After many years of driving Volvos we swapped to VW. My wife's current VW Polo has just cost a small fortune for repairs to the brakes. Although under extended warranty, "wear items" are not covered. In addition to its normal service and MoT, it required new hand brake cables and the front discs resurfaced. At its first MoT, it required new front brake pads as they had started to disintegrate. The previous Polo had needed new front discs because of brake shudder.
I think that's us finished with VW. Along with having to order a fill of heating oil and the campervan insurance (same price as last year), it's going to be an expensive month.
------------- Two drifters off to see the world.
I'm tired of reality, so I'm off to look for a good fantasy.
Not a great surprise I'm afraid, I've known a few people with VW group vehicles and they've had expensive repairs on things that really shouldn't fail as early as they have, if at all. Had a friend with an Audi that had a whole catalogue of faults that would have been outrageously unacceptable on a old budget Lada or Moskovich, let alone a more modern 'premium' brand! I believe VW group had some notoriously unreliable engines and gearboxes on the market for years, thankfully now obsolete and superseded I believe.
There's more to a brand than the marketing hype that tells you how good they are!
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
In the early days of the VW Golf, we bought a new one. Certainly had its share of problems. The big warning we sadly ignored was the day we went to collect it. It was standing on the forecourt with a group of mechanics around it. Apparently they could not get the engine to start.
Just before the warranty ran out, it went in for service. No problems. A few days later as I pulled up outside the house, there was a loud bang and the clutch pedal became loose.
On phoning the workshop the comment was "Oh yours has done it as well has it? They all seem to be doing that. It's the plate in the engine compartment that hold the pedal mechanism, the weld is breaking."
Of course, I asked the obvious question, if they are all doing it why wasn't it repaired the other day when it was in for service. But apparently, VW do not work that way.
Since then I have stuck with Ford. OK they have problems, but the attitude seems to be different, hence an occasional letter asking me to return my car as it is part of a batch showing faults. Please return it for free repairs.
Quote: Originally posted by Capt Lightning on 05/3/2022
After many years of driving Volvos we swapped to VW. My wife's current VW Polo has just cost a small fortune for repairs to the brakes. Although under extended warranty, "wear items" are not covered. In addition to its normal service and MoT, it required new hand brake cables and the front discs resurfaced. At its first MoT, it required new front brake pads as they had started to disintegrate. The previous Polo had needed new front discs because of brake shudder.
I think that's us finished with VW. Along with having to order a fill of heating oil and the campervan insurance (same price as last year), it's going to be an expensive month.
Are those main dealer prices or small garage? Replacing front pads and discs should not cost a fortune and having the discs skimmed may well be more expensive than just replacing the discs. OEM discs should cost no more than about £50-£60 per pair including VAT, you can get aftermarket parts like BOSCH for even less. A set of OEM front brake pads should cost no more than £15. Replacing the discs and pads is a relatively simple job that anyone who can tell one end of a torque wrench from the other should be more than capable of doing. If you cannot do the job yourself, my advice would be to buy the parts yourself online and just pay the garage to fit them. They should charge no more than 2 hours labour. If they try to charge more than that then they need a thorough beating with the aforementioned torque wrench. As a point of reference, I can change the front brake discs and pads on my Land Rover, on my driveway, in about 60 minutes and even using Brembo parts it costs less than £60.
I think I am I right in saying that Skoda cars are owned by Volkswagen which are built with Volkswagen parts which seem to have a very good reputation in terms of reliability. Any further comments on this would be appreciated as I was considering buying a Skoda Octavia a couple of years ago but decided to keep my Volvo.
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 05/3/2022
I think I am I right in saying that Skoda cars are owned by Volkswagen which are built with Volkswagen parts which seem to have a very good reputation in terms of reliability....
Correct; (from Wiki) the "VAG group" sells passenger cars under the Audi, Bentley, Cupra, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda and Volkswagen brands; motorcycles under the Ducati name; light commercial vehicles under the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand; and heavy commercial vehicles via the marques of listed subsidiary Traton (IC Bus, International, MAN, Scania and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus).
My son had a Golf TDI from 2003 (new) until last September - in the last few months it developed an intermittent fault with the rear door lock....
Has replaced it with a SEAT Leon hybrid PEV...
I had an Octavia TDI from 2006 (12 months old) until 2018 - again, last few months developed an electrical fault (consistant battery drain)... Now replaced with a Ford Fiasco (cheapest available at the time) because I no longer tow and do only about 700-800 miles per year!
I would recommend a VAG group vehicle every time - look how many taxis and emergency vehicles are Skoda...
------------- What's the difference between a chicken?
Yes. The myth of VW quality. A bit like the myth of rubbish French cars. I have owned 3 Citroen Berlingos since 2004 with no probs at all apart from normal service items.
Quote: Originally posted by martin734 on 05/3/2022
Quote: Originally posted by Capt Lightning on 05/3/2022
After many years of driving Volvos we swapped to VW. My wife's current VW Polo has just cost a small fortune for repairs to the brakes. Although under extended warranty, "wear items" are not covered. In addition to its normal service and MoT, it required new hand brake cables and the front discs resurfaced. At its first MoT, it required new front brake pads as they had started to disintegrate. The previous Polo had needed new front discs because of brake shudder.
I think that's us finished with VW. Along with having to order a fill of heating oil and the campervan insurance (same price as last year), it's going to be an expensive month.
Are those main dealer prices or small garage? If you cannot do the job yourself, my advice would be to buy the parts yourself online and just pay the garage to fit them.
Im surprised any garage would fit your own kit. What if it goes wrong? Do you blame the actual fitting or the parts you've supplied? Who decides? Its a minefield even before they are fit.
Quote: Originally posted by martin734 on 05/3/2022
Quote: Originally posted by Capt Lightning on 05/3/2022
After many years of driving Volvos we swapped to VW. My wife's current VW Polo has just cost a small fortune for repairs to the brakes. Although under extended warranty, "wear items" are not covered. In addition to its normal service and MoT, it required new hand brake cables and the front discs resurfaced. At its first MoT, it required new front brake pads as they had started to disintegrate. The previous Polo had needed new front discs because of brake shudder.
I think that's us finished with VW. Along with having to order a fill of heating oil and the campervan insurance (same price as last year), it's going to be an expensive month.
Are those main dealer prices or small garage? If you cannot do the job yourself, my advice would be to buy the parts yourself online and just pay the garage to fit them.
Im surprised any garage would fit your own kit. What if it goes wrong? Do you blame the actual fitting or the parts you've supplied? Who decides? Its a minefield even before they are fit.
I know of several garages that are happy to fit parts supplied by the customer. It isn't really a minefield at all and is exactly the same as if the garage bought the parts. If the part fails then the supplier is responsible for replacement, just as if it was the garage that bought the part. If the fault is due to poor fitting, the garage is responsible. If garages didn't fit parts bought by customers, why do parts suppliers sell to retail customers? I had a garage fit a 2nd hand gearbox to my Land Rover a few months ago as I didn't have time to do it myself.
Some garages will fit customer-supplied parts and some won't. If something doesn't go to plan or if something goes wrong later, the garage will normally blame "faulty parts" supplied by the customer, and the parts supplier will try to blame the garage who fitted them. It is then up to the customer to prove who is right. It can be quite a hassle, often with the vehicle off the road in the meantime. Ok if you have more than one vehicle you can use.
Parts suppliers sell to retail customers who want to do the job themselves.
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 06/3/2022
Some garages will fit customer-supplied parts and some won't. If something doesn't go to plan or if something goes wrong later, the garage will normally blame "faulty parts" supplied by the customer, and the parts supplier will try to blame the garage who fitted them. It is then up to the customer to prove who is right. It can be quite a hassle, often with the vehicle off the road in the meantime. Ok if you have more than one vehicle you can use.
Parts suppliers sell to retail customers who want to do the job themselves.
Euro Car Parts have a very good scheme called Fit for me. https://www.eurocarparts.com/fit-it-for-me-fitting-service You buy the part you want from them and then you can use one of their trusted workshops to fit the part for you. I have used this several times when I simply don't have the time, or rarely, the tools or space to do it myself. I buy the part and then get the garage to fit them. They also often fit parts from other suppliers as long as the parts are new and boxed and from a reputable supplier. Obviously they are more reluctant to fit second hand parts and insist on a written disclaimer as was the case with my gearbox.
Back in the eighties I had a VW Golf as a company car. One day on changing down the gear lever snapped off almost at the base. Luckily I was in a semi rural area and able to get a good bit of the way home before I could no longer manage and was in a safer area. Called the tow truck which took about 3 hours to arrive and had to find my own way home. Did not give you a lift in those days!
When I were a lad and drove a Morris Minor, I did all my own car maintenance. Even on my early Bedford CF motorhomes, I could do most things.
Now in my 70's and with dodgy knees, I let someone else do the work. It's not so much the cost of components (I might save a few pounds if I looked through eBay), but the labour charge and VAT. It might be cheaper if I went to a different garage, but my local one has a very high reputation and the quality of work is first class. They do quite a bit of work on Motorhomes and I've see everything from a Travant to a Rolls Royce in their workshop. They're also cheaper than the main VW dealer.
------------- Two drifters off to see the world.
I'm tired of reality, so I'm off to look for a good fantasy.
Quote: Originally posted by Capt Lightning on 07/3/2022
When I were a lad and drove a Morris Minor, I did all my own car maintenance. Even on my early Bedford CF motorhomes, I could do most things.
Now in my 70's and with dodgy knees, I let someone else do the work. It's not so much the cost of components (I might save a few pounds if I looked through eBay), but the labour charge and VAT. It might be cheaper if I went to a different garage, but my local one has a very high reputation and the quality of work is first class. They do quite a bit of work on Motorhomes and I've see everything from a Travant to a Rolls Royce in their workshop. They're also cheaper than the main VW dealer.
That sounds very much like me Capt. At one time I wouldn't let anyone else touch my cars, I did everything myself including replacing engines, gearboxes etc. That led to me starting up a workshop repairing other peoples' vehicles. These days though I'm in my 70s too and modern cars with all their computerised technology are beyond me, plus I have a dodgy back so I let my local garage do the work on my car. They have an excellent reputation too.
Regarding VWs, I once had a VW camper which had been a home conversion. Most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned. It broke down more times than every other vehicle I had owned put together. If it got me where I wanted to go, it probably wouldn't get me back, and often it didn't. I was always amazed how some people who bought them drove all round Australia with them, yet mine would hardly get me out of the village without something going wrong. No heater either so it was Bl**dy freezing! On one occasion I drove 10 miles with my head out of the window because I couldn't see where I was going through the frozen windscreen. On the inside!!
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Topic: I`m giving up on VW.
via mobile 06/3/2022 at 7:11am
