Volkswagen should buy back its lemon vehicles, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
Dogandlemon.com editor Clive Matthew-Wilson says:
"Volkswagen Australia was recently forced to recall thousands of cars for a transmission problem. However, this problem was only one of a number of serious problems affecting Volkswagen vehicles."
"Some owners have had nothing but hell since they first bought their cars. Many owners have had multiple problems with their Volkswagen vehicles from new."
"To add insult to injury, the recent scandal over Volkswagen problems has made many Volkswagen vehicles virtually unsellable. Therefore, it’s up to Volkswagen to buy these cars back, because no one else wants them."
Perth couple Karen and Andrew Marsegaglia bought a brand new VW Polo and Golf in 2006.
Karen says:
“We had problems with both of these cars, the Golf being the worst. We were in peak traffic on the freeway doing 100kp/h, when the car made a horrendous noise and started losing power. We couldn’t select any gear other than second."
"Volkswagen’s 24hr roadside rescue refused to come out because it was 5pm on a Saturday, so we limped home in second gear."
"The following Monday, the dealers wanted us to help pay for the tow truck to get the car to the workshop. They said they’d only pay for a tow if we were close by, even though our car was brand new and still under warranty "
"The Golf was repaired, but has given nothing but trouble since, including idling issues, instrument problems, together with the failure of both the exterior paint and the interior headlining. After admitting the problem, the dealer refused to repaint the car and instead tried to sell us another Volkswagen as a solution."
"I was told that these cars are not built for the severe weather we experience here in Australia! I was told to use a sun visor, a dash mat and to avoid leaving the car in the sun, especially during summer. They even tried to blame the weather when the dashboard instruments packed up – twice!"
"The car leaked, which wrecked the hood lining. The dealer replaced the hood lining, but didn’t solve the leaks. The new roof lining has water stains on it. The dealer told me not to park on hills when it's raining, which is clearly a hopeless response."
"We now have a car that cost us $44,000.00 and is now virtually worthless. There isn't a car yard that wants to trade it.”
Matthew-Wilson adds:
"Volkswagen really needs to take ownership of these problems. There's nothing more damaging to your brand than an angry customer. Volkswagen now has thousands of angry customers across Australia. These customers aren't going to quietly go away. Volkswagen has two choices: it can sort their issues or buy back their cars. If Volkswagen doesn't do either, the brand may be damaged forever."
