David of Oakland CA (07/29/08)
After purchasing a used vehicle in March, Ive been back and forth to the service department for electrical issues 5 times. The driver side door wouldnt lock. In Oakland thats a special feature im sure. The back taillight was replaced upon purchase. Also fun was the thermostat going out week two.

I paid 100 dollars for the diagnosis at a local shop. The dealership wanted to charge me 250 as a deductiblw when it was free per my contract. Just read your contract so one of the employees cant work you just to make a buck. Watch out and avoid this dealership at ALL costs.

Nathalie of San Francisco CA (09/26/07)
I took my 98 VW Passat for a scheduled maintenance into this dealership to replace the timing belt, tensioners and water pump. Total parts and labor was about $1,650. Less than 500 miles later, my car broke down leaving me stranded on the side of the road with my young child. I had the vehicle towed back to the dealership where they found the timing belt had been improperly installed. When I came to pick up the vehicle, I noticed excessive valve lifter chatter from the engine. They claim it is oil sludge however I disagree.

I am the first and only owner of the vehicle and maintain my vehicle well from oil changes to tune ups. I have all the invoices to show for it. The VW Passat 1.8L Turbo engine has an interference engine which means the timing belt is crucial in keeping the engine working correctly. When the timing belt fails, the pistons can crash into the valves bending them. Not to mention other possible damage to the cylinder head, cylinder walls and lifters. The dealership has conducted compression tests but I do not think they are being honest. I asked to have a third party inspect the vehicle but the surrounding dealerships either do not respond or quote me $1,700 to inspect the vehicle.

I believe their is enging damage to my vehicle. I think the valves were likely to bend after the timing belt failure. Or perhaps the pistons, cylinder head or walls have problems. The potential damage can exceed $4,000 or even the value of the car.

Johannah of Oakland CA (09/12/06)
I was a first-time car buyer this year (single, 34-year-old female). In April of 2006, I bought a 2002 turbo VW Beetle from Oakland's Broadway Volkswagen for $19,000 after failed good-natured attempts to negotiate down the price. Yes, I was a nave, foolish buyer who trusted the car salesman and bought a car without doing independent research.

I found out a month later, after doing the research through Kelly Blue Book and calling other dealerships, that I probably paid about $4,000 too much for this car (Blue Book noted the starting negotiating price of this car to be $14,000 between a dealership and a customer; other dealerships admitted to me that they would have sold the car for about $15,000-$16,000).

I called the salesman who sold me the car--Art Gonzales--and the general manager of the dealership--Brady Gibson--to inquire about their sale price of the car and for an explanation of the discrepancy I'd come across. Mr. Gonzales never returned my call, and it took multiple calls, emails, and handwritten letters to get Mr. Gibson to send me a confusing Kelly Blue Book printout with handwritten numbers added onto it to explain their selling price (this printout did not reflect the actual car I purchased, and his notes simply stated that an extra three to four thousand was tacked on for auto transmission--my car is a manual). I called Mr. Gibson and asked if we could meet briefly in person to discuss this. He refused to speak with me, despite multiple calls to him, a call to the dealership president--Mike Murphy, multiple calls to VW Customer Service, and an in-person visit I made to the dealership itself. VW Customer Service told me that they had notified both Mr. Gibson and Mr. Murphy on several occasions and asked them to contact me about my original question. Their calls were unreturned, and I still have never heard from the dealership.

Furthermore, when I bought the Beetle, I had sold my old Tercel to Mr. Gonzales for $100--it needed work, and he said he wanted to buy it for his niece. I gave all the paperwork to Mr. Gonzales, who said he'd register the car in his his name. He never did--I got a parking ticket and a renewal notice for the Tercel months later, which I called Mr. Gonzales about. He promised to take care of it and contact me when it was finalized. I never heard from him again. When I went to the dealership to ask Mr. Gonzales in person about this (he was on vacation), another salesperson scoffed and said that the car had been curbed (meaning: sold a mechanic for parts). I finally went to the DMV myself to notify them that I was no longer the owner.

Yes, I should have known better. However, there is no justification for taking advantage of fools. I am appalled that this dealership openly condones and practices deceit and dismissal of their customers. I would not be nearly so upset if they had had the decency to communicate with me with respect, regardless of their answer to my original question. To date, they have given me no indication that I wasn't ripped off. The only information I have been able to obtain says that I paid at least $4,000 too much for this car. So that is what I am left with.

I am purchasing a license plate frame that states I got screwed at Broadway Volkswagen. What an expensive and disappointing lesson in cliched human behavior.

Econmonic Damage: Overcharged for a used vehicle--likely about $4,000. Emotional Damage: Bitterness about greedy, bad salesperson behavior. Physical Damage: Colonic spasms directly related to anger, resulting in the need for a colonoscopy!

Mike of Emeryville CA (09/14/05)
We took our 96 Jetta in because engine light was on intermittently and we assumed this was due to need for 60k service. (It has 64k miles). They charged us almost $1000 for service and new brakes. Then they called at 3 p.m. to say: Do you know your engine light is on? We can't fix it today. You'll have to bring it back in and it will cost another $150 just to diagnose the problem. Not to fix it. So I pick up the car, and, for the first time in 9 years of driving the car, it has a rattle in the muffler. I take it back in. They say it is just a coincidence and that they are not responsible. Stay away from Broadway VW. They are horrible.

Dan of Oakland CA (07/26/05)
I took my 2001 Golf in for oil/lube service and Broadway Volkswagen recommended that my serpentine belt be changed as well. Several minutes after leaving the dealership, my check engine light came on. When I returned the car, they said that several valves were now broken and needed to be replaced and that it was totally coincidental and unrelated to the belt change. So this oil change has cost me over $1000 so far.

I consulted an outside mechanic who said that the two problems were completely related, that the valves weren't properly adjusted, and that it's no coincidence. In the meantime, Broadway lost my keys and I had to wait for over 30 minutes while various employees searched the dealership. At one point I was told that if I wanted to take the car home, I would have to use my spare.

Rude, unprofessional, and crooked.

I have a $1300 bill for a car with only 44,000 miles on it that was running perfectly before I brought it to Broadway Volkswagen.

Verna of Pinole CA (06/03/05)
the 3rd day I bought a brand new 2004 volkswagen in august 2004, i brought it in to get the air conditioning fixed because it was blowing warm air. I was told, that's the way they worked. I also saw something fried on the radiator and was told it was due to the workers who washed the car. when i contacted the manager, he did not respond, I left 4 messages and no response. I went in and left a message written and he did not respond in turn. I became so frustrated, I gave up. I was told my the internet salesperson if there was anything wrong bring it in and he'll take care of it. The first time I came in, he told me not to go to certain people because they won't get the job done. It seems like they pass the buck blaming others for lacks.

To make matters worse, I financed the car through VW Credit which is the finance company for Broadway VW and a few days later refinanced with my credit union. My credit union sent the payoff right away. I found out later that I was billed for 4 months late from VW credit collections. After investigation, I found that the credit union check was on the desk of the finance manager at Broadway VW for weeks which gave me poor credit. Yes, my credit score has been affected because the finance manager was sitting on a $27,000 check which he did not send to VW Credit. VW credit blamed Broadway VW and Broadway VW apologized for the error but did not help repair my credit. To this day, my credit is bad.

poor credit, not working air conditioning system, promise of new VW gift items the next day after purchasing car they never sent it, 2 days off work, lots of stress

Brian of Walnut Creek CA (11/12/04)
After changing the oil in my Golf, they neglected to tighten the nut that seals my oil pan.

Several quarts of oil leaked from the oil pan, down my driveway, into the storm drains, and then into the SF bay. No damage resulted to the vehicle, as I noticed the problem before driving it.

Kristen of Oakland CA (10/07/04)
Broadway VW is officially the most incompetant VW service department anywhere...they took 8 weeks to put my jetta back together saying that tech support wasn't calling them back....they are to be avoided at all costs!

Darrell of Oakland CA (09/07/03)
I called to inquire about a 1999 Passat that was listed on their web page. I first spoke to a dealer named Fred Tarin who informed about the car and told me it was still avialable. He had his Finance Manager call me, who left only the name Jeff. I returned his called and asked him what was the asking price for the car. He told me he would sell me that car for 16800.00.

At that point I gave him permission to run a credit check and to secure a loan for the car. Later that day Jeff returned my call and said that he had secured financing, (who it was is unk). When I began to ask questions as to the interest on the loan and why the payments where so high he stated He had made a mistake in telling me the car was for sale for 16800.00 and that they actually wanted 17888.00 for the car raising the price 1100.000 dollars. I told him this was unacceptable to me. He tried to explain that he had to relook up the price and couldn't take a loss on the car.

I informed him he made a firm offer on the car when I first called him and that he should have never stated a price unless he was sure of it. He refused to sell me the car at the original quote and continued to say that he had made a mistake. When I informed him that this was a classic example of a bait and switch deal he apologized and said he could not change the price to the original offer. I refused his services.

This kind of lying to the public to get you interested and thinking that you are getting a good deal, then agreeing to allow this dealership to acquire financing then lie once the financing is acquired is in my opinion at the least unethical and should be illegal. I would like this investigated.

I was not given the opportunity to purchase the car at the price quoted me. A further enquire now appears on my credit report for no reason which lowers my credit standing. I would have been ripped off 1100.00 dollars had I agreed or not inquired about the deal over the phone.

Elias of Oakland CA (06/29/03)
When I moved close to Broadway VW last year, I was happy that I have a VW dealership near me since I drive a Jetta. Unfortunately, since then I have had the chance to go there twice and both times found the people in service department to be quite rude. I would have been okay to deal with that but their charges for simple service jobs are absurdly high.

I needed my rear brake pads changed and they gave me an estimate of approximately $450 ($85 for parts and rest for labor). If any one does even a little bit of research then they will surely know that this estimate is too high. I was able to get the same work done by getting manufacturer parts and having them changed by a local brake shop for a total of about $150.

If you really have to get the work done from a dealership then I recommend VW McNevin (Approx 5 miles away) on San Pablo Ave. They are not only much nicer in dealing with customers but they also gave me an estimate of approx $300 which is still $150 less than Broadway VW. I got manufacturer brake pads from McNevin for $63 which Broadway VWguys were selling for $85. So unless your car is still under manufacturer warranty, save your self the hassle and money and go to a different dealership. It will be worth it!

I saved about $300 by doing a little homework!

Robert of El Cerrito CA (06/27/03)
A year and a half ago I need new front breaks on my 1998 VW Jetta. I went to Broadway VW to replace them. Several Hundred Dollars later I was expecting to have wonderful top of the line breaks that I wouldn't have to worry about for a couple of years. But from the first day they have sqeaked ever time I put my foot on the break. I was given an informational pamphlet showing how these new, high-tech breaks were expected to sqeak until they were worn in. This was a year and a half ago and the squeaking is as bad as the first day. I have taken the car back twice to Broadway VW to look at the breaks and they say there is nothing wrong with them. What can I do??

$500, frustration, mind numbing squeaking every time I put my foot on the break. Feeling that there is no recourse because the breaks work OK I suppose although they are brutally annoying.

Jon of Oakland CA (04/03/03)
Lied to us about need to pay for warrenty, it is actually a after-market plan. It cost $2000, and we are getting the run around from them on refund.

lot's of time, and $2000

Nichole of Berkeley CA (01/28/03)
I have had to place my 1996 Jetta into the shop on several occasions to address the same problem. I have experienced the engine light remaining on and the speed sensor needing replacement. All in all, the engine light is still on and neither of the local dealerships that I can go to can fix the problem. At first they did a diagnostic and thought it was the speed censor. Once that was replaced the light was off for short while until it came back on. Frustrated I was unable to return immediatly because of my hectic schedule. Until I was able to take my car to another dealership (McNevin). They concluded that the problem was the non factory alarm that was put in the car (by the previous owner).

Their theory was that the alarm system was causing an unnecessary surge to the mother board with which it caused the speedometer to not work. Mind you this car is only 7 years old and in the course of making payments on the car it self, I have spent over $1000.00 on attempting to find this problem with the speedometer and engine light. I must say that a car should have all of its working parts with only 75,000 miles on it. Especially the speedometer with is a vital part of operating the car itself. I would like to know what Volkswagen can do to compensate consumers for these type of inconsistencies that have nothing to do with wear and tear. This is just plain old faulty parts!

I don't know how fast I'm going!

Mark of Alameda CA (09/17/02)
The power window on my 2001 GTI stopped working, and I called to make an appointment to get it fixed. After taking time off of work, and arranging a ride (Broadway VW does not offer a shuttle service), I left the car with the assurance it would be finished by the end of the day. I got a call at around 5:30 from the service department say my car was ready, so I made my way back to Oakland. When I got there I was informed there was a problem. It turned out that they had used MY parts to fix someone elses car. The service tech made all kinds of excuses but never once apologized, or make any attempt to make ammends.

I had to wait another week for new parts, all the while driving with a broken window, then I had to take more time off from work to get the car into the service department. I tried to bring my complaints to management, but my phone calls were not returned. Needless to say I am very dissappointed with my experiences at Broadway Volkswagen. One of the reasons I decided to buy a VW was because they had a reputation for excellent customer care.

James of Oakland CA (09/01/02)
After negotiating the cap cost on a new 2003 Jetta GL at MSRP(17,625), the dealer asked me what kind of payments I would like. I told him $299. The lease was presented with the payments as discussed. Unfortunately, I signed too quickly. I have discovered that the cap cost on this car was calculated at over $4000 more than cap cost.

Economic: Loss of income over the course of 48 months -- est. $4-5K over term of lease. Emotional: I was defrauded, cheated, and feel used.

Minda of San Jose CA (08/02/02)
MISREPRESENTATION and DAMAGE to vehicle During a routine rotation of tyres on 2000 VW Jetta, they introduced a flaw in rear bearings which resulted in a noticeable sound enough to concern me and my fellow passengers.

On contacting the dealership not only were they non-chalant about clearly introducing the damage - they claimed they could only fix it 5 days afterward. After taking in the car at 7 AM, they simply notify me that the spare part needed is not in stock - even in any dealerships in the Bay Area. Called Dublin VW and they had four in stock. So did Sunnyvale. This is a blatant LIE. On mentioning that part was available the upper management hummed and just offered a rental. What is a customer to do on the face of such fraud ?

The five days driving with the noise in car along with traffic caused a lot of tense nerves and was exhausting and stressful. Driving a VW should a pleasant experience - these dealers with their lies and non-chalant attitude made it an abomination. Just hope they fix it by monday

Lisa of Piedmont CA (11/16/00)
My new 2000 Passat has been towed back to the dealer in just the 6 months I've had it. 24 hours after leasing the vehicle, an apparant crack in the oil pan caused all oil & coolant to leak out. 3 months after that, the car simply didn't start. I was told it was an electrical problem. Then yet again, 3 months later, my accelerator pad was stuck will on the freeway!! They dismissed it by saying it was just the floor mat and that it happens.

First of all, Aside from the first day of the last incident, I have had to inccur my own costs of renting a vehicle because I do not feel my Passat safe. They treat their customers (who are victims really) with complete disconcern. The first 2 incidents were angering and frustrating but the last one really put me over the edge. I am a pregnant woman who obviously is concerned not just for herself but for the safety of her baby. I was so frieghtened after the incident and they simply gave it no concern. I could have been seriously hurt or even killed in this last incident. Lisa of Piedmont, CA, writes:
My new 2000 Passat has been towed back to the dealer in just the 6 months I've had it. 24 hours after leasing the vehicle, an apparent crack in the oil pan caused all oil and coolant to leak out. 3 months after that, the car simply didn't start. I was told it was an "electrical problem".

Then 3 months later, my accelerator pad was stuck while on the freeway! They dismissed it by saying it was just the "floor mat" and that "it happens". Aside from the first day of the last incident, I have had to incur my own costs of renting a vehicle because I do not feel my Passat is safe.

They treat their customers (who are victims really) with complete lack of concern. The first 2 incidents were angering and frustrating but the last one really put me over the edge. I am a pregnant woman who obviously is concerned not just for herself but for the safety of her baby. I was so frieghtened after the incident and they simply gave it no concern. I could have been seriously hurt or even killed in this last incident.