Formal Complaint – Recurring EPC Fault After VW Westgate Service

Dear Hello Peter Team,

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the service and subsequent repairs performed on my vehicle at VW Westgate.

I have been servicing my vehicle at VW Westgate since 2019. I have continued to use your dealership because I trusted VW to properly maintain and service my vehicle and expected a certain standard of workmanship and customer service.

Unfortunately, I am extremely disappointed with my recent experience, particularly because this is not the first time I have experienced serious vehicle problems shortly after having my vehicle serviced by VW Westgate.

I experienced a similar situation last year. I took my vehicle to VW Westgate for a service and, approximately a week later, the vehicle started experiencing problems. I am now experiencing what appears to be a very similar situation again following my most recent service.

During my recent service, I was advised that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. I re**** on this diagnosis and subsequently had the spark plugs replaced.

Approximately one week after the service, my vehicle displayed an EPC warning while I was driving and suddenly lost power. This is extremely concerning, particularly from a safety perspective. I returned the vehicle to VW Westgate and was advised that the EPC fault was caused by the spark plugs.

I therefore purchased new spark plugs and paid for them to be replaced by VW. I was then informed that the vehicle had been fixed.

However, while driving to collect my children from school, the exact same EPC warning appeared again and the vehicle once again lost power. I immediately returned the vehicle to VW Westgate.

I am now being advised that the problem is apparently related to the throttle and that I need to pay for further repairs.

I find this completely unacceptable.

I brought my vehicle to VW Westgate for a professional service and re**** on the diagnosis provided by your technicians. I then incurred additional costs based on that diagnosis, only to have the exact same fault occur again shortly after being told that the vehicle had been repaired.

If the spark plugs were not the underlying cause of the EPC fault, I should not have been required to purchase and replace them based on the diagnosis provided by VW. I should also not now be expected to continue paying for additional parts and repairs while the underlying problem is being identified through a process of elimination.

What concerns me even more is that this is not an isolated incident. I experienced a similar issue after a service at VW Westgate last year, and now I am facing another serious problem shortly after this year’s service.

I have been a loyal VW Westgate customer since 2019. After all these years of servicing my vehicle with your dealership, this is the level of service and assistance I am receiving when my vehicle develops a serious fault shortly after being serviced.

The ongoing issue has also significantly disrupted my life and my work. I was unable to go to the office today because I do not have confidence that my vehicle is safe or reliable. I am required to travel to Midrand for work tomorrow, and I am now placed in an extremely difficult position because the vehicle continues to lose power despite being told by VW that the problem had been resolved.

The fact that the vehicle is losing power while being driven is a serious safety concern, especially as I use the vehicle to transport my children. I cannot simply continue driving the vehicle and hope that it does not lose power at an unsafe time or in a dangerous location.

I therefore request that this matter be escalated to senior management and that VW Westgate take responsibility for properly diagnosing and rectifying the underlying fault at no further cost to me.

I expect VW to review the complete history of my vehicle, including the previous issue experienced after last year’s service, the most recent service, the spark plug diagnosis and replacement, and the subsequent recurring EPC fault.

I also expect VW to explain why I was advised that the vehicle had been repaired when the exact same fault occurred again almost immediately afterwards.

Given my history with VW Westgate since 2019, I believe I have been a loyal customer and have given the dealership my continued business in good faith. I therefore do not believe it is reasonable or fair for me to continue carrying the financial burden of repeated diagnoses and repairs when the issue arose shortly after the vehicle was serviced and the first recommended repair failed to resolve it.

I am requesting that VW Westgate:

1. Take responsibility for the diagnosis and rectification of the underlying fault. 2. Repair the vehicle at no further cost to me where the fault is connected to the recent service/diagnosis. 3. Review the previous similar incident from last year. 4. Explain why the spark plugs were identified as the cause of the EPC fault and replaced when the same fault subsequently returned. 5. Confirm that the vehicle will be properly diagnosed and tested before being returned to me. 6. Escalate this matter to senior management/customer care given the recurring nature of the issue.

I am extremely disappointed that after servicing my vehicle with VW Westgate since 2019, I am now in a position where I cannot rely on my vehicle to safely get me to work or transport my children.

I expect this matter to be treated with the seriousness it deserves and I request an urgent written response setting out how VW intends to resolve this matter.

Kind regards,

Koki Maluleka ***