AA car warranty problems

A10TFC

Recently bought a low mileage Audi A4 Avant from dealer near Bournemouth, & it came with AA 5 Star warranty.
After 1 month developed PAS problem, & local Audi garage in Devon (good reputation, not an expensive main dealer) diagnosed steering pump problem, costing total of £800 incl. diagnosis, parts & labour. AA warranty have weadled their way out of most of it by quoting for a cheap chinese crap replacement pump (that the garage rightly refused to fit) + no diagnostics + low labour charge + ridiculously short time allowance to fit it. Hence they only paid £300 (2 weeks later) leaving me with £500 bill.
They're little short of con men - try to get some money off the purchase price & sort any problems yourself - they should be renamed AA Half-a-Star Warranty!

Guest101

After one month? You were probably covered by legislation to have the original dealer repair it

motorguy

Guest101 wrote: »

After one month? You were probably covered by legislation to have the original dealer repair it

+1

It would have been down to the supplying dealer to resolve as the fault would have been deemed present at the time of sale.

kmb500

Trading standards?
Consumer advice phone number is 08454040506 if you want.

Massti

I may start by saying that I've had great experiences with AA breakdown cover so I went ahead with their AA Warranty for the car I bought from Car Giant who suggested that I get the cover. However, I would say that if I could turn back time I would gladly refuse to even touch AA Warranty barge pole. They have put me through sooo much stress and frustration that I've had a week long sleepless nights. See story below.

It all started off with loss of power in my BMW 530d. I took it to my regular garage who suggested that the glow plugs didn't fire due to breakdown of the control unit. Due to that issue the engine hasn't regenerated as it should 300 miles or so and the DPF has clogged up. AA refused to pay for the glow plugs as they consider them to a serviceable part even though the car manufacturer BMW doesn't class them as a serviceable item unlike a spark plug but would pay for the control unit.

As I had my doubt I took it to Halfords for a double check on recommendations of the novice customer service agent at AA. At Halfords they couldn't figure out what the problem was so asked me to take it to the dealer. I thought maybe another garage be able to check as the dealer is quite expensive. Took it to another local garage who also suggested that I take it to the dealer. At the BMW dealer service centre they said the inlet manifold has broken down due to engine non regeneration and consequencial carbon build up. The regeneration hasn't taken place due to the breakdown of the control unit. The manifold now all clogged up and broken down was considered to be wear and tear by AA agent who refused to accept the dealers findings and decided to reject the claim due to carbon build up and calling it wear and tear. I clearly asked dealer mechanic if this issue was normal for this car and I quote " this is an abnormal breakdown ". Again the super mechanic refused accept but this time claiming that the build up was of a result age and long time carbon build up which the BMW dealers disagree as they believe that the engine regeneration would clear all that carbon build up on a regular. So now I'm sitting on a £1500 repair cost and with a warranty worthless to every hard earned penny I paid towards it. I have now decided to take it up with the Ombudsman and the fair trade organisation.

This company has mentally harassed me, I've had sleepless nights and stress related fits, they're agents who answer calls have no tech experience and they are simply rude. They make you feel as though you're committing a crime asking them to pay for the claim. It's 3.30am and I'm still awake.

This is an organisation who will try every trick in the insurance companies books to swingle out of a claim.

The issue is still pending review by the so called complaints team. I am waiting for their letter or as they say, deadlock letter so I can then take them to Ombudsman.

My advice, use any other company but this AA or RAC which are underwriting by the same motorways direct company. Bunch of cowboys who are out their to get your money and never to pay out any claim.

GabrielBogdan

Hi all,


AA Warranty is the most not serious company I worked so far.
Not paying for the services which I'm paying for.
They've put me on the way for seven weeks to fix my car, all the garages they gave me, no one was able to deal with BECAUSE AA it is not paying.
I have contact AA for so many times and aski them what is going on, and because they are not professionals and having unprepared staff, they where sending me to different departments ( trying to solve by myself, their job ).
But, still, after seven weeks, waiting for my car, changing garages, calling them, asking them, no one was able to tell me what does it cover and what doesn't .
The garages contacted me and them to tell us what is wrong.
But, when I was calling AA, just to make things move faster, they where telling that no one contact them. Stupid attitude and trying to hide from responsibility.
Bottom of all, I will recommend to all customers and future customers, read carefully the contract and PLEASE, stay away from them, they are not so good as you see.
It's waste of time and energy for nothing.
NOT GOOD AND NOT PROFESSIONAL

SteveT1505

Not just the AA, I have a policy out with Auto Protect, car is not running right, so I started to read the policy in detail; I should have done so before a signed and paid for it. There is a very good get out clause in it, you have to have the car serviced in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations, every 6000 miles or 6 months, which ever is the sooner. The manufacturers recommendation is 1 year or 20,000 miles. I haven't done 6000 miles since the last service but that was 9 months ago, so the warranty is now invalid. Who services a car every 6 months unless you do very high mileage. This is 2018, not 1966.