ComplaintsforVolkswagen Santa Monica

• Initial Complaint

  12/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I have a service package on my leased Jetta that covered all service. The first time my auto-stop feature engaged on my new car in 2021, the brakes started squealing. I brought the car in to Volkswagen Santa Monica no less than seven times asking them to fix the brake problem. Their service department kept insisting there was no problem. This is what brakes sound like now, lady. Three years of squealing brakes later, they are now grinding, metal on metal. I brought them in immediately and VW Santa Monica says oh darn your service package has expired. It only. Covered ****** and ***** mile services. My car now has ***** miles and I had the ***** miles service done ther e a few months ago. At that time I had also insisted that there was a brake problem and was again told the brakes were fine. So, VW Santa Monica has repeatedly told me my brakes are fine until they are now dangerously not fine and my covered service in their mind, has all be done and no coverage exists at this point. So gee sorry maam you have to pay us $800 to fix a problem weve been lying to you about being fine for three years. So fine. I took it over to ***************** on Pico and they fixed the brakes and did a better job, with higher quality parts, for $300.

• Initial Complaint

  03/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I have a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas that has always been serviced at Volkswagen Santa Monica. I use to get very good service there but lately the staff has changed. I've been having issues with the Forward Collision Warning and Front Assist sensors. I had the same issues in July 2020 at around ****** miles. I brought the car in to service and they told me they just needed to Recalibrate the sensors. It made the warning light go away but I always had issues with the sensors randomly going off without me being close to a vehicle in front of me. Even on the freeway at 65mph sometimes the sensors would go off with warnings. When the front assist goes off the car will suddenly brake and slow down. It's happened multiple times and has almost caused me to get into an accident instead of avoiding one. The warning light has again come on saying Front Assist not available. My car has never been in an accident and there is absolutely no damage to the front of my car or the emblem where the sensor is. I brought the car in to Santa Monica now with ****** miles and they are refusing to repair the issue under warranty. I'm asking for the sensor to be replaced since it keeps going off randomly and they are telling me it only needs to be recalibrated again. They want to charge me $438 for this repair even though the car has a 7 year ****** mile, bumper to bumper warranty. Instead of doing the right thing for the customer and repairing the vehicle. This is totally unfair and unacceptable.

• Initial Complaint

  02/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  The service department at Volkwagen Santa Monica :**** Santa Monica Blvd Santa Monica, ** ***** ************** is attempting to convince me to drive on a clearly damaged tire. I personally witnessed the tire deflate and touched the hole as air poured out. Then I personally used the fix-a-flat repair sealant and watched it come out of the tire like a fountain and deflate again. So I had the car towed to get a new one. They are claiming they cant find any damage but you can literally see the sealant on the hole and sealant all over the wheel well. The directions on the sealant clearly state to replace the tire and not keep driving on it but this business wants me to drive on it and possibly get killed. They are dangerous to the community. This started on 01/23/2023 and is still pending

  Customer response

  01/30/2023

  The technicians are certified by Volkswagen *** and the service center relies on their expert opinion

• Initial Complaint

  02/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I have tried to schedule a service appointment based on the fact that my car started to get a different noise from the engine and I'm wondering and trying to have it checked before any other problems may arise but every time I try to schedule a appointment I'm told that they are very busy and not to worry because the car it's still under warranty and I can check with them "later on".

• Initial Complaint

  11/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  My Volkswagen Tiguan with a dealer sold extended warranty was totaled July 15, 2022. Proof of total loss was faxed to the provider, following the *** Cancellation process on July 26, 2022. I was told the selling dealer, Volkswagen Santa Monica would provide the refund via check in 6-8 weeks. I waited over 10 weeks before reaching out repeatedly to Santa Monica Volkswagen to get the status on my refund beginning in October 2022. Since then, I have been contacting them regularly, only to be given a litany of excuses including being told they need proof of loss (again!), it's (the refund) in process, the refund request needs to go to accounting, the refund is in the mail, someone will check and call me back (they never did), etc. I have now been told that if the check isn't here by Friday, I must call so they can stop payment. When the check is finally reissued, I will have to pick it up personally because they will NOT overnight the check. This is outrageous! The LEAST they can do is express mail the check, so I am not further inconvenienced after nearly 6 months of patiently waiting for my money.There is a cost for me not having access to these funds-What if those funds were needed to get a replacement vehicle? They clearly have no urgency in meeting their obligation to me. Further, it is clear to me that the person I have been dealing the most with on this issue, *****************************, is irritated with my persistence. Even after speaking with ****************** on Saturday and being assured that I would receive an update call on Monday, I had to call after 5pm, knowing that there would be yet another excuse, which there was. I am justifiably dissatisfied with their service and lack of empathy for my situation. I asked to speak with management and was told there is NO ONE who can accommodate my request to be paid and have the payment sent overnight.I should NOT have to drive to Santa Monica to pick up an overdue payment.

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Hello, I would like to file a complaint regarding the service received at Volkswagen Santa Monica, located at 2440 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404. I own a 2018 Tiguan, which was leased for 3 years, The lease was expiring on 2/21/2022, so I took the car in on 2/3/2022 to resolve a few issues while the warranty was still in effect: -the rear view mirror -the radio -the lane change sensor on the right side, which lit up even when there was no car present The last one was my main complaint. I dropped off the car at the service department, and the adviser called me after they investigated the problems. He stated that the VW emblem was cracked, that all the sensors were located behind the emblem, and he told me that it would cost $908.45 to fix the problem. I gave him the ok, figuring that at some point the lane change sensor would need to be fixed. The entire time I thought that we were talking about that sensor, since I didn't have any issues with any of the others. I did tell him that I didn't quite understand how the emblem could be cracked, because the car was not involved in any type of collision. The next day, when I went to pick up the car, and I read the service report, I was shocked: it listed all sorts of problems with the front camera and sensor, which I never had any problem with, and it said that the "Customer States" that the car was hit, the emblem was cracked, and that as a result of that, all the sensors were affected. THIS WAS TOTALLY FALSE! In reading the report further, I noticed that the Lane Change sensor had a problem that was known to them since January of 2019, that I was never notified about, and that required a simple software update. I asked to see the actual cracked emblem, which I have in my possession. The only damage to it is a small chip on the upper rim, which could only be caused by the insertion of a small sharp object - such as a screwdriver - behind it in order to pop it off. There is no indication whatsoever of any impact from the front, and the back of it is completely intact. I have the opportunity to see the front of the car every day, because of our parking situation, and I can state for a fact that THAT CHIP WAS NOT THERE when we took the car in for service. I discussed all this with both the Service and the General Manager of the dealership, who were not only not helpful, but extremely condescending. They both told me that if I was unhappy I could contact Volkswagen of America, probably knowing full well that they would solve nothing, and that they would refer me right back to them. The resolution that I am seeking is a full refund of the $908.45, and an apology for fabricating false information. Please review the attachments below. Thank you, ************* ************************************* ************

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