with just tires, brakes, and front struts just before I sold it. GTI 27,000 miles and nothing (but it should be nothing).
My wife has had two VW's a 2000 Jetta wagon and a 2011 JSW TDI. The older Jetta tossed a timing belt - $5,000 repair (interference engine). But low and behold there was a class action law suit - fully reimbursed. Then that Jetta's windshield started leaking and messing up some electronics - $1500 repair. But then, low and behold a class action lawsuit - fully reimbursed. Finally dieselgate - we sold them back an 8 year old car with 90,000 miles on it, and they gave us about $8,000 for it. I think my wife has actually made money on the VW's she's owned. Overall I think they are very well engineered cars (leaking sunroofs not included), fun to drive and a good value. Like any manufactured product there are bad ones - and people love to complain about how bad a product is.
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#43
03-14-2019, 03:34 PM
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I will get to the VW dealership experience in a moment, but first:
My name is Bob and I have made fun of VW owners my entire life. I have been driving my new 2019 VW Golf GTI Rabbit Edition for two months and like was stated above it was the best/only hatchback 6spd MT, turbo, good lights, no sunroof out there and I don't think I could have bought a better car for my needs. I really like it and so do my dogs. The purchase experience was easy and felt fair. At 700 miles I had the dealer's service department do an oil change. Yep, they put the wrong weight oil in. It was their first 19 and VW had changed the spec, of course I caught it and of course they fixed their mistake. No harm, no foul, for me, but it could/would have been in hot weather. So, be careful. Sticky PSS soon, PA4s for next winter and the damn VW will be perfect. I have been assimilated!
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#44
03-14-2019, 10:49 PM
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BBS wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sports for summer 17" OZ wheels wheels with Bridgestone Blizzak LM winters All Road Force balanced at Discount Tire with their road hazard warranty you get the damaged tire free, plus 50% off of the other tires on an AWD vehicle upgraded to Bosch Envision wiper blades, work great 68k miles, always dealer serviced, not one issue It is simply the best vehicle I have owned and I had the supposedly super reliable Toyotas and Subarus and they weren't.
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#45
03-15-2019, 06:59 AM
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I'm riding to promote awareness of my riding
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