svrsteve

Hi Lauryn - volkswagencustomercare@volkswagen.co.uk i've written another email again tonight - including... "I am very disappointed with your response... ...I intend to contact BBC Watchdog regarding this issue. I am also exploring my options with the Retail Motor Industry Federation and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd. As well as gaining advice from Trading Standards and Citizens Advice with regard to complaining about this issue... ...There is clearly a design fault and the part was never “fit for purpose”...." etc, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah Good luck! Perhaps if they receive lots of similar emails/ letters they might do something!!!

Hi all See two responses from "VW Cust. Care"... ...my Lupo is 51 plate with 70K on clock... ...wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!! EMAIL REPLY 1: Thank you for your recent email in relation to a requested contribution towards your vehicle's clutch pedal. When looking into possible contributions towards repair costs a certain criteria is taken into consideration, your vehicle falls out of this criteria in two areas, which are the age of the vehicle and the fact that your vehicle does not have a complete service history. I trust this email explains the reasoning behind my decision. Yours sincerely Customer Case Manager Volkswagen Customer Services EMAIL REPLY 2: Thank you for your recent email in relation to an issue with your vehicle's pedal box. I apologise for the delay in my response. Your vehicle is outside of the normal warranty parameters, and any contribution towards repair costs is a goodwill gesture. However, for the goodwill to be received we ask that the customer has a complete service history within the Volkswagen Network, as your vehicle does not meet this criteria I am unable to assist any further. The part in question was modified due to advancing technology, we always strive to improve our parts. This goodwill decision will remain. Thank you for contacting Volkswagen UK. Yours sincerely Customer Case Manager Volkswagen Customer Services

Cheers for your help anyway. Mine has done just 7,000 miles more and same age so very strange. Chap at Martins said they had done a few Lupos and referred to one (not yours), he said: "I am disappointed as well as I was fairly sure that Volkswagen would pay for the repairs. The vehicle in question that we repaired recently was 6 months newer and had 18,000 miles less." In case anyone else is interested, he also said price-wise... Best case: Pedal Box £31.40 + Labour £145.11. Worst Case: Pedal Box £31.40 + Labour £292.50. All prices are Inc Vat.

Just had NO from Martins of Basingstoke. Chap was very helpful and said he was sorry, but VW won't even contribute!!! He says, they don't give a reason, but he suspects it is due to age and milage. McBandy - Yours is a 2000 isn't it? Has it done many miles? Mines a 51 plate, but registered Feb 2002. It has done 73,164 miles, which is hardly astronomical and below average (for 6 years old) surely... Also had NOs from Ridgeway Reading, Breeze Southampton. I'm getting fed up with this!

Hi McBandy Thanks. That is a coincidence as I received an email back from Martins Basingstoke about 45mins ago. Basically saying if I give them VIN no. and mileage they'll look into it. Apparently they said "Volkswagen have paid for a few pedal boxes on the Lupo’s even though it is not a safety recall issue but it seems to all depend on the VIN number and mileage." - so i guess one of these is yours! We shall see if they'll do mine too...wish me luck!!! Hah luckily I'm not 6'4"... Cam Belt - I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure VW reduced the cambelt intervals quite a lot recently. I haven't got my stuff with me, but when our cars were new I think it said change at 80,00 miles. I think VW reduced this to 60,000 - I assume because they had some break. I had mine done last year at approx. 70,000 miles, but the later you leave it the mroe risk you take. I'm sure someone on the forum will be able to advise. Warning lamps - My exhaust emission warning lamp has been coming off and on since I've owned it (5 1/2yrs), which VW kept fiddling with during the warranty, but never fixed. I just left it after I had to start paying. My local private garage has now diagnosed the problem and says VW were probably just avoiding replacing expensive parts under the warranty - who do you believe...

Hi RichLupo and Mcbandy I see you've both got yours done recently and didn't want to give out dealerships names - now you've had them done are you willing to disclose...? Please!!! My latest... Breeze VW in Southampton have said... "Thank you for replying, I have put your registration number into out system and have seen that it hasn’t had a service at a Volkswagen dealership since 2005 in which it should have had at least 2 services since that date. Volkswagen goodwill policy is only applicable to vehicles that have supported the Volkswagen dealership network and as such any goodwill possibilities would not be available for this vehicle. I have also spoken to the warranty clerk to look into any possibility of any goodwill against this issue for you and unfortunately there is none." ...so that is really helpful. I'm not sure why who services the vehicle is relevant when it is clearly a design fault, but anyway, I'll persevere... Cheers all SVRSteve

Hi Guys Just joined Club Lupo - wish I'd found you sooner as i've just about had enough of Pedal Boxes!!! My clutch went dodgy last summer and took it to the VW specialist i used, they diagnosed a "new clutch and cable" and apparently did the work, not cheap (but cheaper thean dealership)! Clutch was a considerable improvement. Few weeks later the a simlar thing happened and I took it to local small garage for opinion. They diagnosed a broken Pedal Box. The also suggested that the clutch cable was not only a few weeks old and that the Pedal Box may have been the issue all along... ...I had no way of knowing whether the heavy clutch had damaged the box, or a flexing box had caused the clutch problems, or both, so on the advice of the small garage got him to weld Pedal Box. "it will last forever, whereas a new one may go in a few thousand miles" apparently. Anyway, couple of weeks ago the same issue arose. Took it back to the small garage who tell me the Pedal Box has cracked just along from his weld. Magic!!! He suggests this time he removes the Pedal Box completely and welds a plate over all the possible weak points - apparently "better than replacing". Obviously more labour involved this time... ...so, in a state of despair searched the internet and found this great Forum. Have emailed my three local VW dealerships to see what there response is to me saying "will they do Pedal Box FOC?" - await responses. Meanwhile my little Sport sits in the drive feeling sorry for itself... Anyone know of any dealers in Hampshire that will do FOC goodwill change??? Cheers Steve