Not Removing Shipping Blocks Is Still A Thing

[Bibi_Travels]

So, I parted ways with my 2017 GTI Sport and bought a 2024 on 02/26/2024. I hate to admit it but I drove it four days last week until I realized something wasn’t right, and that possibly the “transport blocks or pucks" hadn't been removed. I drove back to the dealer and asked them to "humor me” and put the car on the lift and just show me that the blocks had been removed. I also said that if the shipping blocks hadn't been removed, then they'd owe me a VW First Aid kit; he said, “we’ll see what we can do.”

When the service tech called me back into the garage he said that there were no transport blocks left on the car… I looked and asked him to lower the car so that the top of the tire was at my nose level which he did, and then I pulled out an LED flashlight, turned it on and held it in my mouth. At that moment, he knew that I knew what I was looking for… reaching over the tire, I put my fingers between the spring coils and pushed the accordion strut cover up and voilá… transport blocks! He said he had no idea that that’s where they were.

If you’ve ever driven with shipping blocks in place it’s like you can drive over a dime and tell if it’s heads or tails. I’m so glad they’re gone, and after just 100 miles. No telling how many others still have them installed(?).

 

[mrmatto]

Jesus. PDI checklist is a thing and not only are they ignoring it, they don’t even know how to do it. Yikes.

My dealer sent me off with nearly 50 psi in the tires (should be 39) even after I specifically asked them to check the tire pressure due to choppy ride.

I’m left thinking “what else did they miss…”

 

[SRGTD]

@Bibi_Travels - that’s absolutely shocking and IMHO unforgivable. It’s not as if VW have just started using this type of shipping puck or has changed the fitting location - they were used throughout the entire life of the mk7 / mk7.5 Golf, so anyone at a VW dealership carrying out a new car PDI should know where they are.

My concern would be that damage may have been caused to the car’s suspension during four days of driving with the shipping pucks in place, particularly if you’ve driven over poor road surfaces. I’d be asking the dealer to check the car over to ensure everything’s OK - assuming they’re competent enough to check it over, bearing in mind they weren’t competent enough to remove the pucks in the first place!

@mrmatto - with my current car, one of the tyres was left at the transit (from the factory) tyre pressure of 50psi; the other three tyres were at VW’s recommended pressure. The dealer also missed - or caused - a small dent to the driver’s side rear quarter panel. So yes, it does make you wonder what else they might miss - not just when carrying out the PDI but also when carrying out servicing and repair work .

 

[GTIfan99]

Jesus. PDI checklist is a thing and not only are they ignoring it, they don’t even know how to do it. Yikes.

My dealer sent me off with nearly 50 psi in the tires (should be 39) even after I specifically asked them to check the tire pressure due to choppy ride.

I’m left thinking “what else did they miss…”

I haven't even checked my pressures yet, but the ride is fantastic, so I doubt they forgot the blocks.

I'll have to check the tires today.

 

[Bibi_Travels]

@Bibi_Travels - that’s absolutely shocking and IMHO unforgivable. It’s not as if VW have just started using this type of shipping puck or has changed the fitting location - they were used throughout the entire life of the mk7 / mk7.5 Golf, so anyone at a VW dealership carrying out a new car PDI should know where they are.

My concern would be that damage may have been caused to the car’s suspension during four days of driving with the shipping pucks in place, particularly if you’ve driven over poor road surfaces. I’d be asking the dealer to check the car over to ensure everything’s OK - assuming they’re competent enough to check it over, bearing in mind they weren’t competent enough to remove the pucks in the first place!

@mrmatto - with my current car, one of the tyres was left at the transit (from the factory) tyre pressure of 50psi; the other three tyres were at VW’s recommended pressure. The dealer also missed - or caused - a small dent to the driver’s side rear quarter panel. So yes, it does make you wonder what else they might miss - not just when carrying out the PDI but also when carrying out servicing and repair work .

Doubt there was any damage in the four days... my drives were not spirited; gentle in truth and in fact, because I received the car with just 7 miles on the odometer, it was my intention to ramp up the revs, speed and distance driven over the next few weeks. I've read about shipping blocks being removed after thousands of miles, some even cracked from compression with no apparent damage to the vehicle. What is truly shocking is the admission that they had no idea that the shipping blocks were inside the strut cover! Newbies with no training! If I'm not mistaken, the shipping blocks for Jettas are blocks positioned so that they are visible, so obviously they're removed, and with that same thinking, a glance--seeing no blocks, the assumption is made that there's nothing else to do.

@mrmatto Regarding what else they missed: I checked air pressure and four of the tires had three different pressures... and my self-dimming mirror compass was set to the wrong declination. It was set to zone 8 and I live in zone 6.

I know that the 2024 came with pre-paid maintenance but I'm thinking for no more than an oil change costs, I may just take it to my independent shop and have them do the oil changes every 5K (with oil I prescribe) instead of at the pre-paid 10K and 20K with whatever bulk oil the dealer bought, AND my mechanic is an Audi/VW ASE Certified Master Automotive Service Technician. You can be sure the "kid" doing oil changes in the dealership isn't going to have that experience; I don't want to be anywhere near that service department.

So, I won't have my new GTI next week because I'm getting a ceramic coating applied, along with a (silly) stripe I wanted added (no judgement please ) I'll post a picture when I get a image to upload.

 

[Genegenie]

Not an excuse but last time I, & others I spoke to, visited my dealership it made the Mary Celeste (1872 empty mystery ship) look a full ocean liner, seems they let staff go during lockdown but didn't bring them back or relace them. But obv not good, shouldn't happen, bet car felt like a roller skate or skateboard with the blocks left in....

 

[Bibi_Travels]

 

[Bibi_Travels]

bet car felt like a roller skate or skateboard with the blocks left in....

Ha! I could drive over a dime and tell you whether it was heads or tails!

All good since the blocks were removed. Having my first oil change tomorrow at 500 miles. I’ll do a Blackstone Labs analysis as well.