Audi Morton Grove

Audi Morton Grove responded

Dear Ryood 1, Please accept my apology for "underwhelming you" on your last service visit at McGrath Audi and for causing you to doubt our recommendations. At McGrath Audi we always try to give the best advice for the "Long Term" care of a client's Audi as opposed to "quick fixes" which often eliminate the symptom but do not resolve the true underlying cause of the symptom. It sounds to me like we did not communicate very well with you and perhaps made an assumption that you wanted a long term solution to the issues at hand. I am not suggesting that your ultimate decision to have the service station repair your issues was incorrect....obviously their repair was better for your circumstances. As an Audi dealer we are required to repair the vehicle to Audi's very high standards of repair due to service and parts warranty policies. Due to that, we are sometimes unable to perform certain repairs which do not match those standards. Certainly replacing a clamp to eliminate a leak seems like a reasonable resolution and I am not suggesting that it might not have been an appropriate repair. I'm not sure what the wiper issue was but am glad you got it fixed to your satisfaction. From our perspective, when we "repair" a vehicle, we stand behind the repair as being THE solution to the underlying issue and warrant the repair as such.....Having your wipers or your steering rack fail as a result of us NOT performing the appropriate repair is not acceptable to us. I can assure you that we do not recommend steering rack replacement "lightly". It is a significant repair and we appreciate the cost related to such a repair. If your rack has been leaking as you indicated, was previously repaired, and is leaking again, to us this is a signal that there has possibly been some damage done to the hydraulic ram by external sources. Typically, the continued leakage indicates the introduction of "road grime" around the seal where the leak is occurring. This often leads to the "scoring" of the ram which causes more leakage as the seal deteriorates further, leading to a potential significant loss of power steering fluid, which can lead to improper lubrication of the pumping mechanism. If the pump stops working properly, you are at risk of not being able to maneuver your car correctly as it was designed. This can become a safety issue. I am glad that you were able to alleviate the existing symptoms your Audi exhibited. I truly hope these turn out to be long term solutions for you. McGrath Audi has been the top service satisfaction (Audi of America) dealer in the Chicago market for the past two years. Those ratings come from surveys from thousands of Audi owners whom we have serviced. I am truly sorry that we did not respond appropriately in your situation this time. I encourage you to keep your eye on the power steering fluid level in the future. You are welcome to stop by any time and we will be happy to check the level and top off the fluid if needed, at no charge. Hopefully, some day, you will give us another opportunity in the future to earn back your confidence. Sincerely, Terry Trickett General Manager McGrath Audi 847-998-8000

Audi Morton Grove responded

"Goldy", First, I would like to apologize for your negative experience at my dealership. We have been the highest rated Audi dealer service provider in the Chicago market for both 2010 and 2011 and I must say we don't generally provide such a negative experience or we would not have earned that honor. It would be my pleasure to personally help you through any future service appointments you may allow us to perform for you. I realize you are able to service your Audi anywhere in the area at any of 7 dealerships who will provide you great service as well. We have been scored the highest consistently for the past two years by our clients.....so I feel we owe you a better job from now on. I want to assure you that we are not allowed by Audi of America to diverge from their standardized warranty repair policies (even if we want to do so) so if we had to have you come back more than the first time, it was most likely the Audi warranty policy which required "steps" to the repair. If it was a parts issue and we should have had the part and didn't, "shame on us". As an aside, we do provide pick up and delivery for service (warranty or otherwise) at no charge to our customers. So, if the occasion arises where you feel like allowing us the opportunity to "re-earn" you patronage, please feel free to request this courtesy. In addition, your contact with the Audi Customer Care often circumvents the "step" processes And cuts the process short...we are unable to do so ourselves but do recommend it from time to time as it can get frustrating for customers who have "multi-step" repairs. I will understand if you choose to service elsewhere, however I would like an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start over.....this time with my personal commitment that we will not disappoint you. If you choose not to take me up on my offer, I would still really like to hear the story of your experiences with us so that I can correct whatever was going wrong with your servicing at McGrath Audi. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this matter with you. I look forward to speaking with you. I can be reached during business hours at 847.998.8000. Sincerely, Terry Trickett General Manager McGrath Audi