Southern States Volkswagen

When I was 7 mo. pregnant, I had 4 new tires placed on my 2001 VW Jetta wagon by these people. That was on a Tuesday. The following weekend my family drove 3 hours away to visit relatives, then 3 hours home. On the drive home, the steering wheel shook. The following weekend we were on our way home from my baby shower,car full of gifts, and our front left tire almost fell off-one lug nut remained in place, all of the others were missing. We had to have the car towed to this dealership (at 10 pm). The next day we went to talk to the dealership. They argued and accused us of doing this to our own car and tried to get out of the fact that they were at fault..."Our best tech did this work, he's been with us for over 20 years..." They made me cry I was so mad and were very unwilling to take responsibility for their shoddy work. THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES! In this economy wouldn't one think a business would try and keep their business? They ended up "fixing" their mistakes (which we had rechecked by another mechanic) and told us that if we had problems with the front wheels/tires, they would take care of it. 6 mo. later the little plastic VW insignia on the left front tire fell off. We called to see if they could replace it, they got all worked up, they were extremely rude to my husband, they said we were "trying to get something for free" and that they wouldn't do anything to help us since we had not brought them the car to service since that prior incident! HELLO! Why would a person in their right mind go back to a place that does this type of work? It's really too bad that this is the only VW dealership in Durham, but I have since found a gem of a place that does the same work for almost half the price....
MASSENGILLS AUTO SERVICE
715 Rigsbee Ave
Durham 27701 919-687-0558 Use these guys, they are fabulous!

Posted 11/10/09 | Report Abuse

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The check in guys are super friendly and know me by now. My 2003 VW Passat has 105M miles and I have spent a lot of time and $ there. They won't dare let you get out of there without spending money. They charge $80+ to "check out" any problem. Then they'll drain you. I like the check in guys alot - I just decline their initial front to back checkup so they don't look for problems. My Check-Engine light is always on. If I go get them to turn it off, it costs $80+, and then it comes back on 2 or 3 days later. I have left my check-engine light on for almost a year because it's to expensive and time consuming to take it in every time the light comes on.

Posted 08/04/09 | Report Abuse

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If I must give this dealership a star, then I must, but they have never treated me with any respect as a customer nor have they ever actually fixed my car. In one instance, their incompetent work almost caused a potentially fatal accident and then they argued with me -- first by accusing me of sabotaging my own vehicle and then about fair compensation when they realized they had in fact neglected to tighten the lug nuts on my tires, which caused it to almost fall off in route from my then pregnant wife's baby shower. They also did not live up to their word when it came to warranty guarantees on their work related to this incident and even used as a reason for their unwillingness to fix their mistakes the fact that I had not returned in the interim to have them perform routine maintenance on my vehicle. Go figure! And if that wasn't enough, the service manager told me (and I quote): "I hate customers like you" -- and his supervisor has never returned my calls. Absolutely the worst dealership I have ever dealt with. VW's rock! These guys do not!!

Posted 06/05/09 | Report Abuse

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SSVW did not take the proper steps to diagnose and rectify the problem with my 2001 VW Jetta. Just before my 40,000 mile check up the vehicle started to rev up and jerk when changing from 2nd to 3rd. gear. I took my vehicle to them and brought this to their attention. Along with the routine maintenance, they test drove my vehicle and stated they could not duplicate the problem. The slipping continued and worsened which I brought to their attention at each 5,000 mile maintenance appointment. They continued to deny there was a problem because the check engine light was not on.

At 96,099 miles I again brought this to their attention and requested they further investigate the problem. And yet again they did not diagnose or rectify the problem. They stated the concern could not be duplicated at this time.

AT 99,757, I took my car in for the 100,000 mile service and to make sure they addressed the problem before my power train warranty expired. I requested service representative John Jameyson to ride in the car with me to make sure they duplicated the problem this time and to witness it. He got in the car and experienced the jerking from 2nd to 3rd gear. At this visit they replaced an Oxygen sensor and stated the car ran fine.

However, the problem continued. I took my car to Precision Automotive. They researched the problem and discovered Volkswagen of American issued an All Technical Service Bulletin, dated Jan 16, 2007, regarding automatic transmission-Slips on 2-3 up shift which explained my cars transmission malfunction that I had brought to the attention of the SSV since 44,000 miles.

By this time my car had over 100,000 miles and my power train warranty had expired. I contacted SSVW service manager,and informed him of the discovery and asked them to cover the cost of the repair. He was unaware of the bulletin and not willing to assist without payment because the warranty had expired. Then, I contacted Volkswagen of America and they agreed to cover the cost of replacing the TCM May 27, 2008 at 114,144 miles.. This occurred 5 years and approximately 75,000 miles after gears began to slip. Although the TCM was replaced, the vehicles performance improved slightly but was still not shifting properly from 2nd to 3rd gear. This rough shifting gradually continued to worsen over the next 1000 miles.
At 115,578 miles, I took my car back to SSVW. They ran a computer diagnostic test and originally stated nothing was wrong with the TCM or the transmission however something else unrelated to my transmission was wrong. Due to my dissatisfaction with their response, they called Volkswagen of Americas 800 number help line for advice. They recommended they perform a transmission drip down test. The test identified 2 of the 3 clutch packs were damaged to the following extent: first 100%, second 30% and the third 100% and stated this was what was causing my transmission to slip from 2nd to 3rd gear. I requested they replace my transmission at their expense. They offered an employee discount of which the cost would be $3,995.55. This was unacceptable. I wrote Volkswagen of America and asked that they cover the cost of my transmission replacement. They responded that it is the responsibility of Southern States Volkswagens service department to run the necessary tests to diagnose problems and to find solutions to them. She informed me that VWA supplies a 24-hour 800-support line for VW service departments to assist with matters that go beyond the computer diagnostic testing. SSVW failed to utilize this option.
In response to what VWOA told me, I wrote a letter to the General Manager of SSVW explaining the history and sharing the response of Volkswagen of America and requested they replace my transmission at their expense due to their negligence. They responded with the offer to replace at an employee discount.
This was unacceptable. I had my vehicle towed elsewhere for replacement. I attempted to have my problem resolved at 44,000 miles and it was 75,000 miles of my car jerking into gear before they replaced the TCM. I clearly was experiencing transmission problems. SSVW could have resolved my problem prior to the expiration of the warranty had they contacted the VWOA hotline for potential recalls and suggestions on diagnosing the problem outside of computer diagnostic testing. When I first mentioned a problem with my gears slipping, Southern States should have suggested a drip down test to see what was wrong with my transmission since nothing was showing up on the computer diagnostics. Had they researched my car symptoms, they would have found my clutch packs were damaged beyond repair due to the continued gear slipping that I brought to their attention since 44,000 miles.

Posted 04/17/09 | Report Abuse

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I brought my car to this business a few years ago, for routine maintenance. They performed the maintenance, and it cost an arm and a leg, but what's new?

However, my car at the time had a radio/tape player, and when the engine battery ran out the radio would need someone to input the code. This had happened to me several times, and each time the service place I took it to would find the code for me and put it in.

When I dropped it of at Southern States, I asked them to put the code into the radio. When I picked it up, they apologized & said the radio was broken and that I would need to buy a new one (to the tune of several hundred dollars). Being a poor student, I declined!

Fastforward 6 months (of silent driving)--I take the car into Autologic for another problem, and when I pick it up they have found the code & the radio is working again! I did not ask them to put it in, since I had believed it was broken.

Those jerks at Southern States just thought they could trick me into dropping several hundred unnecessary dollars. STAY AWAY!!

If they would do that with a radio, I don't see why they wouldn't do it with other repairs.

Posted 02/18/09 | Report Abuse

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Bought high-end new car from SSVW in 2007. Price and buying experience were fine. When delivered 2nd key was missing. Dealer took several weeks to get second key, and they tried to charge me for the encoding, which took a full day. Salesman promised a free tank of gas and free detailing for my hassle, I never received either. I asked for loaner car and they gave me a smelly used Hyundai with the "fuel empty" light on. I stopped and filled the tank paying with my own money. The manager laughed and refused to reimburse me when I presented the gas receipt. All this hassle and abuse after I had just bought one of the most expensive cars on the lot, and THEIR incompetent staff had lost my key. I have had similar hassles and treatment during multiple warranty service appointments. This dealer has a well-deserved reputation for terrible customer service - just ask around, or read the other on-line reviews. In stark contrast, I also bought a new Honda, and the service there (Southpoint) is fantastic and hassle-free. I really love my VW, but SSVW's obnoxious and incompetent service is reason enough not to buy a Volkswagen if you live in Durham.

Posted 02/03/09 | Report Abuse

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had problems with new touareg v8 from day one. they were unable to fix it. they did not keep any of their promises nor appointments. i had to rent car on own expenses because my car always had to stay in longer than what they said it would take them. even an oil exchange takes them a full day or two. this service department is a reason not to buy a VW in this area!

Posted 12/20/08 | Report Abuse

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This dealer has no shame. When they finished ripping me off, I was sadder and wiser. My car was filthy inside from the work that was done. Unnecessary work was performed. I would NEVER buy a car from them, and I would NEVER recommend them to anyone. As a matter of fact, I share my rip-off story with other VW drivers, just in case they haven't gotten the word. Interestingly, most people in the area seem to agree. One Star is too high a rating for them. They deserve to be starless.

Posted 06/12/08 | Report Abuse

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Southern States has some awesome people there. All of there Techs are seasoned and definitely know what they are doing. Sam the service manager is a nice guy and helped me with two recalls I had on my 07 Jetta. The car is great and is by far the most fun to drive car I have ever owned!.. When I bought they were patient with me as I tried to figure out actually how to go about buying a new car. I was impressed by the knowledge I was given. A salesperson at another dealer must have been new but he didn't really answer any of my questions. I would definitely suggest checking these guys out if you are at all interested in buying a new or even used Volkswagen. services aren't cheap but I knew that buying a German made car.

Posted 01/07/08 | Report Abuse

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I am soooooooo glad I got rid of my Passat. My dad is a big VW buff and he and my mom bought this car for me. It was very reliable, but very expensive to maintain. Unfortunately, many repairs have to be done at the dealer. I do not have dealer money. I had to pay 40 bucks just for them to tell me why my ABS light was on. The waiting area is VERY nice though. Just like the other reviewer stated, they gave me a rundown of all these repairs my car needed, like almost $2000. Ha! I don't think so. I paid my $40 and left. I road around with that ABS light on until we sold the car. If you have a VW and live in Durham, you probably will have to come here, but if you can avoid it, don't.

Posted 12/03/07 | Report Abuse

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This dealer, like most VW dealers I have dealt with are out to rip you off especially if you are a woman. I don't even know where to begin to list all of their flaws. Everytime I bring my car in for a required checkup, they find at least $500 worth of stuff wrong with it. Sometimes I take my car elsewhere to get a second opinion and get a totally different response. I made the huge mistake of having my car inspected when I moved to NC and in order to register my car and pass inspection it cost almost $1200 to fix things they claimed were broken. When owning a VW it is very hard to stay away from the dealer as everything must be performed by a certified VW dealer using VW parts, but if your car is out of warranty and you can stay away I recommend it. Also try and always bring a man with you, as they seem less likely to try and overcharge and rip you off when you have one tag along.

Posted 04/06/06 | Report Abuse

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The service at this place is hooooorible. I used to have a Beetle, that had to be serviced at this location. Everytime I went it was a hassle, and an extreamly lengthy one. i actually avoided purchasing a new volswagen just to avoid having service done by southern states.

Posted 06/11/05 | Report Abuse

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I could fill up 20 pages with how horrible this dealership was after I bought my 2000 Volkswagen Jetta. From the second week, I had nonstop problems with that car. It was in the shop at least 15 times throughout the year and sometimes needlessly. At one point I needed a part replaced and they had my car all day before calling to tell me that they didn't have the part in stock and I needed to pick my car up. They called two weeks later to tell me the part came in and that I could drop my car off the next day. Again, they had my car all day before calling to tell me that they had been mistaken and that the part was not in the shop. The third time I asked twice to make sure the part was in stock and they assured me it was. However I did not check to make sure that the guy who was supposed to install the part was there - of course he wasn't. Again, my car was there all day. Finally, on the fourth try the part was replaced and I had my car. That was just one of my experiences with them. I would never, ever recommend anyone buy a car from Southern States VW, especially the one in Durham, NC. My new car is a Nissan and I drive 35 minutes out of my way for dealership service just so I do not have to go to Southern States Nissan.

PROS: Nothing, absolutely nothing
CONS: Everything.

Posted 04/27/05 | Report Abuse

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