PaulSom

Hi Cliff, there is probably a wider malaise at large with the once proud, premium brand manufacturers. Strikes at VW production plants announced last week and this latest news concerning Audi’s large plant in Brussels. https://stocks.apple.com/As_pt4qI9TxmJmYFcMZKKzQ

Hi Gareth, Please do use my case for warnings across this forum. The German reputation for sound engineering was hard earned and well deserved for most of my lifetime. Some dark forces took hold across VW Group with the software cheating on emissions. Not as deadly as cheating fire safety on ACM panels on blocks of flats, but still shows a rotten culture. This culture has most likely descended throughout the group and infected the production quality of Audi. The VW Group’s financial issues reflect their loss of market share and mistiming and abject failure to get the right price point for EVs. Audi and even VW Group may head the same way as Saab. Several of the Audi UK Customer Services staff I dealt with didn’t even know what the timer/cam belt was or did. However, they all had the same scrip to follow in their dealings with me. Their training is based on demonstrating empathy. But it’s basically false and just a poor attempt to seem friendly and professional when they have ‘difficult customers’. I’ve made a subject access request under the GDPR and Data Protection Act. I’ll shall find out what they have been saying about me and my case within across Audi. This will cost them a few thousand pounds of management time too. I have also reported the case to their independent whistleblower department in Germany and advised Audi that as a manufacturer they have duties of care relating to taking all steps necessary to check on the safety of components- especially if there is systemic issue that could impact on road safety. Component efficacy is also an issue of merchantable quality under The Sales of Goods Act. I will be applying a legal claim against Yeovil Audi in the first instance as a breach of this level of expected quality inherent in how they market their cars. They can then enjoin Audi UK as required. When I know the extend of the engine damage I’ll make the call on whether to sell as a non-runner or do the repairs. I’m looking out for another car too. Certainly not an Audi nor VW!

Hi Steve, my mechanic tell that Mercedes provided a goodwill payment (no questions asked) towards one of his customers whose timer-belt failed on a 2003 registered car. Always serviced by my guy and not the Mercedes network. An indication of a true premium brand versus Audi and the wider VW Group. Perhaps Ford & Vauxhall have joined Audi in suffering from big write-offs for investments in EVs with low take up. Emissions claims also catching up to VW Group’s first in line settlements.

Gareth, they had umpteen presentations of evidence. All set out clearly to all levels of customer support from CEO International down to the dealership level and all customer facing levels of Audi UK. For reasons of their own, they refused any reasonable support for my premature failed timing belt. I can only conclude that nothing I could do to support my reasonable and rational contact with them would result in Audi UK doing the right thing and protecting their brand in recognising a bad quality failure on their part. This case should make anyone contemplating an Audi purchase highly cautious over whether they will receive the expected vehicle quality in return for the price they are to be charged for an Audi car. Audi car buyers beware.

Hi Gareth, thanks for following up. Nothing positive to add I’m afraid. To recap, I tried to reason with Audi Customer Services, Audi Executive Office (their UK managing director Jose Miguel Aparicio pretended to have read my case but delegated it to his minions); Audi International in Germany- right up to their CEO, Gernod Doellner. Plus the Yeovil Audi dealership managing director Dylan Fennell where I bought my last two cars including this ‘premium’ vehicle. At each juncture, all I received was, a “sorry nothing we can do”. Some attempt at empathy from the CEO in Germany and his assistant. They asked Audi UK to review my case, but to no avail. Deadlock email response now received from Audi Uk Executive Office. They would offer 10% off labour and 5% off parts. I would have to pay to get the car to them and they would charge £130 an hour versus an equal (possibly more experienced) engineer rate of £65 per hour. Having now lost trust in Audi, how would I know whether they just add the odd half hour here or there to get back the so called 10% discount? Even if this paltry offer was in good faith, it would shave a few hundred pounds off a bill likely to be between £3k to £5k. I do wonder how they justify a £130 hourly rate for service and repairs versus the often better trained and more experienced competition. Are we all paying for their expensive show rooms through disproportionate overheads applied to their maintenance labour? I have started a Motor Ombudsman case. I shall also pursue a legal action in addition. For Everyone on this forum, please use my experience as a warning. Do not expect Audi UK or International to uphold what we should all expect from a so called premium car brand when you experience a major issue with your Audi vehicle. My car was well driven, regularly serviced, never had an accident nor a collision of any kind. Hardly a scratch on the bodywork. I did everything reasonable to look after a premium priced car from new. But its essential timing belt failed at just 54,700 miles! This would be shocking for much less expensive cars. Audi are not even embarrassed by this despite their engineers stating that they should not fail before 140,000 miles. No different from a premier house becoming uninhabitable during your 25 year mortgage term. They are not at all interested in learning from this case and checking if they have a quality issue that could be systemic. This is not what we should expect from a premium car brand. The Audi Customer Services staff are trained to offer mock empathy and guide customers away from goodwill or compensation when their expensive Audi cars fail. I’ve read that they even try this when parts should be covered under warranty. Given VW Groups recent 45% fall in operating profits and more diesel emissions claims to come and the stain on their brand from bad practices in motor finance now to be compensated plus the low up take in EV sales, I sense that Audi and the rest of this group will face decline and a consumer shift to more trusted brands. Time for Audi to step away and let Kia, Hyundai, even Suzuki to replace them. I don’t think they can stem the tide of competition and their culture is broken.

Thanks Gareth. It’s reassuring to know that I haven’t missed any key angles on how to proceed. I shall post again when I get the outcome decision.

Hi Gareth, Yeovil Audi did the first two services and fixed a failed MMI Unit (this blew on a trip 7 months from new). I switched to the independent as I wasn’t happy with their approach to servicing and the hourly rates. The independent has added all my services to the Audi System. All parts, oils etc are as per Audi specifications. He is VAT registered. I have used email recordings all all dealings with Customer Services and Audi Executive Office since their initial rebuttal. I have also extended my communications to Audi’s MD in Germany. His PA called me today. Lots of empathy and they have made contact with the UK side. A further member of the UK exec team is now reviewing my case. I made a recommendation for their Poole Audi dealership to liaise with my engineer. She said she will consider this, review all my notes and the case in general. She will also speak with their senior motor technician (which suggests that none of the Customer Service Team bothered to do so). I got the impression that the some of the Audi people I spoke with didn’t even know what a timer belt is- never mind its lifecycle. The latest is, the new exec will contact me again tomorrow with her outcome. The German MD is keen to check on where my Q2 was produced and ensure the issue isn’t systemic. update to follow when I hear more.

Hi Gareth, I had my Q2 serviced at least annually from new. I used a qualified independent. He is highly experienced covering all VW Group, Mercedes and even premier brand like Porsche and Ferrari. He only uses official Audi parts too. As soon as the car indicated ‘service due’ and/or it was MOT time, I would book it in. initially, my journeys were long, 150 mile round trips for work, 3 to 4 days a week. Since 2020, the mileage dropped significantly with shorter journeys. I left start/stop on auto- always. I didn’t pick up any guidance to use this sparingly. My dealership (Yeovil Audi) encouraged me today to speak again with Audi Customer Services and see if they will liaise with my motor technician. At the moment the car is off road and my engineer has told me once he does any work on the cam belt repair, then it’s curtains for any Audi goodwill. I shall keep you updated.

Hi Steve, thanks for your reply. As the part’s wear and tear is more a function of use rather than time (ie. miles driven) I would have thought Audi would be keen to learn of a quality threat to their brand. Especially as my car has been regularly serviced and generally well kept. The failure has made me consider whether the value for money for premium price and supposed quality (reliability) is really in balance. I will have a go at using the Motor Ombudsman for mediation. If Audi remain uninterested then it probably demonstrates what they think in terms of ownership loyalty.

Hello All, I have owned a 2018 Q2 from new. Originally, I was due to cover 27k miles per annum for my work. I changed jobs during the pandemic and worked more locally. My annual mileage dropped to 5k. last week my Q2’s timing belt failed- on a busy 60mph road. My recovery service took the car to my motor technician- he is Audi/Merc/BMW/VW etc accredited and has serviced my car since I bought it. He used to service my Q5 too. He was amazed to discover that the timing belt had snapped. The engineer told me to contact Audi Customer Services as their guidance is 140k life cycle for the timing belt. I have spoken with Audi and even raised my case with their new UK Managing Director. Audi tell me that they have no liability and it is therefore on me to get the car fixed and pay for any damage. This is likely to be expensive and at least £3k. i had suggested to Audi that they need to look at the car to diagnose any learning points relating to quality failures in production. I have noted on here another 2018 Q2 that had a premature timing belt failure. I pointed out that if I’d carried on with my original mileage, I’d have hit the current mileage in year 2 of ownership and it’s likely the timing belt would have failed then. I’m not getting anywhere with Audi though. They don’t appear concerned at all at this failure in a supposedly premium brand car. I’ve done 100k+ miles in a Honda CRV and not had a timing belt failure. Can anyone help?