I've been had by the dealership.

[p1nk50ck]

I recently bought my '06 Ibis White A4 quattro 2.0T s-line w/ titanium package from a fairly reputable used car dealership nearby. I've had friends buy cars from there, and i've heard good things about the place.

this weekend, it was raining, and i noticed that i was having a ton of traction problems on the wet roads. I would feel the wheels spinning, and the car was sliding all over the place, especially on sharp turns and onramps. at first, i blamed it on the tires that came with the car (nexen 3000), thinking that they were probably getting worn, and weren't well suited for wet traction.

however, after checking the tires, i noticed that they had plenty of tread. upon looking underneath the car, i noticed that there was no driveshaft, and no differential or axel between the rear wheels. NO AWD? WTF MATE? [confused]

my car is badged quattro, and the dealer told me that it was awd. we even had extensive conversations about how good audi quattro was, and how useful it is, when i was test driving the car. i specifically told them that i HAD to have an AWD car, because there's a significant chance of me moving to a much snowier area within the year, and i didn't want to settle for anything else.

i'm going to head over to the dealership tomorrow to talk it out, but what kind of hope do i have? i've had the car now for almost 2 weeks. i'm not looking for a free car, or anything like that. i'm just wondering how this situation could be righted, and if legally i'm backed up in any kind of way. i'm pretty upset because they potentially put me in a very dangerous situation by giving me the false sense of security of awd, and selling me a fwd car as an awd car.

i know that it'll be nearly impossible for me to find the exact same car again (unfortunately, because i absolutely loved the combination), but i'm willing to deal with that loss.

[S1LVERBULLET119]

call your salesmen. that sounds like a factory mistake. aka quattro badge on a FWD uhhhh do they do this?

[p1nk50ck]

call your salesmen. that sounds like a factory mistake. aka quattro badge on a FWD uhhhh do they do this?

just to be clear, this wasn't an audi dealership, it's a local used car dealership that specializes in luxury auto makes. i really never thought to check under the car when i was buying it. i just assumed due to the badge and the salesman that it was.

i think that it was an honest mistake by them, i'm really hoping that they don't try to pull some shady business over this. they have one other 06 a4 s-line in their lot. it's red and quattro (i'll definitely make sure to double check this time)

i'm really hoping that they'll man up and let me do a fair trade. the mileage is only about 2000 in difference.

[Sanjman]

if they don't budge... i'd contact a lawyer. sorry to hear that... maybe you should just get your money back and look elsewhere.... when you buy a car... you obviously have to make some compromises but the color of the car is a tough compromise for me... just my .02. Plus I think Titanium is a huge compromise as well. You'll notice all the chrome on the car and want to get it painted just like everyone else on this forum... you should be able to get the red one for much cheaper because it doesn't have the Ti package.

[ny2flb7a4]

Do you have a quattro badge above the glove box?

[Clown4]

I hope the owner of the used dealership's not a jerk...
who'd blame the mistake on you~
if that's the case, friggin' sue him/her already.
And before that, shovel his/her head into his/her butt!

But I believe they're not jerks lol
wish you all the best!
End it prior to any lawsuits!

[p1nk50ck]

if they don't budge... i'd contact a lawyer. sorry to hear that... maybe you should just get your money back and look elsewhere.... when you buy a car... you obviously have to make some compromises but the color of the car is a tough compromise for me... just my .02. Plus I think Titanium is a huge compromise as well. You'll notice all the chrome on the car and want to get it painted just like everyone else on this forum... you should be able to get the red one for much cheaper because it doesn't have the Ti package.

yeah, it's really upsetting. but if i weigh the differences, quattro means more to me than titanium package or ibis white. ideally, i'd have all three, but in this situation, i don't think it's going to happen.

the chrome will be annoying, but i can do the vinyl mod like most others have been doing. i think that'll keep me satisfied for the most part. i'll be sad to see the ti-wheels go, because i actually liked them quite a bit. but it actually may work in my favor, since i'll want to put some snow tires on the factory wheels, and hopefully pick up something nicer later on to throw some good tires on.

i really do love white. it's what pretty much sold me the car. especially with the titanium combo. i don't hate red, i actually like it, but it's just not white. now if the interior was tan, i wouldn't do it. that would be the line i draw. don't know what it is, i really can't stand a tan interior.


Do you have a quattro badge above the glove box?

i'll have to go check tomorrow, but i don't think so.

[eMacPaul]

I'm not sure how exactly to go about it, but I think the VIN ought to contain the right information.

[Greeney]

Sue them for bait and switch...

[supamannn99]

and also, there should be a hump in the middle of the floor in the 2nd row. thats because there has to be a driveline for the rear 2 wheels. if that doesn't exist, your car is definitely fwd.

[Robninja]

An honest mistake is good and well but intentionally misrepresenting the vehicle is fraud. Either way the dealership should make right on this or you have a very strong case against them.

[redlabel81]

Insane......How could a dealership not check this kind of thing. Give me the name of this dealer. I have a "S4" i would like to sell to them......:)

[aspw]

I believe "Quattro" will show up on carfax if you run the VIN. If you want to PM me your VIN I'll run a carfax for you.

[GrandMarkie]

In case you're still looking for that car in Quattro:
http://tkcarsites.homenetinc.com/NorthBayImports/details2.asp?path-taken=used&locationid=&vehicle_id=D4000#tippytop

I just bought the same car in black from this dealership. I asked a while ago about this car and they said it may not be for sale, but worth a look.

[p1nk50ck]

Thanks for all of the support and the comments.

the question is not whether or not its quattro. i know for a fact that it is not quattro at this point. there is no driveshaft under the car. the rear wheels do not magically turn with power on their own without a driveshaft.

there is a quattro badge on the trunk lid of my car, but there is no quattro badge above my glove box. there is a hump in the rear floor area indicating that there should be a driveshaft, but that could just be because audi chose to only have 1 trim of the car, and not have a flat floor for the rear passengers.

my problem is because the dealership told me that i was buying a quattro, when they really sold me a FWD car. i saw the quattro badge, i saw the hump in the rear floor area, and i assumed that it was awd when i purchased it. i checked the carfax of the car when buying the car, but it was more to see if it had been in any accidents, or had any other problems. unfortunately, i was not checking to see if it was quattro or not.

i'm going to swing by the dealership on my way home to see how we can resolve this problem. i was just poking around the forum to see if anyone else had this problem, and to see if i had any legal backing on this issue. I am upset because this potentially could have been very dangerous. i drove around with the assurance of all wheel drive. i transport family members, work colleagues, and clients in this car. had it been snowing, it could have been fatal.

[Overboostin]

It should have a quattro badge over the glovebox. If not, someone could just have put the badges on the front and rear of the car.

[yettavr6]

Sounds like someone just threw a quattro badge on it before they traded it in to get more money.

[aspw]

okay yeah I see your point. Your situation reminds me of this post where the guy found out that he has the "wrong" engine in his Audi:
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186933

If I were you in your shoes, I would go back to the dealership and insist they take this car back and give you your money back, maybe minus the mileage you drove, or use that towards the red one on the lot if you're willing to compromise on the color for quattro.

It is a tough situation to be in, sorry you have to deal with it. keep us posted.

[gyroscope]

On your sales receipt does it state that your car is in fact a Quattro? How about on the title? At this point it's your word against the dealers. He could simply say that you stuck the quattro badge on the rear deck lid, and that he willingly sold you a front track.

[p1nk50ck]

On your sales receipt does it state that your car is in fact a Quattro? How about on the title? At this point it's your word against the dealers. He could simply say that you stuck the quattro badge on the rear deck lid, and that he willingly sold you a front track.

the sales receipt does not say anything about quattro or front track. just says audi 2.0 t, then again, it doesn't say anything about titanium package either.

however, i do have pictures of the car from their ad (with the dealership in the background) and it clearly shows the quattro badge on the trunk lid.

[AUDI101]

See if you can find older used car Newspapers (buy Lines, Craigslist)and see if the dealer listed the car For Sale with Quattro. I had a similar kind of dealer try to bait and switch on me rt before signing my papers He pulled out a file for a Black stock 2.0 when i was buying a Black S-Line 3.2 then when i caght it they tried to add an Additional $2000 for Sline package. Dealers are theives and seems they will do anything to make a few extra $$$ [headbang]

Good Luck

[4 black rings]

Are you sure it is a titanium package, I thought those came out in 2007.

[vtracer20]

is it s-line? cuase i thought s-lines only got ti pkg

[B7A4Sport]

Damn, I am very sorry to hear this too! I bought a Quattro, and woulda been devastated had it been a deceiving ploy of badging.

I do have to say tho, avoiding this type of thing is exactly why I went to an Audi dealership and bought a CPO. I wouldn't trust some small time "luxury auto dealer" farther than I could throw 'em.

I know in California, there is paperwork you have to sign and a fee you need to pay to retain rights to the decision of if you want to return the car for any reason. I'd suggest approaching this small dealership amicably from the standpoint that they could've made an honest mistake, and gauge their reaction. If they get defensive and start trying to screw you, that's a pretty good indicator they knowingly scammed you. If not, then you can probably negotiate some sort of trade for the red quattro.

Regardless of what happens, I wouldn't get angry quite yet, but at the same time, I wouldn't expect to be getting any money back either. Unfortunately, returning a car is not as easy as returning clothes or something. [:(]

[Brent27]

they should refund you the total amount since its false advertisement, they sold you a product different then what they advertised therefore they are liable. A good dealership should make a fix, maybe they can trade for another one since they caused you so much trouble....

[p1nk50ck]

they should refund you the total amount since its false advertisement, they sold you a product different then what they advertised therefore they are liable. A good dealership should make a fix, maybe they can trade for another one since they caused you so much trouble....

that's what i'm hoping. i'm taking off from the office in about 15 mins to head over to the dealership. i called earlier, and they seemed very eager to help. i don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

it's an 06 s-line. it's lowered, has the s-line door sills, s-line wheel, and sline badging and door accents. as far as i know, it's a titanium package due to the blacked out grille, no chrome accents on the windows, and the titanium wheels.

http://i38.tinypic.com/i2t4lk.jpg


she's a beautiful car. i'm going to be really sad to see her go.

[dreamcar=rs4]

that's what i'm hoping. i'm taking off from the office in about 15 mins to head over to the dealership. i called earlier, and they seemed very eager to help. i don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

it's an 06 s-line. it's lowered, has the s-line door sills, s-line wheel, and sline badging and door accents. as far as i know, it's a titanium package due to the blacked out grille, no chrome accents on the windows, and the titanium wheels.

http://i38.tinypic.com/i2t4lk.jpg


she's a beautiful car. i'm going to be really sad to see her go.

Hope everything goes smoothly. What will be your next car? Assuming its not another A4

[cstarky15]

she is pretty. I wish you the best. keep us updated!

[p1nk50ck]

well, the dealership let me trade with no penalties or fees. not too bad, seeing that i've owned the white car for at least 3 weeks now.

it's a red a4 s-line, quattro. this time, it's all over the documentation, and i double checked under the car to make sure.

i lose the technology package, and i lose the titanium pacakge. the biggest differences i've seen so far is that the little led screen between my speedometer and the tach is red, not in color. i also lose my auto leveling and turning headlights. the headliner of the white car was black, and the headliner of the red car is grey. the exhaust note sounds deeper on the red car, and it definitely feels better in the corners, and with acceleration. i also got side curtain airbags.

[fromGMCtoAUDI]

http://i38.tinypic.com/i2t4lk.jpg



Sorry to hear your situation, I hope it turns out well for you.

Btw haven't you noticed that there is no Quattro badge on the grill?
Also I have a fwd and there is a hump on the rear middle floor so I'm guessing it's the same for fwd and quattro.

[AudiWxGuy]

So you traded straight up for a car that is worth less??? Sounds like they had you again....

[fusionx]

should have made them give you an s4 :)

[Brent27]

I hope the miles were equal or less, due to the loss of about 2k of features... or did they adjust your payments to ?

[Audi Juice]

I have Ibis right now. Red though is the prettiest color I think. You'll be happy with it.

[p1nk50ck]

So you traded straight up for a car that is worth less??? Sounds like they had you again....

2000 less miles, and a few small things here and there

[Sanjman]

2000 less miles, and a few small things here and there



i lose the technology package, and i lose the titanium pacakge. the biggest differences i've seen so far is that the little led screen between my speedometer and the tach is red, not in color. i also lose my auto leveling and turning headlights. the headliner of the white car was black, and the headliner of the red car is grey. the exhaust note sounds deeper on the red car, and it definitely feels better in the corners, and with acceleration. i also got side curtain airbags.

you lost Ti and technology probably a $6k difference....... and you gained quattro... and 2000 miles???? 2k miles is nothing... i put in 2K in month... I definitely would have looked for another car to find it all.

enjoy your car though... quattro FTW...

[4RingRook]

I hope you're happy with the switch! I'm glad that the dealer swapped cars, but they should've given you more money back or something extra as a result.

Anyways, do you have any pics of the new car? [:D]

[bcramer]

Don't pay attention to what anyone has to say about whether you got screwed or not. As long as you enjoy the car and truly like it that is all that matters!

p.s. Red was one of my top choices for color, but I found a black one that fit my criteria for everything else.

[iconoclast]

So you traded straight up for a car that is worth less??? Sounds like they had you again....

LOL.

[Unleaded20T]

PinkSock, im glad to hear that you were able to resolve your issues with the dealer. Quattro is a great option to have specially in the snow.

Now all you have to do is post pics and do some MODS! :D

[muffinman]

I hope the miles were equal or less, due to the loss of about 2k of features... or did they adjust your payments to ?

S-Line Package + Technology Pakage is WAYY more than $2k diff. my friend

You really, really should've gotten some money back...

but either way, congrats and welcome.

[fromGMCtoAUDI]

S-Line Package + Technology Pakage is WAYY more than $2k diff. my friend

You really, really should've gotten some money back...

but either way, congrats and welcome.

IIRC the technology package (named convenience package in '08) is more than 2k on it's own! Either way, an A4 is a nice car even in stripped form.
Don't mean to add fuel to your fire, I know what's done is done. But if you can demand some compensation, that would be a fairer solution.

EDIT: just checked some papers I had printed out the convenience package was a $2,200 option

[aspw]

Regardless of what the other posts said, I'm glad to hear this got resolved to your satisfaction. It would've been a nightmare if this drags out into lawsuits and whatnots. This thing ended the right way for your situation.

[p1nk50ck]

sorry, i should have been a little more clear.

the ibis white (original) was missing an armrest, switchblade key, floormats, cargo net, and had some body damage on one of the door blades (very slight, looked like someone opened the door on a curb) it also had almost 25k miles. i planned on replacing all of these things down the road, but the price of the car was very good, so i jumped on the opportunity.

the red (replacement) has quattro, curtain airbags, xm satellite radio, all floormats, no body damage, paint was in better condition, switchblade key, floormats, cargo net, etc. and 23k miles.

not to mention that i put almost 1500 miles on the white car in the 3 weeks that i owned it. i could really care less about the technology package. compared to quattro, it means nothing to me. the color lcd was nice, but it doesn't make or break the car for me by any means. i did like the titanium wheels and the black accents, but i would have bought new wheels down the road anyways. i will also miss the auto leveling and turning projector headlights, but again, i'd rather have quattro.

the bottom line, the red car drives better, and will be far superior in the snow.

[AudiWxGuy]

You guys get a lot down there in the DC Area, NOT! But, yes...it will be awesome in the snow when it happens.

[fromGMCtoAUDI]

sorry, i should have been a little more clear.

the ibis white (original) was missing an armrest, switchblade key, floormats, cargo net, and had some body damage on one of the door blades (very slight, looked like someone opened the door on a curb) it also had almost 25k miles. i planned on replacing all of these things down the road, but the price of the car was very good, so i jumped on the opportunity.

the red (replacement) has quattro, curtain airbags, xm satellite radio, all floormats, no body damage, paint was in better condition, switchblade key, floormats, cargo net, etc. and 23k miles.

not to mention that i put almost 1500 miles on the white car in the 3 weeks that i owned it. i could really care less about the technology package. compared to quattro, it means nothing to me. the color lcd was nice, but it doesn't make or break the car for me by any means. i did like the titanium wheels and the black accents, but i would have bought new wheels down the road anyways. i will also miss the auto leveling and turning projector headlights, but again, i'd rather have quattro.

the bottom line, the red car drives better, and will be far superior in the snow.

Hey we get snow here like 5 days a year lol.Not to mention our snow plowing road services are pretty good too..

Anyway as long as your happy that's what matters, happy modding! [up]

[p1nk50ck]

Hey we get snow here like 5 days a year lol.Not to mention our snow plowing road services are pretty good too..

Anyway as long as your happy that's what matters, happy modding! [up]

awd is superior for traction in all sorts of inclement weather, rain or snow. there's a chance that i'll be moving within the next two years as well.

[Kirath]

wow

[jahciple]

that sucks that you didn't get all the options you wanted, but you'll still have fun with the car. now let's see pics of the new one.

[scoobycarolan]

S-lines don't have a quattro badge, it's an s-line badge. Glad everything worked out, but it seems like you took a steep downgrade. Ibis & ti is like ebony and ivory. Music for my eyes!