A longtime Volkswagen customer says he’s questioning his loyalty to the German automaker after his car’s high pressure fuel pump failed, leaving him with a massive repair bill.
In 2011, Warren Wright purchased a new VW Golf TDI. The Langley customer says he was happy with his purchase until this past November.
“It’s becoming more difficult to stay loyal when we don’t find the support, especially considering what Volkswagen is going through at this time,” says Wright.
On Nov. 5, 2016, Warren and his wife had a problem while driving back from a trip to Seattle. They had just crossed the border when the glow plug warning light began flashing and the engine lost power. The vehicle was towed to a nearby Volkswagen dealership.
Two days later, Wright received some bad news: the high pressure fuel pump on the vehicle had suffered a catastrophic internal failure.
“I was told internally there were metal shavings or metal pieces that went through the entire fuel system,” says Wright.
Wright was told the total cost of repair would be over $9,000.
The car was no longer under warranty and was also subject to the recent emissions scandal. Wright reached out to Volkswagen Canada for financial assistance.
“I just said that I would like them to at least assume part of the responsibility for what had happened to my vehicle,” says Wright.
However, Wright says he was rejected three times by the car company because the cause could not be determined.
Consumer Matters started investigating and reached out to Volkswagen Canada on Wright’s behalf. Within two days, an email response was received from Volkswagen Canada’s media relations manager, Thomas Tetzlaff.
“I was informed that our team has resolved this issue to our customer’s association,” the email read.
Wright was told Volkswagen Canada would be paying 75 per cent of his repair bill, saving him close to $7,000.
“Without Global we would not have been able to get the resolution we achieved,” says Wright.
The Montreal-based Automobile Protection Association (APA) says Volkswagen Canada should be doing more for its customers.
“It’s a very expensive repair and Volkswagen should extend the warranty on it, not just for this customer, but others who are having a hardship with this part,” says APA director George Iny.
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