Touareg service experience

[Flipper Dog]

Had my 15,000km service at 16,000km on Monday (6 months early:) ) after a day of 4WDing on Stockton Beach. Was very lucky in that it rained (wow did it rain) on the freeway home to wash off some of the sand on the outside.

On picking up the vehicle at the dealership the comment was that there was a lot of sand in and around the vehicle, and that they needed to give it a detail before handing it over to me. All well and good as that is part of the $400 oil change you are hit for.:rolleyes:
Asked how I got so much sand on the vehicle I said it just got off Stockton Beach, well it could have been the moon to them. Oh we don't get many Touaregs in here that have been 4WDing was the reply. They were suprised to see someone had using it as a 4WD not a Toorak Tractor.
They did do a good job of cleaning it up I must say.:)

When it is time to get the first service do a bit of ringing around for pricing. I was quoted about $400 from the dealership I purchased it from but up to $150 more from other dealers. Most were around the $450 mark.
Oil hit me back $140 and parts $50ish with a 3 hour labour charge of $180.

Flipper Dog

[Treg2]

Hi Flipperdog,

Did you have to service your treg at 7500k.

My dealer has a sticker on my windscreen telling me that I do.


Treg2

[Flipper Dog]

Hello Treg2
There is no need to have a 7,500km service.
Have a look in your service schedule (book 1.1) inside cover will have your vehicle data PR numbers. Look to see if you have QG1, this indicates service interval prolongation which means 15,000km oil change (also noted on page 7). Unless you are using diesel with a high sulphur content, are a taxi, regular towing maximum weight trailers or exposed to high levels of dust all the time then 7,500km oil changes are not required.

I think some dealerships like to offer a service of your vehicle in between the required factory interval to make some dollars out of it under the pretence of customer service.

I spoke to my dealership on first picking up my vehicle about oil changes as most other brands like to change at 5,000km or 10,000km for city driving, but was told no servicing is required until 15,000km.

Interesting to note was that even at 16,000km my serive indicator had not warned me to get a service yet.


Flipper Dog

[bobzed57]

Guys

I did my 7500k service cos I'm obsessive ;), although I probably didn't need to.

My dealer always asks where I've been when I turn my Treg in for work because they know that I too use mine off road a fair bit.

cheers

[Transporter]

Hello Treg2
There is no need to have a 7,500km service.
Have a look in your service schedule (book 1.1) inside cover will have your vehicle data PR numbers. Look to see if you have QG1, this indicates service interval prolongation which means 15,000km oil change (also noted on page 7). Unless you are using diesel with a high sulphur content, are a taxi, regular towing maximum weight trailers or exposed to high levels of dust all the time then 7,500km oil changes are not required.

I think some dealerships like to offer a service of your vehicle in between the required factory interval to make some dollars out of it under the pretence of customer service.

I spoke to my dealership on first picking up my vehicle about oil changes as most other brands like to change at 5,000km or 10,000km for city driving, but was told no servicing is required until 15,000km.

Interesting to note was that even at 16,000km my serive indicator had not warned me to get a service yet.


Flipper Dog

Hi, Flipper Dog
Service warning message on you TReg is probably set to Long Life interval (2Years 0r 50,000km). If next time comes on after 15,000km dealer had changed to 15,000km for you.:)

[dmm_au]

I reckon it would be a really good idea if the people in each state (especially capital cities) agreed to use one dealer for servicing, and moved all our business if the service was not satisfactory to any member.

Who else is getting a Touareg services in Melbourne, Victoria?

[barefoot]

that is a very good idea....unfortunately there isn't many dealers to start with, for some like those in canberra, there is only one dealer. Or Brisbane there is only two....

[jets]

Only one dealer in Adelaide also & that is supposed to service the whole state.

[dmm_au]

In Melbourne, I can think of dealers in South Yarra, Camberwell and Hoppers Crossing. There is also Volkspower, although I'm not sure of their capability.

Any others I've missed that someone on the list has used?

[Flipper Dog]

I think it is a great idea to find a dealership everyone is happy to use and leave feedback for someone dealing with them.

Just having a quick look around in the Sydney area I have about 9 local dealerships. Of those you have Barloworld at Mascot and Five Dock (difference in the same service was $150), McGrath at Sutherland and Liverpool (difference in same service $20 and about $40 over minimum quote), Denlo at Parramatta and Chatswood Classic, Chatswood who I believe is owned by the same company (difference in same service the same and $30 over priced), Bill Buckle at Brookvale (service costs of the better from the others by $5 but out of my way), Inscape at Penrith (just $10 more expensive to cheapest quote) and McCarroll's at Waitara who I did not contact as this is also out of my way.

The other thing to look at over the price of servicing is the quality of the techs working on your vehicle. The Touareg is not the same as a Golf and having first year apprentices (nothing against them) working on it does not leave that warm fuzzy feeling. I would prefer to pay a little bit more to know I was getting a qualified Touareg trained technician attending to my servicing needs.

Then the final aspect of servicing is the customer service that dealership provides. The Touareg is currently the top of the range Volkswagen product in Australia and I would expect to be treated a little bit better than a $17,000 Polo owner (again nothing against Polo owners, great little car). Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Volvo know how to provide customer service at a level Volkswagen could only dream of here in Australia and that is from the entry level models to the range toppers.

I used Barloworld in Five Dock for my service because:
1) the quote was the better of them all,
2) handy to my work, I drive right pass it, and
3) that was where I purchased it from.

I can not offer any additional feedback other than my posts above as the service was alright, however if any one in Sydney can recommend a better service experience please tell us.

Flipper Dog

[barefoot]

Not sure if I went to the same one, but while passing through Sydney one year I had a body panel issue and stopped at a VW dealer near the airport. I'd have to say they pale in comparison to the worse dealer in Brisbane in terms of ignorance and arrogance.

I had a very simple problem which was fixed by a garage up the road, instead we got to talk to a south african with a chip on both shoulders. I couldn't wait to get out of there.

Again, I stress it may not be the same one as I usually get lost in Sydney, I just know it's near the airport, and I assume the airport is at Mascot.
Cheers

[poolwater]

I had my Touareg 15,000 km service at Barloworld Glen Waverley. Very happy with the service both to the car and as a customer.

Couple of months later I had a problem with the centre seat belt in the back seat and after ordering the required parts B/W Glen Waverley fixed it under warranty. Also provided loaner Golf for the day.

Overall quite happy particularly as my car comes back washed and vacuumed. (With water restrictions this is important).

In reply to dmm_ua there are also dealers in Glen Waverley, Essendon, Ferntree Gully, Mentone and Mornington.

Regards Poolwater

[dmm_au]

So it sounds as though there are lots of places one could get you care serviced in Melbourne. I'm prepared to travel for the service, if I'm going to get a better deal. I think a bit of aggregate consumer demand is a good way to get a better deal.

Now I don't have a Treg yet. It's due March, and being delivered by South Yarra VW, which is close to me, but I've very interested in complining a list of Melbourne Treg drivers, interested in selecting a dealer on features and price, then keeping them honest with forum based feedback.

I imagine you'd want a service centre;
With the tools, ie. VagCom or whatever
The shop manuals
At least one mechanic who has completed a Touareg specific course
A loan car
and a competitive price
A service manager who knows the last 3 Touareg service bulletins?

There are other things like a willingness to use third party or reconditioned parts at a lower cost, but perhaps not relevant here.
Anything else people can think of as desirable in a service centre?

Please send me private messages, with your Suburb, current service centre and Kms of your Treg, if your in Melbourne and like the idea in creating a 'group buy' for service.

David

[docjames]

For the Melbourne-ites, South Yarra VW have been fantastic to us (purchase and now service x2 + 2 warranty items). Having said that, they'd want to be for the price they charged (1yr ~ $330, 2nd yr ~$550 incl brake fluid change. Warranty items free). Was very ouch and am sure price is a rip off so will be shopping around for quotes.

Anyone able to give rough guide to service pricing on petrol golf 2.0FSI?

[geoff7]

Wow, I have had 7500km and 15000km service and neither cost $400 all up.
If you are paying $400 for oil change you are being stitched.

[sparky]

Picked mine up new in January(TDV6)..first service on windscreen 15000k...my Cayenne normal service 30000k..petrol engine.....rgds John

[Sunshineviking]

My 2007 R5 TDI had done just under 13000kms when I bought it and the service warning came on as soon as I passed 13,000. I Thought that may have been a coincidence as it was also just a year old. I drove it straight back to the dealer(Gary Crick in Maroochydore) and got them to do the service(as they had promised before I picked it up.. what did they think - I wouldn't notice! Next one is technically due at 30k.. Will certainly be checking pricing with the Brisbane dealers before I stump up the cash. Only a 1 hour drive down there and at 8.7l/100k about $20. Plus what the good lady wife will spend in the brisbane shops of course!

[Sunshineviking]

Had my 15,000km service at 16,000km on Monday (6 months early:) ) after a day of 4WDing on Stockton Beach. Was very lucky in that it rained (wow did it rain) on the freeway home to wash off some of the sand on the outside.


Flipper Dog

How did the vehicle get on on Stockton Beach? I'm planning a trip to Fraser Island in the near future. any Tips(tyre pressures - I note that the manual does not reccomend lowering on sand):?:

cheers

[barefoot]

Yeah, the manual recommends quite a few weird things....I've been on all the islands around se-qld, 18psi is what I've used, never got stuck (touch wood). I got a couple of light scratches for venturing into narrow tracks but if you stick to main tracks it should be OK.

I stayed at Yidney Rocks on Fraser and Jack (the local tow truck operator) reckon if I get in trouble I can go as low as 8psi to get out, glad I've never had to go down that low.

After sand, you'll find sand in all sort of places, I still had sand falling off the back even after 2 weeks and a couple of pressure washes.
Cheers

[Flipper Dog]

How did the vehicle get on on Stockton Beach? I'm planning a trip to Fraser Island in the near future. any Tips(tyre pressures - I note that the manual does not reccomend lowering on sand):?:

cheers

I started with what I thought was low tyre pressures at 20 psi (137 kpa) and was having some problems entering the soft sand tracks onto the beach. This may also have been due to taking it a little too easy and not using the vehicles full power, but I then lowered to about 15 psi (100kpa) and it was fine all day. Heaps of dunes to run up and down on and some soft very dry tracks.

Make sure you turn off ESP to allow some give in going up the dunes, turn it back on when coming down the other way, the HDA (hill descent assistance) works a treat for this.

I had sand for a while after the beach but found the best way was a high pressure hose after a good dry out and just blow it away.

[Sunshineviking]

Thanks Guys - I'm really looking forward to getting in amonsgt the dunes now

Lets hope the Touareg fairs better than my old V6 Freelander - poor thing was (literally) out of its's depth!

cheers - I'll post the report and some piccies after Easter !

[bobzed57]

Had a crack at Stockton Beach last weekend. Had good time although I don't know if I could be bothered to do it again. Here're a few photos, not all Tregs, but you get the idea.

http://s58.photobucket.com/albums/g250/bobzed57/Stockton%20LR%20Club/

Cheers