Uh, yeah they did answer your QUESTION.

was it really necessary to re-post my whole entry in a quote directly below my post?

 

I believe the question was...why doesn't Audi own their design flaws, and compensate their customers for shoddy parts and misrepresentation?
The answer is: because it is not profitable. Unfortunately, a class action suit, is the only language that large corporations understand these days.

 

Sarcasm?

The above is one of the most confusing and incorrectly written run-on sentences I've ever read. This may be part of why nobody figured out what you actually wanted other than to complain.

The initial structure states you are "concerned that despite" how great the new cars are, you are likely to buy one. You're concerned you might buy a car? WTF

No. Instead they read this, said WTF to themselves, and responded to someone who is too upset to have their thoughts end up clearly stated.

What you meant is likely: I am likely to buy a new audi, but am concerned about how well you stand behind issues now vs previously.


With the above ending statement being the only actual question posed, you left it very simple for them. They answered in kind saying that new Audi cars are more reliable.

You are pissed they didn't respond to the rant. However, the rant was a statement, not a question.

 

Nope, never was this asked in the OP rant letter.

It could be argued that at the time of the design for that car, the available technology and parts suppliers chosen yielded the best overall combination of value.

It is often realized, well after the fact, that one company or another has a model which is built "better". This can be as simple as components chosen down to the smallest part like a belt...

How long are cars supposed to last? Personally I think that after the initial warranty period of 4 years / 50,000 miles, the owner is 100% responsible for making sure they are doing everything possible to uphold the health of the vehicle.

About the whole timing belt thing, why didn't a tech mention anything? People cannot be expected to know that car owner forums even exist so I don't think that sort of research as suggested in other posts is a legitimate response. I bought my used 1996 Discovery in 2000 and promptly ran right past the warranty on mileage by driving over 30,000 miles in the first year. The internet was barely rolling along for anything useful so there may not have been any "forums" but it did occur to me to find a specialist shop aside from the dealer.

At 230,000 miles, it is still running strong to this day and kept in the family. While nearly everything under the hood has been replaced in that time, other than the largest parts like the engine, the axles, etc, it has never left me stranded. I attribute that in large part to having found a shop only specializing in English vehicles. Over 10 years, the same tech worked on my vehicle and I could trust them to inspect belts, hoses, bits and pieces for preventative replacement.

If the issues ranted about were so "ubiquitous" then the OP has no excuses for not addressing them as needed during their various life cycles. I say, get over it, stuff wears out, often before we think it should.

 

"saying that new Audi cars are more reliable"

Wow. If that is what, for you, passes as a "solid indication", then you are indeed a gullible fool.

and "If the issues ranted about were so "ubiquitous" then the OP has no excuses for not addressing them as needed during their various life cycles."

Who says those problem weren't addressed (by the OP)?? They were ... but due to the frequency of premature failure in the field, they should have been addressed by Audi.

When you have to clutch at such flimsy straws to rationalize your fanboy self, then perhaps you should keep your irrational defenses of Audi to yourself. But thanks for the grammar lesson, though. You did notice that what you called "run-on" were actual parentheticals, right?

 

Even when using parentheses the line of thought started should be finished. He went nowhere with it.

I don't need to rationalize anything. The OP wrote a ridiculously poor letter with unrealistic expectations.

 

Ah, so it wasn't a "run-on" sentence after all .... which seems to make your grammar lesson rather unnecessary.

And no fanboy ever thinks he's rationalizing. But he always believes it's unrealistic to expect accountability from his heroes. How pathetically typical.

 

You're a moron. It is in fact a run-on sentence in that it was disjointed and began with one direction only to not finish that direction. The only reason I pointed this out is because one cannot expect a corporate exec to spend their time deciphering poorly written bitch fests. The way people write on an informal forum is another thing entirely and it seems almost anything goes, however when your goal is serious business about a vehicle with the corporation producing that vehicle, you really should present the case in the best way possible.

Furthermore, I do not claim to be a fanboy of Audi whatsoever, and anyone would be hard pressed to prove otherwise. In fact I may never buy another new Audi considering the direction most of the models have taken. I have had two BMW and one Audi, but I'm no BMW loyalist either. I've had 5 Land Rovers and while I love many things about some of them, they are not necessarily the first vehicle I would press upon a friend.

Many vehicles have their merits and shortcomings. It sure would be great if they all just lasted and never needed repairs, especially for things that seem so common as to be the full responsibility of the company 10 years later.

However, the OP got exactly what he asked for. He did not get what he wanted but normally people just bitching and moaning with no clear objective don't.

 

At this point I'm starting to think of just locking this thread. As you've suggested, this is looking more and more like a bitch fest and could run on forever. A lot of good perspectives have been offered, only to be rebuffed by the OP since those posts don't support his opinion. Personally, I really don't see that much else productive can really come out of this.

 

Bottom line is the dude should have been coordial and respectful in his communications to Audi. If he was less argumentative, he may have gotten what he wanted from Audi. He shot himself in the foot