Audi

FiftyPents

Hi,

I purchased a second hand Audi from one of their dealerships in October. The car was signed on a finance deal for around 10,000 pounds.

just under 2 months later I received a letter through the post saying my MOT was due, as well as a brake fluid change. The day after a light came on saying a service was required too. I emailed Audi customer service and complained because I thought it was ludicrous that I should be paying for things like this less than 2 months after I'd paid so much for the vehicle. Audi corrected this issue and did all 3 free of charge, so I went away satisfied.

Fast forward to the middle of January and another letter pops through my door. Now my cambelt is due a renewal, at a price of 439 quid!

I appreciate this is my own fault for not asking these questions when I bought it, but shouldn't these kind of things be pointed out? 'Oh by the way, our records show its due a cam belt change in February'.

Have I got a leg to stand on here? I'm almost reluctant to go back to them and complain again because I can't see them paying for that as well.

The letter says it's recommended its replaced after 5 years or 75,000 miles, whichever one comes first. I really can't afford to replace it right now, and given that it's had an MOT, a full service and i've only got 34,000 miles on the clock, can I get away with putting it off for a couple of months?

Netwizard

You purchased a second hand car that requires routine maintenance. Perhaps you could have negotiated a few hundred off the asking price had you realised it required a service, but its too late for that now. Any car you buy will require servicing. An Indy will be able to do this cheaper than a dealer.

Do not put the cambelt off. If it snaps, no doubt you would want to complain to the garage again when your handed a bill for thousands for a new engine. If you can't afford £400 odd for a new cambelt, should you really be buying £10,000 Audi's?

Get a price from an Indy for the cambelt change. It will probably be less than £400 and make sure the tensioner is done too.

motorguy

FiftyPents wrote: »

Have I got a leg to stand on here?

No. If its of any consolation - and i'm sure it wont be - i got "stung" in a similar way on a V6 Alfa Romeo. Bought the car at 55K miles, £600 timing belt change not due to 72K. Planned to drive it a year and sell. Left it in for its 60K service a few months after purchase and they said it was due the belt change as Alfa "recommended" it was changed early......

FiftyPents wrote: »

The letter says it's recommended its replaced after 5 years or 75,000 miles, whichever one comes first. I really can't afford to replace it right now, and given that it's had an MOT, a full service and i've only got 34,000 miles on the clock, can I get away with putting it off for a couple of months?

As has been said, get the work done on schedule or risk it snapping and needing a new engine.

fivetide

What engine is it?

any chance of getting it done cheaper at a VW dealer (if you want the stamps in the book).

alternatively, as said, find your local VW/Audi specialist indy and have them do it.

Foxy-Stoat_3

Was the car less than 3 years old when you bought it? If so then you would of known that it would of due an MOT on or before its 3rd birthday, so the MOT is a non issue.

Did you look through the service book to see when it was last serviced before you bought it? It would of been highlighted there when the next service would of been due although my 2002 year A4 has a button with a spanner on, so it tells me when the next service is due. Looking in the book would of also highlighted cam belt changes.

You should be changing the water pump with the cambelt, get a price from other garages as £400+ for a cam belt is a lot for a 2.0 or less, unless it includes water pump at main dealer prices.

forgotmyname

3 years old or new it would have still needed the work doing sooner or later.

You dont have to get the cambelt changed. Before you say you cannot afford it though. Phone a dealer and ask how much a new engine is.

With labour etc. Im guessing over 50% of the amount you already owe.

Cars need servicing whether new or used it's something they all need sooner rather than later.

An MOT or service wont check the condition of the belt and a garage wont say yeah run the belt past 5 years because if it did snap they could be liable.

red_eye

what every one else has said and you should have done your homework, no excuses all info can be found online

by doing this http://lmgtfy.com/?q=audi+a4+service+schedule+2006

I found this http://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/maintaining-your-audi/regular-maintenance.html

Iceweasel

I don't understand what the OP is complaining about.

It's a car and it needs servicing.

Don't they all?

Why would he be surprised or outraged that it needs an MOT at 3 years old?

FiftyPents

Iceweasel wrote: »

I don't understand what the OP is complaining about.

It's a car and it needs servicing.

Don't they all?

Why would he be surprised or outraged that it needs an MOT at 3 years old?

That's ridiculous, it's like you haven't even read the thread.

I'm not complaining (now) about the M.O.T, and the car isn't 3 years old. I bought the car in October, and within a month of me taking the car home, 3 separate payments were required, for things that Audi acknowledged they messed up on by not giving me in the first place, so i'm not alone in thinking that it was ridiculous.

I was questioning why 3 months into the ownership of a car I should be paying full price to have the cam belt changed. Obviously some disagree with me, which is fine.

The question regarding why buy a 10,000 car if you can't afford 400, I don't really know where to begin.

Netwizard

FiftyPents wrote: »

and the car isn't 3 years old.

Well if the car isn't 3 years old yet, I would be asking Audi why they are sending you letters about the cambelt, as it obviously doesn't need doing for a while!

and you don't have to go to the supplying dealer for the cambelt. You can ring round different dealers and see what prices different dealers are willing to give (when it needs doing of course!)

Iceweasel

FiftyPents wrote: »

That's ridiculous, it's like you haven't even read the thread.

No it's NOT ridiculous - I read all of your post and I've just read it again and I still don't understand what is supposed to be going on.

I am not for one minute saying it's your fault but several things don't add up.

You say you have a car that is still not 3 years old and has done 34,000 miles.

Yet you get a letter saying the cam-belt needs routine replacement at 5 years or 75,000 miles.

That sounds wrong to me.

If the car is not yet 3 years old did you get the MOT done early?

What did that achieve? When does the MOT expire?