I brought my vehicle to Jack Daniels Volkswagen Service Center in Fair Lawn for a scheduled appointment today regarding an issue they supposedly repaired twice 3 years ago--and never actually fixed it. The problem was a clogged panoramic roof drain that caused water to leak into my car, soaking the carpet and padding and leaving a strong, persistent mold odor. (now known as a common problem with 21' Atlas's) The 1st time they "fixed" it, they told me everything was fine and the carpet had been cleaned. When I picked up the car, the mold smell hit me immediately. I went straight back inside and told them the issue clearly wasn't resolved. They kept the car again (after giving me a hard time about a loaner which I never got) and later claimed they found the leak and replaced the carpet and padding. When I picked it up the 2nd time, the mold smell was still there. I was told "it will go away." With two babies at the time, that was completely unacceptable. I reached out to a friend and asked what they would do in my situation. They knew somebody at another Volkswagen service center Gensinger in Clifton. They called Ken Goss their contact at that service center and explained to him what I just went through. He said that he knew about that being an issue with the panorama roofs and for me to come by as soon as I wanted to drop off my car at their service center and they would supply me with a loaner car no problem. When I arrived they immediately handled the situation professionally, gave me a loaner without hesitation, and actually fixed the problem. I was also told because of the flawed design of the drain there is a possibility that it can happen again. I was also told by their team that the carpet and padding had never been replaced at Jack Daniels, despite me being told otherwise. That means I was lied to.
Fast forward 3years--the issue has returned. I decided to give Jack Daniels another chance instead of driving farther. That was a mistake. When I arrived today, I was first checked in by Aapuna at the front desk. After explaining again the reason for my appointment he brought over Donald Fisher, the mechanic who originally worked on my car three years ago. At this time Donald told me there was nothing they could do because the issue was from 3 years ago and I no longer have a warranty. Then I explained I have extended warranty, where he replied that since I went to another VW service center after the 2 times I had my car "fixed" there that my warranty is now null and void and they are not doing anything to the car. Then Aapuna (the check in guy)said "if you went somewhere else because we gave you bad service then why come back here!" Soon two more employees joined in telling me different variations of "your sh*t out of luck". I then called to find out about my warranty and I was assured that my car can be serviced at any VW service center and it should be no issue. So I told them and then one guy said possibly if I can produce the hard paper copy of my warranty they might be able to do something but unlikely; despite explaining the full history, none of them offered any real help or resolution including the manager, Eric Eichoff.After 25 minutes of back-and-forth, I had five employees standing there telling me there was nothing they could do. Even after I physically bringing in my warranty paperwork. Meanwhile, I called the Volkswagen service center Gensinger in Clifton and spoke with Ken Goss , and he immediately told me to bring the car in and they would take care of everything--no arguments, no excuses, and a loaner ready.The difference in professionalism is night and day.The behavior at Jack Daniels Volkswagen service center was dismissive, unhelpful, and frankly unacceptable. Based on my experience, I would strongly caution anyone to think twice before bringing their vehicle here. I was misled about repairs, denied proper support, and given incorrect information about my warranty.Trust is everything when it comes to servicing your vehicle--and unfortunately, I don't believe this service center has earned it. read more