Because I believe I was wronged by both Crown Motors dealership of Holland, MI and especially Volkswagen AG, I wish to express my complaint in hopes of informing anyone else who might be considering the purchase of a VW product.
On August 18, 2020, the engine failed on my three-year-old GTI Volkswagen. I had bought the car new and put just under 80,000 miles on it. As a result, I incurred bills of approximately $11,500 for the engine replacement plus an additional roughly $3,500 in related expenses. Below I have described pertinent details of my experience.
I performed all the recommended maintenance as advised on schedule at the dealership. About 20 years ago, I bought a 2000 Grand Prix new and proceeded to put over 230,000 miles on it. It seems reasonable to me that with proper care my GTI should have held up similarly.
While driving out of town on a Sunday, the engine warning light came on and the car suddenly lost power. After driving it home, I had it towed to the dealership. A diagnostic investigation revealed that because gouging of a cylinder had occurred, likely resulting from a piston ring failure, the remedy to my problem was to replace the engine. I was quoted a price of $13,000 dollars for a new engine by Crown and advised to call VW and open a case to deal with the failed engine.
On August 23, after communicating with VW Customer Care, I texted Crown Motors to report what I learned. I informed them that the VW Customer Care representative initially concluded that there appeared to be no assistance available for me, but she would inquire further about possible help and call me back with a more definitive decision. I received a call back from the representative on September 3 at which time I was told again, in no uncertain terms, that after further review the company would be offering me nothing. Her message was blunt, firm, unambiguous, and one of finality. She also told me that since she learned that I intended to take my car elsewhere, she was closing the case.
At the end of the day, I got my new engine from a highly reputable automotive repair and service business in Grand Rapids for approximately $11,670. But that amount represented only part of the expenses I incurred as a result of the faulty engine. Add to that the following approximate but very close expense figures:
• Car rentals: $ 2,500
• Towing: $ 125.00
• Engine diagnostic testing (two businesses): $ 338 ($210 plus $128)
• Spark Plugs: $ 103.12
• Recommended oil change at 1,000 miles: $ 95
• Taxes $ 500 +
Taken together my expenses reached approximately $15,000. All this was aside from 10 ½ weeks of considerable inconvenience and much aggravation. So much for Fahrvergnügen. It is clear to me that the joy of driving a VW ends where the repair and replacement bills begin.
A number of years ago, I ordered soil to put in a lawn. A dump truck drove onto my drive and damaged the concrete extensively. The cement guy said that the soil delivery driver was at fault. The delivery driver said that the cement guy was at fault. After some discussion, we reached a compromise wherein I broke up the drive and removed it, the driver paid for the concrete, and the concrete guy put in the concrete. No one was thrilled, but everybody accepted some responsibility and contributed to a remedy.
So, what did I expect in the way of redress from VW and Crown? While I didn’t expect that either the dealership or VW should cover the entire expense, I did believe that they should have admitted to some responsibility and share a portion of the financial burden that was imposed solely on me. I should not have had to bear the entire financial burden since I maintained the car as recommended and I didn’t abuse it. My expectation that the car wouldn’t fail me so completely and so soon was reasonable, and I feel that the two other parties should have put their heads together and offered me some form of financial relief. However, no proposal was ever forthcoming. If what happened to me was a freaky anomaly, then both other parties had good reason to ameliorate my expenses. If the problem is not rare but rather more common than is generally appreciated, then there is all the more reason to publicize the truth. Warren Buffet said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.†I guess that neither of the other parties subscribe to that line of thinking.
I’m not sure what category the essence of my complaint falls under (integrity, decency, ethics, fairness, or, perhaps trust?), but the penalty imposed upon me was just not right. My advice to anyone in the market for a VW is buyer beware. Unless you have an extra $15,000 just sitting around the house collecting dust, or you consider $15,000 to be mere chump change, careful consideration of the facts would be prudent. Since the VW representative offhandedly and emphatically slammed the door on any hope I might harbor about the possibility of receiving any alleviation from VW, I am left only to content and console myself by providing some critical information to any prospective VW customer that might be interested in how matters played out for me. The treatment I received was dismissive and shabby.
I want to give full credit to Ziggy Janz, the service consultant at Crown Motors, whom I dealt with almost exclusively. He was always, pleasant, helpful, professional, and courteous. I will also give the dealership a modicum of credit for loaning me a car for a few days and reducing the charge for a diagnostic investigation, even after learning that I intended to seek service elsewhere.
Finally, I would like to say to any prospective VW customer—GOOD LUCK!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Because I believe I was wronged by both Crown Motors dealership of Holland, MI and especially Volkswagen AG, I wish to express my complaint in hopes of informing anyone else who might be considering the purchase of a VW product.
On August 18, 2020, the engine failed on my three-year-old GTI Volkswagen. I had bought the car new and put just under 80,000 miles on it. As a result, I incurred bills of approximately $11,500 for the engine replacement plus an additional roughly $3,500 in related expenses. Below I have described pertinent details of my experience.
I performed all the recommended maintenance as advised on schedule at the dealership. About 20 years ago, I bought a 2000 Grand Prix new and proceeded to put over 230,000 miles on it. It seems reasonable to me that with proper care my GTI should have held up similarly.
While driving out of town on a Sunday, the engine warning light came on and the car suddenly lost power. After driving it home, I had it towed to the dealership. A diagnostic investigation revealed that because gouging of a cylinder had occurred, likely resulting from a piston ring failure, the remedy to my problem was to replace the engine. I was quoted a price of $13,000 dollars for a new engine by Crown and advised to call VW and open a case to deal with the failed engine.
On August 23, after communicating with VW Customer Care, I texted Crown Motors to report what I learned. I informed them that the VW Customer Care representative initially concluded that there appeared to be no assistance available for me, but she would inquire further about possible help and call me back with a more definitive decision. I received a call back from the representative on September 3 at which time I was told again, in no uncertain terms, that after further review the company would be offering me nothing. Her message was blunt, firm, unambiguous, and one of finality. She also told me that since she learned that I intended to take my car elsewhere, she was closing the case.
At the end of the day, I got my new engine from a highly reputable automotive repair and service business in Grand Rapids for approximately $11,670. But that amount represented only part of the expenses I incurred as a result of the faulty engine. Add to that the following approximate but very close expense figures: • Car rentals: $ 2,500 • Towing: $ 125.00 • Engine diagnostic testing (two businesses): $ 338 ($210 plus $128) • Spark Plugs: $ 103.12 • Recommended oil change at 1,000 miles: $ 95 • Taxes $ 500 +
Taken together my expenses reached approximately $15,000. All this was aside from 10 ½ weeks of considerable inconvenience and much aggravation. So much for Fahrvergnügen. It is clear to me that the joy of driving a VW ends where the repair and replacement bills begin.
A number of years ago, I ordered soil to put in a lawn. A dump truck drove onto my drive and damaged the concrete extensively. The cement guy said that the soil delivery driver was at fault. The delivery driver said that the cement guy was at fault. After some discussion, we reached a compromise wherein I broke up the drive and removed it, the driver paid for the concrete, and the concrete guy put in the concrete. No one was thrilled, but everybody accepted some responsibility and contributed to a remedy.
So, what did I expect in the way of redress from VW and Crown? While I didn’t expect that either the dealership or VW should cover the entire expense, I did believe that they should have admitted to some responsibility and share a portion of the financial burden that was imposed solely on me. I should not have had to bear the entire financial burden since I maintained the car as recommended and I didn’t abuse it. My expectation that the car wouldn’t fail me so completely and so soon was reasonable, and I feel that the two other parties should have put their heads together and offered me some form of financial relief. However, no proposal was ever forthcoming. If what happened to me was a freaky anomaly, then both other parties had good reason to ameliorate my expenses. If the problem is not rare but rather more common than is generally appreciated, then there is all the more reason to publicize the truth. Warren Buffet said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.†I guess that neither of the other parties subscribe to that line of thinking.
I’m not sure what category the essence of my complaint falls under (integrity, decency, ethics, fairness, or, perhaps trust?), but the penalty imposed upon me was just not right. My advice to anyone in the market for a VW is buyer beware. Unless you have an extra $15,000 just sitting around the house collecting dust, or you consider $15,000 to be mere chump change, careful consideration of the facts would be prudent. Since the VW representative offhandedly and emphatically slammed the door on any hope I might harbor about the possibility of receiving any alleviation from VW, I am left only to content and console myself by providing some critical information to any prospective VW customer that might be interested in how matters played out for me. The treatment I received was dismissive and shabby.
I want to give full credit to Ziggy Janz, the service consultant at Crown Motors, whom I dealt with almost exclusively. He was always, pleasant, helpful, professional, and courteous. I will also give the dealership a modicum of credit for loaning me a car for a few days and reducing the charge for a diagnostic investigation, even after learning that I intended to seek service elsewhere.
Finally, I would like to say to any prospective VW customer—GOOD LUCK!
- Charles G., Saugatuck, MI, US