What are your views on this:
My 1999 Golf Gti (1.8t) 65k mile has broken down due to a failed water pump. To put it right is going to cost £500, the worst part is that all the drive belts need to be removed and new ones fitted - fine. Apart from two months ago in June I spent £500 having all the belts replaced (by VW).
They effectively have to redo all the work from June. The water pump is a £20 part and no extra work is involved fitting it (above the replacement of the belts). I've asked them why they didn't recommend replacing the pump at the same time - response it's not our policy to replace parts that haven't failed.
I'm really annoyed by this, but don't think I have any come back. Thoughts?
PS: If anyone else is having the drive belts replaced in their golf I recommend paying the extra £20 for a new water pump at the same time.
|
I don't want to sound patronising after you have had this very unfortunate failure, but this case is a perfect example of where a good independent garage, with an in depth knowledge of your vehicle (VW "specialist") and above all a real interest in the job would have saved you money by giving you sound advice at the outset.
Main dealers are well programmed robots, trained primarily to empty your bank account with no interest whatever in applying any specialist knowledge they may have gained for the benefit of the customer. This is all the more shameful as they have access to all documentation and see cars of one make only.
659.
|
carrying on the good work of 659fbe and praise be,........ i would also add that if you read hj"s section on a saturday morning or troll through the posts on this site more often then ive got to say there is no way you would not have read and then have insisted the pump was done,i recommended exactly the same only 2 nights ago on a splendiddly designed vauxhall engine that is an absolute pleasure to work on
spread the good word my man to your friends about the water pump scenario and really sorry to hear that you have to pay again,i certainly wouldnt be using that dealership again at any cost.......
|
|
it is best to get the tensioner changed too, or this may go in another 5000 miles
|
I would avoid main dealers like the plague, and in my job I see a lot of them. In general they can't get decent staff for love nor money, training is virtually non-existent and as businesses they are very top heavy. You only have to look at the front of their premises to see that, and if the hourly labour rate's £90 you're paying £75 before they've even looked at your car because you're also paying the receptionists, managers and coffee makers etc, not to mention the loan car which is always loaned out to someone else.
I don't know whereabouts you are, but a good independent or VW specialist would almost certainly do a much better job at a much better price.....
|
|
|
|
Hi there, I am interested in this thread please can you elabprate on the "tensioner " that you recommend being replaced ? thanks
|
|
Luckily I have had the tensioner done.
|
|
|
|
|
![2018 Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI EVO 150 SE [Nav] 5dr](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/assets.heycar.co.uk/t_default-export/f_auto/application_assets/vehicles/pictures/18b847eaaaeac97a6ffc66003b2a257d/4abe47e9cb4781520431a4d0ff431786.jpg)
![2016 Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI GTD 5dr DSG [Nav]](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/assets.heycar.co.uk/t_default-export/f_auto/application_assets/vehicles/pictures/7defa0d04aadbbe8d09c2e4220d7ec89/4a460086e951b7b7be967d262a257416.jpg)
