Advice on how to get Audi to replace defective engine?

[Laconian]

From a friend...

My Audi Q5's engine died heavily damaged because Audi chose not to recall those engines even though they new they have a faulty timing chain tensioner design. Over a short 170 miles drive to Canada my car went from "I was just serviced and running like a champion" to "I'm dead" with no service light coming up until after its death. (Also, side note, towing from Canada is fun! And complicated.)

Audi recently settled a class action suit about this issue. The suit however seems to only cover the timing chain tensioner and related parts, but a dead engine is "incidental damage" that they don't cover (or very partially based on age of the car and mileage) through the suit, which was however for people who had an issue before. It also extended the chain and tensioner warranty to 100,000 miles.

I bought the car new at my dealership and had it serviced perfectly, always there. They know that and tell me that my service history is absolutely impeccable.

My dealership tells me that Audi wants to help and that my cost would be "only" $5,600 dollars. For a dead engine that happened with absolutely no warning for a problem they knew about and never told me about to proactively fix (replace the defective part).

I plan to walk my way up all the way to Audi America to argue that they should cover the whole work (or this for sure will be my last Audi). Anybody has experience doing that, and has tips? I am starting with the dealership service director tomorrow.

[shp4man]

How many miles on the car?

[Eye of the Tiger]

I didn't get anywhere with Nissan until I hired a lemon law attorney. I don't know if this qualifies as lemon law, though.

[2o6]

How many miles on the car?

This is important. Dealers aren't going to goodwill replace a timing chain and head(s) for a car with upwards of like 145k....

[cawimmer430]

End of the discussion. 

[2o6]

End of the discussion. 

Ehhh, Honda has been having issues in some states with oil/fuel dilution in the 1.5T model.


Doesn't seem to affect the Civic and Accord, since they use a different variant of that engine and aren't as prone to doing that.

[CaminoRacer]

Never own a VW product outside of warranty

[MX793]

A VW product with a faulty timing belt/chain tensioner?  I'm SHOCKED.  Would've thought they'd have gotten their shit together after the 1.8T fiasco 15 years ago...  Then again, they never actually corrected the tensioner design flaws on the 1.8T.  They just significantly shortened their timing belt inspection/replacement intervals.

[thewizard16]

Never own a VW product outside of warranty

This is a lesson I learned. Parts are never "Defective" per VW, they just updated the parts later to "improve performance". (Note: improving performance is code for "blows up and dies less frequently than it used to".)

[HurricaneSteve]

Oops sorry I didn't see that question having been asked earlier. Sorry to hear that this happened to your friend, hope he's able to get some kind of resolution out of it.

[BimmerM3]

Do you know anyone with a large social media presence? Seems like using that to spread bad publicity is the only way to get a lot of companies to give a shit anymore.

[Laconian]

How many miles on the car?

Very few! Certainly lower than 50k. I think it's like a couple years old.

[Soup DeVille]

Very few! Certainly lower than 50k. I think it's like a couple years old.

How is that not under warranty then?

What was the original warranty, and how far out of it is the car?

[12,000 RPM]

I still want a Golf/GTI

[Payman]

I didn't get anywhere with Nissan until I hired a lemon law attorney. I don't know if this qualifies as lemon law, though.

Yeah, but that's because you owned a Hyundai.

[Payman]

How is that not under warranty then?

What was the original warranty, and how far out of it is the car?

4 years, 50,000 miles. Pretty sad for a premium car, imho.

[SJ_GTI]

I am presuming its out of warranty?

FWIW, my experience with Audi was pretty good. The only "significant" issue I ever had was that the (manual) transmission on my S4 developed a bit of a notch going in to third gear at some point (mileage in the 40's IIRC). The dealer couldn't figure it out. To me it wasn't that big a deal so I wasn't planning on pressing the issue (it wasn't that it couldn't get in to third gear...it just felt a little notchier than the other gears). The dealer talked to Audi to see if they had any idea what was wrong, and Audi told them to install a new transmission. I had a loaner for a couple of weeks (Q7) while they waited for the parts to arrive so I felt fine about it even though it seemed like overkill.

[mzziaz]

Something seems a bit off. If the car is around two years/40k, I would think it would be under warranty (5y/100.000 kms here).

if not, getting brand spanking new engine installed for $5600, isn't that bad. Is it the 2.0t TFSI?

[Soup DeVille]

"The only significant issue was that it needed a new transmission in the first 40,000 miles."

Am I on crazy pills? That sounds absolutely unacceptable.

[mzziaz]

"The only significant issue was that it needed a new transmission in the first 40,000 miles."

Am I on crazy pills? That sounds absolutely unacceptable.

vorsprung durch technik!

[MX793]

"The only significant issue was that it needed a new transmission in the first 40,000 miles."

Am I on crazy pills? That sounds absolutely unacceptable.

You need to view the world through the eyes of a repeat VW customer.

[SJ_GTI]

"The only significant issue was that it needed a new transmission in the first 40,000 miles."

Am I on crazy pills? That sounds absolutely unacceptable.

Who said it was "acceptable."

[Soup DeVille]

Who said it was "acceptable."

You said your experience was "pretty good," and you put quotes around "significant" when mentioning the issue.

[Soup DeVille]

You need to view the world through the eyes of a repeat VW customer.

I've written off a lot of the criticisms of VWAG as the rantings of anti-VW (and especially BMW) fanboys.

The defenses that owners put forth though are more damning. Its like I'm hearing about what a good husband is from the viewpoint of a beaten wife.

[12,000 RPM]

We really had no problems with the Rabbit, except for a cooling fan and the vacuum pump.

[SJ_GTI]

You said your experience was "pretty good," and you put quotes around "significant" when mentioning the issue.

You're a pretty bright guy so I am going to assume you are being intentionally obtuse.

I said, and here I will quote:

my experience with Audi was pretty good

The reason significant was in quotes is because, given my experience with the transmission, it wasn't obvious to me (nor was it obvious to the dealer) that a new transmission was required.

The point of the post was just that, in my limited experience, Audi (the company, as opposed to the dealer or the car) seemed more than willing to fix cars that had problems even if it meant an extreme solution. Based on my experience I would have expected Audi to replace an engine without question...presuming the car is under warranty.

[SJ_GTI]

I've written off a lot of the criticisms of VWAG as the rantings of anti-VW (and especially BMW) fanboys.

The defenses that owners put forth though are more damning. Its like I'm hearing about what a good husband is from the viewpoint of a beaten wife.

Audi isn't the same as VW. I wouldn't expect to get the same level of customer service from VW as I would from Audi.

[GoCougs]

"The only significant issue was that it needed a new transmission in the first 40,000 miles."

Am I on crazy pills? That sounds absolutely unacceptable.

QFT.

I choose to accept that "pretty good" = he liked the car(s) and that the transmission was replaced under warranty.

[Soup DeVille]

You're a pretty bright guy so I am going to assume you are being intentionally obtuse.

I said, and here I will quote:

The reason significant was in quotes is because, given my experience with the transmission, it wasn't obvious to me (nor was it obvious to the dealer) that a new transmission was required.

The point of the post was just that, in my limited experience, Audi (the company, as opposed to the dealer or the car) seemed more than willing to fix cars that had problems even if it meant an extreme solution. Based on my experience I would have expected Audi to replace an engine without question...presuming the car is under warranty.

No, not obtuse at all, but now that I've seemed to offend you without meaning to, my previous opinion is reinforced.

[SJ_GTI]

QFT.

I choose to accept that "pretty good" = he liked the car(s) and that the transmission was replaced under warranty.

It was more limited than that, it was simply a reference to how they (Audi, the company) handled the issue. My perception was that they went above and beyond to fix what was, to my limited knowledge of transmissions, a minor problem.

As you guys note I have had more than my share of Audi and VW cars (an A4, a GTI, and S4, and now a Golf R). That transmission replacement is the only major problem I ever had with any of them. None of them ever broke down or had any major mechanical or electrical issues. And FWIW, that GTI I had went to my brother for 4-5 years after I had it and he never had any issues with it either. 

I know statistically VW's aren't great, but Audi actually rates pretty high in most quality surveys IIRC. Other than CarSPIN I don't think Audi is considered to be risky make to own.