Extremely Disappointed with This Dealership
I am extremely…read moredisappointed with my experience at this Volkswagen dealership.
I purchased my 2025 Volkswagen Atlas in February 2025. In June 2026, I brought the vehicle in for the required 40,000-mile factory service, which cost me approximately $500. At that time, I was told my battery was fine and there were no issues.
Fast forward to August 2026, with approximately 43,000 miles on the vehicle. My Atlas began clicking when I tried to start it, the dashboard was going crazy, and I had to jump-start the vehicle two days in a row. I brought it in expecting that a vehicle this new would be taken care of, especially considering I had just paid $500 for the required factory service only two months earlier.
I was told the battery is no longer covered because I have exceeded the 36,000-mile battery warranty, and that the failure was likely due to mileage and the Florida heat. I was quoted approximately $400 for a replacement battery.
What concerns me even more is that Volkswagen has confirmed a recall involving my vehicle, and I have received a letter from Volkswagen regarding it. Given that information, I specifically wanted the dealership to take the time to properly diagnose the vehicle and determine whether there could be an electrical or other underlying issue contributing to the battery problem. Instead, I was told essentially that the battery was bad and needed to be replaced. There was no willingness to spend the time necessary to investigate whether something else was causing the battery to drain.
I understand that warranties have mileage limitations, and I am not upset simply because the battery wasn't covered. What is extremely disappointing is that I paid $500 for the factory-required 40,000-mile service just two months ago and was told the battery was fine. Now, only approximately 3,000 miles later, the battery has completely failed, and there was no willingness to offer any goodwill assistance or thoroughly investigate the cause.
What made the experience even worse was my attempt to speak with the sales manager. He would not even get up from his desk to speak with me. After purchasing a new vehicle from this dealership and spending hundreds of dollars on the required factory service, I expected significantly better customer service when I came in with a legitimate concern.
For a vehicle that cost approximately $60,000, I expected the dealership to take the time to properly diagnose the problem rather than simply tell me to purchase a $400 battery and send me on my way.
A $400 battery is frustrating, but the lack of concern, communication, diagnostic effort, and customer service is what really left a bad impression on me.
I will not be returning to this dealership for future service or vehicle purchases. I hope management takes this feedback seriously, because customers should feel valued and their concerns should be thoroughly investigated even when an individual component technically falls outside of its specific warranty coverage.