My Superb is just over 3 years old and hence out of warranty. I was telephoned by the local dealer who suggested that I might like to book the car in for a service and an MOT. The car is on variable servicing (but has since been serviced by me) and I have an excellent independently run MOT garage nearby - so no thanks.

The response was huffy - but then I'd had a run in previously with these people who wanted to charge me about £100 for headlamp removal and refitting (twice) for conversion to LH dip when the job can be done in situ in under 5 minutes. I'm not impressed with them or their knowledge of VAG vehicles.

A few weeks later - a recall notice. This is for the well known tandem pump cover bolts on the PD diesels and applies to all PD engined cars in the group. Knowing that only one maker of the two possible makes of tandem pump is affected, I 'phoned the local dealer to see which it was - my car is busy earning money and there is at least a 50% chance that no action is required. A very frosty response was the result with no possibility of divulging this information - I must "bring it in for examination".

These people do not credit their customers either with common sense or the use of the Internet. The vehicle registration body in Australia clearly states under recalls that only tandem pumps of LUK manufacture are affected. One minute's work with a dental mirror confirmed that my car has a Bosch pump.

An e-mail to VAG(Skoda) merely asking them to confirm that no action was required as my vehicle has a Bosch pump resulted in the same frosty, time-wasting response which was forthcoming from the local dealer. I am, of course, satisfied that no action is required.

My feelings are that in this case the recall was used as a final bid to keep this vehicle in the dealer "net" and that no doubt other work would have been advised had the vehicle been booked in. As I have experienced actual damage caused to this vehicle by a VAG dealer (broken undertray) it certainly won't be darkening their doors again.

This recall was originally issued well over a year ago. I think the timing of this recall was, in my case, an abuse of the system.

rotodiesel.

Yes I would agree that you should have been informed earlier.

I can understand the reluctance to divulge too much information as in some cases, for the lesser informed, a little information can be dangerous.

I agree with Stu 100%.

but surely when a recall is in order a junk letter is sent out from dvla or skoda (using dvla database) to only those concerned??

The recall itself is not in question. The dubious practice shown by VAG is the timing of the recall to me, when it could and should have been issued earlier.

It is an insult that VAG are not prepared to divulge the maker of the suspect pumps (LUK). It's their ****-up and I'm a customer. The final insult is that when informed by e-mail that a Bosch pump is fitted to my engine, VAG were not prepared to state that no action would be required.

Do they really expect me to spend up to half a day taking a perfectly good car to their dealer to be told that nothing needs to be done?

Muppets.

rotodiesel.

But what you are not grasping is that in their eyes you are not a competent person and therefore be it verbally or in writing they will not want to commit themselves to advising you on something that was serious enough to warrant a recall.

And yes that is exactly what they expect you to do. The recall is a precaution. They will check it for you FOC, which alright might be an inconvenience to you in this instance but by offering they have limited thier liability.

Point missed I'm afraid. It wouldn't do VAG any harm to send me an e-mail stating that IF my engine has a Bosch pump, no further action is needed. They could then of course go into VAG speak recommending that an inspection be made etc etc.

It gets under my skin that VAG are too pig-headed to identify to a customer the maker of the defective parts they might have sold me - they would rather waste my time.

rotodiesel.

I'm not sure you're seeing it from VAGs point of view. Isn't it easier to issue a blanket recall rather than allowing the customer to decide if they need it.

Not everyone had a dental mirror to identify the make of the pump, nor the ability nor the inclination.

If VAG allowed cutomers to identify whether to take the car in for a recall and there was subsequently an accident, and VAGs defence was that 'we allowed the customer to decide' - and took their word for it, the lawyers would have a field day.

I think you should lighten up on this VAG-bashing that sometimes verges on the side of a crusade.

Not all dealers are crap, VAG or otherwise. Get a good one (VAG or not) and stick with them.

Was just remarking yesterday to a mate at how good dealers are at spotting a problem when the car is out of warranty....

It's killed it for me, I'll not be having another one, twenty mile trip to the dealer who won't replace anything unless the car goes in three times for the same fault, when I had my Vectra they have a weak point on the rear suspension in the link bar bushes, twice the inspector advised there was slight play in them and twice Vx replaced them without question, had this been my Superb I know I'd have been fobbed off with "their ok at the moment just keep an eye on them" I've never wanted to get rid of a car I like so much before, and all because the backup service is about as much use as an ice pack in the arctic.

I know the feeling - the local dealer for all GM cars here is absolute cr^p, from the person who answers the phone to the service. Of course the sales tries to bend over backwards for you.....

Will never buy another car from them - ever....

I know the feeling - the local dealer for all GM cars here is absolute cr^p, from the person who answers the phone to the service. Of course the sales tries to bend over backwards for you.....

Will never buy another car from them - ever....

It's been the other way around for me with GM, the sales team wash their hands of you, but the service team take up the slack.

It's killed it for me, I'll not be having another one, twenty mile trip to the dealer who won't replace anything unless the car goes in three times for the same fault, when I had my Vectra they have a weak point on the rear suspension in the link bar bushes, twice the inspector advised there was slight play in them and twice Vx replaced them without question, had this been my Superb I know I'd have been fobbed off with "their ok at the moment just keep an eye on them" I've never wanted to get rid of a car I like so much before, and all because the backup service is about as much use as an ice pack in the arctic.

That's got to be a dealer problem. They aren't all like that.

Well I'll have to concede on that one Stu as I have only used one dealer so far plus the supplying one who didn't do what they were supposed to, which one do you use btw Stu?

No they're not. Out here in Bahrain there are a couple of good dealers. The fact that there is only one for each brand doesnt help...

In the UK you can fairly easily change dealers if you need to, and I imagine a complaint about a dealer is noted down....

I complained to the GM regional office and got no help whatsoever. Never again.....

Well I'll have to concede on that one Stu as I have only used one dealer so far plus the supplying one who didn't do what they were supposed to, which one do you use btw Stu?

For sales - Sparshatts Fareham

For service - Sparshatts Chichester

Probably for some of the reasons you mention

For sales - Sparshatts Fareham

For service - Sparshatts Chichester

Probably for some of the reasons you mention

I think thats my next move as well Stu, but in all honesty I think this will be a short term solution, I really want shot of it now and return to GM cars, I hate the suspension set up on it, my mate just had to have a new auto box at 90k, and another has a DSG Octy which is now needing a new box at 67k, not the sort of longevity that the same group of ppl who led me into a world of pain with a Pug some yrs ago like to claim of Skoda cars, or as another mate put it "the trouble with you is you tell the truth" whereas others lie to make themselves feel better about their cars, it's the same with the fuel consumption thing, I had a guy swear he got 28mpg from a GM V6 auto some yrs ago, and there are others claiming 60mpg from Octavia's, maybe on a motorway at 50mph all day, but certainly not from a car used as a cab.

Drop me a PM if you'd like some contact info.

I wasn't impressed one with with sparshatts in Fareham for service as Stu knows, but I can't comment on the Chichester branch.

I have to admit however that Skoda dealers, especially the service side leave a lot to be desired. I have probably been through about 6 dealers before I found a really helpful and genuinely useful one

I wasn't impressed one with with sparshatts in Fareham for service as Stu knows, but I can't comment on the Chichester branch.

I have to admit however that Skoda dealers, especially the service side leave a lot to be desired. I have probably been through about 6 dealers before I found a really helpful and genuinely useful one

Which one do you use now mate?

...the lawyers would have a field day....

I think this has got more to to do with the whole situation than anything even, to quote rotodiesel, the cretins at VAG could do.

I certainly agree the timing seems a little suspect, but I think the whole situation is down to the fact that if a retailer/manufacturer/dealer/whoever even farts in the wrong direction these days, they'll get sued...

Therefore, are VAG really that stupid...?