I've been having a bit of push back from various audi service departments on my 2006 A4 purchased in the USA as a CPO. First, they tried to tell me that the vehicle extended warranty didn't apply in Canada, Audi North America told them otherwise.

Second, I had to go in for my 85k service (I'm in traveling sales so I rack on mileage like crazy, put on about 25k since February), so they quoted me $450 in dealership A, $250 at dealership B. I got the service done at dealership B.

But Dealership B ain't all fine and honest either, they discovered an issue with the solenoid valve in the turbo so warranty work needed to be done. They tried to bill me $100 for my deductible, when I knew dealership A charges $50. I called Audi North America and they told me that $50 is what the deductible should be.

So I got the warranty work at dealership A. Literally an hour after getting it 'fixed', the check engine light comes back on and it feels just like it did when the valve was acting up. I called dealership A to inform them of this, and he pretty much hinted to me that there's a good chance that there'll be another $50 deductible involved if I bring it in.

I was always under the impression that the deductible stands until the issue is cleared. He told me the policy is "if we send it out and the light is off, if the light comes on again, and it's not the exact same part, we'll charge you again". So in other words "if we don't fix it right the first time, we'll charge you in our future attempts to fix it right".

Are they discriminating against me because I'm resisting their inflated maintenance prices? Are they discriminating against me because I purchased the car in New Jersey and imported it back up to Canada?

What should I do? I will take it back in for service to get this issue resolved, if they try to charge me another deductible, I will file a formal complaint about the dealership to Audi North America. But as these are the only 2 Audi dealerships in my area that I can deal with, I'm pretty much screwed if this goes to war. What do I do?

 

Agreed, my friend bought a car in the states as well and he still had the US plates on while he was getting the importation things sorted out the so called "Dealer" called the cops on him as the registration was illegal in their eyes, even though my friend had all the paperwork set up and the car was properly registered they stated that the cops were roaming around their private parking lot and decided to check it out!!! WTF!!!

 

So what will it take to get the respect that I'm entitled to? Do dealerships have free reign to do what they want and is Audi NA powerless to do anything to them? Anyone in the industry know if there's anything I can do without starting a war? What good is an extended warranty that I went out of my way to buy into if I have to pay a $50 deductible every time that they don't even fix the car?

 

most manufacturers have a neutral 3rd party that works in the interest of the customer.

My brothers girlfriend has a 2001 Corolla, 2 months before the cars warranty was up, she got the radio replaced, less than 3 months later it failed again (toyota Kwality isn't all its made out to be)
she went to the dealer to get it replaced and they said "f**k you" because the car was out of warranty.
So she made a point that the part should be expected to last more than 3 months, its defective, and the part itself should carry its own warranty (of course it does, all parts carry a warranty)

so she got out the owners manual, found the number for a 3rd party that Toyota provides to customers, told them her situation, and a day later the dealer called back agreeing to replace the radio rather than face thousands of dollars in legal bills over something that costs them $50.

my advice: don't buy a new US car, buy a used Canadian one instead. the only time i would consider buying a car from the US is if it was like a used lotus elise because they cost $20K there, and $60K here, for a $40K savings, warranty can take a hike.
Unfortunately that is not the case, US elises aren't allowed in Canada because the 3 lotus dealers in Canada want to charge everyone $75,000 for a car that costs the same as a miata in the rest of the world.
the sentiment: "all i need is one good customer" comes to mind.

 

I'm an Audi Service Consultant, let me try to shed some light on this for you:

Firstly, keep in mind that labour rates differ from dealership to dealership. It's based on the demographic of the area. Parts quotes and prices wil be the same everywhere, so if you were to go to Dealer X in Buttfcuk Nowhere, their labour rate is likely to be lower than Dealer Y in Downtown Busyville.

Second. Audi Canada (situated in Ajax, ON) has policies that differ from Audi U.S.A. (situated in Auburn Hills, MI). Even though Audi's Original Factory (4 Year/80,000km) North American Warranty is transferable, CPO Warranties get poked at by the recieving end. (Canada in this case.)

Third: Most, no wait, ALL Audi dealerships SHOULD have a 1 Year/20,000km parts and workmanship warranty or services they provide! Meaning, if the car was fixed, and the same problem occurs within that time, with that exact same part or service (provided no evidence of irresponsibility), the same dealer should honour the fact that they screwed up (or otherwise) and provide the same repair an NO COST. We're in the business of FIXING & MAINTAINING cars, not doing BAND-AID solutions for the moment.

The issue: Cross-Border shopping, especially in today's economy, is inevitable. You're not the only Joe & Bob going stateside to buy a used vehicle, whether it's an Audi, BMW, Nissan or Bentley. That being said, it really makes no difference where the car is from, because the fact of the matter is, you're bringing us money. [I just cashed out a customer who purchased an R8 stateside, and shipped it to our dealer. Canadian DOT standards demand a different front bumper from the ones in the U.S. due to statistical crash ratings. The guy paid over $6200 to "Canadianize" the car, and of course, we welcomed him with open arms.] The point is, discrimination against where you bought the car is unlikely.

Solution: Whoever did the work, go back. If it's not the exact same part or problem occuring, tell them to prove it. Engine lights are diagnosed by scanning it with a computer, and each workorder will have a printout of the readout attached to it. Warranty work CANNOT be done, unless the computer puts out a FAULT. (Audi wants a reason why they're spending money to fix this problem.) If it is the EXACT same issue, tell them to fix it! That's what they're there for! If it goes nowhere after that, escalate the situation with higer power. Just line up your ducks before you shoot.

 

^^^hmmm.... thanks for the update, so does that mean he does not have to pay the $50 deductible again?

 

Thanks for the insider's info.

I bought an 07 S4 3 months ago and have had it in a couple of times (low steering fluid, low oil). They greeted me with a smile and topped up both fluids. No charge. 20 minutes. They even washed my car. Audi Centre Oakville. Good chaps there. Service anyway.

The business manager (who I returned my leased car to) was pissed i bought in the US and tried to scare me with 'I've heard horror stories'. Haha.

I just told her..."Find me a low km 2007 S4, silver, loaded and I'll agree with your suggestion I should have bought here. There are five CPO 2007 S4 sedans available in CANADA (yes all of Canada). There were 14 silver ones alone in the US."

Their own sales reps tried for 3 months to find me one as my lease approached expiry. They were unsuccesful.

 

OUCH on the S4 count.. i plan on buying a b7 s4 avant come next spring and i'm more than likely going down to the US to get it unless the dollar changes or something changes here

 

That's what I was looking for.
There were (and are) zero for sale in Canada via Audi CPO. There was a guy in Alberta with a perfect one. Grey, all-leather, loaded with every option.He imported it from the US. He was asking $62,000. I told him I'd pay no more than $47,000 CDN but he didn't bite. He reduced to $55,000, but that's still way more than I'd pay in the us.

I tried to find an S4 Avant in the states, but was also unsuccesful. Americans like giant SUVs...not 340hp uber-wagons!

There are a few out there. I'd advise you to start looking now...get a feel for the market and whats out there. cars.com and autotrader.com are good to start.

Give yourself 3 months lead time to find a car and give yourself about 3 weeks to import one. Then go read my post (its a sticky) on how I imported my S4...and you're set!

 

The REALITY of a situation like this is that Canadian Auto Sales (not just Audi) are going down the tubes because of the obvious recession the US is in. Our dollar being better is AMAZING news for the consumer, but BAD for business. Plain & simple. I have nothing against buying from a dealer in the States. I would hope that the level of quality at a Dealer across the way, is equal to the courtesy we offer as Canadians. We're all customers in one way or another, so if you are willing to drive 5,000km to save $15,000 on a car, then why the **** wouldn't you?! Right?! Anyway, the horror stories come from buying from "Bob Smith" at Bob's Used Cars in Buttfcuk, Nowhere or buying a car from a private seller in Wherever, Whosville. Catch my drift? So, yeah, a them being upset is a reaction you will get from certain places. Our sales department is the same way, but in the end; who's money is it anyway? YOURS.
Enjoy your S4.