And Guy's on the news now too
Volkswagen urged to recall
Thanks diesel vert
This sounds like a good solution:
Volkswagen breaks silence, but still no recalls
Date June 6, 2013 - 10:58PM
"Active service campaign": Volkswagen will initiate contact with about 4000 owners of cars with faults that could lead to engine failures. Photo: AFP
Volkswagen has instigated an “active service campaign” to contact about 4000 owners of cars with known faults that could lead to engine failures.
But the brand that for a week has been under fire in the media and inundated with customer complaints is still refusing to recall cars with potential safety faults.
In an exclusive interview with Fairfax Media the German brand’s Australian managing director, John White, pointed to an open letter published on the Volkswagen website where he acknowledged the “recent media coverage has caused some concern for our customers”.
Fairfax Media has received almost 300 emails and phone calls from angry owners (and former owners) claiming they have experienced significant safety and/or quality issues with their Volkswagens.
The letter also announced a dedicated customer hotline and email address – 1800 504 076 and vgasupport@volkswagen.com.au – where owners could book cars in for a free inspection for any quality or safety concerns.
“If you are a current owner or in the market for a Volkswagen and want any questions answered, we are here to help,” the letter read.
Read the full statement from Volkswagen Australia managing director John White here.
The recently appointed local Volkswagen boss promised to address myriad concerns that include engines failing while driving at speed, expensive DSG automatic transmission failures and various other faults that have owners venting on internet chat sites and the various Drive stories outlining customer concerns.
“Yes, we have issues, we acknowledge there are issues,” White told Drive. “We want to get to every customer.
“Are we going to be able to fix every customer, I’m not sure I can promise that but we’re going to get to every customer. We’re going to get legitimate issues, we’ll do everything we can to repair the issue. Safety, it’s a top priority.”
White has instructed dealers to prioritise customer safety and quality concerns rather than make owners wait for up to a month behind regular service work, something some owners who contacted Drive had complained about.
He has also promised to look at repairing cars even if they are out of the warranty period, something that could potentially open a can of worms of what to do with owners who have paid up to $10,000 for repairs.
Key to the response is an effort to directly contact owners of about 4000 Volkswagens – including the Golf, Passat, Jetta and Tiguan – to repair potentially faulty diesel injectors.
The brand had previously only repaired the 2.0-litre diesel engine once they had failed and been returned to dealers, in many cases inconveniencing owners and costing them money in towing. There was also the serious safety issue of having a car lose power at speed, something currently being investigated by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport.
However despite those safety concerns Volkswagen is refusing to conduct an official safety recall, which would be overseen by the Department and its recalls.gov.au website and take a broader media campaign designed to contact customers.
“There’s nothing planned, we’re monitoring the situation,” said White.
“We acknowledge that we’ve got some concerns and we are providing any customer data back to our head office.”
While there is currently a recall on some DSG automatic transmissions and a service campaign on others, Volkswagen is also still refusing to conduct the same recall affecting almost 500,000 cars in China and Japan.
Coincidentally White had already instructed dealers to put on more service loan cars, which can be handed out for owners waiting for repairs. Fairfax had heard Volkswagen had been renting up to 100 cars a day from Europcar to keep up with the increasing demand for loan vehicles for customers awaiting warranty repairs.
2009 Volkswagen R36 Wagon
1968 Audi F103 75L Coupe
1966 Volkswagen Beetle Deluxe
Well, okay, they're responding to issue.
However, on the assumption they don't know what's causing these issues, and apart from placating current consumer sentiment, I do wonder what it is they intend to do that wasn't done previously - maybe take a closer look this time 'round?
And on that note, with the current media scrutiny on VW and the likelihood of a DSG recall not being entirely certain at this stage, now might be a good as time as any to visit the dealer - they might even take your concerns seriously.
In before Gavs, Transporter, Hawk etc come in with a swinging axe to these trolls:
ABC news has just reported that there are two class actions in progress.
One in Sydney which already has 100 clients.
Yeah I was watching that as well, its encouraging that the ABC is taking more interest in this (Don't ask me why I just like the ABC / SBS compared to commercial news channels).
I'm not going to facilitate or entertain you after this reply, you're well aware that some of your replies are inflammatory and are not conducive.
Last edited by Hail22; 07-06-2013 at 08:25 AM.
Probably a bit of a double edged sword as it may not be possible for the Department if Infrastructure and Transport to do anything if the matter is before the courts.
If people want the DIT to do something, then the evidence should have been put to them first and them given a chance to make a determination. Only when that fails should a class action have been considered.
Now VW can sit back and relax a bit while the lawyers go at it. It will take years.
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