Audi Main Dealers in the South are USELESS

[Darren C]

The remote locking packed up on my A4 avant on Saturday, so had to put the key in the door to open it. When I got home I tried my spare key, that wouldn't work either.

Drove down to Audi Portsmouth (6 miles away) they said they were too busy, so bring back the car on Monday and it'll take about 3 mins to re-program the key!

Locked car up overnight, but couldn't unlock it on Sunday morning, turning the key each way in the lock didn't open the car. After about 30 minutes messing about I got the door open and the alarm went off. Started the car ok with the key and alarm stopped?

Worried I'd never be able to unlock the car again I left it open overnight.
Took it to Audi Portsmouth this morning. They said they were too busy again. After pointing out to them I'd taken the morning off work as the man on Saturday had said to bring it in Monday, they very reluctantly had a look.

After about 15 mins the man came back and said "Your keys don't work" (no sh*t sherlock) thats £57 inc VAT please.

£57! to tell me the keys don't work!!!!

Whats wrong with it, the key, batteries ECU......answer; "dont know till we have it in for the Whole day...That's £57 you owe us."

So when can you have it in to check the key batteries, or re-program the Key?

"Er, bring it back in April"

APRIL!

"Yes we're full booked till then, thats £57 please"

Reluctantly I had to pay £57 to get the car back.

Got home and phoned Southampton Audi (18 miles away) Can't fit me in until 2nd week in April!

Phoned Guildford Audi, (40 miles away) Can't fit me in until 1st week in April.

Phoned Basingstoke Audi (50 miles away) Cant fit me in until 2nd week April although they did say if I took the car to them and left it a couple of weeks they may get chance to look at it)

Phoned Billingshurst Audi, (55 miles away) can't fit me in until April!


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!

How difficult or time consuming is it to reprogram a key? without being charged £57 to state the bleeding obvious!

[a8 tech]

agree, southern dealer's are full because they cant fix em first time around lol

[kite]

agree, southern dealer's are full because they cant fix em first time around lol

many a true word said in jest....

[Crasher]

Not JUST int sarf, them upt ere int norf ain't much betta.

[a8 tech]

Crasher there is a big problem down there, most of the techs I meet when I have to travel down to Milton Keynes are only just starting to shave and think the audi 100 is a plane lol.
I feel old these days.
I do fear for the future of the motor trade in this country as lots of older techs are leaving the trade in big numbers, just look on ebay and the amount of old tool boxes with tools for sale is disturbing.
I'm in for life but may be a move away from the dealers is my next calling becoming a consultant to indi workshops and just diagnostic work/retro fits me thinks

[Crasher]

The problem with the dealerships is that they are so uncooperative and unhelpful, it is an attitude of “give us the keys and pay the bill when its ready”, that’s it.

[a8 tech]

I agree, I never thought I would say it but I have had enough of the influx of staff from other manufactures in recent years which have diluted the true dedicated employees.

[Crasher]

The problem is, not enough youngsters want to go into this business, they all want to wear suits and work in offices.

[skymaster]

I have had similar issues in the south west too... They are always fully booked & while they will get you in for a service or cambelt tomorrow... diagnostic repairs have to wait... and wait... and wait...

Part of the problem comes about from the repairs being fairly low money spinners compared to servicing, brakes and cambelts... so they employ a load of 'service technicians' and a couple of technically minded mechanics of the old fashioned variety to do all the repairs and hardcore diagnostics...

I have met service techs who lack a basic understanding for how things actually work.... which is disturbing... if they have to diagnose something they just guess... and keep guessing until eventually and after numerous parts have been thrown at it... it starts working again...

These days the cars are complicated and highly technical... ... but the career seems to attract those who have left school with few other options... It needs a re hash.... a different approach to the career entry... when i worked in the trade it seemed like it was still stuck in the 1970s... where as all the other industries I had worked in had moved on...

Given the fact that main dealers now charger more per hour than a doctor gets paid they should really increase the earnings of a mechanic... to attract more people to the job...

[kodkod.84]

That is pants- when I was driving home to Norwich from Coventry a couple of weeks back my brake pipe covering plastic tray broke and was hanging off making a complete racket- popped into Northampton Audi and they had it straight on the ramp, made me a coffee and took it off for me.

I even offered them £10 for their troubles but the manager refused to take it- brilliant service and I don't even use that dealer for servicing etc.! (and they could have told me to bugger off and use the RAC cover on the car)