Volkswagen Damaged My Golf 8 Air Vents - Refused to Cover It Under Warranty
I own a 2021 Volkswagen Golf 8 1.0 eTSI. In the fourth month after purchasing the car, the dashboard area where the heater vent and its direction control grille are mounted began to deteriorate. I went to the authorized service center in Antalya Başlatan and showed them the issue. Since the damage was initially limited to just one grille, the service team said it could be due to external impact or damage, and therefore not covered under warranty—even though I clearly stated I hadn’t done anything to cause it. I didn’t push further at that point because it was just one vent. However, within 3-4 months, the same issue started appearing on other air vents as well. Even the side of the vent on the driver’s left began to fall apart. I can honestly say I don’t even touch that vent. I tried explaining that this is not a user-related fault, and that the metal parts attached to the vents expand with heat, damaging the plastic and causing the issue. I believe this is a clear case of poor material quality, but the service refuses to accept it. They’ve placed metal in a way that damages the vehicle’s plastic parts. I’d also like to note that there are dozens of similar complaints on Facebook groups and YouTube—just search “Golf 8 air vent failure” and you’ll see many users with the same problem. This shows the issue is chronic, yet I can’t get the dealership to acknowledge it. I own a business, and a customer once came to my shop with a Golf 8 and reported the exact same problem. He said he had taken it to Alvin during the warranty period but also received no support. It truly saddens me that Volkswagen is ignoring such an obvious problem while pretending they’ve sold us a flawless vehicle. It reminds me of the emissions scandal in the U.S. I’ve previously bought a Golf 7 in 2013 and another in 2014, and this Golf 8 in 2021—always brand new from the dealer. I even extended the warranty by four years just to avoid issues, but Volkswagen’s lack of support in resolving this matter is unacceptable. Let me say it again: this is not a user-caused issue. It’s due to the poor quality of plastic parts and the damage caused by the heating and cooling of the internal metal components. I want this defect resolved and the faulty parts replaced.
