Courtesy vehicle - opinions please

[Trev]

Hi need some views on what is reasonable to expect from a dealer. Brief history is that our ocean needs to go in for the dealer to resolve a problem re coolant warning light and coolant leak which has been going on for months and lots of back and forth with the dealer. They say they can’t get an ocean so have offered a transporter. I can’t camp or sleep in that though so it’s not much of a replacement. One occasion they had it in for a month and didn’t have anything to give us as an alternate vehicle. It was winter so we stomached that to be helpful. This time round less so. They are part of a regional VW dealership so I’m thinking if they can’t find me an ocean then they provide an equivalent value vehicle. My thinking is also that if I have something of value to them it will focus their attention. After all they have something valuable of mine. This saga has been going on since February hence my patience is wearing thin. VWCC are involved but they are saying it’s down to the dealer to find a vehicle. What’s reasonable?

 

[Meoncoast]

My issue would be personally not the loan vehicle but your vans fault which they are failing to fix saga.

Perhaps VW could loan you a van and pay a few B&B's

 

[Trev]

My issue would be personally not the loan vehicle but your vans fault which they are failing to fix saga.

Perhaps VW could loan you a van and pay a few B&B's

Yes the saga is driving me mad. And that’s another story in itself. This is just one element of it! Good idea re b&b. Thanks

 

[Keith Smith]

I was given a transporter as a courtesy car by Hereford VW and was less than impressed. I suppose it could come in useful if you have something to use it for but when you take one off the most expensive vehicles VW supply in for service and get a builders van in return it's not good PR.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Had similar with the roof corrosion issue where the van was away for weeks. Dealers don’t want to lend the Calis. They are big ticket items.

Tell VWCS you have a trip.
Either fix van with an agreed time frame (3 days) or you will hire a replacement and expect them to cover the cost to enable the trip to go ahead.

 

[Trev]

I was given a transporter as a courtesy car by Hereford VW and was less than impressed. I suppose it could come in useful if you have something to use it for but when you take one off the most expensive vehicles VW supply in for service and get a builders van in return it's not good PR.

Keith, exactly my point. I’ve been more than patient!

 

[Trev]

Had similar with the roof corrosion issue where the van was away for weeks. Dealers don’t want to lend the Calis. They are big ticket items.

Tell VWCS you have a trip.
Either fix van with an agreed time frame (3 days) or you will hire a replacement and expect them to cover the cost to enable the trip to go ahead.

Agreed. Tried that. They “couldn’t find any problem”. We were off to France couple of weeks ago. No calis for hire. When the coolant warning light went off for the 8th time on the journey down it got a bit tedious . They are ringing with their proposal today.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Btw

They hired a brand new Cali for me. But I really had to dig my heels in. It was at a point when I was ready to go down the court route.
I had a lot of issues over a long period. Drafted a letter with timescales for work to be completed and demanded a cover vehicle. Otherwise I was ready to add the holiday costs into my case.

You do need to be serious about it though, if you go that route.
It’s appalling the way Volkswagen treat California owners.

 

[Bellcrew]

Keith, exactly my point. I’ve been more than patient!

When I complained about the same issue the service manager gave me the address of a local hire company and told me to claim the cost back from VW. As it happens he offered me a 7 seat Caddy which at the time was acceptable and I only had it for a day and the Cali was fixed.
Your are quite right to be outraged and a solution to this problem should be found.

 

[GrannyJen]

When mine was off the road for more than a week I had a black Audi to run around in.

Brilliant vehicle. I never knew it was possible to drive so close to the car in front

Off the road for anything more than a few days = courtesy car.

 

[Trev]

Btw

They hired a brand new Cali for me. But I really had to dig my heels in. It was at a point when I was ready to go down the court route.
I had a lot of issues over a long period. Drafted a letter with timescales for work to be completed and demanded a cover vehicle. Otherwise I was ready to add the holiday costs into my case.

You do need to be serious about it though, if you go that route.
It’s appalling the way Volkswagen treat California owners.

Yes this their final chance otherwise it will have to be the legal route. I’ve told them that and even though I’d rather not it may be inevitable. Unless they give me a new vehicle as a permanent replacement for mine.

 

[Trev]

When mine was off the road for more than a week I had a black Audi to run around in.

Brilliant vehicle. I never knew it was possible to drive so close to the car in front

Off the road for anything more than a few days = courtesy car.

I was thinking Golf R but need to raise my sights!

 

[Eber123]

It makes me nervous that repairs on the California seems to take so long, especially if it is about the "van" part and not the "camping" part.

The VW Transporter is sold in high numbers. Issues should be known by now and repairs should not take longer then 2 days. For this short time I accept any car (from Up! to Touareg).

If it is for the "camping" part I still hope that, if something happens, that it can be fixed quickly. Why does these things take so long? If it takes so long, I am not sure if I would like to have a California. The hassle to move all the camping things from mine to the borrowed California is too much. In this case I would be happy for any car they give me (free of charge).

I would never agree to rent a car and claim the money back from Volkswagen. To risky. Volkswagen or the VW dealer should arrange to rent the car (van) and take over the cost (and confirm this in writing).

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[Bramco]

They hired a brand new Cali for me. But I really had to dig my heels in.

We didn't really have to dig our heals in but got a pretty brand new ocean when ours went in for the roof rot repair. Previously they'd given me a Crafter!! This was for some minor work and only for 24 hours.

The issue is whether VWCS are paying - in which case VW Mobility come into play - our scenario with the roof rot, or whether it's the dealership itself.

When it's the dealership they going to give you their cheapest possible solution, i.e. a Crafter or some beat up Transporter - even though they have brand new Calis sitting there waiting out the 3 months before they can be sold on.

Just be hard nosed about it and threaten to take things to VWCS, the press, or maybe Theresa can sort it out... She needs something to do.

 

[Trev]

It makes me nervous that repairs on the California seems to take so long, especially if it is about the "van" part and not the "camping" part.

The VW Transporter is sold in high numbers. Issues should be known by now and repairs should not take longer then 2 days. For this short time I accept any car (from Up! to Touareg).

If it is for the "camping" part I still hope that, if something happens, that it can be fixed quickly. Why does these things take so long? If it takes so long, I am not sure if I would like to have a California. The hassle to move all the camping things from mine to the borrowed California is too much. In this case I would be happy for any car they give me (free of charge).

I would never agree to rent a car and claim the money back from Volkswagen. To risky. Volkswagen or the VW dealer should arrange to rent the car (van) and take over the cost (and confirm this in writing).

Regards,
Eberhard

Indeed Eberhard why does it take them so long!! Thanks for your response.

 

[Trev]

We didn't really have to dig our heals in but got a pretty brand new ocean when ours went in for the roof rot repair. Previously they'd given me a Crafter!! This was for some minor work and only for 24 hours.

The issue is whether VWCS are paying - in which case VW Mobility come into play - our scenario with the roof rot, or whether it's the dealership itself.

When it's the dealership they going to give you their cheapest possible solution, i.e. a Crafter or some beat up Transporter - even though they have brand new Calis sitting there waiting out the 3 months before they can be sold on.

Just be hard nosed about it and threaten to take things to VWCS, the press, or maybe Theresa can sort it out... She needs something to do.

Yes I’m on first name terms with VWCC!. They apply a bit of pressure but when it comes to actually getting something done they say it’s over to the dealer.
Let’s see what happens this afternoon. Thanks for your comments.

 

[Trev]

When I complained about the same issue the service manager gave me the address of a local hire company and told me to claim the cost back from VW. As it happens he offered me a 7 seat Caddy which at the time was acceptable and I only had it for a day and the Cali was fixed.
Your are quite right to be outraged and a solution to this problem should be found.

Thanks Bellcrew.

 

[Trev]

Now booked in for first week of September. They will give us their demonstrator whilst it’s in. Let’s hope they get to the bottom of the problem and finally fix it.

 

[pjm-84]

I've had Transporters and Caddies.

In end I stopped bothering and would cycle back as its only 5miles from work / home.

 

[Elmo3]

Hope you finally get it sorted, sounds very frustrating. I’ve had a new Transporter Kombi. If I’d had a camping trip planned, they would have given me a Cali but I said I didn’t need one. Can’t ask for more than that.

 

[Wobble’s Mum]

We currently have a courtesy vehicle whilst we wait for our Cali to be built and registered. It's a Caddy - Maxi and it's black. It seriously looks like a hearse and people keep asking if I have changed career!

On a serious note, I had to push for a vehicle paid for and insured by the dealer. They are lending us a Cali for our holiday so we don't have to cancel again. Stand your ground.

 

[motacyclist]

We got a dirty Caddy when ours went in for a day. If we had had four people in the Cali we'd have had to leave two at the dealers! I really think that if you bring a passenger vehicle in for warranty work the courtesy vehicle should also be a passenger vehicle.

(When we got back they had washed the Cali but parked it under a tall lighting column. This being Llandudno, the column was a favourite resting spot for seagulls, needless to say we had to ask them to take it back to the wash bay!)

They didn't have time to finish one of the issues, so it had to go in again, this time we got a Polo.

Our experience wasn't to bad as it was only short term, but I sympathise with anyone who loses the use of their Cali for more than a few days.

 

[Trev]

Hope you finally get it sorted, sounds very frustrating. I’ve had a new Transporter Kombi. If I’d had a camping trip planned, they would have given me a Cali but I said I didn’t need one. Can’t ask for more than that.

Thanks Elmo.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I need a replacement front windscreen.
Autoglass have been waiting delivery from Volkswagen for 3 weeks. It’s a screen...!!!
Had I just gone for aftermarket, it would have been fitted 2 weeks ago...

 

[flying banana]

I've got a story here. they lent me a vw caddy while fixing warranty stuff. they failed to warn me the caddy was petrol engine and charged me 256 sheets when I put diesel in it. my argument was apart from the fact they never told me was that my van wouldn't be In there in the first place if it wasn't for warranty failures and also how can I camp in a caddy? couldn't wait to get rid of it. got rid sooner than I thought though when the aa towed it away back to their shed. I'm still pissed about it all to be honest. vw sheffield