Official Response from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK

[SusiBus]

Please see below links to the official letter from VW that we have now received where they cover issues raised by the club.

Points Covered:

- Roof corrosion Repair Times
- Roof corrosion Repair Process
- EGR Valve Problems
- Steering knock
- Fridge Glass
- Roof central control unit
- Passenger seat airbag fault

VW Letter Page One

VW Letter Page Two

VW Letter Page Three

 

[snowy55]

Fine example of corporate @rse covering.

Well done on all your hard work to get this far, many thanks from me and I'm sure everyone else.

 

[Ambler]

Thanks for all the work on this.
To my mind they have said very little to re-assure us.
Roof reply is vague and they are not acknowledging most of the other issues.

We know why the roof front panel corrodes but no information at all about the rust on the edges of the main roof.

 

[robo]

Thanks again.
Like pulling teeth.

 

[johnyboy]

Not all bad, but it goes to show that if you have a problem you shouldn't JUST moan on the internet and get into the dealers.

e.g. I never said about the "roof creep" to the dealer

 

[Les]

On the original post which listed questions that were going to asked at the meeting the 6 year cutoff in the UK and that in Germany it allegedly went back to 2006.

Was there a response to this?

 

[reserves]

Good work for getting this done.

The letter doesn't really state anything not already know and is pretty vague though.

 

[Meoncoast]

thanks for getting feedback VW I am sure there legal department has ensured there is so little that is a hard promise in the letter.

I am not sure if VW have changed their approach re the roof SMG put in my claim for front and main roof on 22nd September which was accepted.I had no letter or contact from either VW or a body shop (now 28 Nov) I contacted VW to be told yes I was on a waiting list but I would not be allocated a body shop waiting list, VW would let me know when a repair would be actioned and which body shop. I asked about having written confirmation about the acceptance of the repair and was told that was not normal practise. I explained I did not want to wait 2 years for a repair -then contact VW again to find I had fallen off a list. I also said if I was to sale my van a buyer would want proof it would be fixed. Following this VW has said a letter will be sent to me.

So following my contact with VW HQ I wonder what response other owners who have put a corrosion claim in in the last few months have had.

 

[snowy55]

I have also had to ring Vw customer services to ask for written confirmation.

 

[Freeley]

Similar situation for me - my claim for the front panel and elevating roof have been accepted but I've received nothing in writing. The only reason I know my claim was accepted is because I rang my dealer who inspected it, they didn't contact me which I think was a bit poor.

 

[Hutch]

My corrosion issue was photographed & reported on the same day I had the new steering column fitted in September, when VW engineers were over from Germany - Pretty poor effort that I have to contact them to see if they've agreed my claim! No one told me it was down to me to chase the issue.
Come on VW, get off your lazy backsides & display some customer CARE!!!!

 

[phil locks]

We still have the problem of our claim being rejected on our 2008 Cali and the corrosion is now getting worse, I have found a local body to respray this for £1,200 but they said it WILL come back. Has anyone else had a claim rejected?

 

[calikev]

We still have the problem of our claim being rejected on our 2008 Cali and the corrosion is now getting worse, I have found a local body to respray this for £1,200 but they said it WILL come back. Has anyone else had a claim rejected?

Where is your corrosion :?:

 

[phil locks]

Just on the front panel, spreading at a rate of 5mm per month

 

[calikev]

That's rough have the quoted the 5 year deadline :?:

 

[777111]

Where to even start with an appraisal of VW's response....

Really appreciate the efforts made to try to get a comprehensive understanding of the roof (and other) issues but I can see no value whatsoever in the response from VW. The content and time taken to issue this meaningless corporate waffle say it all - VW look after their own concerns and not that of customers.
Perhaps I am missing something (anything?) but what use is there in any of this response? I can't see a single answer to any of the specific issues tabled and nothing other than corporately sanitised wasted words.
No surprise.

Once again I truly appreciate the efforts made by all concerned (not VW), apologise for such a negative opinion but see nothing at all of any value here.

 

[jts46]

Where to even start with an appraisal of VW's response....

Really appreciate the efforts made to try to get a comprehensive understanding of the roof (and other) issues but I can see no value whatsoever in the response from VW. The content and time taken to issue this meaningless corporate waffle say it all - VW look after their own concerns and not that of customers.
Perhaps I am missing something (anything?) but what use is there in any of this response? I can't see a single answer to any of the specific issues tabled and nothing other than corporately sanitised wasted words.
No surprise.

Once again I truly appreciate the efforts made by all concerned (not VW), apologise for such a negative opinion but see nothing at all of any value here.

What load of garbage are the letters from VW. I think I will write to watchdog, Jeremy Clarkson and anybody else that people can recommend to me. My concern is the corrosion of the front roof panel (it was repaired in July 2009 but corrosion is still coming through) and the 6 six year cut off limit.

John

 

[Dyddi]

Similar difficulties with official response from Bristol/Westbury. My van was inspected in Bristol, August, and I was told the queue for work was about a year. Following day they phoned to say VW would pay and I would hear from Westbury. Since when, silence. With the little legal knowledge I have that means there is no record in writing unless held internally with VW - requiring an FOI to dig it out. Why not send a pre-printed, maybe postcard, to confirm you're in the system? Looks like there's a head of steam of frustration building up amongst patient customers.

More generally - many thanks for your efforts in talking to VW even though three pages produces little hard evidence except ... they recognise your existence and that is a big step forward.

 

[oldmtber]

Ours was inspected and agreed by VW last April.
Since then we have received one letter and one phone call to say they had not forgotten and that the massive delays are apparently caused by a lack of spares.
We feel very let down by VW and will be disinclined to buy this brand again. :censor
I can only offer my thanks to SuziBus for putting in so much time and effort on behalf of all of us affected by VW's indifference to the problem.

 

[oldmtber]

Has anyone considered pushing this issue through a programme like Watchdog?
My big concern would be that by going down this route it would put off potential buyers and seriously harm resale values - I know that if I had known about this issue I would never have bought a Cali.

 

[David Eccles]

I have just heard from VW UK the spare parts supply issue is resolved and items are coming in plus they are training up more people in Jan so seems like from Jan things should start moving along much faster
we all live in hope!

 

[snowy55]

I have just heard from VW UK the spare parts supply issue is resolved and items are coming in plus they are training up more people in Jan so seems like from Jan things should start moving along much faster
we all live in hope!

Not holding my breath, no disrespect David, on yet more second hand, hearsay evidence.

Why o why can't Vw issue this sort of information through their own website, this website or some other means and not let other people do their dirty work for them?

 

[777111]

I have just heard from VW UK the spare parts supply issue is resolved and items are coming in plus they are training up more people in Jan so seems like from Jan things should start moving along much faster
we all live in hope!

Not holding my breath, no disrespect David, on yet more second hand, hearsay evidence.

Why o why can't Vw issue this sort of information through their own website, this website or some other means and not let other people do their dirty work for them?

....because VW customer service is abysmal.

 

[MalcolmK]

Hello SusiBus,
Could you post the signature page from the VW letter, please? I note the comments from many that it is not very helpful but I will use it in discussion with my dealer. I will let you know how I get on!

 

[Martin]

Hello SusiBus,
Could you post the signature page from the VW letter, please? I note the comments from many that it is not very helpful but I will use it in discussion with my dealer. I will let you know how I get on!

I am sorry we have promised not to publicly publish any names at Volkswagen head office as they will not deal with any personal cases, however please feel free to print out and use this letter, if the dealer has any doubts they can email us at the club and we can give them the name and reference number.

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