NHTSA Complaint #10183217 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

THE SERVICE REP AT UNIVERSITY VW REPORTED MY CAR NEEDED A NEW TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP - COST $1,500 (THE WORD WARRANTY WAS NEVER MENTIONED, SO I NEVER CONSIDERED THIS REPAIR MIGHT BE COVERED.) ANOTHER MECHANICS QUOTE FOR THE SAME JOB WAS $448. DURING REPAIR HE FOUND THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS DEFECTIVE, SO MY TOTAL COST WAS $615 - STILL LESS THAN HALF OF THE QUOTE BY UNIVERSITY VW. (I ALSO HAD TO PAY UNIVERSITY $96 FOR THEIR RIP-OFF QUOTE.) I CONTACTED VW, WHO TOLD ME TO TAKE THE PART TO THE DEALER FOR CONFIRMATION OF DEFECT. DEFECT WAS CONFIRMED BY THEIR LEAD MECHANIC. (NOTE THAT HE CONFIRMED DEFECT AND NOT WORN OUT PART. I STILL HAVE ALL PARTS.) SERVICE MANAGER STATED HE WOULD FILE A CLAIM WITH VW FOR ME. HE CALLED ON 2/19 AND REPORTED MY CLAIM WAS DENIED. THE REQUEST WAS NOT MADE TO VW, BUT DECIDED BY HIS REGIONAL MANAGER. I CALLED VW ABOUT A CLAIM. ON 2/20 VW CLAIMS CALLED STATING MY CLAIM WAS DENIED. SHE STATED THAT MY CLAIM WAS DENIED. SHE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE REPAIR WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY - IF I HAD NOT TAKEN IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. I TOLD HER I WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC, IF I HAD KNOWN IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY! (THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I LEARNED THE PROBLEM WAS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY!) I TOLD HER I WANTED TO APPEAL THIS DECISION, SO WHOM SHOULD I CONTACT? SHE STATED, "I AM EMPOWERED BY THE CEO OF VOLKSWAGEN, SO THERE ISN'T ANYONE HIGHER. YOUR CLAIM WILL NOT BE PAID." AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THIS ENTIRE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A SERVICE CONSULTANT NOT TELLING ME THIS REPAIR WOULD BE (OR EVEN, MIGHT BE) COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AS A NON-MECHANICAL CUSTOMER, I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT THAT SERVICE. IF I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT, I DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE LEFT MY CAR AT UNIVERSITY VW FOR THE REPAIRS, BUT I FELT I HAD NO CHOICE - EITHER PAY $1,500 OR $500. *NM