Audi Chandler

To Whom It May Concern,Please see below for a complete explanation of the service(s) provided to Mr. [redacted]'s vehicle at Audi Chandler.  Please note that Mr. [redacted]'s vehicle is 13 model years old and has over 100K miles.  Audi Chandler has made several attempts to assist Mr....

[redacted] with the repairs needed by offering a discount.  Mr. [redacted] has called Audi of America and opened a case.  Audi of America reviewed the situation and the repair history and  declined to offer any assistance.  They only asked that we try to accomodate the customer by offering a discount on the work needed.Mr. [redacted]'s car has a plugged heater core.  This is a common problem in high mile Audi's.  Again, we are more than willing to work with Mr. [redacted] on the repairs and offer him discounted repairs.  The timing belt that Mr. [redacted] purchased almost 2 years ago has nothing to do with the plugged heater core.Audi Chandler has an excellent track record with the Revdex.com and always aims to do what is right.  Please see below, these are the "notes" for the service history since the timing belt was replaced in May 2012.  Please feel free to contact me if you require more information regarding this complaint.  My contact information is [redacted], ###-###-####, [redacted].comMr. [redacted] had his car in the shop the following times: 5/23/12 at 84521 miles. We replaced the timing belt, outer belt, water pump, and tensioners. 10/12/12 at 90006 miles. He had the check engine light(needed an exhaust temp sensor) and brake pad warning light on(had aftermarket pads installed elsewhere). He did not pay for diagnosis. 8/23/13 at 101742 miles. Fog light was cracked and we replaced it. 2/11/14 at 108842 miles. He came in for the service clinic, and stated the heater was not working. he said he would return for further diag on that since it was late in the day. At the same time the technician noted the check engine light was on, and faults for exhaust gas temp sensor, cats, oxygen sensors, misfire,  upper/lower control arm bushings and motor mounts split.  2/13/14 at 108889 miles. Customer came in for an inspection with [redacted] was not here, so the customer left the vehicle here until the 15th (Saturday) He came in on the 15th and went into the shop with myself and that’s when we told him about the cooling fan and plugged heater core, he then stated that he did not feel he should have to pay for anything and that we are responsible.  Not once did he complain about the vehicle overheating, and he never mentioned the heater not working until he came in for the free service clinic, 21 months and 24368 miles after we completed the timing belt and water pump repair.   He has already called Audi Customer service, but they are not willing to participate in helping the customer, stating that if we wish to help the customer it would be solely on the dealership to participate. We did offer Mr. [redacted] 25% off on all needed repairs.  Best regards,[redacted]General ManagerAudi Chandler

To Whom It May Concern,This email is in follow up to the previous reply send to you about the complaint from Mr. [redacted].Please let me point out that myself and Audi Chandler take every complaint from the Revdex.com very seriously and I thoroughly research each case to make sure we are addressing the concern.  We have an excellent track record with the Revdex.com.  In this case, I feel through my research that Audi Chandler is not responsible for the issues that Mr. [redacted]'s car currently has.First, the vehicle in question is a 2001 Audi with over 100,000 miles.  Given that the car is 13 model years old and has miles in excess of 100k, it is very well known that they are prone to the issues that the customer is currently experiencing.  These issues being caused by the age of the car and not repairs done on the vehicle.  The repairs in question were done on May 12, 2012, so we are now approaching the 2 year mark since the repairs were initially done.Secondly, Mr. [redacted] did contact Audi of America at it's Customer Experience Center.  They in turn, researched the situation, contacted us, and in the end did not ask Audi Chandler to take any corrective action.  They did ask that we offer the customer a discount should he decide to have the repairs done here.In speaking with Audi of America, we reviewed the work done on 5/23/12 in which we replaced the timing belt, outer belt, water pump, and tensioners.  It was concluded that the work was done properly and according to specfications.In conclusion, it is a common problem in all automobiles with high mileage to have the heater core become plugged.  The work performed by Audi Chandler almost two years ago did not cause the problem that Mr. [redacted] is currently experiencing.  Time, miles, and climate conditions all lead to the eventual deterioration of all automotive components.  Mr. [redacted]'s vehicle is not excluded from this.  A vehicle that is 13 model years old and with over 100,000 miles would eventually need to have repairs, such as a heater core, performed.Again, Audi Chandler would be happy to extend Mr. [redacted] special discounts and pricing to make the repairs that are needed.  We had previously offered Mr. [redacted] 25% off all repairs.  Out of goodwill, I will increase this offer to 33% off of the needed repairs.Thank you for allowing me to address the situation at hand.  Best regards, [redacted]GM

Good morning,I have taken the time to read the complaint from the customer.As you are aware, Audi Chandler has a very good record with the Revdex.com.  We strive to give each customer excellent customer service.  Occasionally though, communication can break down between the...

customer and the dealership.  I believe this is the case here.Audi Chandler did promise the customer that we would repair the windshield.  We did perform the repair and unfortunately, the repair didn't meet the customer's expectations.  As the General Manager, I will authorize the replacement of the windshield.  Although, this was not promised in the car deal, I will make the exception out of concern for customer satisfaction.The customer should contact [redacted] in our service department at ###-###-####.  [redacted] has my authorization to order the new windshield and once it arrives we will install.Thank you and please let me know if I can be of further assistance.Best regards,[redacted]General ManagerAudi Chandler

To Whom It May Concern,Please see below for a complete explanation of the service(s) provided to Mr. [redacted]'s vehicle at Audi Chandler.  Please note that Mr. [redacted]'s vehicle is 13 model years old and has over 100K miles.  Audi Chandler has made several attempts to assist Mr....

[redacted] with the repairs needed by offering a discount.  Mr. [redacted] has called Audi of America and opened a case.  Audi of America reviewed the situation and the repair history and  declined to offer any assistance.  They only asked that we try to accomodate the customer by offering a discount on the work needed.Mr. [redacted]'s car has a plugged heater core.  This is a common problem in high mile Audi's.  Again, we are more than willing to work with Mr. [redacted] on the repairs and offer him discounted repairs.  The timing belt that Mr. [redacted] purchased almost 2 years ago has nothing to do with the plugged heater core.Audi Chandler has an excellent track record with the Revdex.com and always aims to do what is right.  Please see below, these are the "notes" for the service history since the timing belt was replaced in May 2012.  Please feel free to contact me if you require more information regarding this complaint.  My contact information is [redacted], ###-###-####, [redacted].comMr. [redacted] had his car in the shop the following times: 5/23/12 at 84521 miles. We replaced the timing belt, outer belt, water pump, and tensioners. 10/12/12 at 90006 miles. He had the check engine light(needed an exhaust temp sensor) and brake pad warning light on(had aftermarket pads installed elsewhere). He did not pay for diagnosis. 8/23/13 at 101742 miles. Fog light was cracked and we replaced it. 2/11/14 at 108842 miles. He came in for the service clinic, and stated the heater was not working. he said he would return for further diag on that since it was late in the day. At the same time the technician noted the check engine light was on, and faults for exhaust gas temp sensor, cats, oxygen sensors, misfire,  upper/lower control arm bushings and motor mounts split.  2/13/14 at 108889 miles. Customer came in for an inspection with [redacted]. [redacted] was not here, so the customer left the vehicle here until the 15th (Saturday) He came in on the 15th and went into the shop with myself and that’s when we told him about the cooling fan and plugged heater core, he then stated that he did not feel he should have to pay for anything and that we are responsible.  Not once did he complain about the vehicle overheating, and he never mentioned the heater not working until he came in for the free service clinic, 21 months and 24368 miles after we completed the timing belt and water pump repair.   He has already called Audi Customer service, but they are not willing to participate in helping the customer, stating that if we wish to help the customer it would be solely on the dealership to participate. We did offer Mr. [redacted] 25% off on all needed repairs.  Best regards,[redacted]General ManagerAudi Chandler

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,[redacted]

To Whom It May Concern,This email is in follow up to the previous reply send to you about the complaint from Mr. [redacted].Please let me point out that myself and Audi Chandler take every complaint from the Revdex.com very seriously and I thoroughly research each case to make sure we are addressing the concern.  We have an excellent track record with the Revdex.com.  In this case, I feel through my research that Audi Chandler is not responsible for the issues that Mr. [redacted]'s car currently has.First, the vehicle in question is a 2001 Audi with over 100,000 miles.  Given that the car is 13 model years old and has miles in excess of 100k, it is very well known that they are prone to the issues that the customer is currently experiencing.  These issues being caused by the age of the car and not repairs done on the vehicle.  The repairs in question were done on May 12, 2012, so we are now approaching the 2 year mark since the repairs were initially done.Secondly, Mr. [redacted] did contact Audi of America at it's Customer Experience Center.  They in turn, researched the situation, contacted us, and in the end did not ask Audi Chandler to take any corrective action.  They did ask that we offer the customer a discount should he decide to have the repairs done here.In speaking with Audi of America, we reviewed the work done on 5/23/12 in which we replaced the timing belt, outer belt, water pump, and tensioners.  It was concluded that the work was done properly and according to specfications.In conclusion, it is a common problem in all automobiles with high mileage to have the heater core become plugged.  The work performed by Audi Chandler almost two years ago did not cause the problem that Mr. [redacted] is currently experiencing.  Time, miles, and climate conditions all lead to the eventual deterioration of all automotive components.  Mr. [redacted]'s vehicle is not excluded from this.  A vehicle that is 13 model years old and with over 100,000 miles would eventually need to have repairs, such as a heater core, performed.Again, Audi Chandler would be happy to extend Mr. [redacted] special discounts and pricing to make the repairs that are needed.  We had previously offered Mr. [redacted] 25% off all repairs.  Out of goodwill, I will increase this offer to 33% off of the needed repairs.Thank you for allowing me to address the situation at hand.  Best regards, [redacted]GM

Good morning,I have taken the time to read the complaint from the customer.As you are aware, Audi Chandler has a very good record with the Revdex.com.  We strive to give each customer excellent customer service.  Occasionally though, communication can break down between the...

customer and the dealership.  I believe this is the case here.Audi Chandler did promise the customer that we would repair the windshield.  We did perform the repair and unfortunately, the repair didn't meet the customer's expectations.  As the General Manager, I will authorize the replacement of the windshield.  Although, this was not promised in the car deal, I will make the exception out of concern for customer satisfaction.The customer should contact [redacted] in our service department at ###-###-####.  [redacted] has my authorization to order the new windshield and once it arrives we will install.Thank you and please let me know if I can be of further assistance.Best regards,[redacted]General ManagerAudi Chandler

To Whom It May Concern,
 
At Audi Chandler we take pride in taking exceptional care of our customers.  In this case it appears we didn't live up to that motto.
I was not aware of the situation, but want to make it right.
I will instruct my accounting department...

to issue a check today in the amount of $476.77.  Please allow up to 5 business days to receive the check.I want to personally apologize to Mr. [redacted] for my staff's lack of attention to this situation.  I will make sure they are aware of the situation and coach them so this never happens again.
My office number is ###-###-#### and my email [redacted]
Best regards,

GM Audi Chandler

My detailed concerns about the type of water used, the mixture of coolant and water, have been avoided. In your response, you stated that you "aim to do what is right", do you think you are keeping my best interests in mind when you responded to my complaint with a service record statement? You completely ignored my statements and questions. I think you should re-read my complaint and answer the questions and comment on my statements with PROOF the repair was done properly. Show me pages of the repair manual used that guides the technicians step by step for a water pump repair.

Review: It all began when my 2001 Audi S4 began approaching 85,000 miles that I became more and more concerned about its reliability. The 105,000 mile routine scheduled maintenance (per the Audi Owner’s Maintenance Manual) states the Timing belt and timing belt tensioner roller be replaced, so I scheduled an appointment with the dealership to have the work performed. In addition, I also agreed to have the water pump and thermostat be replaced by the dealership (there were no known issues with the above mentioned parts in my vehicle at the time, simply that the vehicle was beginning to age and myself and Audi forecasted imminent failure).

This work was performed in May of 2012 by Audi of Chandler. By June 2013, I noticed my vehicle was overheating during idle at stop lights and in parking lots. By this point, I assumed that the 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on the repair had expired and I would be on my own for any diagnosis and/or repair. At that moment in time, I had not made the connection between the repair work that was done and the issues I was now experiencing, until December 2013.

In December of 2013, my Audi no longer provided heat when engaged by the climate controls on the dash. Once this occurred, I made a basic attempt at diagnosing the issue and checked my coolant by removing the reservoir cap. To my astonishment, the coolant was tinted with a rusty, brown color. This immediately threw up red flags. As mild as Arizona winters are, I knew I could get through the winter without the need of heat during my commute, so I pressed on.

In late January/early February, 2014, I received a letter from Audi of Chandler stating they were offering a “Winter Service Clinic” for their Audi customers. I booked an appointment with a gentleman named [redacted] (likely working from a call center) from the phone number in the letter. In the conversation I had with [redacted], he assisted me in scheduling an appointment and mentioned that I would be able to join the mechanic in the shop while my vehicle was being inspected. After being told this, I was sold. How often is it that a customer attends a diagnostic process with an Audi technician? Mechanically inclined and a car enthusiast, I thought this would be a great learning experience and I would be able to get some direct insight into any further maintenance I could do or I could have done to ensure the longevity of my beloved Audi. During our conversation, I informed [redacted] of the previous repair/maintenance work that was performed on the vehicle and asked if my concerns for that work could be handled during my visit to the shop with the mechanic. He professionally suggested that I contact the dealership ahead of time and relay that information so my needs are met when I arrived.

Immediately after my conversation with [redacted], I called the Audi of Chandler dealership and spoke with [redacted], a service consultant. In my efforts to keep everyone on the same page, I advised [redacted] that I was offered a chance to join the mechanic in the shop while my vehicle was being diagnosed and he concurred with [redacted]’s offering. I also informed [redacted] of the concerns I had about the previous repair work that was performed. He stated there wouldn’t be a diagnostic fee (normally $100+) during their Winter Service Clinic and that the mechanic would review the previous repair and provide clarity around my concerns. Again, I was sold. I couldn’t ask for better service.

My appointment was scheduled for 2-12-2014 at 4:20pm. I arrived early and was promptly greeted upon arrival by a service consultant who looked up my file and notified me that [redacted] would be meeting with me shortly to review my request before the vehicle went into the shop for inspection. Over 30 minutes went by and [redacted] had not contacted me. I proceeded to inform the gentleman I spoke to that [redacted] hadn’t spoken with me and I could visibly see my vehicle sitting in the same spot I left it in when I arrived. Another 15-20 minutes passed and I was beginning to feel frustration that I hadn’t been contacted as promised. So again, I went out of my way to track down the gentleman and informed him that [redacted] hadn’t come around to discuss my concerns and give me the opportunity to join the mechanic in the shop. Several minutes later, I noticed a runner jump in my car and drive it into the shop. I thought, OK, [redacted] should be coming by any minute now to assist me. After another 10 minutes (currently at 1 hour wait time) I began feeling like the Winter Service Clinic was not as organized as expected from a premium car manufacturing company, so I proceeded to the service desk where I spoke with a woman who appeared to be supervising the clinic. I asked her to obtain [redacted]’s whereabouts and informed her that my vehicle was seen being moved into the shop for an inspection and my understanding was that I would be able to join the mechanic during this time. She left the service desk and attempted to track down [redacted]. She returned a few minutes later and stated that “[redacted] is assisting other customers at this time and he would get to me as soon as he could”.

Another 20 minutes passed and I saw my vehicle being pulled back into the parking lot from a runner. At this time, I knew the opportunity I was offered to inspect the vehicle with a mechanic had expired. I went back to the woman at the service desk and informed her that my vehicle had returned to the parking lot and I hadn’t yet been contacted by [redacted]. At this time, I requested to speak with the Service Manager.

This is when I came into contact with [redacted], the service manager. During my conversation with [redacted], I informed him that:

- I was offered to inspect the vehicle with a mechanic by the scheduler of the clinic appointment, [redacted], as well as [redacted].

-had expressed concerns about a previous repair that I contacted [redacted] about

-vented concerns around poor customer service, and

-explained that my concerns and requests were not met.

He ensured that if we made another appointment to have the vehicle inspected I would be given another opportunity to have my concerns addressed and my request granted. These concerns were to be address by the Shop Foreman, named [redacted]. So, [redacted] and I scheduled another appointment to finish the inspection the next day with [redacted]. When I arrived I was promptly met by [redacted] himself and he asked for specific details about my concerns. I told him that the car was overheating during the summer of 2013 and my heat is no longer functional. I also told him that my coolant was rusty brown (its normal color is distinctively pink because my Audi uses G12 coolant) and that I had reviewed this issue with online sources that narrowed it down to a faulty heater core. My concerns revolve around the details of the repair work that was completed in May of 2012. G12 coolant comes in CONCENTRATED gallon jugs, meaning that a specified mixture of water and coolant be added to the cooling system following any repair that requires the coolant to be drained. [redacted] and I debated about the process his mechanics undergo when servicing vehicles that have had a partial coolant system drain (in this case, a partial drain was required to replace the water pump and thermostat). [redacted], the shop foreman, was out of the office during my appointment (which again, I was told I would be able to join a mechanic during inspection), so I became increasingly disappointed in the service I received. Audi issued me a loaner vehicle and I went to work. I was contacted the next day and informed that my heater core was plugged, an electric fan (for cooling) was not functional, and my radiator needed to be replaced due to poor flow and a broken bracket that mounts the radiator to the radiator support bar. The only time the radiator was removed on the car was in May 2012 when the service work was completed by Audi of Chandler, so my concerns began multiplying. Why is the bracket broken? My car has a clean title and has never been in an accident.

I contacted [redacted] the next day (2-14-2014) to ensure that I would be able to discuss the details about the process of the repair work that was done in May 2012 with [redacted]. I was then informed that [redacted] would not be in the office until the following Monday (2-17-2014), but was offered to view the vehicle in the shop with [redacted] and discuss my concerns. So I went into the dealership the next day (2-15-2014) and again debated the validity of the repair work previously completed with [redacted]. During this time, he brought the vehicle into the shop and opened the hood. I asked him to show me what the technicians had found (electric fan, broken radiator bracket, and plugged heater core). He turned the heat on high and let the car warm up. All three fans were fully functional (1 – electric A/C condenser fan, 2 – electric cooling fan, and 3 – belt driven cooling fan).

At this point, I felt completely ashamed of the service I had been provided because he could not point out the broken bracket or a faulty electric fan. I began questioning the quality of service his mechanics provide and asked for specific details about the repair that was done in May of 2012. Specifically, I asked “when a water pump is replaced, what is the procedure for flushing or adding coolant back to the system”? [redacted] responded with a salesman’s approach that diverted my attention away from the details by rambling about his work experience as a Service Manager. When I pressed my question again, he sought out assistance from another mechanic that was working on the vehicle next to mine. I asked that mechanic the same question and he responded “we top off the coolant system using coolant and water”. This became a real concern for me because there are SPECIFIC mixture requirements that MUST be met in order to sustain proper flow (the reason precise reason they are indicating my radiator be replaced), absence of corrosion to metals within the cooling system, and straining the cooling fans by working them too hard. Then I proceeded to ask about the TYPE of water used to top off the cooling system. The mechanic and [redacted] agreed that they use TAP WATER in place of DISTILLED WATER. Without going into too much detail, here’s a brief comparison of tap water and distilled water. Tap water (which is extremely poor in Arizona) contains chemical additives to reduce bacteria, algae, and organismal growth; as well as minerals such as calcium (extremely prominent in Arizona due to where our water comes from) and iron. All of these substances are known to be destructive to internal moving parts and metals. Distilled water is ran through a process which removes such particles and contaminents, creating a non-corrosive blend with coolant. This is the basis of my complaint. If distilled water was used during the top off procedure, OR, alternatively, a full coolant system flush (which is to be expected by a premium dealership such as Audi) was performed using distilled water, my vehicle would not deteriorating internally (causing the heater core to plug via rust from improper repair methods) and I wouldn’t be in this situation.

After informing [redacted] and the mechanic about the differences between tap water and distilled water, [redacted] lost his cool and said, “Look, if my mechanics F[redacted] up, I am willing to make it right, but they didn’t…This is the procedure we’ve always used”. Where do I start here? Unprofessional, obscene language, offensive…etc…

I blew off the comment and asked [redacted] to show me the repair manual that gives step by step instructions for servicing these vehicles to manufacturers’ specification. He disregarded my question and again used a salesman’s approach to divert my attention away from the question and began rambling, trying to boast his way out of a difficult question. I would have been OK with a “I’ll get back to you on that” or the like. I proceeded to respectfully ask about compensation for the repair and he said he’d get back to me. So I returned the loaner car that day, and was told by [redacted] he’d contact me on Saturday (2-15-2014) and we’d have a chat about compensation for the poor experience.

He called, and after much debate and circling back into our previous conversation, he offered a 20% discount on the service. I felt this was a very poor offer because at the time, their website offered a 15% discount on any service that expires 3-31-2014 (http://www.[redacted].com/[redacted].[redacted]). Once I informed him of this, he bumped it up to 25%. This is not a debatable service for me because there is 100% fault on the service department combined with extremely poor customer service.

With frustration fully set in, I let [redacted] know this is unacceptable and he’s going to need to do better than that to maintain me as a customer. He stated he’d get back to me by the following Monday (2-24-2014) with his final compensation offer. I have received no such call or email. I service 2 vehicles at Audi of Chandler. My 2001 Audi S4 and a 2007 VW Jetta GLI.

After my last conversation with [redacted], I contacted the Audi Corporate office and informed them of the situation. Since then, I have not heard any updates on the case. I have been continually calling in to get the issue resolved and am drowning. My case worker is [redacted] and she has given a professional and well-mannered approach, but hasn’t given me any progress. She calls me every 3 days (roughly) and informs me that she is still working on contacting the dealership and working with “internal resources”, but there is no progress.

My vehicles condition is continually deteriorating (coolant becoming more and more rusty brown by the week, and it has begun slowly leaking coolant, and if my heat is turned on, I cannot bear the strong smell of coolant emerging from my vents. By the way, I have a 2 year old daughter that relies on this vehicle for transportation) and my faith in Audi as a company is screeching to a stop. This needs to be resolved immediately. I hope Audi realizes the impact that the failure to provide world class customer service, failure to accurately/correctly complete repairs, and failure to attempt to re-claim my business has on itself. I have shown my loyalty to Audi and will continue to do so, provided Audi fully compensates for the distress, anxiety, time, and money.

Reason for my complaint: poor customer service, mis-communication, broken promises, failure to present repair procedure when asked, offensive language, failure to take ownership.

How do I know the proper mixture was satisfied when the mechanics did not perform a full cooling system flush? The argument goes both ways, if only coolant was used to top off the system, the mixture isn’t to spec, OR, because tap water was used, it caused accelerated corrosion in the heater core because the coolant/water sits stagnant inside the heater core during most of the year in Arizona (no heat used).

What does it say about the precision of the mechanics diagnosis when they say they’ve determined the electric fan to be non-functional, but when tested in front of me, it’s fully functional? Its electric, its either on or off…

I am requesting full compensation. If the reasons are unclear, read my complaint again, because you weren’t putting yourself in my shoes.Desired Settlement: Full Compensation

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern,Please see below for a complete explanation of the service(s) provided to Mr. [redacted]'s vehicle at Audi Chandler. Please note that Mr. [redacted]'s vehicle is 13 model years old and has over 100K miles. Audi Chandler has made several attempts to assist Mr. [redacted] with the repairs needed by offering a discount. Mr. [redacted] has called Audi of America and opened a case. Audi of America reviewed the situation and the repair history and declined to offer any assistance. They only asked that we try to accomodate the customer by offering a discount on the work needed.Mr. [redacted]'s car has a plugged heater core. This is a common problem in high mile Audi's. Again, we are more than willing to work with Mr. [redacted] on the repairs and offer him discounted repairs. The timing belt that Mr. [redacted] purchased almost 2 years ago has nothing to do with the plugged heater core.Audi Chandler has an excellent track record with the Revdex.com and always aims to do what is right. Please see below, these are the "notes" for the service history since the timing belt was replaced in May 2012. Please feel free to contact me if you require more information regarding this complaint. My contact information is [redacted], ###-###-####, [redacted].comMr. [redacted] had his car in the shop the following times: 5/23/12 at 84521 miles. We replaced the timing belt, outer belt, water pump, and tensioners. 10/12/12 at 90006 miles. He had the check engine light(needed an exhaust temp sensor) and brake pad warning light on(had aftermarket pads installed elsewhere). He did not pay for diagnosis. 8/23/13 at 101742 miles. Fog light was cracked and we replaced it. 2/11/14 at 108842 miles. He came in for the service clinic, and stated the heater was not working. he said he would return for further diag on that since it was late in the day. At the same time the technician noted the check engine light was on, and faults for exhaust gas temp sensor, cats, oxygen sensors, misfire, upper/lower control arm bushings and motor mounts split. 2/13/14 at 108889 miles. Customer came in for an inspection with [redacted] was not here, so the customer left the vehicle here until the 15th (Saturday) He came in on the 15th and went into the shop with myself and that’s when we told him about the cooling fan and plugged heater core, he then stated that he did not feel he should have to pay for anything and that we are responsible. Not once did he complain about the vehicle overheating, and he never mentioned the heater not working until he came in for the free service clinic, 21 months and 24368 miles after we completed the timing belt and water pump repair. He has already called Audi Customer service, but they are not willing to participate in helping the customer, stating that if we wish to help the customer it would be solely on the dealership to participate. We did offer Mr. [redacted] 25% off on all needed repairs. Best regards,[redacted]General ManagerAudi Chandler

Consumer

Response:

My detailed concerns about the type of water used, the mixture of coolant and water, have been avoided. In your response, you stated that you "aim to do what is right", do you think you are keeping my best interests in mind when you responded to my complaint with a service record statement? You completely ignored my statements and questions. I think you should re-read my complaint and answer the questions and comment on my statements with PROOF the repair was done properly. Show me pages of the repair manual used that guides the technicians step by step for a water pump repair.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern,This email is in follow up to the previous reply send to you about the complaint from Mr. [redacted].Please let me point out that myself and Audi Chandler take every complaint from the Revdex.com very seriously and I thoroughly research each case to make sure we are addressing the concern. We have an excellent track record with the Revdex.com. In this case, I feel through my research that Audi Chandler is not responsible for the issues that Mr. [redacted]'s car currently has.First, the vehicle in question is a 2001 Audi with over 100,000 miles. Given that the car is 13 model years old and has miles in excess of 100k, it is very well known that they are prone to the issues that the customer is currently experiencing. These issues being caused by the age of the car and not repairs done on the vehicle. The repairs in question were done on May 12, 2012, so we are now approaching the 2 year mark since the repairs were initially done.Secondly, Mr. [redacted] did contact Audi of America at it's Customer Experience Center. They in turn, researched the situation, contacted us, and in the end did not ask Audi Chandler to take any corrective action. They did ask that we offer the customer a discount should he decide to have the repairs done here.In speaking with Audi of America, we reviewed the work done on 5/23/12 in which we replaced the timing belt, outer belt, water pump, and tensioners. It was concluded that the work was done properly and according to specfications.In conclusion, it is a common problem in all automobiles with high mileage to have the heater core become plugged. The work performed by Audi Chandler almost two years ago did not cause the problem that Mr. [redacted] is currently experiencing. Time, miles, and climate conditions all lead to the eventual deterioration of all automotive components. Mr. [redacted]'s vehicle is not excluded from this. A vehicle that is 13 model years old and with over 100,000 miles would eventually need to have repairs, such as a heater core, performed.Again, Audi Chandler would be happy to extend Mr. [redacted] special discounts and pricing to make the repairs that are needed. We had previously offered Mr. [redacted] 25% off all repairs. Out of goodwill, I will increase this offer to 33% off of the needed repairs.Thank you for allowing me to address the situation at hand. Best regards, [redacted]GM

Review: I am a father to 3 kids, my girlfriend and I’s car was unsafe and I am the only one working. We decided to buy a car from a big reputable dealership and decided to go to Audi of Chandler. I bought a BMW from them for roughly 21,000 out the door a day before my birthday on 4/14/2013. The first day I had the car, my oil was low. So I took it into the service department and they topped off the oil and state that the oil was just low because they eye balled it when they did the oil change. Then about a week later we decided to take a trip to [redacted] with our kids and have a small vacation. While in [redacted], we were driving down the road and out of nowhere a ABS Malfunction light and warning came on and told me I had to take it into service. On my way home the light turned off so I thought nothing more of it. Then I noticed through the next few days that the car wasn’t stopping, and increasingly becoming more unsafe to the point where I almost ran into the back of a car while pulling up to a light. So I contacted [redacted] at Audi of Chandler service department and told them about my issue and set an appointment to take it in. I also had an issue since day one that I had the car from the tires losing air pressure. Finally I took it into [redacted] to have them figure out what was wrong and fix the tire, turns out the rims were bent and the chrome was lifting up between the tire and the rim causing air to leak. I told Audi about this issue when I took them the car to get the breaks fixed and I also told them that the transmission was messing up and there was a long delay to engage when you place the car in reverse. I finally got a call saying they were going to fix the break booster that went out and they weren’t going to do anything about the transmission or the rims. So I went down to the Audi dealership and sat down and spoke to [redacted], General Manager of Audi. Told him my concerns and he told me “well how do I know you didn’t do it since you bought the car.” [redacted] (from service) told me they had straightened the rims prior to be buying the car, which was never disclosed to me when purchasing the car. They decided to keep my car longer and I was told that they straightened one of the rims. They told me they “could not replicate the issue” with the transmission. When I took it into service, [redacted] and I sat in the car and I showed her exactly what it was doing. She suggested to wait till my extended warranty activates and take it to BMW.

A few weeks later I decided to take a trip to [redacted]. On my way out there, my transmission slipped on me and a transmission malfunction light turned on and once again while driving, out of nowhere, another light came on and it said my DSC malfunctioned, which is what controls your driving stability. So I took it straight to BMW and they did a full diagnostic on the car and diagnosis it to need a transmission replacement costing 7,407.56, The DSC Sensor is faulty and cost 856.94 to replace, and also discovered an oil leak which cost 1,716.07 to fix. The full estimated total to repair the car is 10,685.50.

I paid 15,700 for the car itself, 2,000 dollars for the extended warranty, and then doc license and taxes which came up to a little over 21 grand.

I have had nothing but issues with this car, the car has been in the shop more time than I have had it myself. I have reached out to Audi and I just get the run around and told in nicer words that its not their problem. The manager said “at some point we have to part from our cars and they are your responsibility.” This was 2 weeks after I got the car and had my first set of issues.

I bought this car for my family so we had a safe reliable car to drive and something that we could fit all 3 car seats into. [redacted] the sales person told me when I bought the car, “We are a reputable dealership, you have nothing to worry about.” There is a lot more to add to this story, I hope we can find resolusion in this.Desired Settlement: I want to get into a new car, The dealership offered me 4 thousand dollars less than what I bought it for and what the car is currently worth. I want to get into a safe, reliable car for my family. They offered me 12 thousand dollars for my car as a trade in which would put me in the whole for 9 thousand dollars and I barely even got to drive the car. I would like the dealership to stand by their product and make this right or give me a full refund for the car including the fees I had to pay to the financing company. I want them to make this right.

Business

Response:

Hello,

This is [redacted], General Manager at Audi Chandler. I want to send this email to acknowledge that I have received the complaint.

Due to being out of the office yesterday I have been unable to research this.

First thing Monday I will look into the situation and then send you my formal response.

Best regards,

GM

Audi Chandler

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern,

Please accept the following as a response the a complaint by [redacted] dated June 14, 2013 (#[redacted]). Audi Chandler takes great pride in providing exceptional customer service, before, during, and after the sale. We strive to deal with our customers in a fair and professional manner as evidenced by our Accredited Revdex.com status and “A” rating.

We sold Mr. [redacted] the used 2005 BMW on April 16, 2013. The dealership acquired the vehicle via trade-in. Before we sold the BMW to Mr. [redacted] we placed it in our service department. Please see the first attachment. The repair order is #[redacted] After examining this you will see that Audi Chandler spent $2131.38 to recondition the car before placing it on our lot for sale. It is apparent from the range of items addressed that we did a thorough and complete inspection. (Please note that we follow this same process on every trade in. Cars that do not meet our standards are quickly pulled and wholesaled.)

Several days after purchasing the car, Mr. [redacted] called and expressed concern with the car and the braking system. He also said that one of the tires was losing air. We asked him to bring the car in as soon as possible. We promptly provided him with a free Audi loaner car and began to look into the stated issues. Our technician found that the brake booster had failed on the car. We ordered the new part and replaced it on the BMW. It was also found that one of the wheels was slightly bent. During our reconditioning we had straightened two of them. Apparently one other needed straightening as well. So we sent the wheel out to be straightened. Please refer to the first attachment and review repair order #AUIS168866. You will see that Audi Chandler spent $847.98 to make additional repairs to Mr. [redacted]’s car. The following copy of the repair order shows that Mr. [redacted] paid $0. I hope that our initial effort to make things right with Mr. [redacted]’s car shows that we take customer concerns seriously and attempt to always do what’s right.

Please see the second attachment entitled “Matthew [redacted] Deal Figures”. This is the print out of the financial aspects of his purchase of the 2005 BMW. I included this so you can see what was actually paid for the car. Mr. [redacted] paid $15,120 for the car. Then he paid tax, title, and dealer doc fee. He elected to purchase an optional extended warranty and GAP insurance bringing the grand total to $19785.50. He put $1000 down which lowered the amount financed to $18785.50. We offered him $12,000 if he wants to trade the car back in. This is after 60 days and 4,400 miles of use by Mr. [redacted]. Out of goodwill I will offer Mr. [redacted] $13,000 for the BMW (with an operational transmission and in good running order). Every car depreciates, and Mr. [redacted]’s car is no different. His car has lost some value, mainly because of the almost 5,000 miles put on the car. Please note that if Mr. [redacted] decides to trade the car in, he will receive a pro-rated refund for the amount he paid for license plates with the State of AZ. Additionally he will only pay sales tax on the difference between the selling price and trade value on the new car. He could also choose to cancel his extended warranty and GAP insurance and receive a pro-rated refund of the money as well once the car was fully paid off. (We would be glad process this for him if he wishes).

Mr. [redacted] makes a point of mentioning that I told him “at some point we have to part from our cars and they become your responsibility”. While not my exact words, he has the basics of the message I gave him. Every used car sold in AZ has a 15 day / 500 mile “implied warranty”. This is to protect the customer. When we recondition a used car, we can only repair what is broken. In other words, it is impossible to predict what may break. It is for this reason that we offer extended warranties. While I am sorry Mr. [redacted] has had additional problems with the car, it is impossible and unreasonable to think that we would continue to repair a car for an undetermined period of time. Many parts wear out or break after years of service. This car is 8 years old and we did due diligence to repair what was worn or broken at the time of our reconditioning.

Mr. [redacted] quotes that the transmission is being replaced at a cost of $7407.56. This is being covered by the extended warranty and is thankfully not an out of pocket expense for Mr. [redacted]. He may be responsible for a small deductible. He also mentions that there is a DSC sensor to be replaced. I do not know if this covered by the extended warranty. And finally Mr. [redacted] mentions that he had to replace the battery. During our inspection the battery “PASSED”, so we had no reason to replace it. As you know a battery can fail for many reasons (lights being left on, excessive heat conditions (AZ), etc…)

I am sorry that Mr. [redacted] has had these problems with the car. It is never our wish for a customer to have problems with a used vehicle. But unfortunately, cars are made of parts that wear out and over time can fail. It is impossible for us to know when a part will fail. We can only repair what’s broken. It is for this reason that customers are offered extended warranties. I am glad Mr. [redacted] took advantage of the extended warranty.

Out of goodwill I am willing to offer Mr. [redacted] a check in the amount of $500 to assist in covering any out of pocket expenses he may have incurred to this point (battery and warranty deductible). (**This is a onetime offer and does not infer future assistance)

I believe that Mr. [redacted] has had a loaner car while his car has been down, so hopefully he hasn’t incurred any additional transportation expenses. In addition to that, Mr. [redacted] may take advantage of the $13,000 trade offer once the transmission is fixed. Please keep in mind that he can cancel the extended warranty and GAP insurance. He will also be able to use his license plate credit and the trade will offset some sales tax on the next car. I only point this out with the hope that Mr. [redacted] will realize he is not losing his quoted “$9,000-$10,000”.

Both I and the dealership take great pride in “doing the right thing”. I hope through this correspondence that it is clear that I am trying to assist and go above and beyond. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions. I will be happy to discuss this further if needed. You can call me at ###-###-#### or email me at [redacted]

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

[redacted], Audi Chandler

Review: I purchased a car from Audi Chandler on June 5 . While test driving it I noticed many chips on the front windshield. The salesperson [redacted] said they would repair those. At the time of sale a "We Owe" agreement was written stating that Audi Chandler would repair the star cracks in the windshield. I felt confident at the time of the sale that it would be taken care of. My husband took the car in for the repair on June 12. I contacted [redacted] on June 13 in regards to there still being several chips in the front windshield. They were able to repair some of the cracks but not all of them. [redacted] passed me on to [redacted] the sales manager. [redacted] said he would contact the windshield technician who did the job. [redacted] contacted me on June 19 after speaking with the technician. [redacted] told me that the technician was unable to repair all of the cracks in the windshield. Then I asked [redacted] if they can't be repaired than they should replace it. [redacted] said they would not replace the windshield and he suggested that I submit a claim to my insurance. I disagree with [redacted] and feel that as part of the sale and per the "We Owe" agreement that if they can't repair it, they should replace it.Desired Settlement: I feel the next step should be replacement of the windshield due to the fact that they were unable to repair the cracks that still remain there.

Business

Response:

Good morning,I have taken the time to read the complaint from the customer.As you are aware, Audi Chandler has a very good record with the Revdex.com. We strive to give each customer excellent customer service. Occasionally though, communication can break down between the customer and the dealership. I believe this is the case here.Audi Chandler did promise the customer that we would repair the windshield. We did perform the repair and unfortunately, the repair didn't meet the customer's expectations. As the General Manager, I will authorize the replacement of the windshield. Although, this was not promised in the car deal, I will make the exception out of concern for customer satisfaction.The customer should contact [redacted] in our service department at ###-###-####. [redacted] has my authorization to order the new windshield and once it arrives we will install.Thank you and please let me know if I can be of further assistance.Best regards,[redacted]General ManagerAudi Chandler

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,

Review: I traded in my leased 2013 A4 on Sept. 25 for a 2015 A4. When I traded in my old lease on Friday, Sept. 25, I told Audi Chandler there was a payment scheduled to come out on Monday, Sept. 28, and was told to make payment as normal and there would be an overpayment/refund given since the pay off quote would be as of Sept. 25. Not having to make a payment was of course a big draw in me deciding to lease a new vehicle as I did not need one however when I spoke with Audi end of lease they told me the pay off quote was not given until Sept. 30. According to Audi end of lease there is no overpayment and I need to take that up with the dealership. I have emailed and called Audi Chandler multiple times to get this resolved with no luck. The first person I called and emailed on Oct. 8 was my sales rep and he immediately returned my call and escalated the issue to management. I was told a sales manager will be calling me back however did not receive a call back until Saturday, Oct. 10. I was told the biller was on vacation and they would be able to look into this on Monday, Oct. 12 when they were back in the office. I did not receive a call on Monday, Oct. 12 so I sent an email for an update on the matter. I finally received an email response on Saturday, Oct. 17 stating they were out of the office the past few days however contacted the necessary people to look into the matter who would be doing on that on Monday, Oct. 19. In the email it also stated the deal was done on Friday, Sept. 25 however it was not processed until Sept. 30. I called on Tuesday, Oct. 20 to follow up. I left a voicemail for the contact that was emailing me with no response. I sent a follow up email on Saturday, Oct. 24 and no response. I called again this morning, Oct. 27, and left a voicemail however have yet to receive a response.Desired Settlement: I am looking for a refund of my $476.77 payment on the 2013 A4 that was auto drafted on Sept. 28 since the deal was suppose to be closed on Sept. 25.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern, At Audi Chandler we take pride in taking exceptional care of our customers. In this case it appears we didn't live up to that motto.I was not aware of the situation, but want to make it right.I will instruct my accounting department to issue a check today in the amount of $476.77. Please allow up to 5 business days to receive the check.I want to personally apologize to Mr. [redacted] for my staff's lack of attention to this situation. I will make sure they are aware of the situation and coach them so this never happens again.My office number is ###-###-#### and my email [redacted]Best regards,[redacted]GM Audi Chandler

Review: The dealership sold the vehicle to another customer after we negotiated and agreed upon a price. We have the conversation in writing as the entire conversation took place through text message. We were coming in to pick it up at 2:00 and received a text at 12:17 saying it was sold.Desired Settlement: The dealership should deliver a vehicle exactly like the one we agreed upon for the price we agreed upon.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern,

I was able to speak to the customer today via telephone. We had a constructive conversation about the transaction in question. I am going to try to assist the customer in finding another vehicle of his liking since the one here sold. The customer has my email address and we will continue to correspond.

As always, Audi Chandler, takes customer service very seriously, and I will work to assist the customer in whatever way I can.

Best regards,

Audi Chandler

General Manager

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,