Associate
Hey folks
I own an Audi Q7 50tdi on a 68 reg.
I purchased it new (in November 2019 from an Audi main dealer). I had a ghost immobiliser fitted by an approved installer virtually the day after buying the car. It’s been trouble free motoring for the last 2 years.
All servicing (it’s had two) have been done at the same Audi dealer that I got the car from. So far the vehicle has covered just shy of 8000 miles.
Fast forward to the end of 17th Feb 2021 and the car broke down....
I’ve for obvious reasons not been using the car as often due to lock down, etc. The car had started to warn me that the car battery charge was getting low and that an extended drive was necessary to boost the cars charge. I’ve tried to do this but it’s going days and days between use (basically go food shopping and come home once a week).
I was on a journey and I received a yellow warning light telling me a fault had been detected in the electrical system but that I could continue driving. I put this light down to it being caused by the charge of the battery so did as it said. Shortly after this warning it changed from amber to red and told me to stop the car. I did this when safe to do so and noticed all sorts of warning lights were coming on the dash. I turned it off and then thought maybe it would reset itself so I could continue driving.
It refused to start, the car turned over to slowly and it was beeping warnings for all sorts of things.
I called the RAC who promptly took 5 hours to come. To my surprise they didn’t send a patrol man but an actual low loader (who was a contractor).
He promptly saw that it wouldn’t start so got a boost pack and put it under the bonnet. The vehicle started but still had lots of fault messages. The steering was also heavy (not working).
When the recovery guy turned off the boost pack the car ran for a further 10 seconds and then cut out. The recovery guy said ‘ah your alternator look like it’s gone’. Ok that makes sense considering what’s happened. I told him to take it to my local Audi dealer as it’s under warranty they can sort it out for me.
Having spoke to Audi they said they had diagnosed it and that it appeared the steering rack was faulty but that they were seeking the help of Audi directly to see if anything else was wrong with the car.
Around two days later (25th February) they confirmed the steering rack was to be replaced. I confirmed verbally over the phone that the warranty would cover the costs. They said yes no issue with this being covered.
Fast forward to today and I had a call from the service manager. He basically asked me to explain what happened (which I did). He has now said they can’t find a way of getting the car fixed under warranty and he even suggested going through my insurance to claim on the car?
Naturally I was shocked I asked him to put in an email the exact grievances they were having to fix the car... this is the email I received...
Dear Mr Turbo,
With reference to my phone call earlier today. Due to increased concerns over your vehicle’s presented non-functional state and the difficulty to find a manufacturers concern for a potential warranty claim, it is looking more likely that external influences maybe the root cause of breakdown? As you are aware I have held a meeting this morning with the Master Technician, my Warranty Advisor and Group Warranty Manager to conclude that we are unable to perform a Warranty claim for concerns presented to us.
As you requested I have listed some bullet points below as to why we cannot claim from the manufacturer:-
Vehicle presented to Main Dealer Audi with:-
- Ghost immobiliser fitted to the vehicle’s canbus system (not endorsed / supported by Audi).
- Steering Rack none-functional and inhibiting communication with additional systems.
- 48 volt battery defective (reported overcharge surge in test plan and diagnosis logs).
- 70amp fuse blown for cooling fan yet cooling fan rotates freely?
- Wipers inoperative due to blown fuse yet wiper mechanism not seized?
- Tailgate inoperative (not yet investigated).
With what we have presented to us, our findings could suggest damage to the vehicle’s systems via external influences including equipment/machinery/cars/HGV or fitted none-supported vehicle modifications.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr Manager
And that’s where I am? The master tech that’s sat in on this meeting is the same guy that didn’t pick up any of these issues in the initial diagnostics of the car or indeed Audi technical? They just said the steering rack needed replacing?
Notice the first point about the ghost immobiliser. At this stage it looks like this is going to be the first thing they are going to use against me on all of the issues despite it not being an issue initially.
They were fully aware of the ghost immobiliser from the get go and this did not present a problem when they said ‘we’re going to change the steering rack’ which they said would be under warranty and is now not going to be apparently? I am absolutely not going to be charged for rack as they authorised that themselves...
So what do people think... I’m stumped.... thanks for taking the time to read my essay....
I own an Audi Q7 50tdi on a 68 reg.
I purchased it new (in November 2019 from an Audi main dealer). I had a ghost immobiliser fitted by an approved installer virtually the day after buying the car. It’s been trouble free motoring for the last 2 years.
All servicing (it’s had two) have been done at the same Audi dealer that I got the car from. So far the vehicle has covered just shy of 8000 miles.
Fast forward to the end of 17th Feb 2021 and the car broke down....
I’ve for obvious reasons not been using the car as often due to lock down, etc. The car had started to warn me that the car battery charge was getting low and that an extended drive was necessary to boost the cars charge. I’ve tried to do this but it’s going days and days between use (basically go food shopping and come home once a week).
I was on a journey and I received a yellow warning light telling me a fault had been detected in the electrical system but that I could continue driving. I put this light down to it being caused by the charge of the battery so did as it said. Shortly after this warning it changed from amber to red and told me to stop the car. I did this when safe to do so and noticed all sorts of warning lights were coming on the dash. I turned it off and then thought maybe it would reset itself so I could continue driving.
It refused to start, the car turned over to slowly and it was beeping warnings for all sorts of things.
I called the RAC who promptly took 5 hours to come. To my surprise they didn’t send a patrol man but an actual low loader (who was a contractor).
He promptly saw that it wouldn’t start so got a boost pack and put it under the bonnet. The vehicle started but still had lots of fault messages. The steering was also heavy (not working).
When the recovery guy turned off the boost pack the car ran for a further 10 seconds and then cut out. The recovery guy said ‘ah your alternator look like it’s gone’. Ok that makes sense considering what’s happened. I told him to take it to my local Audi dealer as it’s under warranty they can sort it out for me.
Having spoke to Audi they said they had diagnosed it and that it appeared the steering rack was faulty but that they were seeking the help of Audi directly to see if anything else was wrong with the car.
Around two days later (25th February) they confirmed the steering rack was to be replaced. I confirmed verbally over the phone that the warranty would cover the costs. They said yes no issue with this being covered.
Fast forward to today and I had a call from the service manager. He basically asked me to explain what happened (which I did). He has now said they can’t find a way of getting the car fixed under warranty and he even suggested going through my insurance to claim on the car?
Naturally I was shocked I asked him to put in an email the exact grievances they were having to fix the car... this is the email I received...
Dear Mr Turbo,
With reference to my phone call earlier today. Due to increased concerns over your vehicle’s presented non-functional state and the difficulty to find a manufacturers concern for a potential warranty claim, it is looking more likely that external influences maybe the root cause of breakdown? As you are aware I have held a meeting this morning with the Master Technician, my Warranty Advisor and Group Warranty Manager to conclude that we are unable to perform a Warranty claim for concerns presented to us.
As you requested I have listed some bullet points below as to why we cannot claim from the manufacturer:-
Vehicle presented to Main Dealer Audi with:-
- Ghost immobiliser fitted to the vehicle’s canbus system (not endorsed / supported by Audi).
- Steering Rack none-functional and inhibiting communication with additional systems.
- 48 volt battery defective (reported overcharge surge in test plan and diagnosis logs).
- 70amp fuse blown for cooling fan yet cooling fan rotates freely?
- Wipers inoperative due to blown fuse yet wiper mechanism not seized?
- Tailgate inoperative (not yet investigated).
With what we have presented to us, our findings could suggest damage to the vehicle’s systems via external influences including equipment/machinery/cars/HGV or fitted none-supported vehicle modifications.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr Manager
And that’s where I am? The master tech that’s sat in on this meeting is the same guy that didn’t pick up any of these issues in the initial diagnostics of the car or indeed Audi technical? They just said the steering rack needed replacing?
Notice the first point about the ghost immobiliser. At this stage it looks like this is going to be the first thing they are going to use against me on all of the issues despite it not being an issue initially.
They were fully aware of the ghost immobiliser from the get go and this did not present a problem when they said ‘we’re going to change the steering rack’ which they said would be under warranty and is now not going to be apparently? I am absolutely not going to be charged for rack as they authorised that themselves...
So what do people think... I’m stumped.... thanks for taking the time to read my essay....
