2019 Polo Vivo noise defect in backseat bracket loop

Rattling/metal buckling noise defect in back seat bracket loops in brand new Polo Vivo 2019:

18 February 2019: I purchased a brand new Polo Vivo on 18 February 2019, During the first week of driving my vehicle, I noticed a very loud metal buckling/twisting noise being produced from the back seat area. I contacted Barry, the salesman, at VW Umhlanga to inform him of this. He advised that I bring the vehicle in for inspection.

02 March 2019: I brought the vehicle in on Saturday 02 March and the mechanic, Kush, inspected the vehicle. Kush advised that he had dealt with this problem before. He insulated the brackets and loops that are holding the back seats with tape, and assured me that all would be fine but that if the noise reappeared I would need to bring the car in to be checked further.

26 March 2019: The noise was unfortunately still present and the next available date to book my car in was on 26 March. I brought my vehicle in to VW Umhlanga to have the noise further investigated and fixed. The mechanic, Kush, assisted again with this. On investigation it was found that the exhaust was loose, which was quite a shock to hear considering the car was brand new! Jenean, from the reception, informed me that Kush concluded that the loose exhaust pipe was the cause of the noise and that everything was now fixed. I found this very strange to be the conclusion, as the noise was internal coming from the back seat area, and not external.

30 March – 04 April 2019: The noise was still present, and after making contact with Barry he forwarded my email onto James Candey and Craig Bromley. I unfortunately did not receive any response from either person.

12 April 2019: After still no response from James or Craig (Service Manager at VW Umhlanga), and no follow-up from Barry, I made contact with the Dealer Principle, Emma.

12 April 2019: I finally received a response from James, who advised that he would discuss my issue with the foreman of what noise he had heard, and that he revert back to me. I advised him that the issue with my vehicle is that the brackets are too big and the loop is too long and there is therefore no pressure to hold the back chair in place as it should.

12-24 April 2019: I had received no feedback or follow-up from James on the above matter. I contacted him again to ask him to revert back to me urgently.

24 April 2019: James got back to me and advised that I bring in the vehicle for him to drive and have a listen.

26 April 2019: I brought my vehicle into VW Umhlanga again to have the noise looked at. Kush had another look at the vehicle, and James advised that the next option would be to replace my back car seat.

29 April 2019: I sent a follow-up email to James about what was discussed and asked when I could bring in my vehicle to have the back c*****at replaced.

04 May 2019: I received a response from James advising to bring the vehicle in on 09 May 2019.

09 May 2019: I brought my vehicle back to VW Umhlanga. James did not change the back seat as he did not think that this would change anything. Instead, he applied some more insulation tape. He commented further that there was nothing else that we could try.

10 May 2019: The metal buckling/twisting noise is still present and has not been resolved. I feel that with a new car this sort of thing should not be happening. As you can see by the above, there have been numerous attempts to insulate the bracket loop with tape in order to resolve the noise issue.

24 May 2019: Contacted Emma, principle dealer at VW Umhlanga, again to advise that the noise was still present.

27 May 2019: James (Customer Service manager) responded and advised to have the vehicle brought in again for a final inspection and conclusive repair of the noise.

03 June 2019: I brought in my vehicle to VW Umhlanga for a final inspection and conclusive repair of the noise.

05 June 2019: James advised that he could safely say that the noise has been elimated.

06 June 2019: I collected my vehicle from VW Umhlanga and was looking forward in testing it out during the next few days to see if the noise had indeed been eliminated as per Jame's conclusion.

27 June 2019: It has been three weeks since my car was returned to me after having a rattle on the back seat fixed. The noise reduced to a lesser degree, and I have been monitoring this closely to see if it would go away or get worse. James advised that the buckling/twisting noise was completely eliminated. This is not the case as the noise is still there. After each attempt to eliminate the noise it just creeps back.

To date, the vehicle has been brought in 5 times since purchase and still no resolution. I don’t have the time or energy to bring the car in for yet another round, which I advised James in our previous and final attempt to fix the vehicle. Not once have I received any follow-up after each repair. This frustrating and annoying issue has left me feeling very disappointed with purchasing this brand new car, and in no position to recommend VW.

I have given VW numerous chances to repair the vehicle, dating back to February. This vehicle is still under Warranty and as per the Consumers Act, the supplier now has the option to either replace or refund the customer.

As per the Consumer’s Act: Applicable sections of the Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008: S 16, 19 (5) & (8), 20, 55 (3), 56: Unsafe or defective goods may be returned for a repair, replacement or refund within 6 months of delivery. The consumer may choose whether he wants the item repaired, replaced or receive a refund. If the consumer allows the supplier to repair, then the repair must last for at least three months. If the same fault re-appears or another defect appears within three months of the repair being effected, then the supplier must choose whether to replace the item or refund the consumer. At this stage, a further repair is not an available option.

I contacted Emma, the principle dealer of Umhlanga VW, on 27 June 2019 about this matter to urgently get back to me to advise on how they wish to proceed with either a replacement or a full refund. She responded on 27 June 2019 to advise that she will revert back to me once she has feedback. I have yet to hear anything from her, after sending a follow up email to her yesterday (nearly 1 week later).

Customer Service at VW Umhlanga Bidvest McCarthy seems to be non-existent. Buying a brand new car should be an exciting experience. This experience with Bidvest McCarthy Umhlanga VW has left me feeling disapointed and robbed.

Is there anyone else who is experiencing this frustrating noise issue in their 2019 Polo Vivo? Is anyone else having such difficulty in getting any response or responsibility taken from VW on this matter?

Kind regards, Lianne Durban