elnorte

I'm awaiting delivery of 2001 A4 1.8T, ordered in mid-March, scheduled for pick-up in about a month. I assume I need VIN to track its progress, right? When I receive the VIN from dealer, how can I check my new baby's progress?

Thanks all for a great site that's getting me ready to join your ranks.<p>elnorte

elton

the dealer should also have weekly update reports...

&lt;deleted&gt;

Ok, I have one, then what? is there somewhere online you can see progress?

AWDDolphin

I posted the same question earlier, actualy I think Elton responed by sugesting I check with dealer. Audi of America also says that they "have no way of checking" that I need to find out from the dealer. I had a very frank discussion with them on this, where they basicaly said they did not want to get involved, and I pointed out that when a significant number if not a majority of there sales are done through orders, the buyer has a right to know and be able to track the status of their order, and be certain about the accuracey of the information. Audi pretty much laid it out that there are no gaurentees, and that a dealer has the right as far as they are concerned to change orders for whatever reason they want. This is of course unacceptable, and it will stay this way unless a large number of customers, ie. all of us, let them know this needs to change. I do have a tracking number, but as was pointed out earlier untill you get a VIN, you don't have much. I am waiting for my VIN, which I should be getting now, based on the original date my car was scheduled for production. Still have not heard anything from the dealer.

I have had some dealers say that the first 2001's won't be here untill September. Mine originaly said possibly late June, now they say July. Audi also is saying that 2001's will be in dealer showrooms in July. So that is when I am expecting to get mine, which fits into the standard time frame of three months between order and delivery.

By the way, Audi, if Fed Ex can track my $5.50 package, you ought to be able to track my $26,000 car. Audi has a WWW site, use it! Provide each paying customer an ID to log in, and enter their tracking number to find out the status of their order and issue the VIN once the car has come off the assembly line.

tdf

The dealers interface with the factory directly. As far as I know, AoA is toothless. I suspect it's like major league baseball, which serves at the pleasure of the individual owners.

Even if they give you a VIN, so what? They can still sell the car to someone else and push you back in the queue if they want. And when your car finally arrives months overdue, with a different VIN, they'll just tell you they must have misread the paperwork.

For crying out loud, these are car dealers, not priests. The last thing they really want to do is give you any information or power. I can't understand the naivete of people on this forum, praising car salesmen and hoping for all these unrealistic things.

I hope I'm wrong. Everything you want, I want too.

In fact, I also recently spoke to AoA. So you complain that they have no tracking system? The rep says "uh huh." Do you have any way of even knowing if they write down your input?

The only thing you can do that they take seriously is open an official complaint against a dealer, and obviously not having a centralized site for order tracking would not fall into that category.

elnorte

Thanks Elton. I'll speak w/dealer this week.<p>elnorte

elnorte

The clear message I'm getting from your response, as well as from the many entries on this site related to the same issue, is that Audi buyers are truly at the mercy of Audi dealers, many of whom seem to act in a totally arbitrary manner when it comes to how customers are treated.

I ordered my A4 1.8T 3/18 and am hoping the 6-19-29 promised delivery date holds true. Audi sure doesn't make it easy for us. I'm hoping it's worth the wait.<p>elnorte

elnorte

Thanks TDF. Wow, the prospect of my car being sold to someone else is something I can't even begin to contemplate. The A4 must be one of hell of a car for so many people to put up with this waiting and uncertainty, and worse according to so many accounts. One thing's for sure: I'll never again order a car in the midst of a model-year switch.

I'll keep you all posted as to whether I get my car as "promised" from the dealer.<p>elnorte

TomAvant

of whats in the production line, no????? at least thats how we figured out that I had to order from something not yet slated for production

as for weekly statuses, if other car makers have a fedex type of tracking capability, then audi should too, but I don't think any of them do

as the sales go up, so do the stakes.....when us sales hit 100k/yr or so, and then poor response threatens that, they will change.......I think there is logistical problems with the NA sales infrastruture in trying to handle the 5x growth experienced over the last 5 yrs....JMO<p>'01 1.8T Avant - Laser Red

Chip F.

I check with my dealer almost weekly. They get a new report on Saturday. My car was scheduled for production in week 20 (this past week). According to the status sheet my car is now "produced at plant". The next step is shipping. The dealer says I can expect the car in as little as 3 weeks, but I am not going to hold my breath. I am guessing early July.