dvs_dave

It's a conspiracy! Audi have engineered this happen to keep themselves sweet with several wasted hours of dealer labor per car and new latch sales.

JNA

So Team! What's the play for when the dealer didn't put it back together correctly and now NEITHER latch will release! I'm so pissed words escape me.

Jack88

Umm, they pay for the parts and labor required to fix their error.

JNA

They assert, politely, that the cable must have detached AFTER they returned the car to me. They know that's bull**** and I know that's bull**** but that will be their position when the lawsuit drops. I can't prove otherwise but I still have a reasonable expectation to have gotten the car back in at least the same condition as prior. The body shop has some ideas. Know more next week.

JNA

And I should note, in ALL fairness, that the dealer has really tried their best on this one. Maybe the cable did fall out. Maybe the technician forgot something. I'll never know. But they did try damn hard. They aren't responsible for the bad design. But they are stuck dealing with it. Not fair to them either.

mishar

Design is just fine but those guys have no clue what they are doing. That's typical for NA dealerships. I don't know why do you take side with them?

JNA

The dealer tecs busted their asses. They invested almost eight hours of labor in getting the passenger side latch to release at zero cost to me. All Audi corporate could advise them to do is "send him to a body shop." Audi corporate is responsible for the design/engineering. I'm holding them responsible for the solution. Had breakfast with my attorney this morning. We're ready to go if the only solution requires the destruction of the hood or any other parts. Unfortunately the dealer may get pulled into it but first and foremost I'm holding Audi responsible.

mishar

I don't know about lawyers and courts, but technically it doesn't make any sense. Your car is way out of warranty, your problem is very rare (except in few treads like this where are almost all of them concentrated), you (and most of us) didn't follow maintenance instruction to lubricate regularly, your dealer "fixed" the problem only to make it worst. They spent 8 hours on it (probably dancing some woodoo around it) while few guys in this tread did it in 15 minutes and you are thinking about suing Audi for a bad design. Your lawyer will love that.

JNA

I'm thinking about a lot of things. Like when Audi built my 2003 A6 2.7T with a ZF gearbox they knew had a bad sensor. At 61k miles Audi asked me to pay them $7k to fix it. That didn't go their way. Like all the problems my friends and family have had with their German cars over the years. My point being manufacturers design this stuff and need to be held accountable for the bad design they dumb on consumers. And to your other point, both latches were lubricated in August by a highly regarded local German car tec who has worked on all our VW Group vehicles. This was a bumper to bumper service days after I bought the car. When I took him the latch problem he declined noting this was not the first A8 he's seen with this very problem. I applaud all of you willing to take a Sawsall to your cars. But if more of us don't fight back we give these manufacturers permission to keep sticking it to us.

mishar

Good. Keep us posted.