Help needed from VW people in the know....

[spiderpig]

Hoping someone on here can look into something for me or may have some experience on this.

I purchased a VW Crafter, nearly 2 years ago now and at the time we requested the $500 option (and paid for) for an additional passenger side airbag.

We noticed when we picked up the van it didn't say "AIRBAG" on the passenger side dash like we expected it would if one was fitted, but at the time we didn't think much more of it for the time being.

About 6 months ago i fitted a whole new stereo system and had pretty much the whole dash apart and noticed i couldn't see any airbag module behind the passenger side dash like i expected to.

So yesterday i had the van at the local VW shop for a warranty issue and i asked the service bloke to look into it for me. He got back to me this morn comfirming on the VW system that one was never fitted at the factory, why i don't know, my guess is the salesman has f^%ked up.

He put me in touch with the salesman who i rang and spoke to. After a bit of discussion he has offered to refund me the cost of the option, but i want the airbag fitted as the whole reason i requested it in the first place and got a VW over a Ford Transit was for increased safety features etc. He is telling me its impossible to have it fitted now as the wiring loom would be completely different etc and not possible once its out of the factory. My experience with veichles in the past is quite alot of the time one main wiring loom is fitted to most models and all that is needed to fit some options is maybe a small additional wiring loom, airbag computer, airbag and different dash plastic etc.

Obviously that is a much harder/costly result for the dealer, which they would much rather avoid and just give me the refund. I want the Airbag as now my passenger (My wife) isn't protected by an airbag in the event of an accident.

Is anyone able to tell me/confirm if the parts would be available and a possability to have this option fitted or give me some ideas of next steps to take?

Cheers

[phaeton]

Call a different dealer (parts department), give the vehicle details and see.

[spiderpig]

Bit of an update, its still dragging on....

Ive been in touch with the dealer principle several times in regards to the issue, it seems typicaly the communication is one way and they never return calls/emails.

The Dealer principle initially looked into it for me through VW to see if it was at all a possibility to fit the airbag now, apparently after talking with people in the Tech department at VW it is definately not possible to fit one once it leaves the factory. So this lead him to ask "what do you want us to do about it?" He mentioned they could look after us if we ever wanted to purchase another car form them (yeah right) or help us get into a new van (yeah right).... its not quite that simple when the van is as customised as mine and ive spent 100's of hours fitting the inside of it out. So i said we would think of something and get back to him.

Which we did, the only thing we could think of that would be a ok compromise would be if they sourced a set of factory alloy wheels for our van. Doesn't make up for having no airbag (safety) at all, but we thought well that isn't going to happen anyway, some alloy wheels was one thing we were going to get when we purchased it in the first place, but didn't and they would be very easy for them to source, cost them bugger all in the scheme of things and they more than likely could write the cost of them off through the dealership somehow anyway.

When i mentioned this to the DP, he got on the defensive straight away, stating things like "what are you trying to milk us now" and "you know they will cost us thousands" and "well you were the ones who didn't find it missing for nearly 2 years and now you want something out of us" and "well you admitted yourself not long after you picked up the van you noticed there was no "AIRBAG" emblem in the passengar side dash, why didn't you do something about it then".... totally putting the blame on us for something they were fully at fault and accountable for and they should have picked up in there checks during pre-delivery (isn't that what we pay a rediculous pre-delivery cost for?)..... and something i only discovered by accident. Luckily i haven't had an accident in it expecting my passengar to be somewhat protected by an airbag

So my last conversation, which was nearly 2 weeks ago, the DP said "Oh yeah ive got a price for the wheels, just need to talk to the other 'executives'?? about it this afternoon and i will get back to you about it tomorrow morning".... that was nearly 2 weeks ago.

Ive spoken to VW customercare about it, who have been pretty supportive and basicly said the ball is in my court really with how far i want to take this. But unfortunately they can do very little about it as it is not a fault of theirs, but a fault of the dealer when they put the order through so its between me and the dealer basicly....

So after the converstion where the dealer blamed us for it, im pissed off and am prepared to take it further....

Thoughts??