And the damage that was caused to my new A3 by the dealership prior to delivery:
http://www.flipdrive.com/photo...26e1a

Apparently someone at the dealership decided to go at my new paint with a rotary. I didn't notice it when I picked it up because it was cloudy and overcast, and they had done a magnificent job at concealing the damage with layers of wax.
One rainstorm later (1.5 weeks in to ownership), the wax came off and left me a damaged, ugly paintjob.

Since then the dealership accepted responsibility and has had my car for 50% of it's new life. Mostly, at an auto body shop in East Pasadena where it's was buffed and polished some more. They delivered it to me today, after nearly 2 weeks without my own car (and as I drive their loaner). I was again perplexed that the damage still showed and overall, the condition of the new car, as a new car, was completely unacceptable. My coworker used the term "chalky" to describe the black paint.
I refused the car and made them take it back to the dealership.
Despite many requests through Audi of America and directly to the general sales manager at Rusnak, a new car is not in the books. Absolutely NO is what they said. And just recently, after thinking I had Audi of America on my side this whole time, they told me flat out they have sided with the dealership and that this is no longer their problem.
Long story short, REALLY long story short, is I have everything documented very well, but Rusnak Pasadena refuses to acknowledge this is not the car I paid for. They acknowledge responsibility for the damage, but it's my problem now.
Lemon Law can apply towards the VALUE of the car, so I might have something there, but going legal on this could take a lot of time and possibly $ I don't have to spend.
They want me to come up on Saturday to review the damage with the GSM, so that we may once again jump through all the useless hoops of trying to remedy a well-beyond damaged vehicle they should have just replaced from the get-go.
I'm taking witnesses, etc...but I'm feeling a little lost. Rusnak f'd up and they really are letting me have it. Have it with all the scratches and damage THEY caused.
I don't know what to do at this point.

I'm surprised you couldn't find a competent detailer in So-Cal. I know what you're talking about . . . . its called hologramming. I've removed it before with a PC7424. With the right polishes and a little bit of effort, that haziness can come out easily.

I don't believe lemon law applies in this case.

You need to a) find a better detailer, b) just do it yourself

Dave

That's terrible, man. I hope crew217 is right that it can be fixed. You should be enjoying the car, not arguing with the dealership over it!

Good luck.

-Dave

Dave isnt there a monetary cap on that I think @ $3K and applys to anything that happens at the dealership as well. My 98 Jetta (traded in for A3), we only recently (2004)found out there was a ton of rear end damaged and repair, and I was never informed (I bought it new). My auto body guy says this was common.

Tarik- that just sucks, but unfortunately with current lemon laws you cant expect them to replace the car (even though they should). What you should do is go to a top end body shop and get their opinion, also get an estimate for repainting the car, thats probably the most you could get out of them, just keep threatening them with court.

Well when I mean that there's no documentation . . . most of the time the dealer doesn't even know. The only indication there might be is a delay in the car getting to the dealership. Its happened to a few people i know. Like one guy who bought an R32 . . . car was delayed at port for an extra week. I know the two salesmen that sold him the car and the R32 owner. None of them knew that the car had undergone some bodywork until I looked at the vehicle.

Repaint is a very very very bad idea. Most i'd do is have the body wetsand the clear and respray a layer of clear. Then again, I'm really surprised this bodyshop / detailer they sent the vehicle to didn't take out the hologramming. If I were in so-cal, i'd def help you out.

http://www.autopia.org is a great place for all your detailing needs. For your car, I'd probably use the Menzerna system. Zaino Z-PC probably would take too long to get all of that out.

Dave

Agreed, I meant to say he should just get an estimate as a max number ($$) to hold over their heads, maybe even a compensation figure (although I doubt it). Looking at the pictures it is defintly something that can be fixed by a good detailer, repaint would be way over the top.

The best bet IMO is to go on autopia and find one of their professional detailers in your area. Get the dealer to pay that guy to fix the damage on the car. The detailers there know their ****.

Dave

While I agree that it's the dealership's responsibility to set this right, I wouldn't trust them to do a good job, and they'll end up holding your car even longer.

I would probably just settle for a few bucks comp, enough to pay a good detailer or even better buy the detailing products and do it yourself. It's a fun and rewarding hobby, and I've restored far worse paint on old cars to better than new condition.

Good luck.

I'd trust autopia's advice on a local detailer more than I would from this forum . . .

Dave

Well if the dealer pays for the detailer then you and the dealer should be done since you are choosing the route you'd go. I dunno about going to a zaino recommended shop though . . . Zaino uses a lot of fillers (will hide scratches but won't get rid of em). I'd be sure to check and see what the shop would use on the vehicle before taking it there.

Dave

So they have your signature accepting the car as it was? Good luck with your quest.

As I mentioned in a few threads I took a job with Audi part time for the winter. Audi is going to great lengths to perfect new car deliveries to the point that they are doing monthly drawings for PDI teams, which includes the detailers, techs and sales person. If a car gets signed off and says its perfect and the customer has no complaints it goes into a drawing and the team gets 1000 bucks to split up. This is how much they care about getting this right.. Lets just say they are going after lexus for first place in initial quality (audi is currently 5th I think).

We had someone come in last friday from Audi and give a presentation. Basically you can't even submit a claim for this contest if you anything but what Audi supplies for detailing products and if there is any kind of mechanical buffer whithin 10 feet of the car. The people you have spoken with on the phone probably are just going with what the dealer tells them that its not bad. Stop no short of getting a rep out there, not the usual service FOM, but one connected with sales. They want nothing like this out there right now and because of this you will have tons of pull, you just need to get the right people helping you. Make them send someone from Audi out to look at the car.

Please check our website for updates http://www.pdperformance.com

This can be a problem I agree and will be the dealers standpoint and will give them a good case. However if you can prove the car was delivered in indoors, at night or when itw as overcast where it may not show up you will possibly have some sort of a case.

But yes I meant to say this earlier. you accept the car at delivery as is and sign for it. And the dealer will stand by this.

Please check our website for updates http://www.pdperformance.com