f115QT

Downtown Audi is no better. I'm never giving them any serious business and I'm always annoyed to deal with them when I have to (parts desk notwithstanding).

I had my AR go in for a small recall. As a normal part of the process they do a visual inspection of the car and have you sign off on it. Word to the wise: get a photocopy for your records right then and there.

When I returned the car had passenger side bumper & quarter panel damage. It looked like a truck had backed into it. There was huge gouge running from the tip of the bumper right to my wheel well. Of course I got into it with them and they presented me with an altered copy of the inspection sheet. I'm not even kidding. My signature was still on the dotted line. Nothing I could do. End of story except to know that I had been professionally burned.

I don't ever buy new anyway so part of could give a **** what sort of snakes they are. But I have to say - nearly every time I've gone there *something* has happened and every time they try to cover their asses and pass the buck. I'm not even exaggerating. Nearly. Every. Time. I've owned several Audis in the last 15 years so my trips to the shop and parts desk are frequent enough. I couldn't imagine getting roped into leases with pretty much any Audi stealership in Toronto.

pablo_ottawa

Let's not forget that the dealerships ARE franchises. Not all Audi dealerships are a$$es

f115QT

Sure they are, but the brand has a standard to set, particularly at this price point, so bad dealerships damage the brand as a whole. I have less trust in any dealership as a result. I find it worse that I have to seek out the honest ones. Why should I have to make time for that? I already decided it was too much risk at that price point, so no one gets my money. The on the ground face of Audi hasn't delivered the integrity I expect when compared to the brand I like. It would be wise for those other franchises to pipe up and put the others in their association in their place.

As a kind reminder, I'm a solid Audi fan and have been for a very, very long time - since about 1980 in fact. I just find other ways to get my cars.

pablo_ottawa

"I find it worse that I have to seek out the honest ones. Why should I have to make time for that?"

Because no matter how much a company will try to standardize their franchise model, in the end, it is still up to the franchisee to make the final decisions and these decisions are based on the franchise owner's vision of how his or her business should run. Therefore, some dealerships are better than others. This is true at ANY DEALERSHIP. In the end I'd have to agree, a good honest mechanic at a good honest garage will always beat a dealership in price and quality of service. There you'll find a more personalized approach to caring for your car BUT!!!!- only if they are passionate about Audis.

f115QT

Well Pablo, you've only re-enforced my opinion. No matter what Audi expects, the dealer wants to run their business how they want. My experiences have shown me that they don't adhere to the integrity I expect of the luxury brand I'm buying.

I imagine that Audi sets certain standards that it expects of its franchisees. Cash alone may not let you in the door to be an owner. We can be pretty certain that duping clients isn't part of that vision. So, with that said, I don't owe any dealers more of my time. I have three indy Audi shops I deal with and all of them know their stuff. They outrun the dealers by a long shot technically. But that's not really my issue. My issue is trust. Once the trust is lost, it's over. Note that I only showed up because of a recall notice, not because I wanted to deal with them specifically.

Really, there's no need to dispute it with me. I made this decision ages ago and my story above only sealed it further for me. I still drive the cars, after all. I just can't leave my keys with any of these guys.

cheeba

I don't ascribe to the franchisee-is-what's-wrong-with-Audi's-service theory. Different manufacturers have a totally different 'feel' and service quality to them, and it's not due to luck of the draw, but rather their management of the dealer network. I'm a firm believer that poor performance is ultimately due only to poor management - it's not like a company as vast as VAG does not monitor their service quality and make decisions based on that data. Sure, an exceptional franchise owner can have a great dealership, but the responsibility to do so ultimately rests on VAG's shoulders.

I love VAG, but their dealer network, customer service, and recall performance is absolutely pitiful; and, is a stark contrast to some of the Japanese manufacturers.

eleanorm

Hello, does anyone know where I can get Audi Quattro, A4, 2.0 (2014 Year) Tail Light Cover for a decent price? any only sale places etc, thank you!

Vaks

Purchased my 2013 A4 CPO only a few months ago (November 2015) at Audi Uptown in Markham. The sales associate that I dealt with was amazing, his name is Michael Marcon. My father spoke with Michael first and I went to go check out the car on a different day. Right when I walked into the dealership Michael approached me and we had a great conversation (great customer service is where its at!). He was very patient with me and after a couple weeks of deciding and tons of emails I finally went and purchased the vehicle. I would highly recommend anyone looking for an Audi to go speak too him first.

The day I picked up my Audi I could tell there was a scrape on my driver side mirror so Michael called a service associate for me to fill it up with paint touch up. But after closer inspection it was actually caused from something rubbing against it and was removed easily with a microfiber towel (shouldn't have been there in the first place). After a few weeks of ownership once the weather dropped I felt a little shake while I cold started my car (thought it was a misfire but there was no codes or check engine light). On top of that there was a small rattle noise whenever I hit a pothole and my dad (a 25yr mechanic) after inspecting the car thoroughly and driving it on the highway, told me there was a slight bearing noise. After taking it to the service center and leaving her there for the day. They gave me an A4 loaner through I think Thrifty car rental, and even though I brought it back with the same amount of fuel charged me $10 for no reason!! Even when I was switching into the the loaner the rental associate was being so annoying over where the fuel meter was at....I didn't make a hassle out of it). So I went and picked up my Audi a couple days after and after speaking with Andrew all I was told was the shake was nothing really big other then some air in the lines, the rattle was caused by some weather stripping (I still hear it sometimes but I avoid potholes/bumps in the road usually) and the bearing noise actually was from the front tire being "out of round". Shouldn't the front tires have been replaced if they didn't meet the Audi 300 point inspection? The only thing I feel that they somewhat accomplished was a car wash and even that wasn't done properly as I could tell it was run through a touch wash and the rear didn't get washed properly (Touch washes are a huge nono for me, I hate swirls in my paint). Also they moved the stuff that was in my door to check into the rattle, but they just left all my stuff all over the back seat and didn't even have the audacity to put them back in the door pocket.

Recently my brakes have started to squeel even though I was told I would get new brakes/rotors before I took ownership of the vehicle. I didn't notice the squeel as I listen to music moderately loud until one of my friends pointed it out. It's really annoying whenever I'm stopping at a red light. I wish I saw this thread before purchasing my Audi, but after reading this I might actually head over to PFAFF Audi to get my service done from now on. I'll provide an update once I actually go in to have my car checked over there.

circle

So from what I'm reading, basically don't take your audi in to any audi dealerships...

KidA

Took mine to Audi in Ottawa. They were alright however, they drove my car 140 km to test drive to make sure it was working well. I brought it in for a misaligned headlight.