North Town Auto Customer Disservice

More Things Breaking

2005-10-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

My airbag light came on last Thursday! I have no idea what this means except yet another trip into the dealer!

YEAH VOLKSWAGEN!

Here are Those Results

2005-09-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

Yahoo: Northtown Lemon
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=northtown+lemon&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fl=0&x=wrt

MSN: Northtown Lemon
(Takes you to this blog's profile)
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?FORM=MSNH&srch_type=0&q=northtown+lemon

Interesting Search

2005-09-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

Go to Yahoo and enter, "Northtown lemon". This blog is listed as number one! I can only hope that this will get this issue noticed. I am skeptical at best ;)

Still Can't Fix Everything

2005-09-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

After expressly ordering the parts needed for the splash shield and center console. It seems that I can only get NorthTown to fix one at a time. I get the splash guard fixed but the center console was still broken. The most ironic part is that North Town broke this!

After I pay for the splash guard I get in my car and drive it right back in. The Service employee tells me that this was never ordered (even though it's right here on my order card), but for some reason they have them in stock now. I believe it is because I have ordered this 2 times prior.

Fixing More Than One Thing is Impossible

2005-09-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

So my bearings where covered under warranty. However NorthTown didn't want to fix the other 2 things that I asked them for. I talked to the Northtown representive and he said he would order the splash shield and center console pieces. When I arrive at NorthTown nothing is ordered. I have to go over to the parts department to order them myself.

Half-hour later, I've done the job that the guy from the service department told me he'd do for me. It would be fine if I could start billing these guys.

My Bearings are Unbearable

2005-09-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

So of course, why wouldn't something else go wrong? A rubbing sound from the front of my car has started occurring. It get's louder the faster I go. It also gets louder when I am turning/veering right and quiter when turning left. My first guess is bearings but also it could be something wierd with a brake caliper.

The way that I understand it is that bearings for cars nowadsays are more complex than they used to be. You can not "re-pack" them as they now come in a sealed enclosure. Also ABS can only add to their complexities.

I had my car takin into NorthTown Volkswagen today. I had it towed in, and the good news is that when I called, they actually knew where it was. Unfortunately, half a day isn't enough time to look at this poor little car.

BBB let me down...

2005-09-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

BBB.org has let me down. I finally got a response to my request. It was a one sheet saying that I never responded to form sent out previously. There was no option on the sheet to say my concern was never addressed. So I wrote on the that I never received the form on the sheet and faxed it to the BBB. I never heard anything. A couple days ago I receive the original forms that where post-marked for June. Is the USPS in on this too? ;)

West Herr, Better but not Perfect

2005-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty good offer on my car and on a new one at West Herr. Unfortunately, after making a counter offer, I never heard from them again. I would still rather deal with this place than any other local joints around.

Still Nothing

2005-07-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

I still have heard nothing from any involved parties including the BBB. However, I have been checking out new cars and West Herr has offered me the most for my car.

A word of advice, only trade cars into dealerships that will sell them theirselves. Otherwise you will get a lot less.

No news is "No News"

2005-07-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

Still no update from anybody involved in the process. It is my understanding that both VW and the dealership need to reply in a timely manner or get fined for every day of silence after a reasonable amount of time has elapsed.

However, I still don't have my parts from Northtown for my "splash shield". Also the scratch that was fixed mysteriously faded back into existance??!?!! I never knew that could happen.

bbb.org

2005-07-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

So I openned up an issue with the Better Business Bureau. You can do this all online which is very cool. However, we will have to wait and see if it is as effective as written complaints.

Courtney at VW

2005-07-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

So this time I talked to Courtney. She said their position is final and that they won't help me out. She said that she can't do anything because the dealership said that was due to my fault. She ended up hanging up on me.

I am still trying to track down the parts that got replaced. This seems to be my only chance to get get justification that it was deffective and not wear and tear.

I just spoke to Eric at the dealership and am trying to get these parts. He promised me a call back.

(Matt from NorthTown just called me btw, my splash guard parts are here.)

I am calling VW right now to find out if there is a way to terminate this early at a penalty.

VW GTI 1.8T Update

2005-07-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

So I finally got a chance to speak to Mike Zyglis from NorthTownAuto 716.836.4600 (Note, I spelled his name incorrectly before). He's not that bad of a guy however I am still not satisfied. They want to charge me another $150 to replace the splash shield that prevents grime from hiting up into the engine compartment from below. I am in the process of calling VW 800.822.8987 right now.

Mike Ziglis Speaks

2005-07-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

I called Mike Ziglis just a few moments ago. I told him briefly the state of things and he is going to take a look at my car. I am certain that he is only going to address things that he sees as "his fault".

The difficult part is going to be giving him an earful without losing control. I must make a mental note to use any of the 7 big swear words.

Markese (Not sure of this name) at VW

2005-07-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Called VW advocates again. 800.822.8987 I guess the service manager at Northtown Auto 716.836.4600, Mike Ziglis, finally got back to them. Volkswagen's judgment is to do absolutely nothing. I am really gladd that it only took two weeks to find this out. I filed a complaint with VW about the dealership. I'm not sure what help that will do.

I then leave two messages for Mike Ziglis, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. I try stating all these problems in a nutshell and that I will be writing to the Better Business Bureau if I don't hear back from him.

I also start looking at Ford Explorers but the trade-in on my car is at least $3,000 less than my payoff amount.

Lashawn from VW

2005-07-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

I call Volkswagen back again today (800.822.8987) and spoke to Lashawn. There is no new information. Mike Ziglis, the Northtown Auto service manager, still hasn't gotten back to VW.
The incident is finally escalated. I'm not sure what that exactly means. At least now it has a better "status" although I'm not sure how it will help.

Leslie from VW

2005-07-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

I call Volkswagen back again today (800.822.8987) and spoke to Leslie. There is no new information. Mike Ziglis, the Northtown Auto service manager, still hasn't gotten back to VW. More messages are left.

Nickola from VW, $1,117.47 and Car Damage

2005-07-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

I call Volkswagen back again today (800.822.8987) and spoke to Nickola. There is no new information. Mike Ziglis, the Northtown Auto service manager, still hasn't gotten back to VW. More messages are left.

My car is finally fixed. I ended up fronting the 1,100+ dollars as I am still working with VW on this. I don't get the replacement parts that I requested. The center console is broken. There is a scratch on the back left panel. I find out that the battery cover (which holds in more than just the battery) is missing. The clutch seems very good however and takes a little getting used to. I don't ever remember the clutch being like this since I originally got the car. However, the car makes a lot more noises now. Kind of small shaking and rattling sounds come from all over.

There is also an email attached to my bill that says that NorthTown could have used some money from their "Good Will" budget to offset the cost of the clutch. A reply to the email says it was denied. More kicking me when I am down I guess.

Sally from VW

2005-07-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

I call Volkswagen back again today (800.822.8987) and spoke to Sally. There is no new information. Mike Ziglis, the Northtown Auto service manager, still hasn't gotten back to VW. More messages are left.
So much for the car being fixed by Saturday, it is already Monday.

Kim from VW and a Rental Car

2005-07-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

I call Volkswagen back again today (800.822.8987) and spoke to Kim. There is no new information. Mike Ziglis, the Northtown Auto service manager, still hasn't gotten back to VW. More messages are left.

I have been without a car for nearly a week and VW hasn't helped me a bit. I have a friend (really my sister, an ex-finance manager for a car dealership) call up the general manager and get him to agree to get me loaner.

Knowing that it will cost me $11 a day for insurance, I authorize the work on my car and will take it up with NorthTown and VW after the fact. They say it should be ready by Saturday.

Andrea from VW

2005-06-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

I call Volkswagen back again today (800.822.8987) and spoke to Andrea. There is no new information. Mike Ziglis, the Northtown Auto service manager, still hasn't gotten back to VW. More messages are left.

Nick from VW

2005-06-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

I call VW because they haven't called me back. They say they can't do anything until they get the service record. Also Northtown Auto (716.836.4600) says that only the service manager can give out that information. More messages for the service manager Mike Ziglis are left.

Car Found!

2005-06-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

The second time calling on this Tuesday has finally gotten my car found. The bad news is that it's going to cost me $100 just for them to look at it. They also say that clutches aren't covered under warranty and that it will cost me $1,000 if that is the problem. This is kind of a kick in the teeth as it is no fault of my own. Later that I day I get confirmation that the clutch is the problem. I tell them not to do anything yet.

I call VW directly 800.822.8987 to start documenting my problems and seeing if they will cover the parts. Their customer service people are called "advocates". I speak with Latoya. She says that before she can do anything, she must get my service records from the dealer.

What car?

2005-06-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, now it is Monday and I had my car dropped off Saturday. I call to check in on it. I am not suprised because NorthTown Auto 716.836.4600 has rarely ever called me when they should.

You wouldn't think they would be able to lose a car. I call a total of 4 times throughout the day and the same guy who picks up the phone (Eric I believe) still can't find my car or keys. I'm a little confused as to which is really lost. Is it my car or my keys. Regardless, I am still without a car.

It's no drive in the country...

2005-06-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

I call NorthTown Auto (716.836.4600) and speak to a nice sounding woman named Nicole. I schedule my car to be dropped off first thing Monday morning. I need the clutch and the plastic guard that fell off looked at. I then proceed to visit family in the country. As soon as I hit the hills, the poor little silver car starts having some major problems. It must definitely be the clutch, I can barely accelerate. I finish the short remaining portion of the drive and call VW roadside assistance (800.411.6688) to have it towed in. I also call Nicole at Northtown back and tell her that it is coming in now.

The tow-truck driver is a nice guy and get's it on the flatbed no problem. I know that I have a battle ahead of me with NorthTown but I know that a clutch on a VW should last 100,000 miles. Truth is on my side.

Beware of Mud Puddles!

2005-06-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

Here I am driving my VW that seems to have more and more problems. Now if I give it gas while I drive, the RPMs shoot up but the car does not accelerate accordingly. This is not good and has me thinking that it may be a clutch. With 28,000 miles on a car, especially one that is supposed to be sportier and have better parts just doesn't make sense to me.

I drive through a mud puddle on the road. There is no change in how the vehichle handles but a loud dragging sound can be heard. From the racket I would have thought I blew tire. I pull over to discover a big plastic piece under the front of the car half fell off, hit the ground and started to peel back. Great! I have to pull off the remaining piece and it now lives in my trunk.

Now I am really dreading dealing with the unhappy people at Northtown Auto. (716.836.4600)

Signs of Troubles

2005-06-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

A wierd thing is happening. When I have my cruise control set and use it to accelerate from 50 mph to 60, it fails and turns off. This is not a good sign. I'm dreading having to deal with Northtown Auto again (716.836.4600)

I guess traction must be over rated.

2004-12-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

I heard that VW tires go quickly. Wow, rumours are sometimes right! In less than a year and a half, driving this car from Northtown Auto (716.836.4600).

Let's avoid this dealer, they have never been easy to talk to on the phone, are overpriced and just generally miserable and unhelpful. I recommend TireRack.com. You can take the tires to a local garage and have them mounted and balanced for only a few bucks. I took them to Midas and was out in about an hour.

I avoid Northtown and save myself a bunch of annoyance and problems.

Free Winter Air Conditioning

2004-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a window fall down into your door? Now why would that happen? Who knows? However, it does happen as I am proof of.

To Northtown Auto Volkswagen (716.836.4600) I go again. Good thing this is covered under warranty, bad thing is I have to pull teeth to get a loaner car. It's a change going driving the bargain basement Cavalier. It costs me about $11 a day for the insurance over 2 days or so. Also it costs me a few bucks for a snow brush because these good people must have an alternative to using one as one was not in the car. That's ok though. It doesn't snow in Buffalo. It's a myth!!!

Who needs parts?

2004-01-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

On an even colder day than last time, the car from Northtown Auto Volkswagen won't start even after trying for 10 minutes. No problem, a call to VW's roadside assistance only nets me a 2 hour wait time. Who needs to work any way? Seriously though I am not too bitter because it was deathly cold and I had a warm place to wait.

The tow truck driver finally shows (nice guy and it's not his fault any way). A simple tap to the starter with a snow brush while I turn the ignition gets it going. How undignified to have to have somebody come all this way and have an alternative to towing.

So it's off to Northtown Auto 716.836-4600 I call them on my way to find out the part arrived several days ago. Gee, thanks for letting me know. It takes a day and has started without problems ever since.

I count myself lucky. What else can go wrong with a new car?

(Date of blog entry has been estimated)

Do new cars start?

2004-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Winter of '03 - '04. My new Volkswagen GTI won't start in the cold. Kind of funny as it is barely 6 months old. I didn't realize that $22,000+ worth of car doesn't get you one that starts.

After 5 minutes and very cold hands, the poor little GTI finally turns over. I take the car to the dealership that I bought it from. North Town Auto 716.836-4600

I get a call later that day. "It's your starter". Genius! Who would have thought a defective starter could keep a car from starting. Better yet, I have to wait while the part is ordered. Well, seeing as how it only has problem starting while its cold, I shouldn't have a problem with it while the new part is ordered. I mean, I do live in Buffalo during the coldest part of the winter, but hey!... it's no problem for "single guy" with no other means of transportation right?

(Date of blog has been estimated)