[redacted] Thanks again for the reply We work very hard to inspect and service every vehicle to the best It is not our intentions to re-manufacture the vehicle and make it brand new especially when it is sold with 108,milesWe take pride in serving every customers and will work with reasonable situations, but you have every opportunity to inspect the vehicle and you have signed a legal document acknowledging that vehicle is sold as is and that you have been aware of service contract being available If you elect that you need a service contract, I would still honor even several weeks after purchaseAs far the vacuum seal, as I said before, we will inspect it and repair it if neededNo cash settlement will be offeredWe apologize for your inconveince and we will work hard withing reasonable limits to satisfy your issues**
***Thank you for your business and I regret that you have not had the best experience We both understand that the price was extremely competitive, but even though we run on a very limited marginal profits, we don't hide behind that to disappoint our customers Please understand
that we are not in disagreement with your mechanic assessment, but we have learned after many years in the business to rely on our own assessment Also, you elected to do routine maintenance items such as timing beltWhen the vehicle was inspected, we found no critical signs of timing belt deterioration and found other belts to be at least 50% of life cycle We have also detected a seal leak in the water pump and has repaired itWe have as you mentioned taken care of all tires and brakes and found no other issues Simply, we have inspected and serviced the vehicle to the best judgementWe understand your frustration, and have offered to repair the seal if our original repair was not effective at no cost to you Our sales & finance team has also extended a service contract offer, but you have chosen to decline even though you have purchased a VW Passat with over 100K! please keep in mind that VW is a great make, but they are known to be more expensive to work on and tend to be more problematic especially with they get olderAs communicated to you, we stand behind our work and will repair the seal if defective, but must be able to see and assess and we can't do that over the phone
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I appreciate the response made by Midwest Auto Store, and I want to reiterate that I am not asking for assistance on the timing belt. I also want to thank them for the work they did complete on the car prior to purchase and particularly for the help extended by salesman [redacted] in letting us pick the car up on a Sunday. Aside from these issues, we have been very pleased with the car. It is a perfect fit for our family's needs.Unfortunately, [redacted] left unacknowledged in their Revdex.com response that on 11/24/2014, when I requested a list of repairs that had been done to the vehicle since it was bought at auction, I was informed neither of the faulty vacuum seal or any of the missing/broken parts listed in my original complaint (missing belly pan, broken splash shield, broken core support). In [redacted]'s response, the offer is made to repair the vacuum pump seal at no cost to me, but on the phone I was told I would still need to pay for the part "at cost," not to mention the extra gas money spent to drive two hours or the time such a trip would take from my other responsibilities. Additionally, it is my understanding that leaky vacuum pump seals for 08 Passats have been a very common issue, and the most successful fix in these situations has been to completely replace the vacuum pump with a modified part that is less likely to leak. Fixing the seal alone is rarely a long-term solution.The response also leaves unaddressed the faulty engine thermostat code that had been cleared on the car. I find it very unlikely that the car was driven less than 7-8 drive cycles since coming into [redacted]'s possession (which would have allowed the code to appear...my wife and I test drove it for 5 cycles ourselves!), and it is my belief (and that of my certified VW mechanic in [redacted]) that the code was cleared and left unaddressed prior to purchase. Although this has been verbally denied by the service staff I spoke with on the phone (and I am choosing to take that service member at his word on this), I know multiple individuals worked on the car (at least two) and it seems possible that another staffer might have cleared the code without telling everyone. It's a move that makes sense, given tight schedules and busy workloads.In the response to my initial Revdex.com complaint, [redacted] also mentions a seal leak in the water pump, which was also not mentioned in the requested list of repairs. I have had to replace the water pump, which cost $95 for the part and some $80 in labor. I was informed in the email of a repaired "oil sending gasket ( light leak enough to replace)," but my understanding is that this is not the same thing as a vacuum pump seal. Also, I was NEVER extended a service contract offer during our discussion of the sale.
At the core of my complaint is that while effort was made to address our concerns prior to purchase and we are overall happy with the car and our initial sales experience with Midwest Auto Store, the condition of the vehicle was NOT represented to us accurately prior to purchase, which has resulted in the need for these repairs. I am hesitant to spend an afternoon driving to Florence for the staff to assess the vacuum seal, because I now have reason to doubt the integrity of the shop. With a missing belly pan, for example, I might have punctured my oil pan on any given drive (say, in a gravel driveway) and caused even more damage; this is not something I take lightly, considering the safety of my family. That was a HUGE oversight. $1000 is not even half the total cost of the repairs I will have to cover on this vehicle within the first month of ownership, but it would be enough to convince me that Midwest Auto Store is willing to admit that they made a mistake in misrepresenting (whether intentional or not) the condition of the car prior to purchase. I purchased a VW knowing full well the history [redacted] mentions in their Revdex.com response; our 2005 Beetle in the driveway with 168,000 miles on it can attest to that. However, I think I have a reasonable expectation to not have to spend this much money within just three weeks of purchasing the vehicle. VWs are indeed "known to be more expensive to work on," but that ignores the spirit of my complaint, that we did not have an accurate picture of the condition of this vehicle at purchase.I certainly appreciate any further attention to this matter and for your patience in hearing and considering the full nature of my complaint. I shows a lot that [redacted] is willing to engage in this dialogue, and I am confident we can find a solution.
Regards,
[redacted]
[redacted]Thanks again for the reply. We work very hard to inspect and service every vehicle to the best. It is not our intentions to re-manufacture the vehicle and make it brand new especially when it is sold with 108,000 miles. We take pride in serving every customers and will work with reasonable situations, but you have every opportunity to inspect the vehicle and you have signed a legal document acknowledging that vehicle is sold as is and that you have been aware of service contract being available. If you elect that you need a service contract, I would still honor even several weeks after purchase. As far the vacuum seal, as I said before, we will inspect it and repair it if needed. No cash settlement will be offered. We apologize for your inconveince and we will work hard withing reasonable limits to satisfy your issues**
[redacted] Thanks again for the reply We work very hard to inspect and service every vehicle to the best It is not our intentions to re-manufacture the vehicle and make it brand new especially when it is sold with 108,milesWe take pride in serving every customers and will work with reasonable situations, but you have every opportunity to inspect the vehicle and you have signed a legal document acknowledging that vehicle is sold as is and that you have been aware of service contract being available If you elect that you need a service contract, I would still honor even several weeks after purchaseAs far the vacuum seal, as I said before, we will inspect it and repair it if neededNo cash settlement will be offeredWe apologize for your inconveince and we will work hard withing reasonable limits to satisfy your issues**
***Thank you for your business and I regret that you have not had the best experience We both understand that the price was extremely competitive, but even though we run on a very limited marginal profits, we don't hide behind that to disappoint our customers Please understand
that we are not in disagreement with your mechanic assessment, but we have learned after many years in the business to rely on our own assessment Also, you elected to do routine maintenance items such as timing beltWhen the vehicle was inspected, we found no critical signs of timing belt deterioration and found other belts to be at least 50% of life cycle We have also detected a seal leak in the water pump and has repaired itWe have as you mentioned taken care of all tires and brakes and found no other issues Simply, we have inspected and serviced the vehicle to the best judgementWe understand your frustration, and have offered to repair the seal if our original repair was not effective at no cost to you Our sales & finance team has also extended a service contract offer, but you have chosen to decline even though you have purchased a VW Passat with over 100K! please keep in mind that VW is a great make, but they are known to be more expensive to work on and tend to be more problematic especially with they get olderAs communicated to you, we stand behind our work and will repair the seal if defective, but must be able to see and assess and we can't do that over the phone
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I appreciate the response made by Midwest Auto Store, and I want to reiterate that I am not asking for assistance on the timing belt. I also want to thank them for the work they did complete on the car prior to purchase and particularly for the help extended by salesman [redacted] in letting us pick the car up on a Sunday. Aside from these issues, we have been very pleased with the car. It is a perfect fit for our family's needs.Unfortunately, [redacted] left unacknowledged in their Revdex.com response that on 11/24/2014, when I requested a list of repairs that had been done to the vehicle since it was bought at auction, I was informed neither of the faulty vacuum seal or any of the missing/broken parts listed in my original complaint (missing belly pan, broken splash shield, broken core support). In [redacted]'s response, the offer is made to repair the vacuum pump seal at no cost to me, but on the phone I was told I would still need to pay for the part "at cost," not to mention the extra gas money spent to drive two hours or the time such a trip would take from my other responsibilities. Additionally, it is my understanding that leaky vacuum pump seals for 08 Passats have been a very common issue, and the most successful fix in these situations has been to completely replace the vacuum pump with a modified part that is less likely to leak. Fixing the seal alone is rarely a long-term solution.The response also leaves unaddressed the faulty engine thermostat code that had been cleared on the car. I find it very unlikely that the car was driven less than 7-8 drive cycles since coming into [redacted]'s possession (which would have allowed the code to appear...my wife and I test drove it for 5 cycles ourselves!), and it is my belief (and that of my certified VW mechanic in [redacted]) that the code was cleared and left unaddressed prior to purchase. Although this has been verbally denied by the service staff I spoke with on the phone (and I am choosing to take that service member at his word on this), I know multiple individuals worked on the car (at least two) and it seems possible that another staffer might have cleared the code without telling everyone. It's a move that makes sense, given tight schedules and busy workloads.In the response to my initial Revdex.com complaint, [redacted] also mentions a seal leak in the water pump, which was also not mentioned in the requested list of repairs. I have had to replace the water pump, which cost $95 for the part and some $80 in labor. I was informed in the email of a repaired "oil sending gasket ( light leak enough to replace)," but my understanding is that this is not the same thing as a vacuum pump seal. Also, I was NEVER extended a service contract offer during our discussion of the sale.
At the core of my complaint is that while effort was made to address our concerns prior to purchase and we are overall happy with the car and our initial sales experience with Midwest Auto Store, the condition of the vehicle was NOT represented to us accurately prior to purchase, which has resulted in the need for these repairs. I am hesitant to spend an afternoon driving to Florence for the staff to assess the vacuum seal, because I now have reason to doubt the integrity of the shop. With a missing belly pan, for example, I might have punctured my oil pan on any given drive (say, in a gravel driveway) and caused even more damage; this is not something I take lightly, considering the safety of my family. That was a HUGE oversight. $1000 is not even half the total cost of the repairs I will have to cover on this vehicle within the first month of ownership, but it would be enough to convince me that Midwest Auto Store is willing to admit that they made a mistake in misrepresenting (whether intentional or not) the condition of the car prior to purchase. I purchased a VW knowing full well the history [redacted] mentions in their Revdex.com response; our 2005 Beetle in the driveway with 168,000 miles on it can attest to that. However, I think I have a reasonable expectation to not have to spend this much money within just three weeks of purchasing the vehicle. VWs are indeed "known to be more expensive to work on," but that ignores the spirit of my complaint, that we did not have an accurate picture of the condition of this vehicle at purchase.I certainly appreciate any further attention to this matter and for your patience in hearing and considering the full nature of my complaint. I shows a lot that [redacted] is willing to engage in this dialogue, and I am confident we can find a solution.
Regards,
[redacted]
[redacted]Thanks again for the reply. We work very hard to inspect and service every vehicle to the best. It is not our intentions to re-manufacture the vehicle and make it brand new especially when it is sold with 108,000 miles. We take pride in serving every customers and will work with reasonable situations, but you have every opportunity to inspect the vehicle and you have signed a legal document acknowledging that vehicle is sold as is and that you have been aware of service contract being available. If you elect that you need a service contract, I would still honor even several weeks after purchase. As far the vacuum seal, as I said before, we will inspect it and repair it if needed. No cash settlement will be offered. We apologize for your inconveince and we will work hard withing reasonable limits to satisfy your issues**