Rejecting a car before 6 months - any advice

[The Saints]

I have had my A6 brand new since March and had various issues with it, dash rattles etc.. some of which the dealer has resolved some are better but not gone. However the thing that is the biggest issue is the brake squeal. They have had two goes to fix it the most recent this week, almost implying it was normal and they ran a procedure to expedite the the bedding in process, although I would have thought 2000 miles would be sufficient, but sure enough this evening the problem is back.
I am totally fed up with having the car at the dealers and want to reject it and cut my losses. I have a couple of questions which hopefully someone who may have been down this road before can answer

Would this be sufficient an issue to reject the car?

How do they calculate fair usage and what to refund I don’t want to be massively out of pocket, willing to pay some money for usage over the last 5 months (2000 miles) but would not be willing to accept the trade value as a refund?

Here are a couple of examples of the brake issue




Any feedback appreciated

 

[B5NUT]

I've rejected 2 Audi's in the last 4 years, first was simple enough as the Mrs A3 came damaged from the factory and the attempted repair from the dealer was a complete hashup so the car was rejected, but that was simple as we never took ownership of the car. Second was a new C7 A6 this had a lot of faults, some fixed by the dealer other were not. One of the faults was a know factory issue that they investigating a fix for!

The rejection was a very painful process and took many months (around 4 months) and the ombudsman had to get involved in the end. It quickly resolved once I got them involved and I got a new case manager. Be aware that Audi finance (if that is who your finance is with) are not on your side they are most defiantly on the side of the dealer/Audi UK. Good luck with the rejection, with a fault like brake squeal it will not be straight forward.

First stage to to write a rejection letter and send that to the dealer recorded post, and contact Audi finance to let them know. You also need to contact them about continuing to drive the car once the rejection letter goes in. I stopped using the car during my A6 rejection process.

 

[MPTT]

I had a Mk2 TT about 10 years ago with squeaky brakes, the dealer told he they all do that. To get rid of it I’d reverse quickly then slam the brakes on, it would cure it for a few days.

 

[Simon1972]

Is this the same issue that the RS3 had, Warped disc or something.

 

[The Saints]

Thanks all

Sounds like a painful process but running out of ideas, there is only so many times I can give the car to them to investigate. They have probably had the car for 1 month of the 5 months I’ve owed it.

I have sent an email to the dealership today let’s see what happens

 

[Diazro]

Good luck with that! One thing it worked for me few years ago is to write a complain letter to the CEO of AUDI UK. I couldn't sort out my issue with my local dealer but after the discussion with a representative of the CEO all was sorted

 

[psychopomp1]

Sorry to hear about your issues OP. Have a look here:

https://www.audi.co.uk/content/dam/audiadaptive/About-Audi/audi-uk-complaints-procedure.pdf

 

[RAF_S7]

I had similar issues with my S7 which I purchased new.
The brakes were terrible at low speed, and became embarrassing every time I was leaving or entering my estate, or parking.
Audi didn’t want to know, and had the car a few times to try and resolve.
In the end I was recommended to change the pads, and after some research I changed to EBC Redstuff pads all round.

Was a night and day difference and haven’t had the issue since. The pads also halted the brake dust issue I also had.

 

[The Saints]

I had similar issues with my S7 which I purchased new.
The brakes were terrible at low speed, and became embarrassing every time I was leaving or entering my estate, or parking.
Audi didn’t want to know, and had the car a few times to try and resolve.
In the end I was recommended to change the pads, and after some research I changed to EBC Redstuff pads all round.

Was a night and day difference and haven’t had the issue since. The pads also halted the brake dust issue I also had.

The embarrassment is the worst part, brand new 2020 40k car and brakes squeal like a £300 20 year old run about.

 

[Longstride83]

I've rejected 2 Audi's in the last 4 years, first was simple enough as the Mrs A3 came damaged from the factory and the attempted repair from the dealer was a complete hashup so the car was rejected, but that was simple as we never took ownership of the car. Second was a new C7 A6 this had a lot of faults, some fixed by the dealer other were not. One of the faults was a know factory issue that they investigating a fix for!

The rejection was a very painful process and took many months (around 4 months) and the ombudsman had to get involved in the end. It quickly resolved once I got them involved and I got a new case manager. Be aware that Audi finance (if that is who your finance is with) are not on your side they are most defiantly on the side of the dealer/Audi UK. Good luck with the rejection, with a fault like brake squeal it will not be straight forward.

First stage to to write a rejection letter and send that to the dealer recorded post, and contact Audi finance to let them know. You also need to contact them about continuing to drive the car once the rejection letter goes in. I stopped using the car during my A6 rejection process.

When you rejected the cars did Audi take them off you straight away or did they leave it with you until a new car arrived? I may be in this position but with the build slots being week 17 if they take my car now I’d be left with ought wheels for a long time.

 

[B5NUT]

You need to discuss that with Audi, once my rejection went in I never used the car again other than to drop it off at the dealers as I wanted shot of it. I did not want any further hassle if the car was damaged while in my care. So once the rejection was approved I delivered it to the dealer then waited for my New A6 to be build but I had other cars that I could drive during that time. My main concern about using the car under the rejection process was if the car was damage or worse written off, did not want to worry about negative equality, if it changed from a rejection process to an insurance job!

 

[RS3 S.]

The embarrassment is the worst part, brand new 2020 40k car and brakes squeal like a £300 20 year old run about.

........lot of issues with Audi front disc & pads over the years especially as they get bigger. My RS3 on a 16 plate a few years ago did the same & it was embarrassing as you say on an expensive car. I got hold of one of those ''anti squeal shim kits'' & from the day it was fitted it was quiet. My current RS6 has huge disc & in 10 months of ownership they are silent, they also look better quality as there is no rust on the ''disc hub'' that seems to appear on many Audi/VW brand disc systems?.

 

[AllanG]

You need to discuss that with Audi, once my rejection went in I never used the car again other than to drop it off at the dealers as I wanted shot of it. I did not want any further hassle if the car was damaged while in my care. So once the rejection was approved I delivered it to the dealer then waited for my New A6 to be build but I had other cars that I could drive during that time. My main concern about using the car under the rejection process was if the car was damage or worse written off, did not want to worry about negative equality, if it changed from a rejection process to an insurance job!

This is exactly what I did when I rejected my first Q5, but I was lucky that I had the use of another car, whilst I waited for the replacement Q5.

 

[Longstride83]

Thanks for the information, much appreciated.

 

[The Saints]

Just an update the brake issue was resolved by the dealer with replacement pads. The dealer also had a go at fixing the dash rattles with some success but now the weather has got cooler they are back with vengeance, especially when cold in the morning.

Has anyone had any dash rattles permanently fixed, it’s really ruining what could be a great car.

 

[MCarda]

Just an update the brake issue was resolved by the dealer with replacement pads. The dealer also had a go at fixing the dash rattles with some success but now the weather has got cooler they are back with vengeance, especially when cold in the morning.

Has anyone had any dash rattles permanently fixed, it’s really ruining what could be a great car.

Hi, glad you got your brake squeal fixed! I need to get my dealer on that as mine is getting worse and worse lately.

Regarding the rattling dash, mine was successfully and permanently fixed back in August with the application of Audi’s finest fabric tape if I recall correctly. Others have reported it was fixed with tape and foam.

 

[psychopomp1]

The interior panels on my A6 C8 were creaking like mad with noise coming out of every orifice...extremely annoying!! In the Summer local Audi dealer applied some fabric tape and the rattles have largely gone, still get some minor rattle but only when going over very rough tarmac - I've learnt to ignore them so not an issue any more. According to the Audi technician, its a very common issue on the A6.

 

[The Saints]

Thanks all..it’s booked in next week (lockdown dependant) I’m trying a different dealer to see if they can get to the bottom of it. The issue is worse in the colder weather every bump and uneven road surface causes creaking and rattles across multiple parts of the dash and passenger door card.

Fingers crossed.

 

[The Saints]

OK so the car is with another dealer and they have knowledged “many” rattles coming from various areas of the dash/door cards and are currently fixing with tape and lube spray, highly technical fixes for a £45k car . However I’m so fed up with this car and Audi’s current direction on build quality I’m calling it quits. I have bought a new BMW M235i which I collect later this week, it’s a shame as been a loyal Audi customer for many years (A3,A4,S3,Q2 and Q3) and have gone from a two Audi family to none in a few months, we replaced the Q3 with a Skoda Kodiaq, which in my opinion is a far superior car than the Q3

 

[Mkay315]

OK so the car is with another dealer and they have knowledged “many” rattles coming from various areas of the dash/door cards and are currently fixing with tape and lube spray, highly technical fixes for a £45k car . However I’m so fed up with this car and Audi’s current direction on build quality I’m calling it quits. I have bought a new BMW M235i which I collect later this week, it’s a shame as been a loyal Audi customer for many years (A3,A4,S3,Q2 and Q3) and have gone from a two Audi family to none in a few months, we replaced the Q3 with a Skoda Kodiaq, which in my opinion is a far superior car than the Q3

Sorry to hear this. Do you see yourself getting another audi car in the future? Also is your car an Avant or Saloon?

 

[MPTT]

OK so the car is with another dealer and they have knowledged “many” rattles coming from various areas of the dash/door cards and are currently fixing with tape and lube spray, highly technical fixes for a £45k car . However I’m so fed up with this car and Audi’s current direction on build quality I’m calling it quits. I have bought a new BMW M235i which I collect later this week, it’s a shame as been a loyal Audi customer for many years (A3,A4,S3,Q2 and Q3) and have gone from a two Audi family to none in a few months, we replaced the Q3 with a Skoda Kodiaq, which in my opinion is a far superior car than the Q3

I’m the same, sick of the rattles and error messages. I’m looking at changing it for a 330i or 330d in the next few months. I’m the same as you, had Audis for the past 15 years but this is my last.

 

[The Saints]

Sorry to hear this. Do you see yourself getting another audi car in the future? Also is your car an Avant or Saloon?

I doubt it, time will tell and how much I like the BMW. I always avoided BMW as I never really liked the interiors but they seem to have come on a long way in the last few years. I still think Audi have the better interiors but the aesthetics are completely outweighed buy the poor build quality. I looked at the new A3 recently as considered changing to the new S3, looked nice but finish was cheap and cheerful, and really why should I give Audi anymore of my hard earned cash.

 

[Mkay315]

I doubt it, time will tell and how much I like the BMW. I always avoided BMW as I never really liked the interiors but they seem to have come on a long way in the last few years. I still think Audi have the better interiors but the aesthetics are completely outweighed buy the poor build quality. I looked at the new A3 recently as considered changing to the new S3, looked nice but finish was cheap and cheerful, and really why should I give Audi anymore of my hard earned cash.

Fair enough. It's a shame that various people have had a bad experience with the C8 A6. Hopefully the build quality does improve when I get around to it in the future

 

[Lee551247]

I have a 5 month old C8 RS6 with 3800 miles that has been back to the dealer numerous times for electrical niggles, Audi Pre Sense faults where everything would flash up on the dashboard and the car would suddenly decide to slam the brakes on when coming onto a roundabout! The latest one is the car comes up with 'The individual settings for your myAudi user have been updated. Would you like to apply these settings to the vehicle?' This comes up everytime i get in the vehicle and apparently according to Audi there is no fix!! To top things off my car went into Audi to have a genuine Audi Towbar fitted to it and now the Drive Select does not work and it sounds like a 2.0 petrol as the exhaust valves do not operate etc. Audi have been trying to fix this all of last week and now they have escalated the case to Audi Germany as Audi UK have exhausted every avenue! I am seriously thinking of rejecting the car today, i always thought Audi were good quality but not so much now!

 

[MCarda]

I have a 5 month old C8 RS6 with 3800 miles that has been back to the dealer numerous times for electrical niggles, Audi Pre Sense faults where everything would flash up on the dashboard and the car would suddenly decide to slam the brakes on when coming onto a roundabout! The latest one is the car comes up with 'The individual settings for your myAudi user have been updated. Would you like to apply these settings to the vehicle?' This comes up everytime i get in the vehicle and apparently according to Audi there is no fix!! To top things off my car went into Audi to have a genuine Audi Towbar fitted to it and now the Drive Select does not work and it sounds like a 2.0 petrol as the exhaust valves do not operate etc. Audi have been trying to fix this all of last week and now they have escalated the case to Audi Germany as Audi UK have exhausted every avenue! I am seriously thinking of rejecting the car today, i always thought Audi were good quality but not so much now!

Sounds very much like your car was made on a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon. In your shoes, I would reject & replace or look for something else instead - besides the issues do you have any regrets with going for the RS6 after purchasing & experiencing as opposed to others in its class?

 

[Diazro]

I have a 5 month old C8 RS6 with 3800 miles that has been back to the dealer numerous times for electrical niggles, Audi Pre Sense faults where everything would flash up on the dashboard and the car would suddenly decide to slam the brakes on when coming onto a roundabout! The latest one is the car comes up with 'The individual settings for your myAudi user have been updated. Would you like to apply these settings to the vehicle?' This comes up everytime i get in the vehicle and apparently according to Audi there is no fix!! To top things off my car went into Audi to have a genuine Audi Towbar fitted to it and now the Drive Select does not work and it sounds like a 2.0 petrol as the exhaust valves do not operate etc. Audi have been trying to fix this all of last week and now they have escalated the case to Audi Germany as Audi UK have exhausted every avenue! I am seriously thinking of rejecting the car today, i always thought Audi were good quality but not so much now!

I've just returned from the Audi with an issue similar with yours. After an update in MMI I use to get this message like yours "The individual settings for your myAudi user have been updated. Would you like to apply these settings to the vehicle?". Very frustrating to apply or discard every time you start the engine. Today my local Audi dealer changed the 5F unit, lets see if the issue will will be sorted. At the moment I am unable to connect the car to the app.

 

[connecthowie]

I've just returned from the Audi with an issue similar with yours. After an update in MMI I use to get this message like yours "The individual settings for your myAudi user have been updated. Would you like to apply these settings to the vehicle?". Very frustrating to apply or discard every time you start the engine. Today my local Audi dealer changed the 5F unit, lets see if the issue will will be sorted. At the moment I am unable to connect the car to the app.

Hi There! We are in the exact same position as you (different car though). Pretty much one week after taking collection of the car (early March 21) we had the MMI issues, Pre Sense Failure, Vehicle braking randomly with the SOS warning coming on.
Our local dealership has had the car twice with no luck for a fix.
However today, our dealership told us (while our car was there for the 3rd time) that this is a known fault across the A3 and Q3 range - Audi are aware of the fault and there is no known fix yet! There is no expected fix date either.
I've just started the process of rejecting the vehicle.
It's unsafe to drive a car that just slams on the brakes for no reason!