73 days for a same-day repair, my bumper damaged on drop-off still unfixed after 93 days, and they tried to bill the warranty for 2 injectors but only fitted 1

On 18 February 2026 I dropped my 2013 VW Amarok 2.0 BiTDI at VAG Spec Centre Menlyn for a same-day injector seal repair. What followed was 73 days at the workshop, six separate repair attempts, the cylinder head removed twice, and a list of failures that I have had to document and escalate to RMI Consumer Affairs.

1. THEY DAMAGED MY VEHICLE ON DROP-OFF DAY. A staff member reversed my bakkie into another vehicle, denting the rear bumper and gouging the body behind it. I was not told — I only found out when I phoned for an update at 14:26 that afternoon. Liability was verbally admitted and photos were sent to me. 93 days later, the bumper is still unrepaired and uncompensated. They want to fix it at a non-registered body shop, which is a major red flag.

2. THEY INFLATED THE QUOTATION BY R9,371.28. The revised quote billed me for a cambelt kit (R3,755) and thermostat (R1,500.55) that I had replaced 6 months earlier at another RMI workshop — both still under warranty, with the invoice in their hands. They also billed 12 hours of labour after verbally agreeing 8. Every disputed item was only removed AFTER I objected in writing.

3. THEY BILLED THE WARRANTY FOR 2 INJECTORS AND ONLY FITTED 1. AutoSure paid R39,455.03 — the full invoice — for two new injectors. On 20 April I checked the part-code stampings on the workshop floor: three injectors carried a discontinued Bosch code (the originals), only one carried the current code. They never disclosed this. Had I not noticed, R10,000+ of warranty money would have been kept against work never done. A second new injector was eventually fitted at my home address on 24 April — by a mobile technician who arrived with stretch bolts of the wrong length and asked me to drive to the workshop to fetch the correct ones.

4. THE VEHICLE WAS PRESENTED IN A DANGEROUS STATE AT THE FIRST ATTEMPTED HANDOVER (30 March). PDC sensor missing. Wrong battery fitted, securing bracket loose so the battery moved around freely, terminals loose. Engine bay saturated in diesel — on a common-rail system running above 2,000 bar this is a fire hazard and makes any new injector leak impossible to detect. Parts from other vehicles dumped on my camping mattress in the load bin. No post-work inspection was done. Elaine handed me the keys and said "everything is in order." I refused to take the vehicle.

5. COMMUNICATION WAS NON-EXISTENT. Almost every update came because I chased. The lead technician left mid-repair and nobody told me. The regional manager (Albert) ignored a formal request on 16 March, only engaged after I messaged him directly on 31 March, and disengaged again in early April. He acknowledged in writing that "communication has definitely been a big problem" and that this was "definitely not the experience you should have had."

6. A VERBALLY PROMISED COLLECTION DATE (Friday 27 March) was simply ignored — no call, no message — after I had already paid for alternative transport for an 800 km weekend trip based on their commitment.

The mechanical repair was eventually completed on 1 May 2026 (Day 73) at the SIXTH repair attempt. I sent a formal written proposal on 14 May 2026 — incorporating RMI Consumer Affairs guidance — asking VAG Spec to either fund the bumper repair at a SAMBRA-accredited body shop, or settle the R16,600 third-party insurance excess so I can route it through my Auto & General insurance. They proposed routing the work through VAG Spec Centre Randburg, which is not on SAMBRA's list of VW-approved body repairers. Seven days later: no reply, no counter-proposal, no SAMBRA quote.

On 21 May 2026 I formally escalated to RMI Consumer Affairs for mediation. The RMI Consumer Affairs Specialist (Tumisho Lekoloane) has since written to the MIWA Director (Pieter Niemand), CC'ing me, confirming that another consumer had already filed a complaint against the same company before mine — meaning MIWA is now being looped in ahead of a site visit. I am not the only one. MIOSA referral and a National Consumer Commission complaint under CPA s.54 remain on the table.