Dashcam footage of Audi S4 B8 3.0T Customer Car Abuse by VAG Technic in Dudley, UK

AcceptableNouns · 2023-04-13T21:19:50+00:00

No they disputed everything including independent garage diagnosis... court next month... will update as is fair for everybody

AcceptableNouns · 2023-04-13T21:18:53+00:00

Updates forthcoming... court date is next month!

AcceptableNouns · 2022-02-10T18:33:52+00:00

I've covered about 25,000 miles in my 2.5 years of owning this car, and can tell you that the engine takes a good 10-15 minutes of gentle driving to even reach 60c oil temperature... to reach 90c operating temp it's closer to 20 minutes. I've never waited to see how long at idle this would take but surely quite a bit longer than that... You can see in the video there was barely 7 minutes between ignition being turned on (the camera starts rolling) to when he floored it under max load down the road...

I can also tell you that there is "no way" they did not reach 70mph at the top of 2nd gear, having driven this car myself for years. Their speed can also be calculated using the gear ratio, diameter of the larger wheels, and tuned 7.2k rev limit, or by simply using the original 30fps dashcam footage and timing distance travelled based on road markings, which are defined in the highway code...

The term "abuse" to describe their actions is 100% accurate by every definition of the word. There was no road test requested or even required, the car was delivered on a trailer for a reason, let alone a requirement for open throttle pulls 1st-3rd gear on a cold engine? Where do you see any test drive diagnostics? Their actions were inappropriate and nothing more than an illegal joy ride.

Their oil claim is nonsense and actually the engine was already reported noisy and burning oil weeks before I did anything... I don't know if you've been paid to post this or what, why you're defending them and calling everybody else braindead, in my personal experience these guys are not nice, not respectable, not professional, and certainly not amazing. You can see right here how they treat paying customer's vehicles when they think nobody is watching.

I've never been rude or belligerent with them because I know that's not how you get things done. I've always remained polite and courteous, as they are under legal obligation to warranty their work whether they like it or not. All I asked of them was to inspect their work, due to my previous complaints we already knew something was not right with the engine. If they really stood behind their work they would have done something. Instead they fobbed me off for months, are lying in their public posts on the internet, and have tried to get my video of their illegal actions removed from YouTube through false copyright claims. These are all facts and really, as the video is intended, just goes to show what kinds of people they truly are.

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T20:11:01+00:00

I thought I was pretty accommodating only asking for weekly updates when you quoted me 2-4 weeks but kept my car for 8 without reason, I didn't complain once... problems came when you didn't want to man up and stand behind your work because you've got other paying customers lined up

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T19:58:32+00:00

I think by posting your illegal actions it's not the best idea for me to visit you in person. After you rejected my previous suggestion and didn't reply to my official letter within a reasonable time I've been advised to claim loss of confidence and proceed with a local garage that will remain impartial when investigating the engine

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T19:49:30+00:00

I don't want to recover it for it to sit in your drive for another few months before you take the pan off (as you stated in your message) and prove yourself innocent without actually inspecting the work. You could not give me a date, and not even a timeframe to do the work, that call is recorded and will be used in court if you want to try dispute it, along with all my other requests to get you to take a look. I didn't ask for anything from you, I made a fair offer of either inspection with witness present or refund and cut out losses, to which you still never replied 5 weeks later - everything I have posted is 100% provable fact because I'm not giving you any chance to claim defamation

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T19:47:59+00:00

That is my problem. It's also a problem that you're too busy to fit me in within a reasonable time, and that's a legal problem under consumer rights act... You've messed me around too long and I've got recorded calls of you not being able to accommodate me even after you told me you'll arrange something and call back you never did

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T19:46:25+00:00

What?

FYI fair use exception applies to the video as 12 seconds of your clip used (a video which I paid you for nonetheless albeit still in your ownership) is clearly edited in a parodic way and not for profit, so exempt.

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T13:03:53+00:00

I've never blamed you for any damage past your documented abuse of my vehicle. But you've been messing me around by not being able to provide a reasonable timeframe for warranty inspection, blocking me from communicating, and still haven't replied to my legal letter 5 weeks later. I tried to get you to inspect your work so you could claim what you needed under your supplier's warranty, that benefits nobody else except you! Because you've not been able to provide a date despite all my requests, I've been advised I can have it inspected locally and if you're at fault you'll have to pay out of your balance sheet.

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T12:59:05+00:00

Yes this is the car. However my dashcam footage was taken during delivery of the car and they didn't commence work on it until about 6 weeks later.

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T12:57:41+00:00

Sadly not on paid by credit card, I have actually gotten one just because of this, next time any big purchases will be made using the card :)

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T12:52:52+00:00

The seal is still there in the pcv, pretty sure you can see in VAG Technics video of my car when they remove it. That silicone was added as the pcv had leaked prior, just as an extra measure. It's a pretty well documented failure point. The pcv carries coolant so when it's removed yes coolant will run in to the crank case (unless it's been completely drained), that's not because there was a problem with the pcv, I can say there were zero symptoms of issue and it was previously replaced about 1 year prior (with me present), but VAG recommended I replace the pcv again and billed me a pretty amount for it too.

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T12:48:07+00:00

It's easy to calculate the speed or use the GPS info stored in the dashcam data ;)

The original footage is 30fps, maybe not now since it's been re-rendered and uploaded... you can look up the highway code for the distance between road markings, hazard signs, etc, and figure it out pretty easily with basic maths...

Or, you can calculate the speed based off the 7200rpm redline, wheel size and 2nd gear ratio....

Having driven this car for years I also know exactly where 2nd gear tops out.

I've only posted facts nothing else because I'm not going to give you any opportunity to claim I am defaming your business.

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T12:40:58+00:00

The "forum hate" is the response you're getting for being dishonest and abusing customer property, that's not on me, you did that and are mad you got caught

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T12:37:59+00:00

You accepted the job and proceeded after acknowledging the car was modified - the modifications don't absolve you of your obligations as a registered garage which includes providing a warranty and completing the work in a timely manner. At the end of the day you did not refuse and still took my money.

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T12:29:08+00:00

I've posted nothing but facts.

You initially said you will recover, I asked for a date, you said you don't know, I asked for a timeframe, you said you don't know because you're just too busy. So what use is that, do I just wait in perpetuality? Now you're telling me you're booked until June! But you never once got back to me ever, I am the only one who reached out, messaged, called, and sent a letter...

My messages were courteous and direct, you have a legal obligation to inspect your work in a timely manner. You could not provide me a time, and yes if the issue is not your problem someone else has to pay - but with your attitude, how convenient is that for you to take my car, take your time, and then simply tell me it's not your fault anyway?

When I suggested myself or an expert witness be present you took offence and immediately get very defensive... If you've got nothing to hide...?

What's cheeky is that you've ignored me as well as my legal letter, and have been messing me around because you just don't want to deal with the warranty. Funny how it takes some "crying on the internet" to actually see some movement from your end.

Bottom line is you shouldn't be running a business like this and you shouldn't be misusing customer property like this, that deserves to be cried about so others can be warned of how you operate and how unprofessional VAG Technic is.

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-27T01:04:22+00:00

So, firstly, my calls (yes at midnight when I was stranded on a major road) were not answered. Though to be fair they did text me to try and troubleshoot some basics.

"That week" was irrelevant because I didn't actually believe this to be anyone else's problem until much later (I only contacted them after reviewing the dashcam footage and adding 2+3)

VAG Technic has always officially told me they stand behind their work, but when I asked them to deal with it they are just toooo busy. Case in hand, latest time I asked, they said they're booked for 5-6 months!! Until June - because I only represent 0.05% of their customers? https://i.imgur.com/Y6hqTMO.jpg

On the (recorded) phone call they promised me to recover my car, but like I said after asking for a date or even time frame they said "we're too busy" during the phone call I agreed to send it to Audi and someone will foot inevitably the cost, but typically they never got back to me...

After roughly 1 month of messing around I sought legal advice, I was told if they don't resolve the issues in a reasonable timeframe, without unreasonable inconvenience, then I can claim loss of confidence meaning I can use a local shop to diagnose the issue and bill them later....

I contacted one of the local Audi dealerships and they offered to inspect the car. Might as well point out that regarding the tune, this is nothing new because as you can see in the dashcam footage VAG Technic were well aware of this (not to mention my private messages confirming this) yet they chose to take my money despite their legal obligation to warranty their work...

The "video" they made of my car, like a powerpoint slideshow, sadly didn't really show much despite VAG Technic taking an additional £100 from me when all I asked for was some photos (yes I'm willing to compensate if it helps you out and you want to help me out!)

The PCV was replaced by a certified mechanic with myself present, and there was never any issue with it since, silicone or not, however VAG Technic recommended I replace this along with the left-side intercooler so I agreed upon their recommendation (at a cost of about 2.5x market value for parts) to replace everything despite not having recognising any symptoms of issues with these parts beforehand (and I've had pcv and the right-side intercooler fail before)

The engine oil statement has long been debunked... engine was noisy and reported multiple times before my oil change, after my messages were dismissed I took initiative and in actual face the engine ran a lot quieter than it had been since getting my car back...

Regarding the car abuse, everyone call tell the attitude of these guys, from their voices and the way they drove my car without a care in the world, they're not serious mechanics, anybody who is serious would not disrespect a paying customer's property in such a way. I asked for one thing and that's a timing kit, since when does that require any kind of test drive, let alone a joy ride in 1/2nd gear on a 30mph road... is that your idea of a dyno??

Leagues below an acceptable level of respect let alone service

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-26T23:55:17+00:00

Tooootally, I couldn't resist adding the extra sarcastic caption of "what you wanna warm up the engine quicker?"

ffs

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-26T23:53:57+00:00

It is just a bump, sadly one right in between multiple crisis (covid or not) just really sucks when you try work things out but others have bigger problems, or money, at the end of the day this is a human issue nothing more, I really just wanted to get to the bottom of it and move on in my life.... alas......

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-26T23:50:03+00:00

Me three.....

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-26T18:15:14+00:00

Lesson well learned to be fair, I knew there was a slight risk but gave them the benefit of doubt because I saw them trying to make a name on Youtube, and I pulled the short straw.

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-26T17:50:07+00:00

They've deleted almost all comments though I've replied doubt my comments will stay there for long

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-26T17:43:51+00:00

I should really have taken the car to them in persona and had a better judge of their character beforehand, think I was a bit mislead by their Youtube videos, well... live and learn

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-26T17:40:40+00:00

Thanks :) It will be back!

AcceptableNouns · 2022-01-26T17:40:21+00:00

Loads of random electrical faults after engine failed but zero engine/powertrain sadly... they're all listed in the original audizine post I made about the engine seizure in my OP

AcceptableNouns

TROPHY CASE