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Old 08-18-2019, 10:23 AM   #682
40 Deluxe
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: now Kuna, Idaho
Posts: 3,774
Default Re: tell a Model A related story

Quote:
Originally Posted by woofa.express View Post
Are dealer workshops competent or do they have manufacturer authority to rip you off?

I have had an excellent trouble free run from VW motor cars,so when I decided to purchase an SUV it was a VW. An excellent specimen with only 100k km mileage with the recommended book price of only 20% of retail.
It didn’t take long for trouble to arrive and I’ll make this as short as possible. First a failure in the high pressure fuel pump. It appears these were troublesome in vehicles manufactured that year, well so be it. Dealer quote to repair $10,700, that is AUD. Trailered it home, purchased pump on ebay, mechanic fitted, total cost, $1,450.
[I][FONT=Bookman Old Style][SIZE=3][COLOR=#0f243e]When I purchased this vehicle the seller advised it had never had a crash. Contrary to that I found paper work for a front end panel repair, yes it had been crashed and because of this more repairs were required. A[I][FONT=Bookman Old Style] disconcerting noise started when decelerating. I was in Toowoomba at the time and took it to the local authorised dealer workshop. I was advised to change or repair the transmission. Bill for diagnosis was $100. [SIZE=3][COLOR=#0f243e]I took it to a reputable non VW workshop and they did an extensive and expensive job, replacing the CV joins where the noise was coming from plus replacing other worn components. They were both competent and honest.
[I][FONT=Bookman Old Style][SIZE=3][COLOR=#0f243e]
[FONT=Bookman Old Style][SIZE=3][COLOR=#0f243e]My wife bought fuel for an earlier VW from a country service station where the attendant refuelled for her. Both of them were jaw wagging instead of paying attention: the diesel car was filled with petrol and it didn’t travel too far before it quit. She phoned VW and was told she must take it to a dealer. Now this was most impractical as this incident was at a fairly remote location. The service station mechanic arrived and pumped out the petrol, refilled with diesel and she was on her way. Isn’t it good to deal with country folk. (At times my friends poke fun at me for driving a VW. They tell me it is Hitler's revenge).
Question. Does this occur only with VW or is this type of practice and behaviour also applicable to other manufacturer’s authorised workshops? Have you had a similar experience? Do tell me.
It's pretty much across the board. Standard practice seems to be: Repair it the most expensive way to maximize profits. This at both the factory and dealer level. It's been said that a dealer loses money on new car sales but makes it up in the service department. Example: I was mechanic for the Arizona Hiway Dept. Had a fuel line leak due to a bad O-ring. Local Chevy dealer said O-ring not available separately, had to buy the whole line for a few hundred dollars. We had the factory parts and repair manuals, so I spent a little time researching. Sure enough, found a part number for just the O-ring and was able to order it. More recently the A/C quit on my Jetta Diesel. I traced to a bad control valve on the compressor. Dealer wanted over $700 for a compressor. Valve not available; buy the whole compressor! Went online and found a new valve for $75. ($25 if I wanted to wait for one from China. No thanks, it was June in Phoenix, AZ!)
As far as outright lying to the customer, that's been going on a long time. My Dad once told about his dad back in the 1930's taking his car to the dealer for something (I can't remember if it was his '31 Model A, or a later V8). It came back running worse and they told him it needed a valve job. He went home and found a washer under one of the carb mounting bolts, creating a vacuum leak.
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