Dear Concerned Volkswagen Official

Name: Lara L.
State Purchased: New York
Model Year: 1999
Purchase/Lease Date: September 1999

Story:
The most recent one actually has to do with my husband’s VW Golf. After going round and round with customer service (what a misnomer), I’ll just share the letter we sent to VW — which was met with more B.S. from customer service. Does anyone make an I HATE VW bumper sticker? See letter:

January 12, 2009

Dear Concerned Volkswagen Official:

I write to you today to express our extreme disappointment with the handling of a repair on our 1999 Volkswagen Golf. The window on the front passenger side fell, quite suddenly, into the door yesterday. We took it today to the dealer to have it repaired, we thought, at the company’s expense. (The dealer made the same repair on our 2000 VW Jetta, when the window fell into the door of that car.)

But we were informed that the warranty extension on the part in question had ended, and we would have to pay for the repair ourselves, at a cost of up to $250. We got the same information when we called Customer Service – and when we asked to speak to a manager, we were told none were available, and someone would call us back the next day. (It’s currently 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.)

We’ve had a history of problems with these cars, and have chalked some of them up to “quirkiness” and others to poor design (the cupholder on my Jetta broke off long ago, for example). But being faced with costly repairs on things that are known problems to Volkswagen – things that affect the safety and drivability of our cars – and then not to have those problems acknowledged upon calling Customer Service has left with us with a sour taste in our mouths. Your Web sites states that “road safety is one of the most important concerns for us,” and certainly, driving without a passenger-side window is a safety concern. Presumably, in today’s economic environment, the company also is concerned with customers’ financial woes.

At one point, we considered writing to you with a much happier story: My husband and I met on account of your cars. He let me test drive his brand-new Golf when I was interested in buying a Jetta. We ended up together and are now a Volkswagen family. That we have had so many problems with the cars has been a sad and frustrating turn of events. Now, instead of first telling people we met because of Volkswagen, we might be more compelled to share the fact that we both lost the passenger-side windows of our Volkswagens.

We do remain hopeful, though, that you will make right this latest issue. Each of our cars has barely 50,000 miles on it. It would be nice if the next 50,000 could be less problem-filled, or at the very least, that any problems we may yet encounter be resolved in a manner that is fair and courteous to two of your loyal customers.

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