I think I have a strong case so I have issued a claim in the small claims court. Looking forward to my day in court!
Air Con condenser - design fault??
- Thread starter Kempysue
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Fair play to you! Just make sure you so your homework and provide as much backup as possible as you are taking on a big boy!!!
At the very least hope it gives them a kick up the **** to put it right before the court issue goes much further...
ACWKGYTO
Registered User
I'm glad I read this...thank you
Unfortunately it just doesnt surprise me at all.
A new platform and the early purchasers should be rewarded with free fixes for items like this that are clearly going to cause problems
Audi's inconcistency with this shows a real lack of respect for its customers
The cars are not cheap at all, they need to pull their finger out
This really puts me off spending more money with Audi
I would be so angry about this, I know that doesnt help but I feel your pain !
Unfortunately it just doesnt surprise me at all.
A new platform and the early purchasers should be rewarded with free fixes for items like this that are clearly going to cause problems
Audi's inconcistency with this shows a real lack of respect for its customers
The cars are not cheap at all, they need to pull their finger out
This really puts me off spending more money with Audi
I would be so angry about this, I know that doesnt help but I feel your pain !
I do love a challenge (of taking on a big boy!) :icon_thumright:
Good luck. I hope the watchdog route pans out. I really do think Audi need better management around this - clearly something that 3 people on this little forum have been impacted by in early ownership is pretty significant. Oh well.
ACWKGYTO
Registered User
I'm a bit shocked and disheartened by this thread, but it was also useful to hear the truth about Audi and how greedy it is, Thats VAG group in general....they owe me from the past too !!! That was VW and Gilder Chesterfield proper scumbags
How the hell did I end up with an Audi and a VW after that experience. Maybe because I tried BMW and found they werent much better !!! Ha ha do all car brands treat their customers like crap ?
PS I have tweeted this forum thread link to @AudiUK #audi #audiS3
I will also be mentioning this to one of the Audi Customer services managers as I have a case open at present, and will let them know that I wont be buying any more cars from them unless their customer care and control over dealerships improves....
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I got a phone call from Audi out of the blue today after being quoted £750 for the new compressor. They rang me and told me that Audi UK were covering 70% of the bill and Audi Tyneside the rest of the 30%. Wow! I never even has a chance to complain! I was polite when picking my car up yesterday while plotting my next move.
The service I've had from Audi Tyneside has been fantastic from day one both sales and service. Reading between the lines it was very much lead by Audi Tyneside requesting the assistance of Audi UK. I'll definitely buy my next car from Audi Tyneside. Also, I think I'm going to write a letter of thanks to Audi UK and inform them of the fantastic service I've received.
Hope I'm not coming across as if I'm gloating! Hope everything works out for you guys too.
The service I've had from Audi Tyneside has been fantastic from day one both sales and service. Reading between the lines it was very much lead by Audi Tyneside requesting the assistance of Audi UK. I'll definitely buy my next car from Audi Tyneside. Also, I think I'm going to write a letter of thanks to Audi UK and inform them of the fantastic service I've received.
Hope I'm not coming across as if I'm gloating! Hope everything works out for you guys too.
Might point them here too, David... Or at least point out the number of folks with the issue from a tiny sample size, and the inconsistency of response...
You're right. I'm booked in next Friday and I'll try and get a bit more information on how it happened behind the scenes. I'll share any of my findings with you all.
ACWKGYTO
Registered User
Just took a peek at mine and there's a couple of marks on it. This being the worst of the lot. Air con still works though.
Pleased to hear David's comments on Tyneside Audi though, as this is where I bought mine from in March.
Given how common this is now though I think I'm going to look towards getting a brand new 3 Series instead.
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Just took a peek at mine and there's a couple of marks on it. This being the worst of the lot. Air con still works though.
Pleased to hear David's comments on Tyneside Audi though, as this is where I bought mine from in March.
Given how common this is now though I think I'm going to look towards getting a brand new 3 Series instead.
It's a similar design on the F30 3-series if not even closer to the grill. My 3-series has a few dents like yours but air-con still works. I suspect if you went on the 3 series forums there would be a handful of unlucky owners with serious damage.
Montune version I hear is epic! Shame the dashboard was designed by a kid.....
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Thing is, I expect most damage is caused by pretty small stones moving fast. The grill would need tiny holes to stop them, and that'd probably stop a lot of the air getting through too.
All radiators I've ever had have had small dents and lots of dead insects on them (and a stone the size of a fly could cause a leak easily if it happened to be sharp and hit at just the wrong place).
My gut feel is that it's just bad luck that some people have had leaks already, and that the A3 isn't more susceptible to it than other cars. And if that's so, then I don't think Audi have a duty to repair for free any more than they'd repair a broken windscreen or cracked headlight at their own expense.
I could be wrong though obviously!
Totally agree with you there, the argument that the car isn't fit is so weak when all Audi have to do is point out how few incidents of this type that has occurred and the fact that most other manufacturers cars are the same, thus a 'design fault' also is very weak. Companies love those who take individual action because then they can divide and rule and don't actually have to make any changes. Sure they can settle on a single one off basis, or offer some concession, but change they will not...
I had a look at my wife's MINI and my A3 last night. Granted the MINI has much smaller holes in its grill than my A3 does, but after 70,000 miles is air con radiator is still riddled with dents in the fins - absolutely loads of them. And they're all much smaller dents than even the holes in the MINI's grill, so the bigger holes on the A3 would have made no difference.
I think a rock large enough to be stopped by the MINI's grill, but that would fit through the Audi's grill, would make a massive dent on the Audi - easily spanning more than one row of fins. And a rock that big at speed would probably be heavy enough to crack the grill on the MINI (which hasn't happened yet).
I think a rock large enough to be stopped by the MINI's grill, but that would fit through the Audi's grill, would make a massive dent on the Audi - easily spanning more than one row of fins. And a rock that big at speed would probably be heavy enough to crack the grill on the MINI (which hasn't happened yet).
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This thread doesn't make for pleasant reading, and I hope you all get attended to in the fashion you would expect by a premium brand.
Just to offer a curveball thought, I've noted the amount of road debris is recent times is appauling. As our roads are worked harder and harder by more and more cars that are heavier, with grippier tyres and by lorries that are maybe 20% heavier than they were ten years ago I've noticed an incredible amount of debris and grit forming in the gullys and around the entry / exit points of junctions and roundabouts.
I have black cars which are appauling for showing stone chips, but I'm convinced the volume of stone chips I'm getting with cars that are now doing less mileage per year is actually increasing year on year. Likewise on my last car I had to replace 2 Audi OEM windscreens in a week as a result of damage inflicted on the same piece of road. I sent the bills to my local council saying that the grit levels on the road were borderline unacceptable and I have to say to their credit I saw road sweepers on there a while afterwards.
Whilst I accept Audi should do everything they possibly can to limit risk of damage to critical components on the vehicle (whilst maintaining a decent performing product), I have to say I think the state of the roads also have a lot to answer for as (and particularly since the floods) I've never seen so much debris kicking about.
Just to offer a curveball thought, I've noted the amount of road debris is recent times is appauling. As our roads are worked harder and harder by more and more cars that are heavier, with grippier tyres and by lorries that are maybe 20% heavier than they were ten years ago I've noticed an incredible amount of debris and grit forming in the gullys and around the entry / exit points of junctions and roundabouts.
I have black cars which are appauling for showing stone chips, but I'm convinced the volume of stone chips I'm getting with cars that are now doing less mileage per year is actually increasing year on year. Likewise on my last car I had to replace 2 Audi OEM windscreens in a week as a result of damage inflicted on the same piece of road. I sent the bills to my local council saying that the grit levels on the road were borderline unacceptable and I have to say to their credit I saw road sweepers on there a while afterwards.
Whilst I accept Audi should do everything they possibly can to limit risk of damage to critical components on the vehicle (whilst maintaining a decent performing product), I have to say I think the state of the roads also have a lot to answer for as (and particularly since the floods) I've never seen so much debris kicking about.
The road conditions are very much a contributory factor towards cracked windscreens, broken headlamps, chipped paint etc. Perhaps we should sue Audi for being so silly as too make the front windscreen out of glass ;-)
I did think yesterday that maybe my last car, a Ford Focus had a pock marked condenser too, just I'd never checked it. But today at work I was parked alongside a 55 plate Passat, so got down on my hands and knees and was surprised, given it's age, to see not a single mark in the condenser/radiator.
dragon
Registered User
I checked the condenser on my 08 A4 Cab. I'm part-exchanging it in a few weeks. The condenser is absolutely battered. Reminiscent of a wall in one of the war zones - shot to bits by gunfire. It still works perfectly though.
ACWKGYTO
Registered User
My new condenser is being fitted on Monday. Audi uk have assured me that the design of the front grill is fit for purpose and a mesh is not needed. They said if I fit one then it will invalidate my warranty - I also doubt the Audi dealer would fit it even if I asked!
So there we have it. No need for a mesh. Hope I'm not having a similar discussion any time soon when/if it happens again!!
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As I don't drive a diesel repmobile it's not in my Audi customer contract to drive against the back bumper of any car infront ;-)
dragon
Registered User
Meaning if they fit one it would suggest there is a design fault!!
It happened to my mates golf earlier today.
Good luck on monday
Sorry for delay in replying. PM me and I'll happily pass on my Audi complaints ref number to anyone who needs it
My 2014 A3 was in the dealer this week with exactly the same problem. I was quoted £845 inc VAT. This is a design fault, those gaps are huge. My plan is to go to an Audi specialist for a much cheaper repair and possibly fit a secondary inner mesh.
Anyone considering a new shaped A3 think very carefully.
Anyone considering a new shaped A3 think very carefully.
dragon
Registered User
Well my mate had his condenser changed on his golf and they also added the guard, and to be honest I don't think it could stop a slightly chunky wasp!!
Thing is, I think even much smaller holes in a grill won't stop the small stones you normally get on roads. And a small stone travelling at 70mph hitting just the wrong bit of the condenser can puncture it.
So yes the holes are massive, and smaller holes might stop really big stones (or, more likely, the grill would get broken by being hit by a really big stone), but I suspect smaller holes wouldn't have prevented most of the leaks people have had. I think it's either bad luck or, if the A3 is actually more susceptible than some cars, a relatively weak condenser. But I don't think the large holes are the problem.
Those people who've had stone damage, how big are the damaged areas of fins? Does it look like a huge stone has hit that would be stopped by a grill with twice as many slats?
Sadly I think stone damage is probably just one of those things. They can take out windscreens, headlights or radiators...
So yes the holes are massive, and smaller holes might stop really big stones (or, more likely, the grill would get broken by being hit by a really big stone), but I suspect smaller holes wouldn't have prevented most of the leaks people have had. I think it's either bad luck or, if the A3 is actually more susceptible than some cars, a relatively weak condenser. But I don't think the large holes are the problem.
Those people who've had stone damage, how big are the damaged areas of fins? Does it look like a huge stone has hit that would be stopped by a grill with twice as many slats?
Sadly I think stone damage is probably just one of those things. They can take out windscreens, headlights or radiators...
Sadly I think stone damage is probably just one of those things. They can take out windscreens, headlights or radiators...[/QUOTE]
Yes stones can take out windscreens, but that is an accepted risk that costs £75 excess to repair. What i don't accept is the risk of an £800 bill that could easily be prevented with a more robust condenser or a £10 mesh liner to the front grill.
Devonshire - contact Audi UK and report the issue. They may contribute towards the repair. They paid 70% towards mine. But they also said "it's a rare occurrence" so they need to be informed. The more people it happens to the more likely they are to engineer an aftermarket fix.
Failing that Phil Davies in Plymouth quoted me £550 to repair it.
01752 664471
Good luck x
Yes stones can take out windscreens, but that is an accepted risk that costs £75 excess to repair. What i don't accept is the risk of an £800 bill that could easily be prevented with a more robust condenser or a £10 mesh liner to the front grill.
Devonshire - contact Audi UK and report the issue. They may contribute towards the repair. They paid 70% towards mine. But they also said "it's a rare occurrence" so they need to be informed. The more people it happens to the more likely they are to engineer an aftermarket fix.
Failing that Phil Davies in Plymouth quoted me £550 to repair it.
01752 664471
Good luck x
Camerson my 2014 A3 has a stone smashed condenser, after less than 3000 miles. My dealer refused to foot any of the bill but did reduce the cost down to £650! I am going to try my own guard like other on here have. Trying to tackle Audi themselves is a total waste of time.
Although I don't have my car yet I have followed this thread with interest. You bought the metal mesh and sprayed it black but I have in my garage gutter guard mesh which is black plastic:
I see it is available from Amazon for £8.95 for 6m.
Nortene Botanico Gutter Guard Kit: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors
Perhaps this may be easier than cutting and fitting metal mesh as all you'd need would be black ties.
Just a thought!
I just thought that cutting plastic mesh with a pair of scissors is easier than tin snips with mesh and there would also be no chance of scratching the car?
Not noticed any difference in running temps with mine and not getting blocked with debris. Have a few breaks where stones have hit but have been deflected or slowed down enough not to cause damage
