Dealership repair trouble

Submitted by DotAlyss t3_z954zr in personalfinance

I bought a used Volkswagen in 2017 from a Honda dealership when I was a dumb kid. Paid $10k for it and another 5k for a three year warranty that covered nothing that I never used.

My dad has been taking it to the Honda dealership for the past 6 years to get an oil change and every time he does, it takes 4 hours to get done because someone has to go out and buy the specific oil filter for the car and they barely know how to service it.

The check engine light was on recently and he took it there to get it repaired. They said it was a leak and charged him $660 to repair it. He gets it the next morning, they tell him it's all fixed and he drives it back home. On the way home, less than 10mi, the check engine light is on again. He takes it back to the dealership and they tell him multiple other parts are now broken and that the repair is going to cost $3000.

I would like to politely request a refund and take it to a Volkswagen place to get it serviced. We both figure they didn't know what they were doing and broke it in the first place. What is the best way of requesting a refund?

I figured I would explain that they have already made thousands off of me and that it's the least they could do after possibly breaking my car further than what it was before.

What do you guys think is the best course of action? Should I write a letter to their corporate office.

Thanks!

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jokerfriend6 t1_iyf2wa6 wrote

I would not take a volkswagon to a honda dealership for repair. I would take it to a mechanic ( independent ) that deals with VWs. It's just that honda mechanics rarely work on VWs.

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DotAlyss OP t1_iyf317x wrote

Yeah! That's why I though! I wish my dad didn't take it to them in the first place! They've apologized in the past for nearly breaking other parts on the car when doing a simple oil change.

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sonnyfab t1_iyf17zw wrote

You should not waste your time. You have nothing at to indicate that they "broke it in the first place".

They charged you for a repair that they performed. They didn't guarantee that the repair was going to fix the check engine light. This is simply the nature of having your car repaired. Usually the mechanic is correct about the issue and the repair is sufficient to address the problem. Sometimes it is not and additional repairs are required at additional cost.

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DotAlyss OP t1_iyf1qxw wrote

They told us that there was a leak and that it needed fixing. All we know is that the check engine light was on when we took it in and that it's on again after 10 miles.

There's no way for us to know that they actually did anything other than turn the light off temporarily.

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sonnyfab t1_iyf1zo2 wrote

Are you planning on accusing the dealership of charging you for a repair they didn't perform? Do you have any evidence whatsoever of this fraud?

It's far more likely there was a leak and it may or may not have needed fixing, but it was fixed and you were charged for that. Again, the mechanic doesn't guarantee that the repair they perform is the only one the car needs. That's not how car repairs ever work.

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DotAlyss OP t1_iyf2ge3 wrote

No, I just don't have any evidence that they fixed anything and neither do they? I figured if I asked nicely and explained that they've already made tons of money off me, they might cancel the charge and let me take the car to someone who can actually fix it.

They've apologized several times in the past about the oil changes and not having anyone in the shop who works on Volkswagens. They also told me they nearly broke a plate on the bottom of the car that they have to remove to drain the oil because they had a new person working on it.

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sonnyfab t1_iyf2rtm wrote

You are, of course, perfectly within your rights to ask them. They're just going to say no, though. Have a nice day.

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DotAlyss OP t1_iyf2u86 wrote

Okay, well thanks for being honest!

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[deleted] t1_iyf2zbh wrote

[deleted]

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DotAlyss OP t1_iyf3iot wrote

My dad has been bringing it there because it was bought there. I drive a different car now. Based on the state of my car now according to them, it's in worse condition then when it was brought in the day before. Are they allowed to break my car for free? The initial repair was $660 and now it's $3000 after 10 miles? Does that make any sense?

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[deleted] t1_iyf3r10 wrote

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DotAlyss OP t1_iyf4fqb wrote

You're right. I just don't think most people have their cars break 10mi after leaving the repair shop. Also, logically, if the car needed $3k more worth of repairs to begin with, wouldn't it have made more sense the first time it was brought in? Why would the dealership forgo that potential cash If that was initially the case? Also, they have told my dad several times they don't know how to deal with Volkswagens.

I've told him to go elsewhere but he's old fashioned and I bought it from that dealer.

Also, I live in Dallas and my brothers use my car to go to their part time jobs in fort worth. I don't see the purpose in driving an hour and a half to get a car serviced that I don't use anymore.

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t-poke t1_iyf5any wrote

You have an old German car. Those things break if you look at them the wrong way. Can’t really say they made it worse without any concrete evidence.

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DotAlyss OP t1_iyf6brs wrote

Ah, someone told me to check the error codes! They are different than before so I think they did fix it. They might have broke it in the other area to, but I can't prove that and it's fine if they did cause it's our fault for bringing it to them in the first place. As long as I can tell they fixed what they said they would, I'm all good! Lol. Thank you!!

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lost_in_life_34 t1_iyf4gfx wrote

I don't know about VW but I used to have a Honda and the check engine light would come on every six months no matter how little my wife and I drove. after a while I figured out it must be on a timer. easy to turn off too with instructions on YouTube.

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you have to look at the receipt for the repair explanation and they new estimate. i've had pep boys forget to clear the light and i'd do it myself. same with their new repair. most so called repairs aren't repairs but just normal wear and tear

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DotAlyss OP t1_iyf4uf1 wrote

Ah, okay! Yeah, they've told me before that there's nothing wrong and that the check engine light just comes on randomly sometimes. That's part of what makes it so difficult to believe that it actually needs $3k in repairs!

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GaylrdFocker t1_iyf4sul wrote

What was the code causing the check engine light this time vs the last time? If you can't prove they are not different issues, then there is no reason to believe this light is related to the thing they just fixed. Also, why are you still taking a VW to a Honda dealership when you have no warranty? That is incredibly wasteful. Find a local mechanic that specializes in VWs. They will know more, and charge less than any dealership.

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DotAlyss OP t1_iyf5y33 wrote

I drive a different car now and live almost 2 hours away from my dad. My brothers use the car to go to their part time jobs. My dad is old fashioned and keeps bringing it to the dealership I bought it from. I've told him not to!! Lol

Thank you for the code stuff! We have documents showing the codes are different so that really gives me peace of mind that they did actually fix what they said they did. I will just take it to a VW mechanic. This is exactly the answer I was looking for! Thank you dude!!

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