Just 6mths and 5k miles ...and i've sold it back to the dealer....

[nickbb]

Sadly, i decided to sell back my RS3. On the day i collected it, brand new, as i drove it out of the showroom, the traction control light came on. I drove for half an hour and it refused to go off. Cut a long story short, i took it straight back, and drove home in a diesel A5. They had the car for a day and half, and blamed the problem on a software update.

2,000 miles in, and the brakes made a horrific squeel as soon as they got warm.

I took the car back twice, but they said nothing was wrong with it.

Then a few weeks ago, i drove the car one morning, out of my garage and 2 hundred yards up the road, the dashboard lit up "Warning, brake failure. Drive straight to garage.. etc etc". The traction control and ABS lights stayed on.

They had the car 4 days and coundl't find the cause despite adivce etc from Germany. They said it showed multiple faults (gearbox as well as brakes etc), but couldn;t get to the bottom of it.

They said the car was safe, and it was probably just a one-off. I was very sceptical, but thought i'd give it a chance.

2 weeks later, exactly the sanme thing happened at the same point (after 2 hundred yards). This time the battery light flashed as well.

I'd had enough.

Life is too short to spend it to/fro the garage and arguing with Audi dealers about a refund or replacement car. "Tha'ts a long way down the road..." When i heard that, i knew it would be months or longer...

I asked for a bid on the car, and it wasn't too painful. so i sold it back there and then (they still had the car at this point, trying to fix it). I returned a week later to get some stuff out of my car, and it still wasn't fixed (the glovebox was out, wires all over the place).

I rarely buy new cars, because i know there are teething problems sometimes, but this was a joke.

So if anyone is buying a Sept '12 reg'd White RS3 with <5k miles from a dealer(whom i won't mention by name) you may want to exercise some caution.

[I've gone for a BMW 135iM coupe and so far it's put a huge smile on my face every time i've driven it. ]

 

[hades-]

the 135 is a fine car

 

[Shadowman]

Until it snows..:icon_thumright:

Sad that you've had a negative experience, but Friday cars do happen.....just a shame your dealer's customer service was below par.

Enjoy the Beemer!

 

[Sticks]

sad to hear that, i had same issue when i picked up my rs3 , lots of lights on dash brake failure etc, was an easy fix just needed new cluster ecu i think, never had that issue since

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

[I've gone for a BMW 135iM coupe and so far it's put a huge smile on my face every time i've driven it. ]

Sounds like you've had a shocking experience! Hope the beemer works out for you. This would be my choice too, although 5 door - just specc'ed it out @ £36k. Audi have until the end of March to rectify the brake issue or I'm in for a buy back after 7 months of patience.

 

[RYes3]

It's a real shame to read things like this as you have missed out on a great car

 

[nickbb]

Until it snows..:icon_thumright:

Sad that you've had a negative experience, but Friday cars do happen.....just a shame your dealer's customer service was below par.

Enjoy the Beemer!

Yes, and i honestly believe that the "technicians" at this particular garage were sub-par (to put it politely). I notice one of the replies mentioned a similar problem that was easily fixed, and it may well be that mine was similar. Head of servicing told me he wanted to change one of the "gateways" (which i think link to several chips/ecu's) because they suspected the problem was with "communications"ie my mobile phone or something. But Audi Germany wouldn't let them because they considered it too random and not based on enough investigation.

The grip on the rs3 was just unbelievable, and even mid-corner you could plant your foot and it rocketed out. Amazing car and it does everything. I couldn't bring myself to buy the 135 hatch, because i couldn't stand to look at it! But the coupe is quite nice looking, had a surprisingly large boot and 2 decent rear seats. Totally different to drive of course, and having always had manual cars (mostly 911's), i am glad to be back in a manual. Tho the rs3 'box and gear change etc is without doubt brilliant in every respect and the brakes were peerless. And then there's that 5 cylinder noise... mmm! (i'm having a bmw sports exhaust fitted to the 135 as compensation!).

cheers
Nick

 

[P_G]

Unlucky you got a Friday afternoon car with the RS3 and your dealer experience compunded that; I'm sure you'll enjoy the 135i, I just couldn't live with the interior ergonomics or the looks.

 

[45bvtc]

"Just 6mths and 5k miles ...and i've sold it back to the dealer...."

Truly saddened to hear your news Nick, really.

Other than the 1st Service and brake-duct recall (and even then I was back under the car to check what had been done), I've not had to have an Audi 'technician' finger my car.

The title 'technician' for me is similar to 'MD' (and if the cap fits?), so I've little respect for any of 'titles' until I see how good they are at what they do!

The RS3 is a great car being spoiled by incompetents...

Better luck with the BMW 135iM coupe.

 

[nickbb]

"Just 6mths and 5k miles ...and i've sold it back to the dealer...."

Truly saddened to hear your news Nick, really.

Other than the 1st Service and brake-duct recall (and even then I was back under the car to check what had been done), I've not had to have an Audi 'technician' finger my car.

The title 'technician' for me is similar to 'MD' (and if the cap fits?), so I've little respect for any of 'titles' until I see how good they are at what they do!

The RS3 is a great car being spoiled by incompetents...

Better luck with the BMW 135iM coupe.

Thank you.

 

[MBK]

This is a sorry tale for Audi and sadly not the first I've heard. Dan Ariely tells a similar story, in his usual funny way, about Audi in the US in his book Predictably Irrational. Even though they knew he would publish the story they did nothing to correct the fault on his car or make good on the situation.

For what it's worth, although the RS3 is a great car, I think you made the right decision, it's so frustrating when a new car needs trips to the dealer. Most people struggle to see past the sunk cost of money and time you've already put in vs the continuing longer term pain of keeping and getting the problem resolved. I once got rid of a 3 month old Westfield for exactly the same reasons, it was a hoot to drive on track but spent the rest of the time being fixed and costing lots of money in the process. The small loss to see it gone and replaced with an utterly reliable Honda S2000 as a track toy was worth every penny.

Your warning to future buyers is also why I always ask the dealer why (as in my R8 drive last week) low mileage, nearly new, one owner cars are back with the dealer so quickly. There is always a story and unless I get a good answer I walk away.