Control panel knob rip off.

[WelshGas]

The last time l had a television breakdown was with a British built Murphy, in the 1970s, but l have had our control panel fail on our Cali relatively recently, and it was very inconvenient too!
We were in a very remote spot, wild camping high up in the West Highlands. VW recovery said, due to your location all they can say is, we will get to you sometime today. They were coming from Glasgow,.So it was out out with the manual, drain down the hydraulic oil, fix on the lash down kit and drive to Inverness, on the other side of Scotland to get there by 3 pm, so that they could order the parts for the next day. Three days of our holiday lost !
Dating back to Bakelite knobs, they always put in a brass insert, or metal d-ring to negate the knob failing. Wise up VW.

Or, remove the knob and turn the spindle directly.
It is down to cost, rate of failure/ cost and obviously the rate of failure is probably quit low overall.
£40 every x years compared with the additional cost upfront on the purchase price for something that lasts y years.
I agree there is no need for the front plate in the repair kit and that would bring the cost down, so there is a reason it’s included, to bump up the cost or because it is frequently broken during the replacement. Who knows?
Most owners don’t care, they buy on PCP and hand it back. They don’t want to pay for quality, as long as it lasts the length of the warranty they don’t care, not their problem.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Or, remove the knob and turn the spindle directly.
It is down to cost, rate of failure/ cost and obviously the rate of failure is probably quit low overall.
£40 every x years compared with the additional cost upfront on the purchase price for something that lasts y years.
I agree there is no need for the front plate in the repair kit and that would bring the cost down, so there is a reason it’s included, to bump up the cost or because it is frequently broken during the replacement. Who knows?
Most owners don’t care, they buy on PCP and hand it back. They don’t want to pay for quality, as long as it lasts the length of the warranty they don’t care, not their problem.

I really can’t believe what I’m hearing..Regardless wether it’s bought on PCP or an outright purchase which I would say most California owners do. You don’t buy a vehicle or anything because it’s crap. You purchase it because you expect some form of quality. It’s not £40 every so many years because it’s many things that go wrong with the California. When I buy a very expensive product I expect quality and reliability and not bits falling off or constantly Braking just because VW go for the cheapest option when quotes come in. VW have proved over recent years that you can’t trust them to give loyal customers a truthful answer and a first class reliable product. If they gave us a truly reliable product then they wouldn’t be afraid to give us a 5 or 7 year original warranty. And I don’t mean one you have to pay many hundreds of pounds for as an extra......

 

[WelshGas]

I really can’t believe what I’m hearing..Regardless wether it’s bought on PCP or an outright purchase which I would say most California owners do. You don’t buy a vehicle or anything because it’s crap. You purchase it because you expect some form of quality. It’s not £40 every so many years because it’s many things that go wrong with the California. When I buy a very expensive product I expect quality and reliability and not bits falling off or constantly Braking just because VW go for the cheapest option when quotes come in. VW have proved over recent years that you can’t trust them to give loyal customers a truthful answer and a first class reliable product. If they gave us a truly reliable product then they wouldn’t be afraid to give us a 5 or 7 year original warranty. And I don’t mean one you have to pay many hundreds of pounds for as an extra......

Well mine is coming upto 7 yrs old, 100,000 miles, used every day and apart from an EGR valve replaced at 2 weeks old, everything else is original, apart from tyres and brake pads as they wore out. So going by your definition of 5 to 7 years, I have a quality product.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

These niggling faults are not just £40 here and £50 there. That’s the cost when you actually do the work yourself. Not everyone who owns a California has sufficient knowledge or confidence to take electrical components apart and successfully put them back together so that they work correctly. This means a trip to the dealer at £120 an hour stretc.h.e.d...out to be 2 hours or 3 hours. And then the bill ends up £300-£400 for a Item that’s should cost a couple of quid.

 

[calikev]

i don't think vw have the ability to do that

 

[TripleBee]

I really can’t believe what I’m hearing..Regardless wether it’s bought on PCP or an outright purchase which I would say most California owners do. You don’t buy a vehicle or anything because it’s crap. You purchase it because you expect some form of quality. It’s not £40 every so many years because it’s many things that go wrong with the California. When I buy a very expensive product I expect quality and reliability and not bits falling off or constantly Braking just because VW go for the cheapest option when quotes come in. VW have proved over recent years that you can’t trust them to give loyal customers a truthful answer and a first class reliable product. If they gave us a truly reliable product then they wouldn’t be afraid to give us a 5 or 7 year original warranty. And I don’t mean one you have to pay many hundreds of pounds for as an extra......

Looks like you really need to get rid of your California.

 

[SusiBus]

Looks like you really need to get rid of your California.

No he doesn't. As well informed consumers, we should be repetably knocking on VW's door, and saying your product is not the quality we expect and have paid for.

 

[TripleBee]

No he doesn't. As well informed consumers, we should be repetably knocking on VW's door, and saying your product is not the quality we expect and have paid for.

They will count your 60+ grand and think: yeah, whatever...

 

[SusiBus]

They will count your 60+ grand and think: yeah, whatever...

Not always. We took VW on with regard to roof corrosion a few years ago. We got a VW diary and pen, a book on the history of the Transporter van, and lunch at VW Milton Keynes headquarters. We did also get them to adress the roof corossion issue correctly. Well until the plastic cap was introduced.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

No he doesn't. As well informed consumers, we should be repetably knocking on VW's door, and saying your product is not the quality we expect and have paid for.

Exactly, why should we put up with an inferior product. We know exactly what VW think of their customers but being in the UK we don’t have the power of the USA. Now we are paying for their incompetence. Anyone who just shrugs their shoulders and says Oh well......Shame on you. Maybe one day VW will actually come up with a first class reasonably priced product..But I doubt it.

 

[SusiBus]

Exactly, why should we put up with an inferior product. We know exactly what VW think of their customers but being in the UK we don’t have the power of the USA. Now we are paying for their incompetence. Anyone who just shrugs their shoulders and says Oh well......Shame on you. Maybe one day VW will actually come up with a first class reasonably priced product..But I doubt it.

That's exactly what lit my fire over roof corrosion. When I found our first T5 California was suffering from the dreaded roof corrosion, I also simultaneously found out that VW in Germany were doing a comprehensive repair, whereas in the UK, they were just doing a rub down and respray. When I tackled VW over this, they said, "but that's the repair they do in Germany, not what we do in the UK". Oh yeah!

 

[capt kirk]

well i had a go, look at my knob, seems to fit and does the job, not painted at this stage.1 hr and 20 mins to print. In real terms labour and material probably about £40.00, plus £900 for the printer and software and a bit of paint. bargain any offers..........

 

[Ozzy Pete]

well i had a go, look at my knob, seems to fit and does the job, not painted at this stage.1 hr and 20 mins to print. In real terms labour and material probably about £40.00, plus £900 for the printer and software and a bit of paint. bargain any offers..........

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At that price I will have a dozen...

 

[Ozzy Pete]

But that is no different to spending £10k on a fully comprehensive SnapOn tool kit to service your car.. If you service it once or your printer makes 1 knob, both ways it’s never going to pay. Service a thousand cars or make a thousand knobs .....Now that works ..

 

[ArunAlec]

Be warned, it’s not always the knob! I’ve inspected mine and it works as it should with no mechanical jumping but the menu sometimes skips items when scroll through the list.
I‘ve had the same problem with digital radio controls and suspect its an electronic issue rather than mechanical.
Anyone else had the same?
I can’t be the only one whose knob doesn’t respond as I’d like!

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Be warned, it’s not always the knob! I’ve inspected mine and it works as it should with no mechanical jumping but the menu sometimes skips items when scroll through the list.
I‘ve had the same problem with digital radio controls and suspect its an electronic issue rather than mechanical.
Anyone else had the same?
I can’t be the only one whose knob doesn’t respond as I’d like!

Knob problems are just part of everything getting older....Supposedly there is a different cure.. but it never lasts..lol...

 

[Crispo]

Been having a very (un) productive day in the office today - what a great website with the 3D models on. Searched VW California and dozens of files came up - here are a few trialled thus far.

 

[capt kirk]

Been having a very (un) productive day in the office today - what a great website with the 3D models on. Searched VW California and dozens of files came up - here are a few trialled thus far.

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Careful, you will create a surplus and the price will drop........oh wait !!