Volkswagen customer complaints more than industry average

Volkswagen (VW) continues to have the dubious honour of hogging the pole position when it comes to customer complaints, The Straits Times reported. Comparing complaints measured as a ratio against new cars each of the three brands sold, VW's performance was even bleaker. It had 3.41 complaints for every 1,000 cars sold, versus 1.2 for BMW and 0.76 for Mercedes-Benz.

VW fared worse than its previous record. Between January 2013 and April last year, it had 11 complaints, earning it the top spot on Case's list. The Straits Times understands most of the complaints pertain to glitchy gearboxes.

Civil Engineer Uttar Kumar, 52, who bought a VW Passat 1.4 in December 2012, was among those who filed a Case complaint this year. He said he did so after Volkswagen Singapore failed to resolve problems with the car's gearbox despite numerous attempts.

He said he noticed the car made abnormal noises on the first day. The noises grew louder and the car became jerky. "It was in the workshop almost every two to three weeks," Mr. Kumar recalled.

Volkswagen Singapore spokesman James Page dismissed claims that its cars were defective. For instance, he said two of the three complaints filed with Case in the first four months of this year were unfounded.

"There was absolutely nothing wrong with the cars," he said. "The customers involved perceived there to be some faults, and requested a warranty extension and a car replacement respectively. We could not accede to their requests and they lodged complaints with Case."

In the United States, JD Power's 2015 Vehicle Dependability Study found VW had 165 problems per 100 cars - more than the industry average of 147.

In Malaysia, the brand ranked last in the firm's 2014 Customer Service Index. Even in its home market Germany, VW ranked above average - but below brands such as Toyota, Mitsubishi and Skoda - in the 2014 Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study.