Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Fri 8 Feb 2019 13:39
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - Les. Roberts
I would love to hear from any owners of pre 2016 Audi’s with 3.0tdi engines who have experienced the same as this
To whom it may Concern
Tuesday, 05 February 2019
Audi A7 First Registered 30 June 2015 Current Mileage 23900 approx.

On the 22nd January 2019 I presented the above vehicle to Huddersfield Audi for the second and final service under its initial service plan. I was advised that there was an emissions software upgrade available. I declined to have this applied to the vehicle at this time. Upon arriving to collect the vehicle. I was cautioned not to drive it further as a rattle had been “discovered” emanating from the rear off side of the engine. My service representative Elliot Atkinson and the service manager together attempted to demonstrate this rattle to me but I was unable to hear it. However, this I was assured, was indicative of a serious defect of the timing chain tensioner. Failure of this part was liable to cause catastrophic engine failure and damage. The only recourse, I was informed, was to strip the engine down and replace camshafts and belt tensioners. The garage was familiar with this fault which they informed me they had come across before with the 3.0 V6 TDi engine. It had indeed been the subject of a Technical Service Bulletins from Audi, the manufacturers. I have an email from Elliot Atkinson my service representative, containing the following text,
"Following on from the conversation with Audi UK, as I mentioned to you on Tuesday as a centre we have experienced similar noises on the A7 3 Litre's previously. Along with & we this a modified Camshaft has in fact been released from Audi as opposed to the original camshaft fitted within the vehicle from factory have confirmed similar faults with our technical team in Milton Keynes."
Given the serious nature of this defect, I felt compelled to leave the vehicle where it was whilst I explored the options available to me.
It was initially suggested to me, that under the circumstance, given the age of the vehicle (just seven months out of warrantee) and its low recorded mileage, there was a good possibility that Audi UK would meet the full costs of the replacement of the faulty parts. They would replace them with the redesigned afore mentioned parts. From this, I assumed that this garage had knowledge of customers who had the same repair carried out free of charge. As this was a 35 hours service operation @ approximately £100 per hour plus parts and VAT the final cost was somewhere in the region of £5000 +.
Unfortunately it transpired that Audi UK informed the garage that I was required to make a contribution of some £2100 towards the cost. When I asked why I had not received the same generosity as other clients, I was informed that these matters were dealt with on a “case by case basis”. I have asked what criteria are used in determining an individual case. I have yet to receive an answer to this enquiry. As my vehicle is just out of warrantee and with a very low mileage the only criteria for making this discriminatory decision can be my age. At sixty nine, and relatively close to finishing driving, my potential loyalty to the brand must be somewhat limited.
I left the car with the garage on the understanding that no further work would be carried out until I had been given a chance to take the matter up with Audi UK. I exchanged e-mails and telephone conversations with a Mr Mohammed Nasar, apparently the senior decision maker at Audi UK. Despite the information supplied by my garage as to the common nature of this fault and a number of website references from Audi owners club and many other sites the addresses of which I have supplied as an attachment, Mr Nasar insisted that there were no other recorded instances of this problem. When informed that Huddersfield Audi had experience at least two others he actually said to me “There must be something peculiar about Huddersfield.” I pointed out that I had purchased this vehicle in Beckenham to no avail. I received an email from him stating that there was no further assistance forth coming from either Huddersfield Audi or Audi UK and that my case was being archived
Under these circumstances I saw no other option than to agree to have this work carried out. I negotiated further with Huddersfield Audi and agreed to pay £1500 inclusive of VAT. I made it clear both verbally and in e-mails that I was agreeing to this arrangement under duress and that I intended to seek redress later. Initially by a submission to the motor ombudsman whilst simultaneously seeking the assistance of consumer protection lawyers.
When I came to collect my vehicle I requested that the paperwork be marked “paid under protest” This request was refused. In anticipation of this I had prepared a document a copy of which can be supplied, which outlined the circumstances leading to the repair and asked for an acknowledgement of my “paid under protest” status. The service representative said he was unable to sign this document but he would refer it to his line manager. The service manager has refused to sign this document and confirmed his refusal in an e mail.
A simple trawl of the internet turns up many references to timing chain tensioner faults with a number of different engines fitted to vehicles across the VW/Audi group. It would seem that VW have settled a class action claim in respect to this in the USA.
I would contend that this is a safety issue. The catastrophic failure of an engine in moving traffic would surely create the potential for accidents. Under these circumstances a general recall of vehicles likely to be affected should have been made.
Oblivious to the potential harm to their customers and other road users not to mention the cost of repairs, VW/Audi seem to be adopting a policy of waiting for vehicles to fall out of warrantee before “noticing” this well-known dangerous, serious and expensive fault and subsequently milking their customers on a most dubious case by case scenario for as much as they can.
This callous disregard of their client’s safety and interest should have the light of publicity cast upon it. It seems that VW have learned nothing from their disgraceful emission cheating scandal.




Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 8 Feb 2019 15:48
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - Avant

" It had indeed been the subject of a Technical Service Bulletins from Audi, the manufacturers. "

Either it has or it hasn't. Huddersfield Audi and Mr Nasar ('no other recorded instances of this problem') can't both be telling the truth, and it should be possible to find out which of them it is.

The dealer may not be able to show you the bulletin (although you could try asking) but they should give you its date and number, which you can quote to Audi UK. If they can't do this, you have grounds for suspecting that there wasn't a bulletin, and as ORB says below, you may have a case against them.

You couldn't hear the rattle: someone more mechanically minded that I am can probably tell us whether the problem diagnosed by the dealer should be audible or not.

Edited by Avant on 08/02/2019 at 16:19

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 8 Feb 2019 16:04
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - oldroverboy.

1. Did you buy the car from the repairing dealer?

2 Is is the supplying dealer you have your contract with, so Take them to the small claims court. (you are under the limit to use it.

Check the good and bad sections for Audi cars with the same engine as yours, Honest John reviews.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 8 Feb 2019 17:47
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - carl233

Awful treatment of a loyal customer what a real messy situation that you have gone through. Reading that would be enough to put me off ever off purchasing a new Audi

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 8 Feb 2019 18:09
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - John F

I don't understand why a camshaft is involved. Can't they just replace the allegedly failing tensioner which seems to be a problem with this engine? I found this thread which you might find helpful...

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=66...1

I also don't understand why Audi abandoned the robust belt design for their V6s which hardly ever failed, (even when they weren't changed at the prescribed age/mileage ;-)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 8 Feb 2019 18:10
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - daveyjp
Unfortunately this sort of treatment isn't unusual from the 'premium' German marques. I'll never enter their showrooms again after suffering from inherent defects and complete lack of any empathy for customers they let down,

Let them sell to business buyers and fleets who have the legal clout to threaten them properly.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 10 Feb 2019 10:41
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - barney100
Indeed Mercedes are just as bad. They told me all sorts of t*** which I gave evidence to disprove and their agents on the phone were obviously under instruction to fob me off. Main dealers were next to useless too, again acting on MB uk's auspices I strongly suspect. Still they are there to make money and if they have to disgruntle the odd customer it's not going to bother them.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 11 Feb 2019 21:09
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - Leif
Indeed Mercedes are just as bad. They told me all sorts of t*** which I gave evidence to disprove and their agents on the phone were obviously under instruction to fob me off. Main dealers were next to useless too, again acting on MB uk's auspices I strongly suspect. Still they are there to make money and if they have to disgruntle the odd customer it's not going to bother them.

If the VAG group compensated disgruntled customers, how would they pay for their “If only everything was as reliable as a VW” adverts?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 12 Feb 2019 18:03
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - carl233

I do not get the logic to get on the wrong side of customers in this way it is such poor business and makes limited commercial sense into the long-run in the short run it makes a fast buck of course but will not pay off in a crowded market place in the longer term. Only the most brainwashed badge serf's would continue to buy.

Edited by carl233 on 12/02/2019 at 18:06

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 12 Feb 2019 18:34
Audi A7/A6 - Audi premium brand I don’t think so - badbusdriver

I do not get the logic to get on the wrong side of customers in this way it is such poor business and makes limited commercial sense into the long-run in the short run it makes a fast buck of course but will not pay off in a crowded market place in the longer term. Only the most brainwashed badge serf's would continue to buy.

Totally agree, makes no sense to me. If i had a bad experience like this with Audi, or any other make, i wouldn't go back. Furthermore, i'd be telling anyone else who'd listen as a warning.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link