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Hey gang, I (about 6 weeks ago) got a new 2008 Black 4dr GTI Auto with iPod adapter.
When the salesman drove it around to hand me the key we noticed that half of the LEDs on the third brake light were not on. I thought this odd because LEDs basically never burn out. So the guy said it should most likely be a while-you-wait kind of fix and they they would order a replacement immediately and install it when I came back in in about a week to get my new license plate put on. The rear doors are also "raspy" when going over bumps sometimes or when the stereo is pounding--so they say they will tighten it up then as well.
So anyway, the plate comes in but the part doesn't. At this point the entire third brake light is now out. About 3 days later the part comes in so I take my GTI up there and they ask me if I want to wait and I say that I have to get into work so just give me a valet ride into town.
So I get a call about 4 hours later from VW service saying that "Volkswagen is telling us the third brake light is part of the rear spoiler so the spoiler needs to be removed. They say that it has to be "pried up in 5 spots so it doesn't break." I say "well, what can I do? Nothing. So go ahead and do it I guess if it's the only way to fix it." So they take off the spoiler and break it in the process.
So now they have to order a new spoiler. it takes days to come in (the whole time they have me in a RENTAL CHEVY AVEO! I live 40 miles away from the dealership and have to drive about 100 miles a day in this piece or crap).
Then the spoiler comes in and it's unpainted. So the local body shop that the dealer uses has to color match it to the original car. They do it and it takes a couple of days and they are done on a Friday but don't want to release it into the moisture because they want the glue to set up more. So I don't get the car back for one week total for this "while you wait fix."
then, I finally get it back and it seems to be working fine. Two days later I come out and the engine light is on and the tire pressure light is on. The tell me the tire pressure light is just a "physics thing" because it was the first hard cold night of hte year--I'll buy that. The engine they don't know so i have to bring it in to have the tire pressure sensor reset/re-dialed-in and they tell me that the engine needs something called a "breather." It's not supposed to be driven so it will have to stay overnight so they can order the part. Another rental for me (Dodge Nitro this time).
So the next day they call me and tell me the part came in and they replaced it and the engine light is still on--they tell me they are now "taking parts of a new GTI on the lot to test some things on my car." More time in the rental.
finally, they call me yesterday and tell me that it's some kind of valve and gasket that needs to be replaced and that THE PART HAS NOT YET BEEN MANUFACTURED BY VW! So it's a 8-10 day wait for this part to come in (some kind of valve ending in the letter G whereas the one that is on the car ends in E. They say they skipped F altogether. they say that I can drive it though and that there is "zero percent chance of doing any damage to the car or else they wouldn't put me back in it).
So I drive it and there seems to be less torque. Also, when I put the accelerator down sometimes the gears seem not to throw me back into my seat as it had done before but steadily accelerate and it feels more like I am being "pulled" rather than like a rocketship blasting off (I would compare it to the difference between old rollercoasters which shoot your ass out of there [like how my GTI was at first] and the new ones that pull you smooth and fast by using pulleys and flywheels).
I call them and they say that valve/gasket issue may create "fuel/air mixture problems but shouldn't affect engine performance."
The car seemed pretty normal on the way in today but did seem to be a little low on torque.
So, my big worry is that there is something wrong with this car and I was just trying to solicit ideas about what I should do? Should I just hope that this valve/gasket fixes everything? I don't know what makes a car a lemon or "returnable/exchangable" but is that a path available to me? OR can I trade it in after it being one month old for a different car? Would they even do that? Would I get like 18,000 for a car that cost 26,000 6 weeks ago? I actually had enough money to buy the car flat out (I paid around 25,500) so what about maybe trading it in for a new Eos? I always said I wanted a convertible as my next car (I said that when I owned my 2003 Jetti 1.8T GLS) but the Eos was just too expensive but then my grandparents out of the blue paid off my student loan and car loan (and now I believe in god).
Anyway, I am totally rambling but I am just giving my sad story and asking for any feedback on all of this and what you all might do if you were in my spot?
When the salesman drove it around to hand me the key we noticed that half of the LEDs on the third brake light were not on. I thought this odd because LEDs basically never burn out. So the guy said it should most likely be a while-you-wait kind of fix and they they would order a replacement immediately and install it when I came back in in about a week to get my new license plate put on. The rear doors are also "raspy" when going over bumps sometimes or when the stereo is pounding--so they say they will tighten it up then as well.
So anyway, the plate comes in but the part doesn't. At this point the entire third brake light is now out. About 3 days later the part comes in so I take my GTI up there and they ask me if I want to wait and I say that I have to get into work so just give me a valet ride into town.
So I get a call about 4 hours later from VW service saying that "Volkswagen is telling us the third brake light is part of the rear spoiler so the spoiler needs to be removed. They say that it has to be "pried up in 5 spots so it doesn't break." I say "well, what can I do? Nothing. So go ahead and do it I guess if it's the only way to fix it." So they take off the spoiler and break it in the process.
So now they have to order a new spoiler. it takes days to come in (the whole time they have me in a RENTAL CHEVY AVEO! I live 40 miles away from the dealership and have to drive about 100 miles a day in this piece or crap).
Then the spoiler comes in and it's unpainted. So the local body shop that the dealer uses has to color match it to the original car. They do it and it takes a couple of days and they are done on a Friday but don't want to release it into the moisture because they want the glue to set up more. So I don't get the car back for one week total for this "while you wait fix."
then, I finally get it back and it seems to be working fine. Two days later I come out and the engine light is on and the tire pressure light is on. The tell me the tire pressure light is just a "physics thing" because it was the first hard cold night of hte year--I'll buy that. The engine they don't know so i have to bring it in to have the tire pressure sensor reset/re-dialed-in and they tell me that the engine needs something called a "breather." It's not supposed to be driven so it will have to stay overnight so they can order the part. Another rental for me (Dodge Nitro this time).
So the next day they call me and tell me the part came in and they replaced it and the engine light is still on--they tell me they are now "taking parts of a new GTI on the lot to test some things on my car." More time in the rental.
finally, they call me yesterday and tell me that it's some kind of valve and gasket that needs to be replaced and that THE PART HAS NOT YET BEEN MANUFACTURED BY VW! So it's a 8-10 day wait for this part to come in (some kind of valve ending in the letter G whereas the one that is on the car ends in E. They say they skipped F altogether. they say that I can drive it though and that there is "zero percent chance of doing any damage to the car or else they wouldn't put me back in it).
So I drive it and there seems to be less torque. Also, when I put the accelerator down sometimes the gears seem not to throw me back into my seat as it had done before but steadily accelerate and it feels more like I am being "pulled" rather than like a rocketship blasting off (I would compare it to the difference between old rollercoasters which shoot your ass out of there [like how my GTI was at first] and the new ones that pull you smooth and fast by using pulleys and flywheels).
I call them and they say that valve/gasket issue may create "fuel/air mixture problems but shouldn't affect engine performance."
The car seemed pretty normal on the way in today but did seem to be a little low on torque.
So, my big worry is that there is something wrong with this car and I was just trying to solicit ideas about what I should do? Should I just hope that this valve/gasket fixes everything? I don't know what makes a car a lemon or "returnable/exchangable" but is that a path available to me? OR can I trade it in after it being one month old for a different car? Would they even do that? Would I get like 18,000 for a car that cost 26,000 6 weeks ago? I actually had enough money to buy the car flat out (I paid around 25,500) so what about maybe trading it in for a new Eos? I always said I wanted a convertible as my next car (I said that when I owned my 2003 Jetti 1.8T GLS) but the Eos was just too expensive but then my grandparents out of the blue paid off my student loan and car loan (and now I believe in god).
Anyway, I am totally rambling but I am just giving my sad story and asking for any feedback on all of this and what you all might do if you were in my spot?
