ChronicTeutonic

Most of you guys know the details on how my original car should have been in the first week of June, then it was discovered (by me)at the dealership, that they ordered the wrong colour.
So, I'm told the the Northern Blue is at the dealer(5 weeks ago)but, the Night Blue Pearl has arrived in the Port of Houston. I then see the No. Blue car and decide to wait for the colour combination that I had orginally ordered... as I was told the car was a week away.

I just got a call from the dealer on 7/14 that the carrier was in Wilmington, Delaware, with the dealer knowing that my lease ends on 7/18 (which the dealer picked up the last payment). Today, I get a call from the dealer and the AofA representative that the the car never left the PORT of HOUSTON and is still on the carrier...and could I extend again and this time AofA will pick up the months extension. WTF? This car has been in the Port for 5 weeks and on the carrier 2 1/2 weeks. Nice of them to keep me in my 4.2 due to their mistakes...but am I missing something here...I should have had the car before Potsie and I'm still awaiting the status of delivery.

I'm starting to get crazed over the waiting period...damn I placed the order on Feb 27,2003!

BackToBasics

Clearly this is longer than other deliveries, and maybe there is a good reason for it (weather, final inspection or newly-added modifications at the port of entry, etc.) but you deserve to know what that reason is.

I'd be encouraged if you were to hear that they are keeping cars in port longer than usual to respond to some of the early problems we've been reading about on this forum....at least we'd know they were working hard to address them.

ChronicTeutonic

I think it's more like once the intial deliveries were made on the first launch cars with the dealer allocations...the techs at the Port were staging cars based on location. So, they were loaded onto car carriers and sit until the carrier is full of cars for that area.

greenie

Chronic, GOOD GRIEF! The only plus out of this(which wouldnt even exist if you had the car) is AoA picking up the lease UNTIL YOUR CAR ARRIVES! I know that this is little consolation after what you have been through. It seems to me, and I know very little about all of this, that AoA has not "completed their homework" on the release of this car. I am almost sure that others are experiencing the same travails as you, which again should be NO consolation. The ONLY upside to this is that sooner or later, AoA will work the kinks out of the system AT THE EXPENSE of the early buyers. When your car finally does arrive, if it happens to be silver............................................ ......!!!


greenie

04 A8L silver(or some substitute?/sabre 19" wheels Aug.(or some substitute) delivery

greenie

MB, is it amazing how a lack of proper PR can sink a ship and no one seems to acknowledge this fact!?

greenie

helper

I wonder if they are trying to correct some early problems before releasing? I was one of the first to get my car on June 4th. I am now starting to get little annoying electronics problem-much like my short lived 745i, and I am afraid this may be a repeat.

Intermittent error messages
Intermittent warning buzzers
Headlight that won't go off automatically.
A phone that(on star personal calling) can only make outgoing calls.
Row of lights out in the A/C temp. setting window.
Key controlled settings that apparently can not be set.

All small problems, but the longer I have had the car, the more I seem to get. As the list grows I am being reminded way too much of the experiences I had with my BMW.

My car was at the dealer to coorect these for one week. I got it back today and I was told that "the report they sent to Audi for interpretation didn't show any problems. They (AoA) wanted to knwo when I was bringing the car in again. I have had the damn car for about 6 weeks, and they have had it for service twice already, and this time as I said for a full week.

I suppose I expected this, but I was r eassured by the dealer that these cars were "tested much more than the 745i was before release."

My wifes (or my-not sure which yet), 3.0 quattro cab. is due in a a couple of weeks. I wonder if this is a mistake as well? There is always the addition of the soft top mechanism to break.

helper

I received a call from Audi to ask how I was enjoying the car and to thank me for my letter ( I sent onbe to praise my dealer, who i am very happy with overall-this is AoA's issue I feel not theirs, they are trying). I missed the call, and have called her back 5 times so far. She is never there, or refuses to call back-Another case of Audi's responsiveness to the customer. They may be number 3, but it sure doesn't look like they try harder (remember the Avis Ads).

greenie

Helper, it seems as though the dealerships can do nothing more than take cues from AoA when it comes to these troubled early A8Ls. What has your "representative" said? I am a firm believer in letting AoA know that you and OTHERS who are having difficulties with these cars will not go away quietly and if it comes to employing the Lemon Law or deciding on "collateral exchange status" you will! Tell them that they have the chance to make it right for you and ALL of the others and that you`ll be watching. This is NOT hardball. It is common sense and giving you relative control.


greenie

greenie

Helper, who placed the call to you? Audi zone or your "personal rep."?


greenie

Potsie

I don't think you should've had it before me....I ordered the thing in January