Yeah, I would try harder to reach out to Audi corporate before heading toward a lawsuit. Someone at Audi USA has to be able to get their ducks in a row and figure this out. Unfortunately, the OP doesn't specify how much he has tried to reach Audi USA, but I would at least recommend he try harder before getting into legal recourse.

"To repeat, they called me to tell me my parts were in-stock. That the repairs were only to take a day.

So I bring the vehicle in and two week go by and I have heard nothing to the status of my vehicle."

Umn... who expects car repairs to take one day and then lets TWO WEEKS pass without a peep from the service department, and never calls about it?

That said, I have been nothing but disappointed with every dealership service department I have ever dealt with. My advice would be to take the car to another Audi dealer - occasionally, they will be eager to one-up their competition and will help you in rectifying at least some of the problems.

@jaya9581: When I had my car fixed, they said it was going to take a week. There was a holiday coming up, and the parts took a little more time to come in, so it ended up being two weeks. But the shop updated me every step of the way, and answered all of my questions about my car every step of the way. I'm not sure how a service department can just keep a car for two weeks without anyone calling about it.

@pecan 3.14159265: Problem is, corporate rarely cares as the dealers are not directly tied to the corporate office. You can complain, but rarely will it get you anywhere unless THEY feel threatened enough.

I would not even say the word 'lawsuit' until that was the last option and I was ready to follow through.

I worked customer service in several different industries and in all of them we were trained to stop working with customers who even hinted at legal action--we were to refer them directly to our legal department.

@Chris Holland: +1 to this, it will end you talking with Audi for the most part, but it almost seems like the end of that road anyhow.

ADLA might sing a different tune when they get the summons to be present at small claims court for the damage they caused.

My brother went down to LA and bought an A3 when the Canadian dollar was higher than the American dollar and the same thing happened to him when he got back to Canada. When it rained the trunk filled up with water and got into the amp in the trunk ruining it and Audi wanted close to $800 to replace the amp. After that strange electrical problems showed up like the airbag light coming on and off seemingly at random then the timing of the spark plugs totally went out, it was a nightmare. This is obviously a problem with these cars, as soon as I saw this I remembered what happened to him.

@Chris Holland: Although I do agree Andrew should contact Audi USA about this and see what they will do, it does seem to me to be the end of the road, already.

Do understand that filing the lawsuit does not mean it goes to court. It can simply mean that someone in the dealer's management will see that this is being treated seriously, and can result in a default judgment against them (which can lead to bank garnishment to get the judgment amount), along with even more bad publicity, if they ignore it. What most sane business will do is try to settle it. If it were me in this situation, I'd have it repaired elsewhere and include that bill in the lawsuit. I would not want them touching my car ever again. But I would want their money to cover all my loses and pay my lawyer.

Audi USA and all Audi dealerships in LA/Santa Monica are worthless. Santa Monica Audi treated my wife like crap and it took us 3-4 times to get one issue resolved and I swear they broke more than they fixed. Now we go to an awesome independent (Eurotech, talk to Jose) in Culver City and have had better work performed for half the price and none of the headache. Screw the stealerships.

@Chris Holland: Agreed. I was having severe issues with a Saturn dealership, and just to make a point about the existing problem with a certain engine of theirs, I told the service manager that, and I quote: "This is an ongoing issue, please don't lie and tell me you've never heard of the problem. There are MANY complaints to the NHTSA, and there's a class action against Saturn for --"

And he cut me right off, saying he could no longer speak to me because I had HINTED of a lawsuit. (In his terms, he said "You have used one of the words lawsuit, class action, attorney, lawyer, ETC and I can no longer speak to you.)

I tried to explain that I wasn't saying I was going to sue, I was just making a point that he was blatantly lying to me about a severe engine malfunction. He hung up on me and pretty much told me where to stick it.

A friend of mine bought two of those vehicles from the same dealer and had nothing but nightmares. One had the leaky trunk issue from day one, the other was a mechanical mess and was in the shop on what seemed like a weekly basis.

As in your case the dealer took no responsibility.

After contacting an attorney here in LA who then contacted the dealership the cars were returned and money refunded.

See if the issues you have are covered under the "California Lemon Law" at [www.ag.ca.gov]

I wish you the best and hope that the dealer decides to do the right thing. I still hope for that in people.

The only car that ever let me down and left me at the side of the road was an Audi. Don't get me wrong: as long as they're under warranty and constantly maintained, they're the perfect winter vehicle. Just don't decide to keep the car after the warranty runs out, you're begging for expensive maintenance and repairs. Things like heated steering wheels and 10-way power adjustable seats are great showroom selling features, but cost a fortune to fix when they inevitably stop working.

A little case in point: 4 years ago, I owned both an Audi A6 and a Volvo S-70 which were, at that time, about 5 years old each and coincidentally both needed some steering fluid. Cost for one same-sized can of steering fluid? $6 for the Volvo, $60 for the Audi.

@pecan 3.14159265: Hopefully Audi corporate can help. The dealerships are notoriously jerky. I've had 3 Audis and one time, our local dealership forgot to replace the washer on the drain bolt during a warranty-mandated oil change. The steel bolt fused to the aluminum oil pan. When I brought it in for the next oil change, they wanted to charge me for a new oil pan ($350) because they couldn't remove the bolt any longer. "Who was the idiot who changed your oil last?" they asked. "You did." was my smug reply. Suddenly they decided that tapping a new bolt was the way to go. Idiots.

I had similar service problems with a local Audi dealer here in Austin, TX a number of years ago (Charles Maund Audi). In my case, Audi corporate was very helpful, and due to my issues, as well as, I suspect, the complaints of others, Charles Maund eventually lost the Audi franchise.

In other words, don't give up.

Audi Downtown LA is not one of the best dealerships in the area, try Beverly Hills if you feel like another go at the dealer level.

But I would also reach out to Customer CARE:

1-800-822-AUDI and http://www.audiusa.com/audi/us/en2/forms/customer_relations.htx

Customer Satisfaction is the number one priority for the brand - this sort of bullshit will not go over well with the higher ups.

If you're forced down the lawsuit path, do you know anybody who has gone to court over something like this? Maybe talk to other local Audi owners? I imagine this dealership probably has some experience with lawsuits like this one and may have a specific strategy or angle that they push. Knowing their plan would be immensely helpful to you.

With auto sales down across the industry and all brands contemplating which dealerships to revoke, I would think that dealerships would be bending over backwards to keep customers from making a call to corporate. Maybe ADLA wants to go out of business.

@Skaperen: And try to get a deposition from ex-employee Susan. I'll bet she can help your case big time.

I had the same problem with my A6. Your sunroof drain is clogged somewhere on the backside of your car. It hits that clog and drains down into your trunk. According to AUDI this will not be covered by warrenty because they see it that same as you hitting something with you car. They blame you for the car drains getting clogged.

I can promise you this your problem

Noted on CivilTree "Recent Small Claims Filings & General News" - [www.civiltree.com]

Lawsuit Against: Audi of Downtown LA (DBA)
Location of Suit: CA
Amount Asking For: $3,500
Cause of Action: Negligence
Reason & Grounds of Suit: Plaintiff is claiming that the defendant was negligence and did not repair the vehicle during the scope of warranty. The defendants is operating under a DBA, CivilTree has found the main party.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone ever have this kind of problem with Toyota, Honda, Nissan or Hyundai? I mean I know that an Audi makes women think you are hotter, but I'm just wondering

A quick look on the web shows that this is a common problem. IF the OP is right in terms of the car becoming dirty then it might be the pollen filter got clogged. Here are some links that show it is a very easy fix.

[www.topix.com]

[www.audiforums.com]

@Radi0logy: Yes. I had a Pathfinder once where water leaked into the passenger foot well.

I have a Toyota 4runner that had a sunroof leak last year.

I knew a dude whose Hyundai leaked fluid of every color of the rainbow - simultaneously.

I once saw a Honda on the side of the road with white steam coming out of it.

Any other questions?

The only good thing about the way dealers' independence from the automakers is protected in the US is the fact that in a major city, there IS someplace else to go.

@rpm773:

The leaky Hyundai and what I presume was a coolant leak on the Honda don't really relate to this. This story is about the dealer reaction more than the problem, and only the first two examples even cover half of that. (Though Toyota and Honda dealers are known for being a little short with people, due to the fact that their shit pretty much doesn't stink.)

Oh, and I've seen Hondas broken down on the side of the road, too. I think it has to do with the fact that people think they're invincible, don't maintain them, and blast down desert highways at 90 miles an hour with max AC going when it's 115 degrees.

Audi is nothing more than a fancy VW. Unfortunately quality for both brands has declined over the years. They are nice looking and smooth riding, but overall they are overpriced german junk!

As far as these issues, take it to another dealer and they will try to make it right. I would contact the district manager for audi and they should get involved asap.

@Charles Gerk:

Either Andrew missed something before taking it in, or the dealer caused the clog.

Either way, once the problem manifested, if it was a known issue, you'd think the dealership would have at least told him what was wrong when they told him they weren't going to do anything about it.

@bkdlays: YES THEY ARE JUNK!

I didn't think it rained in Southern California.

@brokedickrooster: It doesn't rain except for maybe a few days of the year......but when it does, oh brother it POURS.

@rpm773:

I hope you're trying to say, all cars have problems basically. You must maintain them & even then you'll still have to fork out some $$ for repairs at some point. It's inevitable. For every negative example, there are just as many positive ones. I traded a 2001 Pathfinder for my wife's car in 2006 and I wish I still had it. It was perfect when I traded it in.

I have to admit I've not seen the outright arrogance & audacity that seems to be ADLA's MO. I hope you get this resolved, sooner rather than later.

@mariospants:

Because German steering fluid is made with beer extract and tastes better.

@Radi0logy: My Hyundai was purchased in South Bend, Indiana from a dealer that had so much difficulty filing the loan paperwork that they had to make my first payment for me because they screwed up so bad.

Moved to Los Angeles, Hyundai in downtown LA got my car for an oil change and whatever other scam work they claimed it needed to the tune of $480 and it couldn't pass smog at 3 years old. They didn't actually fix anything, just kept running the test till they got the software confused enough to pass it...fast forward another 2 years, car won't pass smog again...Hyundai of Glendale claims my 10 year 100,000 mile warranty is no good anymore because new cars only come with a 5 year warranty. They put my car on their computer and say it won't pass just because of some bad computer codes stuck in the system (????), STILL won't pass smog. I take it to an actual real live HONEST car repair place (Autobahn Car Repair on La Cienega just south of Pico) and they tell me it's the catalytic converter, they can replace it for like $1000 but they tell me that Hyundai has to replace it under Federal and California emissions warranty. Armed with that info, Hyundai of glendale fixed the car.

So yeah, Hyundai sucks too.

@jaya9581: I'm not sure how a service department can just keep a car for two weeks without anyone calling about it.

Dude

Where's my car?

@Telekinesis123: The problem with your brother's Audi seems to have originated at the factory, whereas the problem with Andrew's Audi started after the dealer's service department messed with it.

@Radi0logy: In 1990 or so, I found an '87 Chevy Nova (essentially a rebadged Toyota Corolla) for my father to buy. It was being offered for sale by a college student who had bought it when it was a dealer demo. We washed the car and then saw water in the hatch area. I did a little poking around and found a spot where there was some "goop" applied, obviously in an effort to stop this leak. Through a little experimentation, I found that water was going in from a spot other than the area that had goop on it. I applied some silicone caulk to that spot and that was the end of it. Kind of amazing that I, who do not do much handyman-type work, was able to fix a leak that a dealer's service department could not.

It is not Audi's fault that you're dumb enough to drive in the rain!

That happened with a grand marquis I recently bought. After mentioning this to my mechanic after having something else done he just went and applied silicone sealant to some holes on the bottom end of the truck door and that seemed to fix it.

It seemed that water was leaching through those holes through the latch mechanism and into the trunk like a straw.

Having first-hand experience with VW dealerships, it always takes two trips to fix something. My old GTI, my wife's old Jetta, my current GLI; take it to the dealer, they fix "something" and you drive it away and the problem persists.

I got 200 feet down the road before I realized they hadn't properly fixed the shifter linkage in my 03 GTI (common problem, part is never stocked) and had to turn around. They had just popped the rod end back on instead of ordering the part to replace the worn out one.

There was a TSB on some leaky o-ring around the headlight assembly on my '06 GLI. Dealership apparently needed to drop the bumper cover to do it. When they put it back on, the left-side amber light on the bumper wasn't attached. The left side fog light was improperly reinstalled and broken. The right side was both broken AND the bulb was resting on the edge of the plastic reflector because the reflector base was destroyed when being reassembled. Fortunately there was no fire but it was melting a lot of the plastic before the glass broke.

Bottom line: great cars, usually half-ass service. At least my dealership has been decent about re-doing repairs.

@jaya9581: My car gets fixed in one day.

Audi dealers are idiots. My friend took his A4 in for service after some weird electrical problem. When he got back, the dash display screen didnt work. They claimed it wasnt their fault, and it must have broke on its own. He filed some letters to Audi and the BBB about how they must think he is an idiot if his screen broke on its own while somebody was working inside the dash with the electrical system. Audi said it stood by their dealership.

I will never buy Audi.

@Andy Barlow: That's basically it. I've owned BMWs and I've owned Nissans and Toyotas. I've had problems with all of them - problems maintenance would not have prevented, and I've had service departments for all of them that have gone the extra mile to accommodate me in my situation at the time.

Overall, one brand/model may have better reliability numbers than another, but that doesn't mean a Hyundai/Toyota/Honda is immune to problems.

Great service department. What kind of mechanic puts the rotors on the wrong sides? Did the dumbass managed the get the brake pads in wrong too? That place sounds wonderful(not). I would suggest getting a lawyer and getting rid of your Audi/VW/shitbox.

You would have to suspect that the Audi dealership would really try to help this guy out considering the amount of money he had to put out for the A8. The starting amount for this model of car is just over $74,000.

Sad to say in the least that he is having these sort of problems with such a high end car.

yeah, go to a different dealer for service. the dealers are a hit or a miss. when you find a good one, never leave it. then contact audi north america about your problems.

I too have had problems with my Audi dealership. I purchased my 2001 Audi TT from Bert Wolf Audi and I have had the worse dealership experience of any car I have ever owned. It took a month to get a clutch slave cylinder installed. At one point it took them an hour just to FIND my car when i had to get something from it during its time in the shop. I will never purchase another Audi product.

@mariospants: 60$ power steering fluid...you know it's all the same and walmart sells it for 2$ right?

@bkdlays:

The fact you think Audis are nothing more than fancy VWs tells me you have never actually owned one... or even driven one for that matter.

I've owned two VWs and an Audi, and although they share the same parent company there is honestly no comparison. Everything in the Audi is superior from the power, to the creature comformts, to the quality of the leather, to the fit and finish and even to the dealership experience (Audi service advisors treat you like a human instead of a number, and they wash your car even if you only came in for an oil change).

As far as quality declining over the years the opposite is true. Audi had some quality issues in the late 1990s and early 2000s but they have actually improved greatly since then. Newer Audis are much more reliable and independent reviews like Consumer Reports have validated that fact.

The major problem with Audi is that when something goes wrong it is expensive to repair. I often see people in their low 20s buy Audi A4s and A6s because on the used market they can be pretty cheap, but the first time they take it in and find out it needs a timing belt replaced and the bill is $1500 they think Audis are junk. In reality it is normal maintenance, but on a Honda Civic that repair might be $300 - on an Audi it is much more.

The moral to the story is when you buy a luxury vehicle there are more features and gadgets that can and do break. The parts originate in Germany, and since Audis are relatively rare in compared to a Toyota Camry or a Chevy Cobalt, the parts are more expensive.

This is why people need to determine if they can afford to own a car before they buy it. I'm not talking about being able to afford to buy it, but being able to afford to OWN it. The two are vastly different concepts. If you income doesn't allow you to shed $1000 for a few sensors and an oil change, then an Audi (or BMW, Mercedes, Lexus etc) are not for you.