VW Customer Service

[YorksLad]

Hi all,
New to this forum 'thing' and also VW ownership, but have had my first dealings with VW customer service and I think my time as a VW owner will be a short one.
Only had my 2002 Passat Tdi Estate 4 months, and loved it. Bought into the solid reliable, quality image. However my car has developed the leaking pollen filter problem. Came to light when remote central locking etc. stopped working. Car diagnosed with faulty main convenience control unit by auto electrician, main dealer only for new part.
Car booked into main dealer, they also found problem with ABS control unit, but did not think other unit had failed, instead the wiring had been damaged by water ingress. Bill to fix everything in excess of £1600(including new carpet)! ABS has now been fixed.
Both the dealer and myself have spoken to VW customer service with regard to the water ingress, which appears to be a known problem with no joy. Estimated cost to 'repair' wiring, but not replace carpet approx £500 - £600.
Having had my case escalated to a customer service manager today I'm told that I'm not a loyal VW customer so do not pass the criteria for a goodwill payment. I only bought the car 4 months ago, but from a non franchised dealer, the implication being I was not brand loyal in my purchasing decision.
I have been told that although the problem is known about, it is generally down to the service retailer not having cleared the drainage channels properly, so its not down to VW.
They tell me its may have been leaking a long time, the car was last main dealer serviced in May, why was it not picked up then, VW can't comment, its down to the service retailer.

So, there it is, the car is full main dealer history, less than 4 years old damaged by a known problem and VW can't help...
So much for VW quality. Can't quite see me ever becoming that loyal customer.

Will have to get car fixed, it may never develop another major problem during my ownership, but this experience will leave a very bad taste.

Wow, that went on a bit, sorry. Saves taking it out on wife though

[Sparkie]

I guess you will have had your Passat fixed by now, but the following may help someone else.
Water ingress through the pollen filter is a VERY common problem with the older model (3B) Passat. The leak has nothing to do with blocked drains though. It is the seal under the pollen filter housing that breaks up. The most annoying thing about it is that it has been a fault since the first vehicle left the factory and it has never been fixed by VW to this day.
The fault usually first comes to light when the alarm starts to go off for no apparent reason. This is because water has got into the wiring for the bonnet switch which routes through a multiplug at the passenger side kickwell. (grey plug/lower right) If the leak goes unnoticed, the water level can build up under the carpet and get into the convenience control unit which is mounted in a box (that's full of holes) under the carpet on the passenger side. Now that's a sensible place to put an electronic control unit in a car known for water leaks...NOT! Anyway, if the control unit is damaged then it really needs to be replaced by the main dealer, or a VW specialist because the new unit needs to be coded to the vehicle. The good news is that because VWs are really bad for water leaks and the wiring getting damaged, VW sell wiring repair kits for all the mutiplugs on the vehicle. Tell your local dealer the part number on the plug (like 3B0 396 547) and they should be able to supply you (or better, your local auto electrician) a set of wires for the effected plugs. Just extract the damaged wires from the plug, fit the new wires from the repair kit and solder them to the vehicle wiring loom...sorted. It will probably take an auto electrician who has never done the repair before about 4-5 hours to fix the wiring. And I'm sure he wont be charging main dealer labour rates. Just don't forget to get the wiring plugs in the passenger kickwell checked for damage too. Oh and don't forget to seal the pollen filter housing, or you'll be back to square one in a few months.

Regards.

Davie
Ross Auto Electrics, Glasgow.

[YorksLad]

Just picked the car up the afternoon you replied!!

It was the pollen filter leak causing the damage. Dealer has "repaired" the wiring for a price. Did ask them to explain what they were going to do to repair it and got the usual vague answers. Also asked the to sell me the parts which were to be replaced and I'd do the job myself. Got an even less helpful, "We're not replacing anything, just repairing the existing wiring". So much to my disgust, I gave in and booked it in. As you said too late for me, but hopefully others will persist with the parts route.

[carl_mcallister]

I have an 02 TDi saloon. In December the alarm started going off in the middle of the night. Turned out to be water ingress via the pollen filter. The local dealer in Middlesbrough reckoned they didn't know of this being a problem. They later admitted they had repaired 'a few'!

They charged over £400 for the pleasure of drying out the original wiring and no new parts. I have complained to head of VW UK Paul Willis but I expect I won't even get a reply.
The best laugh was when I took my wife's 1991 clipper convertible down as the heater was not working.
They said it need a (£400) nwer heater. I refused to pay and tried a new 99p fuse. Guess what? It worked fine.
Thats the last time I take any motor of mine to a VW dealer for repair.

[David Bennett]

I guess you will have had your Passat fixed by now, but the following may help someone else.
Water ingress through the pollen filter is a VERY common problem with the older model (3B) Passat. The leak has nothing to do with blocked drains though. It is the seal under the pollen filter housing that breaks up. The most annoying thing about it is that it has been a fault since the first vehicle left the factory and it has never been fixed by VW to this day.
The fault usually first comes to light when the alarm starts to go off for no apparent reason. This is because water has got into the wiring for the bonnet switch which routes through a multiplug at the passenger side kickwell. (grey plug/lower right) If the leak goes unnoticed, the water level can build up under the carpet and get into the convenience control unit which is mounted in a box (that's full of holes) under the carpet on the passenger side. Now that's a sensible place to put an electronic control unit in a car known for water leaks...NOT! Anyway, if the control unit is damaged then it really needs to be replaced by the main dealer, or a VW specialist because the new unit needs to be coded to the vehicle. The good news is that because VWs are really bad for water leaks and the wiring getting damaged, VW sell wiring repair kits for all the mutiplugs on the vehicle. Tell your local dealer the part number on the plug (like 3B0 396 547) and they should be able to supply you (or better, your local auto electrician) a set of wires for the effected plugs. Just extract the damaged wires from the plug, fit the new wires from the repair kit and solder them to the vehicle wiring loom...sorted. It will probably take an auto electrician who has never done the repair before about 4-5 hours to fix the wiring. And I'm sure he wont be charging main dealer labour rates. Just don't forget to get the wiring plugs in the passenger kickwell checked for damage too. Oh and don't forget to seal the pollen filter housing, or you'll be back to square one in a few months.

Regards.

Davie
Ross Auto Electrics, Glasgow.

Davie,
Yes, it looks like the convenience control unit on my 1999 Passat has succumbed to the damp. I gather it's under the carpet on the near-side of the car. 2 questions:
Is it under the front or the rear passenger's feet? The front seems a slightly less illogical place so I guess it's there.
How do I get the carpet up? I started trying to lever up the plastic strips, first with my fingers, then with a screw driver. I didn't want to risk breaking anything - there must be an easier way. Can you help?
Regards, David Bennett

[bigphil]

Me too, just dropped my Passat off at the dealers, told it's gonna cost me over £500. Has anyone been successful in getting compensation from VW as it's a common fault?

[benji.sep]

Carl Mcallister On your message it had you complained to VW Uk Paul Willis. What was the address that you used to complain. I have been in and out of the VW Uk site and cannot find any contact or customer care information. My car has just had a major failure to the metal housing holding the pedals. Thought it was the clutch cable but no it is the metal holding bay, don't even know what it is called because its a part that should not fail in the way it has. Cannot now use my car (Polo 1999) until a replacment part has been found, the only couple of places we thought that may do them are VW themselves and scrap yards(which will take a while to dissasemble to be able to reuse). Hope you can help. Thankyou

[stuart]

You should be able to write to:

Volkswagen UK
Yeomans Drive
Blakelands
Milton Keynes
MK14 5AN

Just mark it for that chaps attention, or customer services

Stuart

[thewall]

Hi everybody my first post,

I brought a Mk5 GT TDI from Heron in Newark Notts for 10,449 my first from a main dealer but my 3rd golf in oct 08.

I didn't get of to a good start as it took them 3 goes to sort out a paint job,well now i'm having trouble with the brakes,a horrible grinding noise i.e rust on the disc,i reported this only a month after the purchase date and was told the new pads were making the noise,now the noise has got worse and went back,the tech told me the brakes are fine but he took some rust of the disc, this made the brakes quieter but nowhere near perfect i told them this and was told to brake more often and it will cost 200 quid to put right ,and also was told the brake and air con fluid was ready for a change another 140 quid,so toto keep this car running properly i have to spend 340 quid after 6 months and 2000 miles and i inherited these fauts when i brouth the car.

The fliuds have not been changed since new,according to the book they should of been changed 18 months ago or at least at the pre sale service,i argued this point but they were having none of it.

I feel that i have been mislead in this sale either the jobs should have been done or advised me that they will need doing in the near future.

Today i went start to the top and phoned the md and left it in his hands he will phone me tomorrow,lets see what happens so watch this space.

[harry007]

thats some story..