Wheel Chipped By Friday Afternoon VW Mechanic

[Brenbo]

I have just had my 2 year service today.  I cannot fault VW Exeter for their service and efficiency.   Second to none....  Well that is until after my two front tyres were fitted by the workshop mechanic (finished well after 5pm today) with one chipped wheel chipped in the process. 

After my service I was advised about my front tyres needing to be replaced and the air conditioning needing to be refurbed.  It was about 4pm so I asked how long it would take and they advised about an hour.  So I bit the bullet and said go ahead and fit the tyres and do the air conditioner. 

To cut a long story short it took a little longer than an hour and After having a wheel chipped before by a tyre fitter on another occassion (not VW) I thought I would check my wheels.  the first wheel on passenger side was perfect couldn't fault the workmanship.  But the second wheel I checked on the drivers side had something that looked like a bit of tape or gunge on the diamond cut surface near the rim edge.  I tried to rub it off and chip it with my nail but it ended up appearing to actually be a chip under the top layer of crud.  I got the Service mechanic to look at it and with the time being well after 5pm on a Friday he really was not too bothered with the chip and kept saying the wheel was covered when the tyre was fitted and cannot see how it was chipped as a result of the fitting.  He also though it could be fixed by a smart repair for wheels?  From my experience there is only one way to fix diamond cut wheels and it involves refurbishing it.  Although please advise if there is any other way?

Although annoying I ended up making sure VW Exeter knew and when I get the survey phone call about the customer service I received today I will let them know about the great service I received until I discovered my damaged wheel. 

[AndyG]

It looks like the guy who fit the tyre knew he had chipped your alloy and tried to disguise it hoping you wouldn't notice for a few days.In my opinion you want the wheel replacing at the very least.
I would be back tommorow and log a complaint with the most senior manager on site.
I suppose it's a lesson for us all when we book a car in to get the service chap to inspect our car and agree that their is no damage beforehand.Some on here already do this,I will now.

[GeoBog]

The smart repairs and diamond cut alloys don't go on very well. Once the lacquer coat is damaged, in time you wil see the well known "white worm" effect. Search the Monza wheels from the MK5 forum, there is plenty of information there about white worm.

[Exonian]

Take some photos and definitely pursue this with the dealership as any warranty claims on the wheel finish will most likely now be rejected in future if the lacquer fails and the surface gets the white worm we all dread.
What a crappy end to a good experience.

[mcmaddy]

Why did you get your air con done?? It doesn't need it at 2 years old.

[Brenbo]

The air con was done, as they said I had two advisories the air con was one and tyres the other.  I knew the tyres were soon going to be replaced as they did look worn. However I was a bit surprised for the air con.  But as they said the pollen filters needed doing and I get bad hay fever I thought go for it.  I can remember many days driving while trying to see out of swollen eyes and sneezing...  Extreme to the max and a great driving experience. 

The silly thing is I thought about taking a photo before I would get my tyres replaced so I could prove any damage incurred by the fitter.  But the car was in the workshop service bay at the time and the advisory was put forward after my service had finished and I was think I would be going home. Also after a long day the idea of going in tot he service bay to check was  not in my mind. 

The reason I asked then to fit the tyre was I had a previous bad experience and they have fitted tyres since with no damage at all. On reflection the chip to the wheel looks like a screwdriver or similar was placed against the surface of the wheel to prise something off.  It does not look like the usual tyre jack as it is not completely against the edge of the rim, there is a bit of space from the edge?

The thing about the VW Franchise I went to, like some other VW franchises is they do worry about not getting a perfect satisfaction score from customers when asked by VW UK.  When i bought my car I was asked if I would give a perfect score out of 10? 

I am going to take a photo this morning once the fog lifts, and write a strong email to VW Exeter Customer Services.  Then ring them to explain my disappointment and whether they will rectify it.

Let you know it goes. 

[Brenbo]

That was easier than i thought, maybe a little too easy.  I spoke to the girl in the service/workshop office who dealt with my 2yr service yesterday.  She was more than helpful and will arrange for the wheel to refurbed or sorted.  She is going to speak to her manager and they will sort the issue as quickly as possible.  This is great news so far, but I am waiting with baited breath as to what the manager will say he recommends as a solution.  It will have to be replacement or refurb, I am not having it repaired as I have not got any white worm at present and do not want the chance of getting it either. 

Will keep you posted.  My faith and trust in VW Exeter has been restored so far.  But the moral of my story is do not get your tyres fitted late afternoon on a friday.   

[Exonian]

Full marks the the dealership in the integrity stakes there then Brenbo.
A decent result.

[Brenbo]

Hope it all goes as planned and lead to believe.  The Service Manager has not seen the pic yet and given his verdict.  But I have spoken to the sales manager and staff in Workshop service office.  Who both seem more than helpful.  The damage is small and minor.  But on this instance it is a case of they caused the damage so they need to rectify it, which it seems they are willing to do without any hassle.  So as you say full marks.  Too be honest I have had no real problems with their customer service side of things, always been more than happy with the extra mile they go to ensure you are completely happy with their service.  It was just tarnished on Friday by the technicians reaction and denial.  Will let you know how it goes.   

On another note, I saw the Golf R in their showroom and was really tempted to look in to the finances of getting one.  Is it worth a punt or would the Golf GTI Clubsport be a better purchase?  Would really like a Golf R400 if it ever materialised but this is less likely at the moment.  While talking to the salesman at VW Exeter he mentioned they have a waiting list already for the R400 and they know nothing about whether it will be released or not.

[Exonian]

It would be a tough call between a Clubsport and an R.
The R could be argued as being a bit 'common' compared to likely Clubsport numbers but which is a better car is open to debate. Both have their arguments. The R has 4WD admittedly but it's not the be all and end all. I'd suspect the CS would be a bit more lively to drive and feel more exclusive but the R puts the power down better at the expense of weight and an occasional clunkiness.

I'm slightly sceptical about the R400 as a road car.
Yes it will be exclusive, yes it will look better than an R, and yes, it'll be user friendly. But 400 Bhp out of a production 2.0 engine in a road car? I just can't see where you'd be able to utilise it away from a track which is neither here nor there - my main concern would be low speed response unless it has a very fancy turbo.
If the current situation doesn't kill the car off before it turns a wheel I'm very curious as to how it performs on the road away from willy waving headline figures.