On August 11, 2021, I was driving my 2015 Audi A7 about... - KJM
On August 11, 2021, I was driving my 2015 Audi A7 about 500 miles from home, and I desperately needed the service department of the Wilmington Audi dealership to spend 10 minutes manually checking the oil level, but I was told by the service coordinator that there was nothing they could do before the next available appointment on August 28. I explained that I was on the road, traveling from Bethany Beach to Rhode Island, that I had recently had my 2015 A7 serviced at my home dealership in Charlotte, NC, and that the car had just, for the third time, instructed me that the oil was low and to add a quart, which I had already done twice. I discovered online that a low oil message may come on if there is too much oil. What if my car had too much oil, and the car kept telling me to add more? There is no manual dipstick to check the oil level. Could they please help me?
It was about 4:00 on a Wednesday. I explained the situation twice, feeling sure that the service coordinator’s initial refusal to help could only be the result of her failing to fully appreciate my predicament. I offered to spend the night in a local hotel if they could just squeeze me in for a quick look some time the next morning. The car did not appear to be consuming or leaking any oil, and I couldn’t imagine that the Charlotte dealership would leave the car over 2 quarts low. They’d just need to check the oil level manually and maybe remove (or add) some oil, or maybe determine that the oil wasn’t the problem. Please.
The lady insisted that they would not be able to see me before their next open appointment. Seriously? They want me to wait around for over two weeks for them to manually check my oil level? I bought a $72,000 car from an Audi dealership in Atlanta, and I had the maintenance performed religiously at my Charlotte Audi dealership, and now I’m on the road and I desperately need a few minutes from an Audi service department, and this Wilmington dealership wouldn’t do anything to help me. So much for feeling like I’m a part of an Audi family.
I drove to Rhode Island. I called the Audi dealership in Warwick on Saturday and explained the situation, and I asked if they could take a look on Monday, before I drove back to North Carolina. Without more, they offered to fit me in immediately on that Saturday afternoon. The service guy Mike was patient, thoughtful and attentive. After 15 minutes they took the car into the service bay. Another 15 minutes later and Mike said the car was ready to go. They checked the oil manually and removed almost 3 quarts of oil. Since I had added 2 quarts, it meant the Charlotte dealership had returned my car to me with almost a quart too much oil (along with the $950 bill - I wonder how much I paid for that excess oil).
I was relieved that the problem was a simple one and was now fixed, and I asked how much I owed. Mike shook my hand and said it was gratis.
What a difference between the two Audi dealerships. I wish that I lived close enough to the Warwick dealership to bring it my business. On the other hand, though I consider myself a man of generous spirit, I would not be saddened if the Wilmington dealership suffers a flood or fire or plague of biblical proportions. (I drove BMW for 12 years and I can’t imagine any BMW dealership treating a faithful BMW owner the way the Wilmington Audi dealer treated me.)
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