Volkswagen - Pushing blame on consumers and reputable fuel stations!

My VW Polo, still under warranty, has been experiencing shuddering and jerking while driving. Given a similar issue occurred less than a year ago, I suspected the spark plugs might be the culprit and took the car to VW Ballito.

During the previous incident, despite my insistence, the technicians didn't initially acknowledge the problem since their diagnostics system showed no error code. Eventually, they replaced the spark plugs under warranty, acknowledging the issue.

Now, encountering the same problem, I returned to VW Ballito only to be informed that the spark plugs need replacement again due to fuel fouling, a condition not covered under warranty. Dealerships are attributing this to fuel contamination from local petrol stations, leaving vehicle owners to bear the costs.

As a car owner, it's challenging to discern fuel quality when filling up. My car is a petrol car and I only fill up at reputable stations like Sasol in Salt Rock or at the Sasol at the King Shaka airport, avoiding dubious ones. Adding to the frustration, VW hasn't informed customers that motor plan warranties exclude parts replacement due to the fuel fouling incidents currently taking place in SA, leaving us to discover this during service visits.

Despite assurances from dealership owner Jacques -given to my father in law as he hasn't bothered calling me himself - the matter is under investigation, yet there's been no resolution or updates.

Now, I'm facing the expense of replacing three spark plugs, as I've come to realise that only one was covered last year under warranty.

It's disheartening to see the dealership citing fuel fouling as grounds for denying coverage, which feels like a lapse in service. Especially given the fact that the spark plugs were covered under warranty less than a year ago.

I believe this issue warrants attention, as many people in our community may be unaware that dealerships could hold them responsible for such costs, shifting blame to the customer and the local petrol stations.