I went to..ahem..a certain tire company..to take my wintertires off and put my RS4 wheels/Continental tires back on. They..I won't name the company (backwards it spells "serit s'acirema") screwed up and stripped one of my bolt holes. It was most likely when they put the winter tires on in December. But they want me to go to one specific place here in Vancouver to get an estimate. I already went to Les Schwab (where I've normally done business for 8 years) and they said I'll need to replace the hub and bearing ($300 just for the 2 parts from Sunset Audi in P'Town). Ameri...oh...sorry...see line #2...said I only need to most likely replace the stud (lug bolt) (which I never got back from them today by the way). Sunset Audi says I'll need to replace the hub and bearing, and I have an appt. with them next Monday; soonest they can get me in.

The specific tire place said they'd do what it takes to make me happy but they said earlier that if I wanted to get a quote from Audi fine, but I'd still have to get a quote from their recommended brake/alignment shop..who I've never heard of before. THEY CAN'T FORCE ME TO GET A QUOTE FROM A SPECIFIC PLACE OR TAKE MY WORK THERE, RIGHT???

Anyway just wanted to blow off some steam..wasted my one day off for the week going places and making calls. Oh...and on top of that...the guy told me this morning I needed new performance tires cuz mine were bald on the inside. Schwabbies said I have 40% left!!! A$$holes!!! Tryin' to get another $800 out of my wallet!

Any advice would be cool...

Mark

 

When places like that see that you can afford such a nice ride, some places will try to take advantage of you. Have YOU seen the lug bolt? It isnt possible to strip it unless more torque was used than needed/specified when putting them in. If I were you id get a new lug bolt and see what happens. Otherwise you will need a new rotor/bearing, and i thnink whoever put wheels on last is responsible for the stripped lug and you should have a lawyer (or someone that can sound like one) contact them asap. Unless whoever was taking your wheel OFF last had the torque turned way up and forgot to switch their air tool to reverse or counter clockwise. If you know what i mean??? That sucks though, sorry to hear about your troubles, seems like there are a few people on here who the dealership's/shop's got them by the nutz right now. That sucks.

 

No I never even saw the lug that went in it..I figured it was in the bag with the rest of the ones (because the Primax wheels require different lugs). But Les Schwab tried putting one of the lugs on and it didn't work. He was able to create a little tread again but it was still pretty loose. The dealership has my back so far..they want it done thoroughly and I trust them as much as anyone..they've been great so far.

I'm not sure if they messed up today or if it was last time for sure..all they said was it was stripped. They didn't deny doing it. If I have to I'll contact the other A.T. because I went to a different A.T. last time to save tax in Oregon (where it might've been stripped at). Either way they SAID they'd take care of it. They said they would only pay for what their referred shop would quote. How do I know they're not lowballing the quote and 1/2 assing the job? That's why I'm going to the king..Sunset Audi.

Any more help is greatly appreciated!

 

You say there are different lugs to use with the other tires? Maybe thats part of the problem??? Good luck.

 

companies like that have to be punished. They think they are better that us, but they are wrong, they are lower that us. From all of their legal stuff, they treat us like dirt and inanomus objects. they exist just to get our money. I prefer going to a smaller people so that I could get quality.

 

You have surperiorority issues dont you?
Some of the "bigger" people do great jobs, and may try to get you to get more done because they take pride in their work and look more into the future needs of the car as oppossed to some of the "smaller" people who will send you down the road with your wheel ziptied to the rotor... But I agree with you for the most part. Not all Audi dealers are bad either, but most are scuzzlebutt scandalist mo fo's. But as far as ******* up someone car and then not taking responsibility, yes they should be beaten with a rubber malet.

 

My RS4 wheels require different lugs than the Primax wheels..that was the same with my OEM honda wheels vs the TSW Revo wheels I changed to on the Honda. I know that's not the problem. Sunset Audi's been great, Les Schwab's been great, America's been a bunch of f**k sticks.

 

They can't force you to get it fixed there but they can only reimburse you for the amount that their repair people will charge. Look at it from their point of view. They trust this other company becuase they feel they do good work (I hope for your sake anyway that they do good work). Now you want to take your car somewhere else. Audi or Les Schwab may or may not be more expensive but you won't even take your car over to this unknown repair place to get a quote and find out. Now who seems like the jerk. I don't think you have a leg to stand on until you at least go to this other place for a quote. Now if they tell you something different than Audi or Les Schwab , you got a bone to pick with "Serit." I don't think they are being unreasonable.

 

well, ye. there are exeptions.

 

slightly off track there, dafrazi

As soon as a company screws up anything with my car, their work and any work associated with them is suspect. Who they use for outsourcing, any work they do in house... They stripped his lug and likely his hub. Thats some weak *** work right there. Companies that do weak *** work, normally also use other companies that do weak *** work for them. Lots of times the company they use has some actual affiliation with them also.

Seahawk - take you car to Audi and have an estimate done. When AT bawks at the price, tell them you have mechanical work only done at audi dealers. They may pressure you hard, but you do have the right to have your car fixed by someone that you trust.

The reason they want you to have an estimate done at thweir place is because they want to make sure you aren't going to gouge them. LOL. how ironic. They want to compare their typical work cost with what you are requesting. Of course a dealer will be higher $, and they might want to split the difference with you...