3 week old Golf GTI breaks down

[Azarael]

Motoring @ AsiaOne

 

3-week old VW Golf GTI faces gearbox glitch

 

Model has been available here since 2005, but glitch is said to affect only this year's batch.

Christopher Tan

 

Thu, Oct 11, 2007

The Straits Times

 

HOMEMAKER Beverly Wong was overjoyed when her husband bought her a brand new red VW Golf GTI for her 38th birthday last month.

 

Her euphoria lasted all of three weeks. Last Saturday when she was out with her hubby and 22-month-old son at around 5pm, the three-week-old $120,000 200-horsepower performance car got stuck in first gear.

 

"It happened suddenly. Then the lights indicating the gear positions started flashing wildly, and we just couldn't get the transmission to change gear,'' Ms Wong said. "We even tried going to manual mode, by using the paddle shifters on the steering column.''

 

The GTI is equipped with a high-tech double-clutch semi-automatic transmission called DSG. VWs with DSG here include the Jetta, GT and R32.

 

Volkswagen Singapore, the manufacturer-owned importer, distributor and retailer of VWs here, admitted that Ms Wong's car had a "gearbox failure", and that it was the second such case in a month. It was unable to say what the problem was, but said "DSG is a very reliable and solid gearbox and we have had minimal issues in the many cars we've sold so far".

 

The Golf GTI has been available here since 2005, but the glitch is said to affect only this year's batch of cars. Up to September this year, Volkswagen sold 81 GTI's here.

 

But the transmission breakdown was only half the disappointment Ms Wong felt.

 

After calling the Volkswagen roadside assistance hotline, she waited half an hour for service personnel to arrive. They told her the car needed to be towed back to the workshop as it had a major fault that could not be fixed there and then. She was handed a taxi voucher; and was told that a tow truck would arrive within the hour. It turned up three hours later at 7.45 pm.

 

She also complained that the company did not arrange a temporary car for her.

 

"This is a premium car I bought, and it's barely 3-1/2 weeks old. They should have given me a temporary car to use,'' Ms Wong said. "We had a baby with us, and a lot of bulky things in the car, including a childseat.''

 

After haggling with Volkswagen Singapore, she finally got a replacement car, which arrived at 9pm. All in, she and her family wasted four hours of a Saturday evening.

 

"I know mechanical things do break down. I was from the car industry, so I know,'' said the former staff of Audi distributor Premium Automobiles, fuming. "But Volkswagen should have helped make the bad experience a little more bearable. I am totally disappointed with their service.''

 

Volkswagen Singapore spokesman Deborah Chia said: "We view this incident with much unhappiness. We empathise with the customer and will rectify the situation immediately"

 

=================

any comments on service from VW Spore ever since they took over from Cars and cars ?

 

just want to know how good the after sales is like !

[Boyboy]

i must say that this negative press coverage should make them wake up their idea...

 

strange that such issue is reported in the ST. not a very out of the ordinary thing wad... mechanical faults with cars isn't really news material. i;m sure some other makes have juicier issues

[Veryfree]

The replacement of car took only 4 hrs?! The service was really something.

[Relagsingh]

there's already a thread on this

 

http://www.mycarforum.com/forum/Others_C20...ailed._P2084002

[Newkid]

agree man, although the process cld have been improved.

[Firstcall]

Incredible! 3 hrs for the tow truck to arrive???!!!

 

My experiences with Tow truck responses from AA, Comfort, STAR and EMAS are 45min max.

 

And its inexcusable for VW not to offer a replacement car before they haggle with them.

 

 

This is certainly bad publicity for GTI and VW. I will put on hold if I am considering one, since they said it seems to affect this year's batch of GTI but never explain the reasons why. Such service quality add salt to the wound.

[Fcw75]

Posted b4.

 

http://www.mycarforum.com/forum/Others_C20...ailed._P2084002

[Slowmo]

i agree.... i've not seen a tow truck that never appear within 15 mins of an accident much less a breakdown. i wonder why this took 4 hours...

[Porche]

buay towing accident cars

[Friendstar]

this has already been posted

[Friendstar]

http://www.mycarforum.com/forum/Others_C20...ailed._P2084002

[Cpnfu]

May b VW tow truck ... came from North via NS highway.

 

 

3 hours juz too much lah .... one end to the other end of this little red dot doesnt even take 1 hour.

 

 

unless there are more breakdown ... till they so busy towing ard those models with DSG

Edited October 18, 2007 by Cpnfu

[Slowpoke156]

Incredible! 3 hrs for the tow truck to arrive???!!!

 

My experiences with Tow truck responses from AA, Comfort, STAR and EMAS are 45min max.

 

And its inexcusable for VW not to offer a replacement car before they haggle with them.

 

 

This is certainly bad publicity for GTI and VW. I will put on hold if I am considering one, since they said it seems to affect this year's batch of GTI but never explain the reasons why. Such service quality add salt to the wound.

 

I've had 2 of my cars (different makes) towed several times over the past 7 years. All of them appeared more than 3 hours later. The worst was a 5 hours wait and the operator has the cheek to tell you the truck's already on the way.

[Iziz]

i agree.... i've not seen a tow truck that never appear within 15 mins of an accident much less a breakdown. i wonder why this took 4 hours...

 

Lol, i have a veri bad impression of tow trucks who appear too fast, smells fishy

[Iziz]

Actually, I read tat VGS spore is doing quite well in terms of customer service since they took over. U can do some reading from vagsg.com if u r concerned abt their service level.

[Iliketodrive]

i agree.... i've not seen a tow truck that never appear within 15 mins of an accident much less a breakdown. i wonder why this took 4 hours...

 

 

their tow truck also run on dsg gearbox lah!!! and the gearbox breakdown also

[Rjmsfire]

I find that when people express so much unhappiness, they are usually difficult, demanding people. People from less educated and less wealthy backgrounds are usually more easy-going, more understanding, friendlier and give less grief to other people. Just my point of view, based on interacting with all sorts of people, being in sales.

[Glyuen]

they suffer in silence. haha