Took one of our TDi’s here for a timing belt and DSG - Ryan J
Took one of our TDi’s here for a timing belt and DSG service. It was close to work and the convenience of their shuttle service persuaded me to roll the dice. The service consultant sent me an estimate that looked like it was typed on a blank word document, void of any information aside from the total price (which I was fine with). It wasn’t until I picked it up and went over the invoice that I noticed what they did, or rather didn’t do. They didn’t replace the water pump, nor did they replace the DSG filter ($29 OE/$13 OE equivalent & about 15 minutes of additional labor - which I did the following weekend. They make more charging 1 hour labor for a $400 drain and fill which takes about 15 minutes with a Mightyvac ). I’m not mad at the flat rate hustle, but had they informed me they were going to perform a drain and fill I would have laughed and declined. It’s like changing your engine oil and not replacing the filter. It only makes sense to flat rate techs and your lazy neighbor.
A&P technician with over 20 years in the industry and there’s not a single scenario where you would replace a timing belt without also replacing the timing belt driven water pump.
Customer service was pretty poor when I questioned why neither were done. The service writer just shrugged it off and said “because you didn’t specifically state you wanted them replaced.” I was merely trying to understand how the service consultant didn’t know it needed a water pump, how the technician didn’t recommend a water pump, and how the parts department sold a timing belt “kit” without a water pump. I called their parts department to ask how they put together their timing belt “kits” for technicians and the parts guy almost didn’t believe me when I explained it to him.
The average consumer expects factory level service when going to a dealership and thus are willing to pay a premium in labor and parts costs. I’m sure this dealer is fine for certain repairs and warranty work. Don’t make my same mistake because of convenience though. There are too many local shops that specialize in TDi’s and know exactly what needs to be replaced without you holding their hand through the process, and leaving you with a timing belt job that has be redone.
In all fairness after some back and forth with their service manager, he did apologize and offer to eat the labor and replace the water pump if I paid for it at an additional cost of roughly $400. He informed me that they were too busy and I would need to wait until they slow down (because that’s exactly how you handle comebacks), and I would need to call back at a later date to schedule it (wrong answer). However, there’s no chance I’d ever give them anymore money (plus I live over an hour away). Instead, I’ve opted to wait until the water pump ultimately fails (long before the new timing belt) and buy the cam locking tool and VCDS and do it myself, which is what I should have done in the first place.
I know they will respond and counter me with VW recommendations about not needing a transmission filter replacement during servicing, which is par the course. They aren’t responsible for replacement outside of warranty, they just need it to last long enough to not be their problem. Engineers being wrong is the very reason professions like ours exist. It has a filter for a reason Tom.
Read More
Dealer Reviews
Service Reviews
Cars for Sale
Dealer Log In
