VW SA, worst car experience since i drive cars

This is a bit a long one. Here is the full story of buying a VW California Coast.

We decided to get a VW California and went for quotes at different VW Dealers. The local one, 5 minutes drive time, VW Table View, quoted a stunning 150k more as the best quote we got. 1.6 million Rand vehicle with 90k km / 5 years maintenance plan, 3 years scratch and dent insurance, smash and grab protection, tracker build in and all extras you can select at the online VW site to configure the Van, color we wanted. 1.53 millions, VW Rola Herm****. So, we went with that dealer, as we also felt appreciated as a customer and not **********. Was the first quote we got, no begging, they just gave best price to start with. Got the vehicle delivered to our door beginning April. As we bought it to go camping, was cozy parked in the garage till we decided to do our first trip, about 4 weeks after delivery. The weekend before we wanted to leave, Wednesday, I filled in water for the first time to have the freshwater tank full. Empty tank display went to full blue and then to empty again, the lever showed is on closed, scratched my head. The sewage tank also showed is not empty, even there was not a drop inside and the pump for the freshwater didn't work. Went Monday morning to the local VW dealer and asked if they can check what is wrong, is a brand-new vehicle. Had a bit more as 300km on the clock. Answer from VW Table View, sure, bring it in next Monday. Service to check a faulty new delivery... Zero. We changed our plans for camping and rented a Cottage in Citrusdal, but used the Van to drive there to also start running in the engine. Had a lovely stay and came back Friday as the weather changed to rain. Monday, I brought the California to VW Table View.. and the mess started. Tuesday after lunch we got informed, the pump is broken, and they need to order a new one. We speak: Open the freshwater tank, no tools required, put a voltmeter on the pump, if you have voltage, new pump required... 1.5 days. Wednesday after lunch we got informed, the pump arrived and will get build in right away. (Remove the old pump and connect the new pump) Took a day! On Friday i went to VW Table View to check what is taking so long, the other issues must have been solved by now and when I arrived at the workshop, the Van was not even in the workshop. When I asked, where is my Van, I got told to take a seat and 5 mins after, the Van was in the workshop with the technician working on it. When I asked why they are not working on the Van, or is everything sorted, I got told, they can't locate the leak in the freshwater tank. So why don't they work on it? Response from the workshop manager: You are more than welcome to bring it to the Dealer you bought the Van from. So, valuing the maintenance plan, ZERO intentions and this van even had the upgraded version. I complained and got always the same answer: You are more than welcome to bring it to the Dealer you bought it from. I left rather disappointed by the **** attitude of VW Table View. Friday afternoon we got informed, the Van will go to VW N1 City as VW Table View can't find the leak. N1 City got the Van Monday morning and Tuesday lunch time we got informed, that the issues are sorted. We went to pick up the Van. I dropped the Van at VW Table View with 230 KM to go on the clock. I got it from N1 City with 90. 140KM use for a 30km ride.. they must have driven the new engine like *****s to get that done. I came home with 80km left, as I drove it as friendly as I could. Home, I noticed that the light in the cabinet with the freshwater tank is on, even the cabinet is closed. Checking, the technician from VW Table View took the door out and messed up the hinge. There was a wire sticking out.. every child would have seen that something is not as it should be. N1 City only got informed about the freshwater tank issue, no word about the sewage display, they never worked inside the Van.. hence, I know was Table View who ****ed up the hinge, and didn't fix the issue. I contacted VW HQ to complain. Got told to bring the vehicle back to N1 City, so I called in and asked for a date on a Monday. Thursday, I got a date and informed Herm**** to pick up the Van, bring it to N1 City and bring me back a vehicle with no faults, like it should have been on handover, brand-new Van! To shorten the story, got the van back today and the hinge is fixed. The sewage display still shows content in the empty tank but that seems to be normal. As the freshwater tank shows empty and then fill stages, the sewage tank can't do that. You ask yourself WHY? 20% of the driven km on the clock are from drives to Workshops, 25% of the time we own the vehicle, it was at a workshop. Do I have buyer's remorse? Hell Yeah! Is the first and last VW I will ever buy.

The interesting part of the VW Table View mechanic, beside breaking the hinge, in 5 days he never checked the freshwater valve to drain the tank. The issue was with the valve.. 5 days and not ONCE he even tried to open/close the drain valve. I would rate the VW Table View workshop as *********** as a workshop can be, beside the workshop manager is very much unfriendly. You don't buy your vehicle with us; we do not give you quality service... really??? VW maintenance plan is worth a pile of trash.

Will put the California out for sale, not dealing with VW anymore, what a bunch of ........! You buy one of their most expensive vehicles and get ZERO service. And let's face it, if a mechanic breaks things in your car and leaves them broken, that is a trust killer of the finest kind. I flip off the VW Table View dealership every time I drive past now. What a useless bunch... super expensive quotes and useless workshop.