ACTION REQUIRED letter

[eribaMotters]

Update 2.

 

No reply as promised, so I have now e-mailed, as a complaint:-

 

Upon receipt of "Action required" letter I contacted customer services by phone on Mon 31st Oct..
My question related to "no change to ......maximum torque..." I need this statement clarifying, as the max torque figure may remain unaffected, but the revs at which it occurs may be different. No specific mention of the torque band was mentioned. Your letter appears to lack content relating to the power delivery of the engine.
Your customer services operator was unable to provide an answer, or put me through to anybody who could.
I was informed my query would be put through to "technical response" and I gave my e-mail address for communication to be easier for you.
By Thursday no response had been forthcoming, so again I phoned. After approximately 20/25 minutes on the phone I still had no reply to my question and was informed my question would be dealt with by "executive emissions team"  who would reply to me within 48hrs.
They have not. I would like an intelligent and informed response to my question, without my need to chase a customer services department that is failing to serve the customer, or a technical department that seems unwilling or unable to offer technical advice.

thank you - Colin

Edited 7 November, 2016 by eribaMotters

[Yety]

Got my letter today requesting I contact them - not at the moment!

 

Although much hype and speculation has been generated in the last year, there is no definitive information out there as to the nature of "the fix". 

 

My reading between the lines is that VW had a problem years ago, decided not to bite the bullet at the time, but went with an Audi idea to play the rules as set out by a lax EU testing regime. There is/was nothing wrong in what they did, more the stupid and complicit drafting of the testing regimes. Anyone would take advantage of an open door, which it seems VW did. Talking to JLR software guys, everyone is at it to some degree or another. It's just VW fell foul of the US legal/compensation regime - bad luck for them.

And yes, there were probably better software enhancements back then, but they decided another route!

 

It now seems new legislation for 2017 will determine new standards for real world testing/emissions - wonderful isn't it now the cat is out of the bag and the lax testing regimes have been exposed for what they are.

 

I'm not saying anything about people's fanciful ideas/dreams of action against VW - I'm more worried how to stop my local Skoda dealer going against my wishes to leave my car well alone until some realistic data is available.

 

The Dft Vehicle Testing Programme is an interesting read.

 

Just my take.

[The Plumber]

Had further communication from Seat following declining the fix, a rather long winded e-mail which again confirmed this was a voluntary update, however they now are trying to convince me that I should have the work carried out, citing the advances in technology since my car was built; all of 20 months ago.

 

Sorry VAG but I'm not convinced, as the engine as a whole was not designed for these supposed advances.

 

 

TP

[fatgit]

Sat at the dealer's just now for the fix (no choice, as it's a Motability car).

Booked online, but the system booked the wrong day (it should have been tomorrow - confirmation email said tomorrow, then got a text saying it was today).

I booked it for 9am but it never said anything about having to leave the car with them all day, so after a discussion, they're "rushing it through" and it will take 90mins or so if they skip the valet and health check!

Surely a software fix only takes a few minutes, not an hour and a half?

Edited 10 November, 2016 by fatgit

[Norry]

Sat at the dealer's just now for the fix (no choice, as it's a Motability car).

Booked online, but the system booked the wrong day (it should have been tomorrow - confirmation email said tomorrow, then got a text saying it was today).

I booked it for 9am but it never said anything about having to leave the car with them all day, so after a discussion, they're "rushing it through" and it will take 90mins or so if they skip the valet and health check!

Surely a software fix only takes a few minutes, not an hour and a half?

 

That is probably just a kid-on to make it seem like a worthwhile job!!  Nothing just involving software on a car could take that long.

 

Norry

[Rooted]

You do not have to go to a dealers, get Skoda UK Customer Services to arrange the delivery of a Courtesy Car and collection of yours.

Especially with a vehicle that Motability own and VW are paying the cost of their Voluntary Recall Actions.

 

The Volkswagen Group announced that 'The Fix', would not leave Owners / Drivers out of pocket to have it carried out.

Main Dealerships acting as agents for the Volkswagen Group are being well recompensed for doing the work.

 

For the software updates they could have Mobile Units out doing the work, VW said that would happen as well.

 

As to a Motability vehicle on a 3 year lease, it gets its servicing and then also the MOT & inspection before the hand back.

The Fix can be done then on an affected car, it is not as though there is any safety recall or even any hurry on VW Groups part other then making the figures of vehicles having the work carried out.

Edited 10 November, 2016 by Offski

[philbes]

As I do not want my car to have the 'fix' software installed it will no longer be going into a VAG dealer for any work but to a local VAG specialist who assumes me that they will not install the 'fix' software. A number of my friends who also have affected cars intend to do the same. How much servicing work are VAG dealers going to lose?

[kevberlin]

As I do not want my car to have the 'fix' software installed it will no longer be going into a VAG dealer for any work but to a local VAG specialist who assumes me that they will not install the 'fix' software. A number of my friends who also have affected cars intend to do the same. How much servicing work are VAG dealers going to lose?

Good point about them losing service work.

The blighters won't be getting mine ever again.

[tankman]

My wife was talking yesterday to a lady friend who's got one of the very first diesel Yetis and has just had her letter. She rang Skoda and complained that she wasn't prepared to drive 120 mile round trip to take her car to the garage she bought it from( I know there are closer Skoda garages ) to have the update. Skoda said that they would arrange for a technician to come to her home address in the wilds of mid Wales!

[Brijo]

Good point about them losing service work.

The blighters won't be getting mine ever again.

 

Shun the marque and the group if you will but, in fairness, the ****-up's not really the dealers' fault, is it?   

[Llanigraham]

My wife was talking yesterday to a lady friend who's got one of the very first diesel Yetis and has just had her letter. She rang Skoda and complained that she wasn't prepared to drive 120 mile round trip to take her car to the garage she bought it from( I know there are closer Skoda garages ) to have the update. Skoda said that they would arrange for a technician to come to her home address in the wilds of mid Wales!

 

Very good of them, but of course she doesn't have to go to the place she bought it from, but can go to any Skoda dealer.

[Brijo]

... can go to any Skoda dealer....

 

Or not to any, just as she chooses.  (If you'll forgive the addendum, Graham?) 

[tankman]

I think a lot of buyers of all sorts of makes think that they have got to go back to the original dealer that sold them the car in the first place for what ever reason. Maybe they have had excellent service from a particular dealer. It's a bit like always going back to a main dealer for servicing instead of an independant specialist.

As an aside, I know this Yeti has been well used and abused, been mis-fueled with petrol twice but still going strong!

[kevberlin]

Shun the marque and the group if you will but, in fairness, the ****-up's not really the dealers' fault, is it?

You are correct in that respect.

[ejstubbs]

Shun the marque and the group if you will but, in fairness, the ****-up's not really the dealers' fault, is it?   

 

And, as has been discussed earlier in this thread, they can't install the fix without your permission.

[eribaMotters]

update 3

 

Guess what, no reply, so I phoned them.

Guess what again, they do not have an answer.

No surprise really is it.

 

Colin

[Breezy_Pete]

Wasting your time.

[g6zru]

update 3

 

Guess what, no reply, so I phoned them.

Guess what again, they do not have an answer.

No surprise really is it.

 

Colin

Colin

I think you have the answer in your own hands; if in doubt DON'T!

I seriously doubt if you will ever get an answer that is satisfactory to you, they (VAG) will never commit themselves.

 

Fred

[Anzio]

My son and his wife had both their cars done outside the house, it took the Tech half an hour, ( that's to do two cars ) I know as I've posted a few months ago I'm talking about Audi but it's still VAG. Also neither of them has noticed the slightest difference in mpg or performance, and they both do lots of mileage. Having said that, I'm with the rest of you, my 2010 Yeti won't be getting done until more info is available.

[skoda1982]

I will have mine done before i trade it in

[Gnomeface]

You need to be really careful when assessing whether MPG has changed after the fix.  The car's MPG read-out is calculated from throttle opening, I believe, and certainly not from the much more accurate fuel injector calculations that other manufacturers use.

This means that if VW change the engine mapping to use more fuel to deliver the same power at the same throttle point then you wouldn't notice any difference in performance and (more importantly) the displayed MPG will be unchanged, even though you are actually using more fuel.  This leaves plenty of scope for VW to pull the wool over our eyes.

 

As proof of this, when I chipped our Yeti the MPG readout immediately showed an improvement of anything up to 15 MPG and "range" figures that are unbelievable, simply because the engine now needs less throttle for the same performance and the calculated fuel usage is completely wrong.  I log every fuel purchase and always fill to the brim, and my fuel usage spreadsheet shows that the actual fuel consumption improvement is a little under 2 MPG, based on 18,000 miles before the chip was installed and 17,000 miles since.

 

So - if you do have the mod done (and I certainly won't) then be careful not to compare MPG figures unless you log brim-to-brim fill-ups over at least 5 tanks full, before and after.

[rustic]

On a legal front, if you voluntarily accept the "fix" then you are accepting "a repair" them are you waiving any claim for future compensation?

There are a lot of consumer goods customers caught out this way.

Mine is due soon for it's next service, 2 years and over 30,000 trouble free miles, I will be writing on the order that I don't want the "fix" doing, and keeping it on record.

Compensate me say £5k then I might consider "the fix".

Has anyone got any evidence of low trade in values for these vehicles since the VW scam ?

I do not trust any specification or documentation produced by VW they have already been accused of misrepresentation of goods, and are already paying heavily. Why should they now tell the real truth? Once you have been labelled a liar and a cheat...

I will wait to see independent tests before I consider a "fix"

Rustic

[Rooted]

That is simply not as simple as you make out.

 

If the Volkswagen Group have mis-sold 'The Fix' to the German Authorities' and the other Governments VIA Germany & the EU then there will have to be comebacks.

The UK Government may yet take action on the VW Group, 

and if there are problems or issues with the early demise of vehicles because of a Fix the DfT / DVSA / UK Government approved there will be plenty to be considered in courts.

Possible Group actions or Government / Consumer Group legal actions.

 

There is no reason to have the fix if you own your vehicle, and if the owner you lease from wants the fix doing they will have to give you the assurance that the VW Group are giving.

If that proves to nit be founded in the basis of fact then you may very well have a claim if you lose out financially or with a vehicle not fit for purpose.

[Frenchtone]

Got my letter(Skoda France) yesterday, need to go to the local dealership(Quimper) to arrange a service, rectification of white worm on rear badge and also on the wheels - silver white wormed, could be an interesting visit, here warranty period is 2 yrs, will my uk bought car benefit from the 3rd year cover by Skoda UK? I accept I will have to pay here and reclaim reimbursement from the UK outfit, it has worked in the past with my first sm!

Regards the letter, I intend NOT to have the software update - we'll have to see how that conversation goes with my not perfect French!

[kenycymro]

Just come back from Ireland having done hundreds of miles, and the car is no different to how it was before the modification.