We have always loved traveling the world, in 2021 I got a great birthday present from Silvie. Since no travel was possible through Corona or all hotels were closed, we were allowed to take a road trip in a van. It was a Sunlight on Fiat Ducato basis. We were both totally blown away by the ability to just drive and stop where you please. After our return less than 2 weeks have passed and we decided: we always want something like this. So, totally clueless, we set out to find a box truck. We didn’t really like anything about it; visually, everything always looked very old-fashioned and dusty. Moreover, the Ducato was really uncomfortable, we could not imagine taking a vacation with it for several weeks.
By chance we drove past a Volkswagen dealer who had a Grand California in the yard. The first impression from the outside was great and when we saw the interior it was clear, this is it. Visually, the vehicle convinced us immediately and after a test drive we were sure. Immediately after the test drive, we configured and ordered our Grand California. Now we had to do one thing above all else, wait. Four months later we were allowed to pick up Cali 1.0.
Enthusiastically we started our first vacation, last year still model region (Corona and so), it went to the Baltic Sea. We were totally thrilled and felt confirmed that we had chosen the right vehicle.
On the way home we stopped for lunch. Since I love flying our drone, I wanted to take a few more pictures. A nice topdown picture, I thought that would be great to have something like that from our Cali.
But something looked funny there?! Kind of like there’s a dent in the roof, right? A shot from the side confirmed the whole thing….
That’s where the drama started… Of course, we contacted Volkswagen directly and described the problem. The car should be taken to the workshop for assessment.
A 1.5 centimeter dent was found in the GRP roof, almost across the entire width. External influence could be ruled out immediately; something must have gone wrong during processing. At least Volkswagen immediately accepted this fact and also admitted it itself.
Now, of course, the question arose, what can be done about it? A new roof? A repair from the roof? We agreed that there was no way we were going to agree to a repair. This would have meant that a new car would have to be completely disassembled, an absolute no-go. We felt we could live with the dent if VW gave us a discount on the purchase price. But that was not to be the case at first. Volkswagen sent us a letter that simply left us speechless….
In order to clarify the matter conclusively, we were pleased to contact Tölke & Fischer GmbH & Co. KG and our technical department. From there, we learned that the vehicle in question is completely in order from a technical point of view after a thorough inspection and that the complaint about the pop-up roof corresponds to the state of the art for comparable vehicles of the type.
That is why we will not make any technical changes to your vehicle in this context. We ask for your understanding and wish you all the best for the future.
Wait, please what?! In good German: we are supposed to live with it. The chapter was closed for Volkswagen at this point. How arrogant can a corporation actually be? Whoever thought that something had changed at Volkswagen after the emissions scandal = wrong! Admitting one’s own mistakes does not seem to be on the agenda there.
We did not accept this circumstance and the dealership could not agree with Volkswagen’s opinion either. After a few emails and the threat of a lawsuit, Volkswagen finally made us an offer. Who thinks at this point, all’s well that ends well… no way. We were offered the prospect of a reduction in the purchase price. But before they wanted to name a sum, we were told that if we accepted a reduction, we would no longer have any warranty claim on the entire roof, including the windows and the awning. And another time, we thought: please what?! Of course, we didn’t accept that either, although we would have been quite willing if it hadn’t been for the warranty thing.
After consulting with our attorney, we learned an interesting detail. We had exactly two options, we withdraw from the purchase contract or we insist on the replacement delivery of a vehicle without defects. Now why is this difference so interesting? In the event of withdrawal, also known as conversion, the manufacturer may demand a usage fee. This is not the case with a replacement delivery!
Knowing this, we approached Volkswagen with a claim and insisted on the replacement delivery of a Grand Californias without defects. Of course, VW did not want to get involved in this, but offered us the conversion of the vehicle surprisingly quickly. Probably knowing full well that they would definitely have had no chance of success in the event of a legal dispute. Thank goodness we stood firm here and insisted on just this replacement delivery.
Finally, we were offered a conversion without compensation for use. Sounds good at first, doesn’t it? We were able to return the car and should get the full purchase price back. We still liked the Grand California despite this hassle, of course, and we wanted to take the chance right away and order a new one, only with a slightly different interior. After all, that was no problem since we were able to return the old one. But unfortunately, Volkswagen has raised prices sharply in the meantime, by a whopping five percent. Despite a super offer from the dealership, the price was still significantly higher and we were back to the point of replacement delivery, because this would have been completely without additional costs for us. Fortunately, Volkswagen made a final effort here and we received a special discount in the amount of five percent.
We placed the order for Cali 2.0 in September 2021 and delivery could take place in February 2022. The best part, until then we were allowed to continue driving the old Cali 👍
Actually, we thought the chapter could now be closed, but Cali 2.0 also has various bugs and struggles among other things with a heater that always turns itself off. We will see how it goes on here….
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