alltrack ex stock question

[Hillbilly]

BTW, anyone think I've got no chance now I've signed the contract ..

Through this forum I worked out that rattles and squeaks may be an irritant and show up early, but also found out that only gets covered under warranty for a short initial time.

Therefore in my case - buying a car whose warranty has started in December 2012 - if I find the a rattle that is driving me nuts, will I be out of luck getting a rattle fixed, assuming one shows up?
There wasn't anything on the test drive - but that isn't the same as driving outside the city.

Only the dealer you take it to can give you a definite yes or no. The opinions you get on here may be way off the mark.

IE I had a rattle from new but didnt do anything for a year as I didnt drive it much.
Was told they would charge to find it on an hourly basis I fixed it myself

[nyc863]

I've certainly put the question to them.
From past experience most salespeople have a very distinct and sudden lack of interest in being helpful when you're committed

although I did specifically and clearly ask the question: in what way is this different than buying a demo car from over there (pointing to the new car sales section). Answer: absolutely identical.

True answer (as I now realize): Not quite identical. A demo car warranty starts from date of delivery, yours started ticking 3 months ago.
A demo car warranty includes fixing rattles for a period, yours won't because the 3 year unlimited warranty actually has hidden time periods in it.

edit: The answer I got back was:
"Of course if you have any rattles just bring the car back For us to inspect under the warranty. "

Note the term "inspect" not "fix".

In the US, the VW "adjustments" warranty is 12 months, it seems to be easier to find this info than here.

[Marakai]

There seem to be a number of well-known "rattle spots" that develop in the various Passats, once again going by the German forum threads. Being able to read those is like being able to predict issues that will likely affect Australian Passat drivers, because they get all vehicles a number of months ahead of us and, of course, they have a far higher number of them to get a representative sample set.

At any rate, the majority seem to just no longer bother with the dealers or service centres: the issues can be fixed but cost too much. Some strategically placed velcro strips become the invisible yet cheap and easy solution that lasts forever.

Not all vehicles are affected so I'll wait and see...

[Hillbilly]

There seem to be a number of well-known "rattle spots" that develop in the various Passats, once again going by the German forum threads. Being able to read those is like being able to predict issues that will likely affect Australian Passat drivers, because they get all vehicles a number of months ahead of us and, of course, they have a far higher number of them to get a representative sample set.

At any rate, the majority seem to just no longer bother with the dealers or service centres: the issues can be fixed but cost too much. Some strategically placed velcro strips become the invisible yet cheap and easy solution that lasts forever.

Not all vehicles are affected so I'll wait and see...

My rattle was in the left rear door. Took inner upholstery off and put some foam behind the multi plug with all the wiring through it.

Seems to have stopped it.

[davo]

On another note, it's strange that I haven't seen a single Alltrack around Melbourne! I do look at every newish looking Passat and crane my neck to see if it has the label, but not one so far. Neither in the city, nor further north in our semi-regional corner. Did they all sell in NSW and Qld?!

Ha ha, I've been doing the same every time I see a B7 Passat wagon. My first confirmed sighting of an Alltrack in the wild was actually today. However, it wasn't in Melbourne, but in Dunedin, NZ, where we are on holiday at the moment.

I suspect the situation will change though when supply starts to improve. I've noticed that the standard Passat wagon is pretty popular, at least in our part of Melbourne. I also see many other "crossover" cars such as the Subaru Outback and Volvo XC70. I've also seen a couple of Audi A4 Allroads and a Skoda Octavia Scout around our parts. Putting that together I would find it surprising if the Alltrack didn't become more popular.

It's a better car than the Subaru or Skoda (IMHO) and far less expensive than the Volvo or Audi.

[Hillbilly]

Ha ha, I've been doing the same every time I see a B7 Passat wagon. My first confirmed sighting of an Alltrack in the wild was actually today. However, it wasn't in Melbourne, but in Dunedin, NZ, where we are on holiday at the moment.

I suspect the situation will change though when supply starts to improve. I've noticed that the standard Passat wagon is pretty popular, at least in our part of Melbourne. I also see many other "crossover" cars such as the Subaru Outback and Volvo XC70. I've also seen a couple of Audi A4 Allroads and a Skoda Octavia Scout around our parts. Putting that together I would find it surprising if the Alltrack didn't become more popular.

It's a better car than the Subaru or Skoda (IMHO) and far less expensive than the Volvo or Audi.

Not surprised you see them in NZ I was in ChCh in September and could have bought one off the floor for about $55,000NZ

[WestOiler125]

Look I think that price is ok, I was trying to do an out-of-state deal and the best I could get was $48.5K for a 2012 with 2500km and a demo (so read 200-250 demo drives). As I'd need to do the stampduty it was a no go.
I've spent a little more on a newby (on the floor) pano and park assist, but sadly no sports (a difficult option to get it appears available now). I didn't want to wait 6 months with a 2008 TDI with +100K on the odo.