Parkway Leicester Avoid Like The Plague

[Grumpy Mike]

I spoke too soon. I live in the north yet when I was looking for a new California I found Parkway Leicester to be really good. They looked after me. UNTILL nearly three years old. Took her in for service but had been advised by tyre fitter that the passenger side rear brake disk was shot as was the pad. The other three were perfect. That does say to me there was something wrong with that one. Just one???

I had the fitter have a look and went through the logic. He said he would have to talk to his manager.

The service girl then says to me its out of warranty. That I should have reported it earlier. They service the vehicle. They check it. But offers 10%. on new discs and pads, I decline.

They do the service and I ask for the "out of warranty" to be marked on the invoice so I can take it up with VW.
The invoice comes back 48,000 miles wear and tear. I say thats not what you said. She says after a disagreement that she can change the text. (Basically saying it doesnt matter whats on there we and VW dont care) She said her manager would sign it and I could talk to him. I declined as he was obviously aware and was probably the reason to change from wear and tear.

I asked her Why should one disc fail so badly if it is not a manufacturing defect? and How can a customer be expected to identify this prior to six months? And should they be told to have the vehicle thoroughly inspected prior to six months.

She then said well its done 48,000 miles. That sums them up. They dont care and just want more money. Are VW's lucky then to get past 3 years/48,000 miles??

Does 48,000 miles mean that we as VW customers should just accept anything giving up??

Why would you change the text on the invoice so easily if basically you had any integrity and you believed in what you had written? It smacks of it doesn’t matter what I write, we don’t care.

The Aftersales Manager contacted me by e mail at the point of lockdown saying he would get involved when he returned to work. He did and without talking to me e mailed me and:-
"As the vehicle has done 53,000 miles,(It hadn't???) unfortunately the corrosion on the brake discs (Only one disc with massive difference to other 3) isn't covered by manufactures warranty. Volkswagen's warranty classes corrosion on brake discs as wear and tear. Parkway doesn't set these guidelines, this comes from Volkswagen directly and we have to follow these instructions.

I am sorry you disagree with this outcome but it is out of Parkway's control.

From talking to Holly the advisor this was your complaint, or is there any further detail you would like me to investigate and address. If there is please reply with the details and I will in contact again. "

Am I being unreasonable. The van has done 48,000 miles, is mint, has just had its first set of new tyres. I look after my baby. There is an obvious fault on one corner of the van but also to be called a liar, to state that I can have what I want writen on the invoice and not to be contacted prior to "Looking Into the complaint"??? To basically write off my vehicle at 48,000 miles..

I took a refund on my service plan and will never ever go to Parkway Leicester ever again. Thank you Thomas Holyoak Parkway Leicester.

Am I wrong?

 

[Wongo]

If you have legal cover on your home insurance or your in AA or RAC get legal advice.
Are Parkway being ‘fair & reasonable’?
Are they a member of one of the garage trade orgs with a complants process?

Remember poor service providers rely on 9 out of 10 punters giving up.
A social media campaign can be effective too.

 

[Nick Stubbs]

Not had an issue with them myself.

 

[Grumpy Mike]

Not had an issue with them myself.

Nick, I never had an issue when spending £60K ... The proof of such companies is when you need some support.... Or perhaps even to be treat with respect even though your vehicle is 3 yrs old??

Remember I travelled 140 miles each way in the past as I rated them.... Not now..

 

[Nick Stubbs]

Nick, I never had an issue when spending £60K ... The proof of such companies is when you need some support.... Or perhaps even to be treat with respect even though your vehicle is 3 yrs old??

Remember I travelled 140 miles each way in the past as I rated them.... Not now..

No doubt every has different experiences, I feel your pain and must be annoying. I didn’t buy mine from them (eBay) believe it or not, it’s just out of warranty and they gave it its final service about a month ago, like you it’s not on the doorstep about 70 miles round trip, they bent over backwards to get the van at the front of the queue as there was no where to hang about due to Covid-19, it has done 30k, they could have tried to sell me an MOT but never mentioned it although they tried to sell me tyres, just add this was a free service they have not had a penny out of us for any of the services. So can’t complain.

 

[kp64zl]

Yes I had disappointing experience with this dealer

Went to see a second hand beach which was dirty inside and had a hole in the dash where the sat nav had been taken out for “security “ reasons.
Didn’t trust them

 

[Borris]

If I have understood your post correctly then I'm sorry but I think you are being unreasonable.

Your vehicle hasn't been written off. What the After Sales manager has said is correct. Brake discs and pads are wear and tear items and are not covered under the warranty. So you are unlikely to get anywhere with VW Customer Services either. If you are replacing your discs and pads for the first time after 48000 miles then you haven't done badly. Yes some people have gone much further before replacements are required however others have had to replace them much much earlier and yes one can go before the rest. I've seen posts on this forum before complaining about rear brake disc wear. Look them up. I had to change the rear discs and pads on our last Beach at around 29000 miles. It's something you have to do just like replacing worn tyres.

If you are saying that they should have informed you prior to the warranty expiring then firstly the wear may not have been that pronounced when last serviced but more importantly the work wouldn't have qualified for a warranty claim. They would have changed both the rear discs and pads, and in doing so checked the calipers as well. You would then have received an invoice for the work even if you have a service contract. Just like the vehicle warranty, service contracts don't usually cover "wear and tear " brake parts.

 

[Amarillo]

If I have understood your post correctly then I'm sorry but I think you are being unreasonable.

Your vehicle hasn't been written off. What the After Sales manager has said is correct. Brake discs and pads are wear and tear items and are not covered under the warranty. So you are unlikely to get anywhere with VW Customer Services either. If you are replacing your discs and pads for the first time after 48000 miles then you haven't done badly. Yes some people have gone much further before replacements are required however others have had to replace them much much earlier and yes one can go before the rest. I've seen posts on this forum before complaining about rear brake disc wear. Look them up. I had to change the rear discs and pads on our last Beach at around 29000 miles. It's something you have to do just like replacing worn tyres.

If you are saying that they should have informed you prior to the warranty expiring then firstly the wear may not have been that pronounced when last serviced but more importantly the work wouldn't have qualified for a warranty claim. They would have changed both the rear discs and pads, and in doing so checked the calipers as well. You would then have received an invoice for the work even if you have a service contract. Just like the vehicle warranty service contracts don't usually cover "wear and tear " brake parts.

The complaint as I see it is not about having to pay for wear and tear, but having to pay for uneven wear.

If that level of uneven wear is normal, the complaint probably is not justified, but if it is indicative of a fault in the vehicle it may well be justified.

 

[Grumpy Mike]

If I have understood your post correctly then I'm sorry but I think you are being unreasonable.

Your vehicle hasn't been written off. What the After Sales manager has said is correct. Brake discs and pads are wear and tear items and are not covered under the warranty. So you are unlikely to get anywhere with VW Customer Services either. If you are replacing your discs and pads for the first time after 48000 miles then you haven't done badly. Yes some people have gone much further before replacements are required however others have had to replace them much much earlier and yes one can go before the rest. I've seen posts on this forum before complaining about rear brake disc wear. Look them up. I had to change the rear discs and pads on our last Beach at around 29000 miles. It's something you have to do just like replacing worn tyres.

If you are saying that they should have informed you prior to the warranty expiring then firstly the wear may not have been that pronounced when last serviced but more importantly the work wouldn't have qualified for a warranty claim. They would have changed both the rear discs and pads, and in doing so checked the calipers as well. You would then have received an invoice for the work even if you have a service contract. Just like the vehicle warranty service contracts don't usually cover "wear and tear " brake parts.

Borris,
I dont have a problem with wear and tear, however it is night and day. 1 disc is dangerously low/destroyed as is the pad and the other three are like new. That can not be right. If all your were well worn then OK wear and tear and change them. Still talk to me politely and no issue..

Also its when they basically call you a liar and imply that at 48,000 miles you should expect less support from them and things to go wrong.

My Cali when clean is mint.... despite the 48,000 miles and I dont expect issues..

 

[Grumpy Mike]

The complaint as I see it is not about having to pay for wear and tear, but having to pay for uneven wear.

If that level of uneven wear is normal, the complaint probably is not justified, but if it is indicative of a fault in the vehicle it may well be justified.

Spot on... and thats the crux... is it normal for one of the four to be bordering on failing when the other three look almost new??

 

[Borris]

The complaint as I see it is not about having to pay for wear and tear, but having to pay for uneven wear.

If that level of uneven wear is normal, the complaint probably is not justified, but if it is indicative of a fault in the vehicle it may well be justified.

In my experience, uneven wear after 48000 miles isn't that uncommon. Brake pistons and caliper slider pins can sometimes start to stick but even so trying to make a warranty claim is most unlikely to get the OP anywhere.

 

[Nolan]

Get a local mechanic to have a look, Euro Car Parts or similar will do an OEM spec disk for much less money than the dealer or the mechanic might wind the calliper piston back to unstick it and that will clean the disc up.

I think some dealers see discs and pads as a payday after the warranty has expired but it's one of the simplest jobs and no reason to pay dealer rates.

 

[No_heroes]

Could this be associated with the handbrake? I saw a similar story on you tube recently. I think it was a land cruiser- passenger rear disk and pad badly damaged.

 

[Borris]

Borris,
I dont have a problem with wear and tear, however it is night and day. 1 disc is dangerously low/destroyed as is the pad and the other three are like new. That can not be right. If all your were well worn then OK wear and tear and change them. Still talk to me politely and no issue..

Also its when they basically call you a liar and imply that at 48,000 miles you should expect less support from them and things to go wrong.

My Cali when clean is mint.... despite the 48,000 miles and I dont expect issues..

Sorry Mike I'm not having a go but merely stating how things are. I'm afraid that things wear out and go wrong over time on all vehicles and as you leave the warranty period it's obvious that you will be entitled to less support. I'm afraid a Cali is no different. Actually you can have as much support as you want but you'll just have to pay for it. However, the point is some things e.g brakes just aren't covered under warranty.

As for my previous Beach, it also displayed similar uneven wear. I changed the rear discs and pads myself checking and lubricating, where appropriate, all the component parts. Not a difficult job. There's even a tutorial on how to do it on Youtube.

Note: T5 and T6 rear brakes are the same.

You can buy a caliper wind back tool from Halfords or similar. They aren't expensive. As Nolan has said, OEM parts, lubricants and Locktite are all available from Euro Car Parts. Their prices are very reasonable especially at the end of the month when they often do offers e.g 50% off if bought online. If you can handle a spanner, a bit of DIY will save you a small fortune and it's a lot quicker. No trip to the dealers, losing hours whilst they work on other peoples vans first.

I once owned a mint and boxed very low mileage old school diesel Mercedes that presented a seized front brake caliper. The trouble was with all that low down grunt, it didn't drive any differently so I only noticed when I stopped at a traffic light. It was then that I espied a plume of dark smoke. This turned out to be issuing from the N/S front wheel. The disc was red hot and the paint on the wheel had blistered up. The AA had to tow me home. The result was a complete brake overhaul. So my point is these things do happen.

 

[DAVE54]

I spoke too soon. I live in the north yet when I was looking for a new California I found Parkway Leicester to be really good. They looked after me. UNTILL nearly three years old. Took her in for service but had been advised by tyre fitter that the passenger side rear brake disk was shot as was the pad. The other three were perfect. That does say to me there was something wrong with that one. Just one???

I had the fitter have a look and went through the logic. He said he would have to talk to his manager.

The service girl then says to me its out of warranty. That I should have reported it earlier. They service the vehicle. They check it. But offers 10%. on new discs and pads, I decline.

They do the service and I ask for the "out of warranty" to be marked on the invoice so I can take it up with VW.
The invoice comes back 48,000 miles wear and tear. I say thats not what you said. She says after a disagreement that she can change the text. (Basically saying it doesnt matter whats on there we and VW dont care) She said her manager would sign it and I could talk to him. I declined as he was obviously aware and was probably the reason to change from wear and tear.

I asked her Why should one disc fail so badly if it is not a manufacturing defect? and How can a customer be expected to identify this prior to six months? And should they be told to have the vehicle thoroughly inspected prior to six months.

She then said well its done 48,000 miles. That sums them up. They dont care and just want more money. Are VW's lucky then to get past 3 years/48,000 miles??

Does 48,000 miles mean that we as VW customers should just accept anything giving up??

Why would you change the text on the invoice so easily if basically you had any integrity and you believed in what you had written? It smacks of it doesn’t matter what I write, we don’t care.

The Aftersales Manager contacted me by e mail at the point of lockdown saying he would get involved when he returned to work. He did and without talking to me e mailed me and:-
"As the vehicle has done 53,000 miles,(It hadn't???) unfortunately the corrosion on the brake discs (Only one disc with massive difference to other 3) isn't covered by manufactures warranty. Volkswagen's warranty classes corrosion on brake discs as wear and tear. Parkway doesn't set these guidelines, this comes from Volkswagen directly and we have to follow these instructions.

I am sorry you disagree with this outcome but it is out of Parkway's control.

From talking to Holly the advisor this was your complaint, or is there any further detail you would like me to investigate and address. If there is please reply with the details and I will in contact again. "

Am I being unreasonable. The van has done 48,000 miles, is mint, has just had its first set of new tyres. I look after my baby. There is an obvious fault on one corner of the van but also to be called a liar, to state that I can have what I want writen on the invoice and not to be contacted prior to "Looking Into the complaint"??? To basically write off my vehicle at 48,000 miles..

I took a refund on my service plan and will never ever go to Parkway Leicester ever again. Thank you Thomas Holyoak Parkway Leicester.

Am I wrong?

Agree with you and Im quite local , damaged one of the Chrome bars I had fitted when I purchased ( the ones that run along the side of the van at the bottom, quoted me £500.00 plus vat fitted , I had to buy a pair. I got the pair for 140.00 at a Spares place, and paid ( although Im sure its easy to do ) 50 quid to get fitted . Rip off merchants

 

[Grumpy Mike]

OK gents. Perhaps Parkway are due a little latitude on this. However... good customer service from the girl on the desk or the manager would have helped. Treating a customer with disdain will never smooth over an issue. Even play the game .. Just not the disdain. I will not go back there and will not buy VW again.

I will enjoy my Cali as she is mint...

I was offered discs and pads at around £300 from Parkway. Getting them local at £175..

I think one of the reason it hurts is when someone / two/ almost dismiss your vehicle as junk when it is well looked after and is part of the family, that adds to the hurt.... END OF MY RANT... Thanks everyone... Off to pack for France and Spain....

 

[Paul Roe]

brake balance not set correct, new disk will wear the same

 

[Borris]

Agree with you and Im quite local , damaged one of the Chrome bars I had fitted when I purchased ( the ones that run along the side of the van at the bottom, quoted me £500.00 plus vat fitted , I had to buy a pair. I got the pair for 140.00 at a Spares place, and paid ( although Im sure its easy to do ) 50 quid to get fitted . Rip off merchants

So do you expect them to fit them for free?

The genuine VW side bars are expensive and involve work to fit them. I'm certain you'd pay the same whichever VW Commercial dealership you went to. Some dealerships give discount to forum members on accessories, (10% in our case) but you have to ask. Non VW side bars often provide poor access to the jacking points so beware.

 

[Borris]

OK gents. Perhaps Parkway are due a little latitude on this. However... good customer service from the girl on the desk or the manager would have helped. Treating a customer with disdain will never smooth over an issue. Even play the game .. Just not the disdain. I will not go back there and will not buy VW again.

I will enjoy my Cali as she is mint...

I was offered discs and pads at around £300 from Parkway. Getting them local at £175..

I think one of the reason it hurts is when someone / two/ almost dismiss your vehicle as junk when it is well looked after and is part of the family, that adds to the hurt.... END OF MY RANT... Thanks everyone... Off to pack for France and Spain....

You have clearly been rattled by the way you have been treated. So why not take it up with the Dealer Principal? If his/her staff didn't deal with you in a polite and courteous manner then he/she needs to know. Perhaps some customer relations training is required. If you feel you were treated badly then write the DP a letter or send an Email explaining your experience and asking for his/her comments and proposed action to resolve this matter.

The bit I don't get is that you say you will enjoy your Cali but then go on to say that you won't buy VW again! Surely the issue is with Parkway's staff and not the product?

 

[Brocky47AD]

Mike I also had a very bad experience with this dealership. The advert described the vehicle as the best looked after on the market so I took the plunge. On the day of collection is were my problems began but I gave the sales rep the benefit of the doubt to come back at a later date to have the issues sorted. It started off with a faulty water gauge (which is still faulty) and an airbag warning light being on. I was messed around with the service dept with booking it in on days of which the California specialist was not in to the then having the work done and them hand me it back with the same plus extra faults. This went on for 5 months to the point were I complained to VW UK customer relations as they were so incompetent. I then looked into and sent a letter of rejection of the vehicle due to the poor standard and I was well with the rights to do so. This they would not accept and offered me £10000 less than what I paid for part exchange after only owning it for a few months and covered under 6000 miles due to it being back there garage far all these faults. I had faults from warning lights to burst fuel pipes broken roof then a smashed windscreen by the delivery driver just to name a few. In the end yes they did settle the bill for this but in the almost year I’ve owned this van I’ve camped in it for about a grand total of a week. For what was not only supposed to be great excitement of being a new adventure vehicle I would have stayed with a car if only I’d have known. They rang me on their last morning before lockdown to say I won’t get my vehicle back for awhile so I took the day off work to go collect it to find it covered in dirt inside and out and loose wires were the hadn’t replaced my Dashcam after the broken windscreen. I for sure will never have a good thing to say about VW parkway Leicester

 

[flying banana]

Sounds like you have a stuck caliper or sticky sliders. Do you notice extra heat in the wheel after a trip? Touch them with your hand afterwards. I had this on my car recently. Stuck caliper worn out the pads at least twice as quick as the other side but I also noticed extra brake dust on the wheel and heat. I fixed this problem myself. New caliper and new pads both sides. The disc survived fine. As for the dealer taking the pee it's an easy fix for an average mechanic. An hours work tops with the right kit. Go elsewhere.

 

[Big Ron]

I used to go c 50k miles a year for about 30 years. I’ve had discs/pads replaced on my Cali(and numerous other cars) and many times have had uneven wear. The times when it’s been severe have been down to;
- sticking caliper pins
- warped/cracked or misaligned discs
All of those were wear/tear issues not Garage/Manufacturers fault....that’s the truth of it.
Only in 1 case did I have a disc that was a different thickness around its radius that the garage (BMW) replaced all discs/ pads for free as goodwill.

Can’t comment on how they’ve interacted with you Grumpy Mike but if it was me I’d be expecting the replacement/remedy to be out of my pocket, it’s not that uncommon.

 

[Grumpy Mike]

I used to go c 50k miles a year for about 30 years. I’ve had discs/pads replaced on my Cali(and numerous other cars) and many times have had uneven wear. The times when it’s been severe have been down to;
- sticking caliper pins
- warped/cracked or misaligned discs
All of those were wear/tear issues not Garage/Manufacturers fault....that’s the truth of it.
Only in 1 case did I have a disc that was a different thickness around its radius that the garage (BMW) replaced all discs/ pads for free as goodwill.

Can’t comment on how they’ve interacted with you Grumpy Mike but if it was me I’d be expecting the replacement/remedy to be out of my pocket, it’s not that uncommon.

Thanks for that Big Ron....

 

[JPC]

I have to disagree with the comments about Parkway Leicester in the light of my own experiences. Having recently purchased a nearly new Beach from them I have nothing but praise for their after-sales service. They replaced the rear air vents for the Climatronic 3-zone A/C without question when I discovered that one of them had seized in the closed position. Similarly, the clip to the cover for the jack compartment had become dislodged and was impossible to retrieve so they replaced the cover with hesitation. Matt in the Sales Dept has been incredibly helpful. On each occasion they were very flexible about when I could take my vehicle in to them, and their communications were first rate too. Thank you Parkway Leicester.

 

[Amarillo]

I have to disagree with the comments about Parkway Leicester in the light of my own experiences. Having recently purchased a nearly new Beach from them I have nothing but praise for their after-sales service. They replaced the rear air vents for the Climatronic 3-zone A/C without question when I discovered that one of them had seized in the closed position. Similarly, the clip to the cover for the jack compartment had become dislodged and was impossible to retrieve so they replaced the cover with hesitation. Matt in the Sales Dept has been incredibly helpful. On each occasion they were very flexible about when I could take my vehicle in to them, and their communications were first rate too. Thank you Parkway Leicester.

Hello, welcome, and thank you for your first ever post.

You don’t by any chance work for Parkway Leicester do you?