Compensation from Audi dealer for A3 cam belt?

[mao]

Hi, have just registered and posting for the 1st time... basically, have an A3 1999 model which I bought 2ndhand in 2003 and knowing nothing about cars, always serviced at Audi main dealerships to make sure I was getting it right (haha, i realise now). Anyway, couple of services back, I asked when my cam belt was due to be changed and was told I had a timing chain, which apparently didn't need to be changed.

At my last interim service in Nov 06, mileage was 85000+ so was thinking I would spend less money in future services by going to an independent Audi specialist (who used to work for years at main dealer). Took it to him last Monday for annual/full service and apart from changing the fuel filter (which he said looked "disgusting" like it hadn't been changed for years & should have been picked up by some Audi service in the past), he said I had a cam belt after all & for my engine model should be changed by 110,000 miles. I said I'd do that, or sell the car before then.

Driving the car home, approx. 10 miles later, loss of power- cam belt had broken!! Towed back to same garage, he said just bad luck it had happened just after service & now would cost loads to repair or less if he can have a spare engine. I called Audi main dealer I'd usually gone to the past 2 years to ask them
a)why they told me I didn't have a cambelt
b) if they deny telling me this, why they'd never advised changing it ?at 60-80000 miles (which I gather is the usual recommended change interval, not 110,000?). I'm certain I'd never been advised changing it as up till last week, I'd always done whatever service/repairs at main dealer & none of their advisory notices mention cam belt needing to be replaced.

Will I have a case to pester them into fixing my car for free/compensation? Plus might be other things like fuel filter which they should have done over the past 2 years....

Thanks for any replies

[Eshrules]

Hi, have just registered and posting for the 1st time... basically, have an A3 1999 model which I bought 2ndhand in 2003 and knowing nothing about cars, always serviced at Audi main dealerships to make sure I was getting it right (haha, i realise now). Anyway, couple of services back, I asked when my cam belt was due to be changed and was told I had a timing chain, which apparently didn't need to be changed.

At my last interim service in Nov 06, mileage was 85000+ so was thinking I would spend less money in future services by going to an independent Audi specialist (who used to work for years at main dealer). Took it to him last Monday for annual/full service and apart from changing the fuel filter (which he said looked "disgusting" like it hadn't been changed for years & should have been picked up by some Audi service in the past), he said I had a cam belt after all & for my engine model should be changed by 110,000 miles. I said I'd do that, or sell the car before then.

Driving the car home, approx. 10 miles later, loss of power- cam belt had broken!! Towed back to same garage, he said just bad luck it had happened just after service & now would cost loads to repair or less if he can have a spare engine. I called Audi main dealer I'd usually gone to the past 2 years to ask them
a)why they told me I didn't have a cambelt
b) if they deny telling me this, why they'd never advised changing it ?at 60-80000 miles (which I gather is the usual recommended change interval, not 110,000?). I'm certain I'd never been advised changing it as up till last week, I'd always done whatever service/repairs at main dealer & none of their advisory notices mention cam belt needing to be replaced.

Will I have a case to pester them into fixing my car for free/compensation? Plus might be other things like fuel filter which they should have done over the past 2 years....

Thanks for any replies

ok, first of all. i dont think you have much case as far as compensation or repairs is concerned im afraid. although i agree it is up to the dealer to advise you of the items which need doing and when, it is ultimatley your responsibility to make sure the items which should be changed at certain times in your cars life, are changed.

now, you dont say if yours is a petrol or a diesel or what engine is in it?

general reccomendation i believe for Tdis is 60k or every 4 years, although this appears to have changed to 40k now.

as for servicing.... check your service schedule, that will tell you what should be changed and when. it will also contain all the relevant stamps and ticks as to what the dealer actually changed on the service, fuel filters look dirty when they're due to be changed, you cant really age a fuel filter like that. its all relative.

what you have to bear in mind also, is that your car is 8 years old, a timing belt is only made of rubber, which we all know weathers with age and damp. the bay of an engine is a very hostile environment, with it constantly changing temp and humidity.

trust me, if i thought you had a way of getting this repaired at the cost of the dealer, i would be giving you every way of doing so, i was in a similar position but managed to get my done before it failed. (ended up being a condition of the sale in the end).

im sorry to say it, but i think you're going to have to bite the bullet on this one. i agree, the audi dealership (assuming they didnt warn you of the item needing a change) have been incompetant, but theres no way of proving what they 'said' and so there is so little liability there, i doubt you will get any joy.

it could be worth a complaint though, to see what they say.:beerchug:

[mao]

Dear Carl

Thanks a lot for your quick response, I will see what joy I can get at Audi. Btw, my car's an A3 1.8SE petrol automatic 1999/T reg...