Rubbish Dealer Service & Car Faults

[Hants]

Hello all. New to the forum & Audi as had several BMWs. 

Just looking for some advise as just collected an Approved Used Q8 Vorsprung with the 50d and since collecting the car have documented lots of faults that have either clearly been missed from the Approved Used Check or have been seen but not repaired. The list includes: 

 

Message saying engine fault, self close doors not working, Audi Connect not working, broken air vents, flat battery fault messages and constant messages about faulty headlights. 
 

I cannot believe it was allowed to leave a dealership in this condition but wondered whether anyone had had these faults, whether they are common and whether crucially they can be repaired successfully? 
 

love the car otherwise. Thanks for your responses. 

[Magnet]

Hello Rob,

Many thanks for joining, and sorry to hear of your disappointing issues.

It probably goes without saying that the supplying dealer has to rectify all these faults, or you have an option to reject the vehicle, and if it were mine, I would be writing (e-Mail will do) to the dealer principal, and outlining the faults you wish them to rectify. 
I’m not sure if this will help or not, but if the battery is known to be substandard ( and it could be, even after only 3 years) then certain systems can fail to work - or highlight problems. 
One possible assessment of that would be to ask you if the stop/start works - does it? This is one of the first systems not to operate under suspect battery condition. 
Perhaps you can keep us up to date on how you get on Rob.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Hants]

Hi Gareth. Many thanks for your message. It’s interesting about what you say regarding the battery as I’ve checked the physical battery this weekend, which I was rather surprised to find under the driver’s footwell! 
 

it appears to be a Varta battery so it looks like it has already been replaced before as I presume Audi supply an Audi branded battery, similar to what BMW do? 
 

I will check the battery voltage when I get back in tonight to see what it’s reading. 
 

I’ve given the supplying dealer, West London Audi (Sytner) until Friday this week to sort the issues out otherwise I’ve told them to keep the car and provide me a refund. 
 

after doing some research this weekend regarding the headlight errors it seems this might be a common fault but some people have had a software update and this has fixed the problem. Not sure if anyone has any first hand experience on this? 
 

Will keep you up to date when I hear back from the dealership. 

[Magnet]

Many thanks for coming back Rob. Re. the battery:- Varta was (still is?) the original equipment supplier to VAG, so it’s likely to be the original.
Voltage checking with a multimeter? - really of little use in assessing the battery’s capability of withstanding the high loads it can be subjected to. The test equipment must be sophisticated enough to test the parameters that are monitored by the Battery Condition Monitor. 
If the stop/start is still functioning correctly ( you don’t tell us) then it’s likely the battery efficiency is adequate. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Hants]

1 hour ago, Magnet said:

Many thanks for coming back Rob. Re. the battery:- Varta was (still is?) the original equipment supplier to VAG, so it’s likely to be the original.
Voltage checking with a multimeter? - really of little use in assessing the battery’s capability of withstanding the high loads it can be subjected to. The test equipment must be sophisticated enough to test the parameters that are monitored by the Battery Condition Monitor. 
If the stop/start is still functioning correctly ( you don’t tell us) then it’s likely the battery efficiency is adequate. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth, many thanks for this. Yes I was just going to use a voltmeter. Will ask the dealership to check. The stop start seems to be working. It is actually a lot smoother than my X5. I suspect due to the 48 volt system that is being employed by Audi. Will let you know what the dealership say. 

[Magnet]

Being realistic, it’s probably reasonable to assume the battery is not the cause of some of the problems, since the stop start works OK. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Francis007]

Afternoon Rob

I have just read your post and I'm sorry to hear about your numerous problems regarding your Q8. However, it seems from the replies that you have received numerous helpful threads in helping resolve your issues.

For my part, I think you have been unfortunate. I bought a Q8 55 TFSI Sport new in September 2020 and have just completed 28,000 miles just returning from a 3 week driving tour of Deutschland.

In the past 26 months I have had a few minor glitches with the car but nothing approaching the stuff that you have endured. I have had the Audi pre-sense and auto headlight system drop out of service, only for it to come back to life again at the first start up of the car.

Several months ago I had the bottom screen.....the one with the HVAC stuff......just blank out......and then after the next start up, come back on again. 

I presume that we owners have to accept that this is a pretty complicated car with alot of electrical gizmos. 

So, to sum up , I am very happy with the car and I hope....eventually.....you will be too. We did over 2000 miles in the 3 weeks in Germany, many on unrestricted Autobahns and the car was quite sublime at speeds exceeding 100 mph.

I did note that you reside in Hampshire as do I. Although I used the Audi main dealership that supplied the car ( Swansway Group in Crewe ) for the first 2 services and a decent job they did too. For the cars third service before leaving for Germany I used a Hampshire based VW / Audi independent garage .

I am now an old guy in my 70's and retired. I have been fortunate enough to have an understanding missus who allowed me to indulge in my only true vice.....nice cars. Like you I have owned a fair number of Porches/ VW's and Audis over the years and I have always used this garage to service and maintain them. The owner is a guy called Matt who truly is a car nut and treats ever car there as his own. I have never been anything other than completely satisfied with the work on my car. Then add in the added bonus that  Matts rates are a fraction of the ones demanded by Audi dealers.

So, once you are sorted and you fancy having your car looked at by Matt, please just message me and I will only be too happy to give you details of this garage.

Best wishes.

Frank   

[Hants]

12 minutes ago, Francis007 said:

 

Frank   

Hi Frank and many thanks for your message. Yes Gareth has been really helpful. The supplying dealership, West London Audi have take the car away yesterday to try to rectify all of the issues. It seems that the car has a large number of "smaller" issues rather than one larger issue. 

 

I know that cars do indeed go faulty however I think it was the mere fact that the dealership had sold me the car and not even bothered to attempt to repair any of the faults. I like you have previously used an independent German car workshop; however the great thing about living in Winchester is being close to !Removed! Lovett in Hungerford for BMW as they are still family owned and have always provided excellent service. The Q8 has another two years left on its five year warranty and two more services free of charge; I presume purchased by the previous owner. After these run out I will be almost certainly going down the independent route so if you wouldn't mind sending me his details that would be greatly appreciated.

 

Also I wanted to see who people use for extended warranties? I've previously been with BMW Insured Warranty which is Allianz which appears to be there same as the Audi approved warranty; but rather bizarrely the Audi warranty doesn't cover Wear and Tear which I think is a very strange thing to not have covered. I had several large warranty claims when my BMW was at nearly 95,000 miles for a new turbo which was put down to wear and tear and the warranty company didn't even bat an eyelid and paid the £5,600 for a new turbo. Thoughts would be welcome as I totally agree this car is full of electronics! 

 

TIA

[Francis007]

Hi Rob

Glad to hear that the supplying dealer has taken the car away and will rectify all your faults.

I agree with you....you would have thought thatt a full diagnosis of the car would have been made before it was put up for sale....but in my experience.....that's main dealerships for you of all marques....some good....some not so !

I'm sure when you get the car back completely fault free, you will start to appreciate what fine cars they are.

In my own experience, this is my first SUV and I was pretty reluctant at first to go down the SUV route. Getting on a bit now and my Porsche days numbered with my creaky knees and poorly back  ,for the previous 20 years before 2020 I had been the owner of 2 Volkswagen Phaetons and 1 Audi A8. All three bought new.

The Phaetons were extraordinary cars with extraordinary build quality and among the best I had ever owned. I purchased my last one in 2010 and specced it and took delivery at the Glasernemanufaktur in the city of Dresden. For the firts 6 years until the Phaeton stopped being built , I took it each year back to Dresden for services and then we toured Germany in it.

Once the Factory closed a friend of mine who runs Audi A8's recommended ....The Village Garage at Bishops Waltham....to continue the servicing.

So, I took the Phaeton to Matts....a litte reluctantly at first as like the Q8, the Phaeton was a mighty compicated car. Howevder Matt exceeded all my expectations and with his help and expertise, I ran my beloved P until late 2020 and with over 140,000 miles on the clock. 

So, in 2020 , I rather reluctantly decided that it made economic sense to get rid and after alot of research and many test drives of X5's, Macans and A8's , we decided that the Q8 would be a good match up for us. And we have been entirely pleased so when you get yours back, I am sure you will be too. It's well built....I have no squeaks or rattles, it's well engineered, comfortable and beautifully designed.

Also it is quite rare as was my Phaeton ! Even we noticed in Germany where we saw very few.

If I have a criticism, it is that 340 bhp aint quite enough for a 2 and a half ton machine. I am being picky I know and realisticallyit is quite fast enough.   So, I am 75 years of age. The EV stuff does not convince or interest me at all. So, next year, I think I might just have one last mighty machine in me....an SQ8. Just need to pick a good moment to tell my Missus !

It's good to chat eh.

Frank  

[Hants]

Hello all, I just thought I would update you as had an update from the Supplying Audi Dealership and they have advised the following:

 

• Soft Close Doors Requires Software Update
• Drivers Door Switch Pack to be Replaced
• Audi Connect system part to be replaced
• Air Vents to be replaced
• Battery to be replaced
• Headlights requires software update
• Engine Flap motors to be replaced due to "Static Fault"

Absolutely shocking that an, " approved" used car could be sold with this many faulty parts, also doesn't really say much about the build quality. Thankfully I have a two year warranty on the car and won't be keeping it longer than this. Will be interesting to see what it is like when it comes back from the dealership. 

One rather frustrating issue is that apparently the VW / Audi customer service guy who came out has deleted the fault codes and given me a written list of them but the dealership can't use this to rectify the faults until they reshow again.... 

[Magnet]

Thanks Rob,

So does all of that boil down to - no work will be undertaken until the faults reoccur? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Hants]

11 hours ago, Magnet said:

Thanks Rob,

So does all of that boil down to - no work will be undertaken until the faults reoccur? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

I think they just need to repair them as this is the first time that they have come across these faults in this particular car. I suspect that hopefully once they have rectified the issues; it won’t happen again. Fingers crossed. 

[Francis007]

Hi Rob  

I hope you don't mind me joining in with this discussion and it does look as though you are getting alot very supportive and useful help from Gareth.

Also I'm not sure of how you feel about this particular Q8 but looking through the list of faults with this car isn't there now an argument to reject it completely,  be fully reimbursed by the supplying Dealership and go for an alternate Q8 ?

I do realise that this car was a Vorsprung spec with every conceivable bell and whistle and they are quite rare but I have just a basic spec S line with the sound and camera package and the spec is pretty good.

Just my 2 penneth and I do hope you get sorted.

Frank

[Francis007]

Evening Rob

I hope you don't think I'm being nosey here but may I ask how you are getting on with your Q8 and the Dealership ?

I do hope the faults in the car have now been successfully sorted out and you are happy with the car now.

Frank 

[Hants]

Hello all, I’m really sorry it’s taken so long to come back to you and let you know the results. 

So, as you know we had a number of issues and sadly as time has gone on a few more have appeared and also the dealership experience has been lacking in certain areas. 

My thoughts:

Problems fixed by Sytner West London: engine fault (oxygen sensor), self-closing doors, Audi connect, air vent (twice visits required), headlights, sunroof wind deflector torn, near side B pillar fixed due to broken seat belt clip behind trim, trim to driver’s seat missing (replaced), driver’s door button pack replaced, engine flap motor replaced & centre console trim replaced due to broken rail holding it in.

Problems still present despite trying to be fixed: bottom screen (HVAC) incorrectly fitted after removal for trim piece (in twice for this and given up, despite it continually rattling), random error messages showing up on display then vanishing completely, squealing brakes (literally whoever has designed these rotors and pads needs a lesson in acoustics) and engine lag beyond crazy!

Points to note: I absolutely love the car’s interior build quality and appointments apart from the small bits above, noting else comes close; not even my beloved X5. The Vorsprung model is, “fully-loaded”. The engine is vastly under powered for the size and weight of the vehicle, the delay on pressing down the accelerator and then the car jumping into action feels like an eternity, when I was renewing my Advanced Driving the examiner was equally horrified! 

Now I have activated the Wireless Apple Carplay; I cannot see why Audi would build a car with all the hardware on but only offer wired CarPlay! It was very easy to switch on thankfully and also why on earth does the Vorspung model or any Q8 for that matter not come with a heated steering wheel in the UK? I mean I have ventilated and massaging seats but no heated wheel, very strange!

Air suspension is great although no automatic lowering on entry / exit like Range Rover Sport etc. Not really noticed the difference with the four-wheel steering apart from noticing it in my rear-view mirrors whilst manoeuvring. 

With regards to the dealership; they have been awful apart from a select small group of people. Where do I start: hard credit check done on me without my agreement (car was bought outright), the prep of the car was dreadful, I have to contact VWFS to activate free services as apparently they are registered with previous owner still, service due 1^st March 2023 despite collecting the car November 2022, previous service history doesn’t state anything about filters, brake fluid, sun roof checks etc. Why on earth is this not recorded on the car or in the online service history like other cars, dealership had to manually send me this through.  

Will I keep the car? No. 

The interior is stunning and I like the boot space but for the reasons above, I’m afraid not. I will be going elsewhere, most probably back to BMW X6/X7 or IX perhaps. I will let the two-year warranty run its course first, I think. Would I ever use West London Audi again? No. 

Anyways if you have any questions, please come back to me or if you live in Hampshire come over for a cuppa! 

[Magnet]

Hello Rob,

Many thanks for the ‘still painful’ update, and I’m not surprised you have decided not to keep the car. Probably boils down to unfortunately not the best of examples, compounded by not the best attention from the selling main dealer. I too wonder about all these pre sales gimmicks? of 100+ inspections and warranties. Perhaps being pessimistic, but warrantees don’t come with any compensation for the hassle caused by the faults - that  they should have picked up earlier! 
Service history? I really do understand the attraction of ‘full service history’, but in reality, it can boil down to the vehicle spending 2 hours in a workshop every 18 months, and being gloriously neglected in between. Cynical? Probably yes. Filters not changed? SteveQ posted a summary of an Audi service schedule, and I think air filter changes were far more extended than would suit me, and may never have been done with your car - according to schedule. 
What mileage has the car done Rob? 
Easily said, but this bad experience needs to be put behind you as soon as you can, and move on to the nicer experiences to come. 
The forum wishes you well Rob, and it’s been our pleasure to have dealt with you, if only in a supportive role. 
Wishing you good luck ahead.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 
p.s. Love the bit about the cuppa. There must be Welsh blood there somewhere, since no one escapes a visit to a genuine Welsh household without having had a cup of tea.

 

[Francis007]

Good afternoon Rob

I'm so sorry it has come to this after many months and you have now decided to get rid of your car. 

Also, please forgive the length of this post. My missus says I am very long winded old sod now !

I think I said in my first reply to you, I am an old guy now of 75 years of age and maybe up to 20 years ago, I used to read of so called " rogue " cars or " Friday afternoon " cars that somehow escaped the rigorous quality controls that all manufacturers adopted.

Perhaps you were unfortunate and your car was one of those. However , I extremely doubt it as all manufacturers.....especially Audi I believe....have raised the bar considerably in the last few years and those cars do not get through the system now.

Crikey, in my life time , the quality of cars in the late 70's .....especially from British Leyand....had to be seen to be believed. I had a friend who was on the Board of a dealership in Southampton called Wadham Stringers and Carey and Lamberts. They were British Leyland dealers. And he decided after many years, to take a huge risk and branch out alone and open the first Saab dealership in the city.   And his reasoning was that he was so fed up in waving off customers in their new Austin Allegros and Maxis, knowing full well that they would be back in a number of days with a list of faults as long as his arm !

So, I do agree with Gareth about the service schedule and past history of your car. I also agree with him that the official Audi recommended service schedules are far too extended. Maybe ok for the first owner of the car but when you get to the second and third ownership and increased mileage, it could point to problems.

My car has now ticked just over 30,000 miles and I have been fortunate to have had no problems whatsoever. Please understand dear Rob, I am not trying to get one over you here .....just emphasising how unlucky you have been and comisserating with you.

I decided not to go down the Audi scheduling route and have had 3 full services in the last 30 months on my car with oil change and filter change every 8/9000 miles and have the fourth scheduled on Monday.

This service is to get the car ready for our next Deutschland road trip. We depart here in a few weeks time and head for the Bavarian Alps for a week, followed by a week in Dresden and Berlin and then head Norh West for a week in Lower Saxony. I realise that at 75 years of age, this life of ours, of touring Germany several times a years might end one day but for now I am fit and capable of doing it.

I do agree with you Rob about the extreme lag in acceleration from standstill. It's clearly a software problem as it occurs in your car, a 50TDI and mine, a 55 TFSI. It can be downright !Removed! dangerous sometimes. Also my 340 bhp is just enough for the car....especially on the Autobahn. I would like more, so I think I might just look at an SQ8 when I come to change this car at the end of the year. However, my Missus doesn't actually know that yet !

So, Rob, I wish you well in your next car, whatever you decide to choose. Thankyou for sharing your problems on here and I'm sorry that they couldn't be resolved.  

Oh and thankyou for your offer of a cuppa. I live in the New Forset and I will try to take you up on that when we get back from Germany at the end of March. Maybe....even a pint !

So good luck and best wishes

Frank