DO NOT BUY FROM THIS VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP ( Inchcape Volkswagen Van Center Manchester )

[gatvol]

@Tloeg

I really feel for you. £70k is a huge amount to drop on a lemon like this.

I am a basically a VW Audi lifer but my 2011 Cali is probably the last VW I will buy. I have had Mk1, Mk 2, Mk 3 Golfs and Jettas. Audi 80s, S5.

The inconvenient truth is that VW build quality is simply not what it was. Look at the cost of aftermarket warranties or car satisfaction surveys for empirical evidence of this. This is from What Car ...

Reliability by brand for cars up to five years 1.Lexus 98.7%
2.Mitsubishi97.9%
3.Toyota 97.7%
4.Mini96.8%
5.Skoda96.4%
6.Hyundai96.3%
7.Kia95.9%
8.Honda 95.3%
=9.BMW95.2%
=9Mazda95.2%
11.Alfa Romeo94.6%
=12.Fiat94.5%
=12.Subaru94.5%
=14.Dacia94.4%
=14.Suzuki 94.4%
=16.Citroën93.8%
=16.Volvo93.8%
18.Ford93.7%
19.Seat93.6%
20.Volkswagen93.2%
21.Jaguar91.8%
=22.Audi91.5%
=22.MG91.5%
=22.Porsche
91.5% 25.Peugeot 91.1%
26.Mercedes91.0%
=27.Nissan90.1%
=27.Vauxhall90.1%
29.Tesla 88.6%
30.Renault87.6%
31.Land Rover78.2%

VW is living off brand loyalty and perceptions of quality built on Beetles and Mk1 Golfs.

The Cali is beautifully designed but shockingly made.

Mine had a mass of warranty issues from new. It has cost more money to maintain and been less reliable than my other two vehicles.

It is now 9 years old and I cannot believe the extent of corrosion on a vehicle that has been garaged since new and only done 60,000 miles - the vast majority on European summer road trips.

I have had it on a ramp - the corrosion (be that bodywork, exhaust, metal in the engine bay, alloy wheels ....) is far, far worse than on my 94 Merc SL and 170k miles 99 Volvo V70.

Californias even suffer from bonnet catches that are corroded solid as the steel used is so rubbish. The door hinges creak on mine as the steel is crap. My alloys were replaced under warranty. The list goes on and on.

Californias are incredibly versatile vehicles and hold their value. Despite the high maintenance bills this keeps the overall cost of ownership OK.

But if you can't get your head around rubbish build quality akin to a 1970s Alfa Romeo and the mass of warranty and maintenance issues that will follow - I would consider selling it now.

 

[Kirsty Allan]

DO NOT BUY FROM THIS VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP ( Inchcape Volkswagen Van Center Manchester Fifth Ave, Village Way, Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester M17 1JL ) in Nov 2020 I purchased a California Ocean for over £72,000 which was not fit for purpose numerous faults on pick up. Then abysmal customer service from this dealership I have only received one call in Nov telling me how sorry they were and how the manager wanted to call - still waiting for that call and the Cali is still not repaired 29th January 2021 nearly four months.

This is my first Volkswagen. Because of the number of manufacturing defects, quality issues with the Cali, the lack of urgency to resolve these problems and terrible customer service, this has [compromised] my experience with the Vehicle and Volkswagen as a brand.

My experience:

1.Driving from the dealership on the motorway, the roof popped open on the outside lane because somebody at the dealership had not closed it properly. (very dangerous).
2. The back cupboard door swings open every time under braking - from purchase.
3. The water tank has a fast leak, which means I can't use the shower or the taps - from purchase.
4. The third day of ownership, the rear passenger window dropped and would not open.
5. Lights are flashing under the sink. - from purchase.
6.The first visit to the service centre the only repair carried out was two windows oiled after five days of then having the Cali.
7. Second visit to the service centre the door that was ordered from Germany arrived with parts missing, and the cupboard door was not fit for the purpose.
8. No, follow up calls since Nov from this dealership who sold me The California.

I understand that things can go wrong, but a sign of a good company is what it does to correct the problems that will inform me about that companies moral compass and leadership.

The above tells me everything I need to know.

We've had dreadful problems with this dealership too, ending with them loosing our service log book. They've stamped up a new one with their services in, but the services prior to us buying the van are all lost. We were thinking of selling, and now have no full service history.

Every time we went something happened and they just made excuses. Booked in for a service pre Christmas, told to arrive promptly due to Covid and timed slots. Got there and they had the van all day. There's only so much walking around Salford Quays and Media City that one can do in Tier 4 on a very cold day...not impressed. Why give timed slots if you don't follow them?

 

[Paulro]

I feel I would like to add my experience on on this subject. Firstly I live in Bath so thank you everyone for the Breeze recommendation which I will now use even though it is some distance from us. I totally agree that its really worth driving a reasonable distance if you get an organisation that really wants to deliver a good service. However for various reasons we bought our campervan in November from VW Van Centre in Sheffield and can really recommend them. They have always been very responsive and Mike in servicing has been fantastic post delivery. I had a fairly major problem immediately after delivery. Mike was on the phone every day and even volunteered to drive all the way to Bath to resolve. Within a few weeks I had a perfect van and if I wasn't living so far from Sheffield I would continue to use them. So if you are in that area I think you can have the peace of mind that Sheffield really want you to have a good experience which sounds similar to others' experiences at Breeze and VW Liverpool. Even if there are hitches after you've spent £70k+ on your pride and joy, which is always a possibility for any vehicle you buy, it's really the way it's resolved that really matters.

It’s clear that some dealers have better all round care. I’ve just taken out a service contract with VW Heritage here in Bristol and I’m prepared to give them a chance to redeem themselves. I don’t need to drag up the issues but suffice to say that they haven’t done themselves any favours previously.
However, I do have an issue about having to drive to Poole or Southampton to experience the care, attention and satisfaction that other members on here from Bristol experience.
VW is a brand that associates itself with quality, reliability and alongside that, excellent customer service.
Some dealers have it, others don’t.
It comes from the top. Management that demand high standards of their staff and themselves. Encouraging staff to go the extra mile, to eventually work at the small things, things that really can make a difference to our experience.
Its about building a great team that supports each other. Some do it, others fall well short.
Whatever issues this guy has it does seem like he’s been neglected and having spent £70k I would be disappointed too.
VW Garage’s could learn a lot from forums such as this. Use to motivate their workforce from comments both negative and positive.
Sorry, I’m going on.
Who will you use for service?

 

[andyinluton]

. I’ve just taken out a service contract with VW Heritage here in Bristol

If its the VW service deal its from VW not your dealer, so it is valid at any VW dealership.

 

[andyinluton]

They've stamped up a new one with their services in, but the services prior to us buying the van are all lost. We were thinking of selling, and now have no full service history.

The service history should be on the computer - they should be able to print out what you've had done & when.
You don't get a service book with a T6.1 !

 

[brucetnw]

A few years ago I had numerous problems with my roof which were not getting sorted. I emailed the head of VW commercial which I believe is in Milton Keynes. He passed it on to somebody in the organisation and the dealership was contacted and things improved rapidly. I don’t think dealerships like to be criticised at the head office. It’s always best to go to the top. Why not give it a try.I believe his name is Cian O’Brien.I dealt with the previous CEO In my email I mentioned that I had bought a VW because of the brand name and how disappointed I was with the vehicle and I was sure this was not the reputation Volkswagen would wish to portray. Good luck

 

[18hunts]

I asked Liverpool to check my roof for the dreaded roof rust issue, they said it was just muck.
Next service was Manchester and with out asking they checked the roof and booked it in for roof rust repair.
I've not had a problem with either regarding service, only problem was Liverpool identifying rust as muck.

 

[caliblue]

We have had 3 californias from Manchester Van Centre and they have all been serviced there. We have been customers there for over 11 years and all warranty work has been dealt with efficiently and with no hassle whatsoever. From our point of view we are satisfied customers.
I am very sorry to hear that your experience has not been as good.

 

[Bumble The Van]

I dealt with a chap called Tristan there with my California Ocean and so far they have been amazing so I think it fair to give another viewpoint

 

[VincentVan]

Tloeg sorry to hear about your experiences at VW Manchester van centre.

I’ve had mine serviced there for the last 18 months and in general my experiences of the centre have been good. I didn’t buy my van there, and I tend to use small independent specialist garages but this is the first vehicle I’ve owned with a warranty. Reception staff have been very good and Donna in particular has gone out of her way to get the issues sorted out under that warranty: control unit knob, ventilation dashboard issue. The mot was done yesterday and a cracked egr cooler pipe diagnosed and replaced under warranty.