I've long been having oil changes done at the independent. I think you're
getting confused here, since what we were discussing is the fact that this
should have been covered under a faulty design silent guarantee by the
make - read dealer.

"Steve Sears" > escribió en el mensaje
. ..
> JP,
> I'd venture that it's not necessarily the "make" but the "dealer" who is
> mistreating their customers - maybe you should consider going the extra
> 100
> miles to the other dealer - post on Audiworld and here asking what the rep
> of the other dealership is - and while you're at it, post the name of the
> dealership that you had problems with so others can avoid lousy treatment.
> If the independent is a good shop and does great work, why not continue
> with
> them?
> Cheers!
> Steve Sears
> 1987 Audi 5kTQ
> 1980 Audi 5k
> 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
> (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
>
> "JP Roberts" > wrote in message
> ...
>> (Follows on from "Guess What?".)
>>
>> Dealer asked me to take the car in so that I could have the steering rods
>> replaced free of charge as no records showed this had been done under the
>> original campaign. Boy, was I not in for a bigger surprise when after
>> dropping the car there, I get a second call in the afternoon telling me
> that
>> while the car is on the lift, a tie-rod replacement record has shown up
>> on
>> Elsa (they had pressumably not been able to set up a connection before),
> the
>> German database, and that I will have to pay for the whole thing. He very
>> kindly informs me that it's only the upper right-front end arms and both
>> tie-rod ends that need to be replaced. Since I had asked for an estimate
>> prior to any real arm replacements, he then quotes a total of some $800,
>> including labour.
>>
>> I say "thanks for the info", but could you please lower my car and get it
>> ready for me to pick it up when I finish work?
>>
>> So, in the end, I just took the car to an independent mechanic and had
>> all
>> of this plus an oil-and-filter change and 2 new Bilsteins for the front
> end
>> for $1000..
>>
>> I really felt I had been cheated by the dealer. I did not check any other
>> ones as I did not have either the time of patience to drive an extra 100
>> miles but this speaks volumes about how the make is treating their
>> customers.
>>
>> JP Roberts
>>
>>
>>
>
>