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My Quadrifoglio saga..

20K views 245 replies 50 participants last post by  gmore01 
#1 ·
Where to begin... short version is that my QV arrived at dealership early Feb and I arranged for a 1st March pickup.

Now 24th Mar, I'm still waiting and no indication of when I'll get it.

(very) long version..

I've bought 3 cars brand new, a Honda and two BMW's and have never experienced or heard of anything like this. Ordered my car in early Dec with expectation of March delivery and heard on 1st Feb the car at the garage, fantastic so eagerly awaited 1st March.

My current car was a M3, bought new in 2010 having kept it for so long as very few cars tick all the boxes that does. After a poor trade-in offer I figure I'll sell it myself and proceed to do so on Monday 26th Feb and borrow a car from family for the next day and a half to get about.

Roll on 28th Feb (day before pickup) and I get a call at 4.30pm. Car not ready, problem spotted during pdi, might be a day or two extra. I was equally fuming and frustrated and need more good will to extend my loan of my borrowed car.

Over the next few days I get some vague messages and something about replacing some gaskets, aiming to get the car ready in a day or two.
Then I get told the engine will be swapped with new one being sent from Italy along with them flying out a tech to fit it. It'll take 20 hours to swap over. Seems extreme but at least I know it'll be in a couple of days.

Contact dries up and my calls not returned so call Alfa UK, they're baffled about the story of new engine and tech and they have experts in Slough and wouldn't fly anyone over let alone send an engine.

Finally get an email early on the 8th informing me of progress, admittedly slow and aiming for delivery on the 8th. Err thats the same day, follow up email says it was sent the day before. Yes, must be google's fault.:nono: so already know I wont get the car that day.

More calls to Alfa UK, mostly me leaving messages asking for information as I've no clue what's going on. Eventual feedback is them debating whether to fix car or find me a new one of same spec (yeah, good luck).

Feel like I've spoken to everyone in the office now, car needs a new sump, go figure. And as if you couldn't guess, there's no spares anywhere so again back on the trail of finding a replacement car.

About a week passes with little contact, little news and no clue when I might get my Alfa. Feels like I force them to realise they won't find a sump and they say they'll get one made specifically. Starting to lose faith in their story..

I've repeatedly asked for a QV as a temporary car but they keep offering me other random Alfa's or Jeep's. Several days later finally accept the Giulietta as no loan QV in sight.

Also falling into the cracks of not being covered by normal customer care as I've not been given the car. Great.

Several more days pass and into w/c 20 Mar. Garage tell me the new sump will be arriving Thursday and I might get car Friday, well Saturday and just as calls ends they say and the sump might turn up Wednesday ?!
Alfa call soon after saying garage should get sump Tuesday morning. WTF - why on earth is the garage then saying I wont get it until Saturday!

Wednesday comes and the sump is fitted, but then they say it'll be send back to Italy (err ok, do I care?). Oh and just for laughs the tech's are also sending back my oil sensor so.... yes I need a new one ordering :depressed:

Been told I have to wait until the sump is analysed back in Italy before they decide whether the car can be repaired and handed over or whether they can find a replacement (sound familiar?). Now I think they're trying my best to turn my depression into a full scale breakdown.

Friday comes (completely skipping the daily updates I've requested several times) and they've found a car heading for a dealer that's a 98% match and will get more clarity later in the day. Several hours later I get a call from Alfa UK to say no-one has returned his emails so oh well will wait and see if anyone replies on Monday. Yeah, no rush.

So that's it, awful communication, vague stories that don't match up, no QV and no QV loan car and absolutely no idea when I might get my QV I ordered.

With nothing happening over the weekend its now perilously close to the 28 day mark when I can cancel and get my deposit back. Naturally I've been looking at what else I can buy but at the same time I still really want the QV, particularly as I benefited from ordering before the price hike (with free servicing).

The biggest difficulty is the lack of information, returned calls, any firm plan and any indication when I'll get my car and what's wrong with the one at the garage. I once heard them quote the notes indicating it being over torqued - find it hard to believe that would have been at the factory.

I've delayed this post as long as possible to give Alfa every chance to sort this situation out but as I've still got no idea when I'm going to get a car and its been over 3 weeks, I've had enough.
 
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#5 ·
thats one way to get a deposit back :rofl:
no, welcome to the world of impatience, there is obviously a problem with that car and the first fix either didnt fix it or the problem has been compounded whilst fixing it ... its not unheard of to have problems with cars

it is unheard of to have the customer in the workshop making a pratt of himself while the mechanics are trying to work
 
#3 ·
That's insane.
I would have been straight down to the dealers to demand to look at it. Sounds to me like someone has damaged it somehow and if that's the case what else is wrong with it?
Regardless of having to wait for another car or not I'd be seriously considering rejecting the car anyway.

If it was me I'd be at the dealers wanting to see it and if I wasn't happy to get a car that's been fixed before I'd even got it I would tell them to order me a replacement in the same spec, for the same price and still with the free servicing.
 
#4 ·
your problems appear to be because rather than accept a trade-in which would have given you a car until your QV arrived, you decided to take the risk and sell your car leaving you carless and at the mercy of any scenario that might eventuate

you took that risk, and lo and behold, one of those scenarios manifested

QV is very highly sought after car, in high demand and with very limited supply, you cannot compare its availability at the drop of a hat to an M3 or a Honda which clutter every major intersection and are freely available, and then criticise the manufacturer for not having a car for you

they found a problem with your car, you are very lucky they just didnt hand it to you and let you sort it out under warranty like "some" other manufacturers would have

patience lad, it will be worth the wait, every man and his dog this side of the black stump wants one, and Alfa have said these QVs will be a limited edition
 
#6 ·
Which dealer?
 
#7 ·
Name the Dealer.

Things go wrong sometimes. But to spend all that money on a brand new top of the range car and be kept in the dark like that is absolutely appalling. There is no excuse. Full stop.

How far away is the Dealer, Starbug? I'd be inclined to have a meeting with the senior manager, demand a full explanation of exactly what's happened, and what they are going to do about it.

If the results of that conversation are not to your liking, demand your money back and walk away. You don't deserve to be treated like that.
 
#8 ·
Cars are often damaged in transit, and fixed. Two years ago I took delivery of my wife's new Kuga , which was delayed. The salesman phoned me on his own mobile on his way back from work to tell me what had happened. When we eventually collected it I knew where to look for the paintwork repair. It's better not to know.
 
#11 ·
IMHO I think you should go and have a meeting with the dealers senior manager and ask for a full explanation as suggested above and seriously consider rejecting / cancelling your order. I personally would not be able to live with a brand new car that has undergone a major repair. These leave factory fully inspected. Could it be something went wrong at the dealer or in transit, test drive perhaps when they did pdi? You should not need a new engine or a sump on a new car, let alone the flagship QV that costs this much! If you phone other dealers they may have a demo or a new stock one you may be able to obtain without much of a wait. My local dealer sold a QV they had ordered as showroom demo to a walk-in customer with just delivery miles.
 
#14 ·
The question is why are they giving him the run around and being so evasive if it just needs a new sump?
Next question, WHY does it need a new sump.
My first thought is (rightly or wrongly but who knows as he can't get a straight answer), as said above, PDI test drive gone wrong.
 
#34 ·
Indeed.

Test drive gone wrong, sump holed, oil all over the road. Lots of hand wringing about how knackered the engine is, and whether they should replace it now, or in 6 months when it throws a rod on the M1.

Demand a decent car to keep you mobile (you're buying a 60k car, just to set their expectation of decent), and let them sort it. Personally I'd say "keep that car, it's obviously buggered, sort me a new one and I'll keep the courtesy car till you do."
 
#15 ·
Yes it does sound evasive which is disconcerting to me, so I can't begin to imagine how the OP feels!! There is obviously more to it than a new sump. What caused the damage? I would ask to see it and the ask to visually inspect the rest of the car. Its my money, I have the right to know the truth. We return items purchased on Amazon and ebay, why should be accept a product that is of unclear quality, at least due to the smoke and mirrors approach by the concerned dealer. Go to the showroom without warning I would say and ask to see the car. When my delivery was at dealer, before I parted with my cash, I asked to see my car in the flesh and satisfied myself everything was dotted and crossed before pushing the button for payment and taking delivery following week. If you are not allowed to see the car, then I would be quite suspicious that there is more to the story and walk away, as hard as the decision is going to feel!
 
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#17 ·
That's shocking treatment. I have heard stories about all manufacturers messing about with delivery times. Not like this though.
My dad ordered a new Renault scenic on 3rd Jan and was told 1st week of March delivery. He did the same as you and sold his old one late Feb. Early March he was told it was made and then a week later he was told of a delay. He has now been told it'll come 1st week in July. On top of the Renault aren't interested in giving him any car. This is for a scenic ffs! It's top of the range but a mass selling car nonetheless. Law unto themselves.
 
#19 ·
That is appaling service and once again proof that Alfa dealers and Alfa themselves are letting themselves down big time.

they are trying to move upmarket and sell people a 60k car without a clue on how to treat customers. In fact the price of the car is irrelevant. They should be ashamed of keeping you in the dark and treating you that way. Its all very well people telling you to be patient, but I'm sure if they were in your shoes they wouldn't be feeling the pain too.

I would Cancel . Cancel cancel every time if I were you .

Then maybe go elsewhere. The current dealer sounds like a bad egg
 
#20 · (Edited)
one event proves nothing and since you are referring to me as "those who say be patient", i will respond, i wouldnt have sold my trade in until i had the new car in front of me, in fact i was prepared to take less for it just for that very fact, that i wouldnt be left without a car

and as for being in shoes, i have been in the same shoes, FYI, it took Renault an entire month just to get me a black Megane, not a Bugatti, a Megane, and i didnt have a car as my 159 had been written off, and had more patience than this. I was never offered a replacement car that was 98% close either, it was my choice to wait and i copped it sweet, the OP has been offered a car in case you missed it

you cant blame Alfa for having made stupid decisions like leaving yourself without a ride, and just because he has a contract means diddly squat, EVERY dealer will, and have the option to tear up the contract if they cant supply the car that was signed for, you might like to check what the actual laws and requirements and obligations are

this may not sound very sympathetic, and believe me i do empathise, however im trying to put you in the real world picture here, not an Alfa exclusive one either, the dealer needs to be commended for not just tearing up the contract and handing him his deposit back, as most would have done, at least they are trying to get him a car
 
#24 ·
To the OP:

Well there is one positive point here at least: they identified the problem before handing it to you. The poor communication from the dealer is obviously frustrating.

As to whether to cancel the order or not, I wouldn't do it given that you ordered it before the price hike. What's important is that they have identified the problem and that they are trying to fix it before they hand the keys to you. I don't want to make little of your situation but I think expecting to have a Giulia QV as a loaner instead of a car that you haven't taken delivery of, is a bit too much to ask.
 
#29 ·
A couple of things.
I agree that the dealer has no obligation to provide a stand in car and that doing so is very good customer service.
For those that think this is an Alfa issue and wouldn't happen with other marques (especially German as mentioned) I suggest you have a look over on Pistonheads and other places. A number of BMW and Merc dealers are slated for worse things.
The cost of the car is irrelevant. I don't care if it's a Renault Megane or a Ferrari. The same thing should happen in this instance.
However, having said that, there's no excuse for bad communication or not telling the full story to the customer that's affected. This is where the dealer has fallen down big time. It would also help if Alfa UK found out what was going on and kicked butt or tried to help out. In my experience (with BMW and VW) they won't intervene as it's an issue between dealer and customer. Their stance will always be to speak to the dealer. Even if they did speak to the dealer they'd probably be spun the same story as the OP so what are they supposed to do?

I think the OP needs to get down to the dealer and speak to the service department NOT the sales person. We all know sales people and unfortunately they do tend to be economical with the truth if it means making or keeping a sale.

Good luck to the OP. Hope it gets sorted. Please keep us informed.
Which dealer?
 
#33 ·
Another engine fitted to a brand new car in the U.K. before you take delivery?

You'd have to be bat**** crazy to except that.

The car would never be a matching numbers car for a start & will be used to lower a deal at some point in the future.

Bin the order, order another (if you're brave enough).
 
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#37 ·
Agree with some comments above that this is not just an Alfa thing. I've had similar experiences ordering a new motorbike and a car for the wife. It is usually transit damage or something went wrong at test drive. In my case someone dropped my brand new motorbike! Was spun a few stories, so I decided to just drop in casually to the garage unannounced, went to the workshop desk and asked to see my bike, then I got (well saw) the whole story. From that point my decision to cancel the order and get a new bike from another dealer was easy. It the lack of clarity and the hidden unknown that puts severe doubt on this particular car's quality, not all the Giulias as a whole. With the OP first it was something at PDI, then it needs a new engine, then something was over torqued, then it needs a new sump!). Like I said earlier, assuming (safely I suppose) the car would not have left the factory if it failed any quality checks, it is extremely rare to find major mechanical issues at PDI. So likely causes are transit damage or something went wrong at PDI test drive. There is always a chance, even if very small, that something slipped past the quality checks at factory and perhaps the dealer did find a genuine issue. In that case, it all comes down to communications and we all agree this aspect is a massive fail!

The car having arrived at dealer early February, given it is end of March and the OP sold his daily drive on the premise that he was promised a delivery end of Feb, you cannot criticize the decision to sell. What are the chances of a customer expecting something major to go wrong on a brand new car when it is at the dealer being prepared for delivery? I was in the same dilemma as my delivery date was not fixed and I had found a buyer who was not prepared to wait too long and I did not want the uncertainty of keeping it for sale not knowing when I can find another buyer. Luckily for me the PDI went ok and I took delivery on promised date.

If nothing this would have left a very sour taste for the customer, which does nothing to improve Alfa's reputation. ARUK should be doing more. Still think as well as dropping into the dealer and asking to see the car, the OP should tweet on the Alfa feed and make a bit of a fuss to get some proper attention. We haven't heard from the OP since he posted his frustrations after giving the dealer and ARUK more than a fair chance. So let us support him with this problem as best as we can.
 
#39 ·
Just out of interest, all of those crying poor service what exactly would you have wanted them to do differently?

From what I can see, the dealer contacted the customer first of all to advise of an issue - that's good service - Alfa of old would have either waited for you to come and get the car and then disappoint you or not say anything and let you drive off with a car that is substandard.

The vast majority of the contact and confirmation of issues was within 8 days, I don't consider that to be any kind of unreasonable timescale to fully asses the problems and arrange parts to come from Italy or decide what corse of action to take.

The dealer and ARUK have been in regular contact with the customer - yes the information may have been slightly vague but that is often the nature with these sort of things, they don't want to tie themeosevw sin knots by potentially giving the wrong advice, they can't guarantee that a new engine will be needed and fitted within 1 day if that's not realistic. The customer then unrealistically expected contact everyday - what good is that going to do anyone, be realistic and they'll get in contact when they know something, what's the point in them saying the same thing everyday until they know more?

Alfa offered the customer a loan car as he had sold his, they're not obliged to do this, it seems like they offered several option which the customer refused because again they unrealistically expected a Qf as a loan car, a car generally built to order and with a waiting list for deliveries - unlike the big German Marques they don't just have a load of Giulias laying around.

ARUK then offered to find another car somewhere in the network that matches the spec, no obligation to do so as the car the customer ordered is there just needs some pre delivery work doing to it.

More information about what caused he issues would be nice but what difference will it make realistically? The car still needs to be fixed regardless and then the customer needs to make a decision on whether to accept the car in the fixed state or to ask for new built factory order, if that's possible. Then it's just being patient, the car was only ordered in December, so a Feb/Mar delivery is still pretty quick given the demand, some people put deposits down nearly 2 years ago.
 
#41 ·
How about they tell him what is wrong with the car and he receives a consistent message from both dealer and ARUK ? I don't think that is too much to expect. I'd also hazard a guess that the fault is too much to allow for the customer to pick up the car and just wait and see.
 
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