8weeks old, breakdown, nice! any ideas?

[njc850]

Hi folks, I think I got a comedy friday afternoon car!
I am still waiting for VW to agree to sort out my cloth door panel (rest of the car is leather), but that's another not that interesting story.
My main rant is that we've had the car 8 weeks (6700 miles), less now i think about it, and it broke down on the M1 this weekend.
The EPC, ABS, STEERING and BRAKE lights all came on (GO TO WORKSHOP ETC), Missus drove a few miles to Watford gap services, 14 month old nipper in back, no way was she stopping for a Final Destination lorry to wipe her out on hard shoulder.
So.....2 hours later RAC turn up, and the fella checks it as best he could, and says is ok to drive, resets it all by dis/connecting battery and all seems fine, no more lights came on again.
VW had a look today, and apart from trying to blame it on bluetooth (a wire they couldnt identify!), said that they had found some corrosion on a wire terminal and cleaned it up, and couldnt find anything else wrong. They asked if it had been in heavy rain, and it was dry when it happened. But I did suggest should it matter that it rains? They said there had been water where there shouldn't have been any!
Do cars really just have one off glitches? Or is this gonna happen again?
Last year I bought a mondeo TDCI off ebay for 1800quid with 150000 miles and drove it like I stole it for 15000 miles before selling it, and not a thing went wrong, now a £25k dream car has just really fcuked me off! i would have rather they found a real fault, not a maybe fault, and why was it corroded! grrrrrrrrrrrr.

Anybody have any ideas as sure the lads at VW Bradford will not have all the answers!

Thanks again, all, he says slowly feeling better after rant and moan!

[jdjd]

Just unlucky i guess m8, If it happens again take it back again and ask for a proper diagnostic. Remember a Warrenty claim can be made at any VW dealer. Perhaps a 2nd opinion

[njc850]

Certainly will think about taking it somewhere else, but I think I'll cross my fingers for now, and hope if does happen, it happens to me and not to the mrs and babby while I'm elsewhere! Doh.
Regarding the door panel, may as well bore you all!, VW Bradford said they couldn't replace it as VW themselves would not cover it, it had to be done at VW Telford as they are at fault as they missed it in the PDI. Does a PDI really have a "check the door panel" section?
Didn't VW miss it first at the factory?
Anyway, no way am I driving to Telford for it, so i contacted VWCS and they contacted me 2 weeks later saying, its all sorted sir, just take it to VW Telford and they will sort it free of charge. EH? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Good old VW!

[mac7]

Cars have computers and electronics. Both are susceptible to glitches, even when sitting on a desk in a warm dry office. In a car it's bound to happen from time to time. It's happened to me twice - on a Mk4 Golf and a 08 Passat. Personally I tend to ignore anything a computer tells me until I get actual information which backs it up - like a cloud of smoke or no steering and brakes. Your car didn't actually break down, did it - just a computer error due to an incorrect sensor signal. It happens to a lot of cars. But VW's in my experience are not so great with this sort of electronic problem. My Mk4 decided it had no oil in it at 70mph in the fast lane and as a precaution helpfully cut the ignition... the diagnostic didn't even record a faulty signal.

[avalon]

Bad news, NJC.

Have you asked the Bradford people what the escalation procedure is?

I had something similar with my Brera when only 6 weeks old. My then local dealer - a complete pack of jokers - couldn't answer so I went to Alfa UK. They despatched one of their roving techies [these guys go around dealers showing the local techies tips and tricks on new models] to my house and sorted it. They also gave me a £200 Alfa voucher for my troubles ...


Ava

[R32UK]

Hello NJC,

when you say you called out RAC, was this VW assistance or the actual RAC. I had to call VW out once but it was a RAC van that came. luckily for me the gent was an x vwtechnician and sorted the problem in no time at all whilst also giving me some good hints and tips. Also of the time it boils down to the level of service you get as opposed to the issue with the car.

Try and find a good dealer to work with... it took me a while but now i drive to huddersfield rather than those clowns at vw leeds.

[njc850]

Yes it was VW ASSitance, which was in the guise of the RAC. The guy was as good as could be expected, without VAGCOM, checked it was safe and that was him done. Though I think 2 hours was a bit $hite for a woman with a baby, perhaps they were downgraded as they were at the services, not side of the M1.
VW Bradders said they had done all they could in a kind of "well, thats that" kind of way, I didn't ask about any escalation etc, just took it like a wet lettuce and thought just to rant on here and go mental if it happens again.
I am not all that far from VW halifax and Otley, so I will see what happens with my current door panel issue before I decide what to do.
You would think I was asking for them to install rockets on it.
Thanks all for the tips again,

[Snoopy]

When all the lights came on was it in the process of changing gear?
Did it allow her to drive ok, or did she have to switch off the ignition and back on again to reset it.
Im asking as this can happen if the mecatronics unit in the DSG gearbox acts up. It trys to select two gears at once and the dashboard goes nuts, Has happened to our mk5 at work and quite a few others out there.

[njc850]

Hi, sorry for delay
Nope, car was steady in motorway cruise, not changing gears, and did drive ok after the dash lights appeared, but the speedo didnt work, and the petrol gauge was going up and down!
Its been ok since, so far, and it does get through some miles
7300 now, 2 months!

[FroGTI]

Nearly 7000 miles in 8 weeks, wow that's some serious mileage. Sorry about the glitch, but it's relatively common with all the on-board electronics cars have nowadays. Back in the 70s & 80s, this wasn't a problem - cars would just refuse to start altogether and then rust away