# Locking Wheel Nut Saga...Give me strength...Rant



## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

What a weird story I have to tell...

Bought my Exeo in Nov last year, sale went well, got a great deal, ex SEAT Rep Car etc etc

Had to have new front tyres in February and I got the locking wheel nut out the tool kit in the spare tyre well and had tyres changed, locking wheel nut put back I know as I did it myself.

I haven't taken the wheels off this car myself, something I keep meaning to do but not had the time.

It had to go back for a new Steering Rack apparently common fault but replaced under warranty.

Recently noticed the rear discs are corroded badly (the car does 30/40-50 miles a day) one side looks shiny and scored the other has a large surface area of the disc missing and the rest is badly corroded and pitted. Car is only on 28k so am suspicious. So I wanted to measure the discs to buy some new ones and check out the pins and things on the callipers, go to get the locking key...it's gone.

I can only assume the main dealer that did the steering rack possibly used it and didn't put it back, this makes no sense though if they have a master set so I didn't let that taint my thoughts.

Regardless of that, it's missing and I need to get my wheels off for 2 more front tyres and to sort these discs.

Called the dealer last week and was told couldn't order a key from the VIN number, they'd need to match it up which is fair enough, the guy on the phone was very grumpy, didn't want to help, sounded like an older guy who hated work and life and said but don't hold your breathe we only have the keys for popular SEAT models which means we're going to more than likely have to drill yours out. (Remember this IS a main dealer)

I work every day apart from weekends, so went in Saturday morning and spoke to a lady on the service counter, I just said to her my locking key has gone, can you help, she said speak to the parts chap and he'll match it up now for you and see what we can do. I thought great we can get this sorted.

Well, was met with a different chap than the person I'd spoke to on the phone, this time a very young chap, must be about the same age as me, at first he was insistent he couldn't do anything until Monday he wouldn't even look at the car so told him the service lady just said that you could see if you could do a match with me whilst the car is here. 

He sighed, got his camera and went outside with me. He started off by giving me a very condescending speech on why you shouldn't lose a locking wheel nut, his arrogance and attitude were beyond belief, so I replied in a very nice manner I'm afraid I've never taken the wheels off and the only time it's been out of my site was with you guys when a steering rack was fitted, he made no comment but I always keep my calm, irate people never get anywhere they want easily, I don't think anyway.

He said he has a box of the keys, he'll take a picture and see if there is a match...after he took the picture he obviously saw brake discs, he got on his high horse again they're unsafe, you will cause an accident, the way he spoke to me he might as well have said "you're a bad person, you should be locked up" he then said you must speak to the service advisor before you go... then just started walking off from me he shouted back I'll ring you Monday.

I ran up behind him and said politely, hang on, please if you have a box of keys to hand can you check so we can get the ball rolling and if you have a key to take these out, I'll buy 4 normal bolts off you now, without hesitation he said we don't have standard bolts in stock and you will be surprised at how many alloy wheels get stolen you should buy a key or new set...(note here I live in one of the safest parts of the country, I don't know of anybody who has had anything nicked at all, I could leave a new TV outside the front of our place and it not be nicked).

But he reluctantly says OK I'll go and have a look, 2 minutes later he came out with the exact key I needed (which looked brand new and he even said this is one we have on the side for some reason, I have my suspicions that is a 'spare' they have accumulated from ME in the first place, but I have no proof and there is likely a reason for it so I said nothing) but he was darn sure not going to sell me normal bolts, he said I'll ring you Monday if I can order the key for you.

As I was speaking to him we walked back in the dealership... I asked him foolishly if he could find out the dimensions of the discs on the car and he said the diameter of the discs are the same it's the widths that are different...I said there are 3 diameters listed for my model so I know there are different diameters, he said no, only the widths/thickness of the discs are different. I said I think we've got our wires crossed here, I said I'm talking about the size of the entire face of the disc and he said yeah I know what you meant, your wrong it's the width that's different, all the Diesel Exeos are the same, (I know they are not for certain, Gobsmacked) so I gave up.

As I had followed him inside he then immediately made me speak to the service lady about the brakes, I explained very heavy corrosion with surface area on the disc missing on a 28k car with scoring on one side and bad corrosion on the other (I think there might be a caliper issue as suspected by a chap on here via PM and someone on the SEAT forum) and she outright said, "well...I can tell you right now the corrosion is lack of use and where you live, if you go for a long drive it'll clear up".....without even seeing the car! (I do live in a seaside town but so does half of the county and I've been driving for nearly 10 years and had numerous cars none of which needed discs changing at 28k)

By this point I was losing the will to live and if I was not a nice person I'd have snapped but explained nicely the car does around 30-40 miles a day usually a bit more. She finally agreed that a technician would look at it in 2 weeks time if we waited with the car whilst they looked or 1 weeks time if it was dropped off and left for the day (no offer of courtesy car) for them to check the calipers etc.

I just pray and hope that the technicians are better than their office staff. To be fair the service lady was nice and once I explained she seemed to be more helpful and even mentioned warranty but the parts guy had got to me first so I was put in a non pleasant mood so wasn't being very talkative by the time I got to talk to her.

So I'd now walked out a bit bewildered by the experience as I hadn't really got anywhere but I reassured myself well if the standard bolts aren't in stock there is nothing that could be done, so OK, I'll wait for the call on Monday.

So he rings Monday and says can't order the key it's discontinued he immediately said but a new set is £50 and can have it here asap, I then asked again how much for normal bolts and he said £3 odd each and we have them in stock... (Soon as he said that, in my head I was going mental, I was screaming in my head saying why he couldn't have just looked and done is job on saturday and I'd have been able to take the wheels off myself, measure the discs, play with the caliper and get new discs ordered up ready for next weekend!!!)

I remained calm though and I 'Think' it's agreed that when the car goes in for it's brakes to be looked at, I'm going to ask them to put standard bolts in. I just hope they will do that. In fact I'm going to ring them tomorrow and just make sure the service lady has that on the job sheet.

Now I'm worried they're going to look at the brakes and refuse to let me have the car back before they put new discs and pads on.

Sorry, this may have been a pointless rant but wanted to gauge interest or hear stories from other people.

My business essentially provides customer service support for business around the country so I know how people should be handled, listened to, not spoken down to etc and these guys had every 'no no' box ticked.


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## Jenny19 (Mar 18, 2014)

BMW did something very similar with my boyfriends new 120d last year. He got a puncture and we looked everywhere in the car and could not find the locking wheel nut! Took it back to bmw, salesman couldn't find it in front of us, he looked everywhere too. Car then went into the service bay (away from our eyes) and suddenly the nut was found in seconds! We reckon they'd just forgotten to check it when they PDI'd the car and had a spare lying around and pretended to find it then. I had a moan at them and got a free tank of fuel for our trouble


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

This is why i use a trusted independent garage for any work. They would have had the nut off with a special tool (i know this, because my key broke when i was changing wheels) and would have replaced it with with normal nut, probably for nothing!

I know it is difficult with newer cars because of warranty work and so on, but my experiences of main dealers has never given me much confidence.


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

jamie you have a PM


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## svended (Oct 7, 2011)

I know exactly what your going through with regards the locking wheel nut key. 
A friend who's car I regularly clean went and traded in her Megane for a 12 plate Vauxhall Astra from a Ford dealership. 
Cue a couple of days later when she asked me to give it a going over as she had asked the dealership not to do anything with it as she had a man (me) to do it 'properly' (she said to the salesman). Going round the car looking at where will need attention and as I look in the boot at the spare wheel to see if it's a space-saver or full size one I find it's a full size one but it's missing the wheel nut cover tool and the locking wheel nut key. Now I wasn't surprised as I usually find the locking wheel nut key in either the front passenger door bin or the glove box but nope, it wasn't there. 
So cue the saga of the locking wheel nut key. My friend got onto the Ford dealership to say the key wasn't there and she was told she'd lost it herself and would have to buy a new set, to which she replied she had the car three days and had not in fact lost it herself but that it wasn't there so it was them that either lost it or the previous owner. She was asked to bring it to the Ford dealer (where she bought the car) and they'd have a look and see if they had a spare she could have till they got her a new set (free of charge), but they didn't and they themselves drove it to the Vauxhall dealer to see if they had a key, but again they didn't either. So they gave her the car back and told her they'd have to get someone to have a look. Two days later she received the new set in the post which I thought was odd as why didn't they just keep them at the dealership for when the car comes to have them removed but hey. A week later my friend gets a call that someone will come to pick up the car and get it done. Seven hours later and no sign of the car my friend phoned to ask where the car was and if it was done. The person on the end said the car would be back with her shortly and sure enough the car was returned half an hour later but they obviously posted the car keys through the letter box quickly and left as there was a note saying 'unable to change locking wheel nuts as they didn't have a key to remove them'. My friend was rightly fuming and got on the phone and was told someone would come in two days to collect the car again as they'd have the key by that time. Sure enough this time they did get it sorted and all was well. Thankfully she didn't get a flat tyre or anything while all this was going on but come on a Vauxhall and a Ford dealership didn't have a key or a way to remove a locking wheel nut without one being in the car. It's ruddy ridiculous. 

But then the same Vauxhall dealership after I pointed out to a colleague her car may be affected in the recent Corsa recall. Gave her the number range to check on the bottom of her windscreen and she didn't know what I was talking about so when I saw her at work I checked the number and it was one to check the steering intermediate shaft for certain numbers. I checked them and all was well, showed her and sent a text with all the details to keep on her phone. Yesterday the dealership asked her to bring the car in for them to check and she said that someone at work had and it was okay, they then said in that case you shouldn't drive it to which she replied it was safe as it wasn't the numbers they were looking for and told them the number I'd shown her and forwarded a copy to her phone for reference. This after telling her (on the day of the recall) to get the AA or RAC to bring the car in to get checked as it wasn't anything to do with them to arrange for the car to go in. 

Customer service and intelligence suck at dealerships it's amazing how they keep going.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

I just can't believe the attitude, it would have been a very simple affair.

I should have gone in, him matched the key to their set which he did, he should have then checked the stock and found out he had 4 normal bolts, sold them to me and I'd change them there and then. All the right Ingredients were there.

I'd have driven off, they'd have had my money, a glowing review of how helpful they were and I'd have driven home to start working out what's up with the brakes and ordering new parts, (I want better discs not the SEAT ones as if this is normal corrosion, well they are crap then aren't they).

However he was too arrogant, too full of himself and obviously wanted to over complicate everything, I left no better off than when I went in, except feeling like a right mug.


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## svended (Oct 7, 2011)

Ye', we can see that but they can't and the more you point it out to them the obvious course of action the more they drag their feet and don't want to help. It's like they enjoy pi55ing people off to make them feel better about how crap they are at their job. 
I could easily go mental on someone everytime I go into a dealership with how unhelpful they are.


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

Jamie PM'd you again.


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## slim_boy_fat (Jun 23, 2006)

I'd have hung on the the locking key he miraculously 'found' and not returned, on the basis it was most likely your one they'd discovered lying on the workshop floor after doing your steering rack.

Find another Dealer/garage to work on your car in future.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

slim_boy_fat said:


> I'd have hung on the the locking key he miraculously 'found' and not returned, on the basis it was most likely your one they'd discovered lying on the workshop floor after doing your steering rack.
> 
> Find another Dealer/garage to work on your car in future.


If only I had the balls to do that


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## lobotomy (Jun 23, 2006)

The rear disc corrosion is a pretty common thing (across the whole VAG range AFAIK)

WRT to them letting you back out of the garage with the corroded discs, they can't hold you there. A your car has a valid MOT (or is young enough not to need one) and you are perfectly entitle to a second opinion or have someone else carry out the work.

They also can't stop you having 4 normal wheel nuts/bolts fitted. That's your perogative.

I have a reasonable relationship with my local SEAT garage (franchised Arnold Clark). They try and tell me what needs done by them for extortionate prices, I check myself (in most cases) and if really required I order the parts from them or online and do most things myself. But because it's the same guys in the parts/service dept they've kinda come to know that I know what I'm talking about so they don't tend to try and pull the wool over my eyes and I'm not (usually) a knob when I go in.


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## Suba (Feb 2, 2013)

You are a bad person for letting your discs get that damaged


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Update,

Called the local Audi dealer (thought I'd give it a shot being a VAG Car and an old B7 Audi underneath yadda yadda) and feel like I have been welcomed with open arms. 

He thinks they should have a key the same and they checked there and then and have the normal bolts in stock no problem.

He says they don't mind spending 5 mins to check over something the dealer has done previously and also a quick check to see if the callipers are buggered or not.


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

asonda said:


> If only I had the balls to do that


You should have said that since you were such a bad person for having faulty brakes he would be just as bad for not letting you have the key and putting you at risk if you got a puncture on the motorway


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Sounds just like some main dealers in Cambridge.

I just wish japex were nearer


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Unbelievable chum. Although doesn't really surprise me at all. Some main dealers are simply shocking in my experience. 

So far, my experience of Seat dealerships over here has been very positive. I wish I could say the same about Agnews VW in Belfast. They fitted the wrong injectors to my old Passat, with the result being a car that drove like it was trying to shake itself to pieces. I knew immediately something was wrong as soon as I started it. So I went back in and complained. Their 'mechanic' took the car for a 20 minute drive, came back and said it was perfect. I went ballistic. Their customer service manager came out in the car with me and just kept apologising. I escalated it to director level and it took them a week to figure it out! 

Hope you manage to get the wheel sorted Jamie. Sorry for hijacking the thread; I needed to vent after reading your experience..

Cooks


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

tldr;

Summary??


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

Are you still planning on taking the car there?
Take it elsewhere. Ive worked at a vag dealership and they were ****e but thats ridiculous.
Have a quiet word with one of the techs if you can and see if they can do it in a break or something.
A old multi point socket will take it off if you hammer hard enough!


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## RPC (May 11, 2014)

That sounds a bummer. If i was you i would be copy and pasting your original post into an email and sending it off to the relevant complaints department.

Im sure the complaint would be sent down the chain, and someone would be educated how to treat their paying customers properly!


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Hey Guys,

Well I went to Audi on Saturday morning, no luck, they did have 20 keys but were all very slightly different, he recommended VW so I had a quick trip to see them and again they have just ever so slight differences so no luck.

So 8am this morning, we dropped the car off at the Dealer this thread is about.

They didn't have it down to change the nuts! so she wrote that down. (Same service lady I spoke to last weekend)

Also over the weekend, a horrible bearing noise had started, seems to only come after a period of driving but the whole car started to vibrate so have asked them to check that out too. She moaned at me that I'd come in so early there were no technicians to have a quick ride out in the car with them, so again I'm hoping they are actually going to have a properly look.

I don't know whether it's her or whether that's the attitude of the whole dealership but it just seems like they can't be bothered to help, everything you ask seems like such a chore for them.

I've dealt with who I think is the service manager before and he was tops, when it went for a service he arranged for it to be dropped back off at my other halfs work and collect the courtesy car which is around 15 miles away. He hasn't been there both times I've been back .


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

I think I need to make a trip down to cornwall and come with you...


I think the guy behind the desk would be quite frightened when i slap my business card on his nose

:lol:


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

They just called.

Nuts have been changed for standard ones!!!!!!!! Woooop!

Rear discs though they say is down to normal wear and tear, compare to the front that still look new, I don't know.


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## wrxsti (Feb 3, 2013)

The condition of the rear discs is more than likely caused by the pads sticking in their carrier.

I read so many conplaints about main dealers on here yet people still keep giving them repeat business!


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

asonda said:


> They just called.
> 
> Nuts have been changed for standard ones!!!!!!!! Woooop!
> 
> Rear discs though they say is down to normal wear and tear, compare to the front that still look new, I don't know.


About time chum. You'd think it was rocket science by the way they behave. Now the only thing is that the nut cover won't fit.....

Btw Steve, re your post above - what do you do for a living chum?

Cooks


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## Davemm (Mar 9, 2009)

I had a leon cupra that needed two new rear calipers before 30k miles was not a happy nubby about that but is quite common apparently £300 plus my own time fitting them


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

wrxsti said:


> The condition of the rear discs is more than likely caused by the pads sticking in their carrier.
> 
> I read so many conplaints about main dealers on here yet people still keep giving them repeat business!


I'm going to get new pins etc when I do the Discs



Cookies said:


> About time chum. You'd think it was rocket science by the way they behave. Now the only thing is that the nut cover won't fit.....
> 
> Btw Steve, re your post above - what do you do for a living chum?
> 
> Cooks


Thanks Cooks, they had new covers too so they have put them on also

Just going to find out the size of the discs now and do it all myself, they want £220 for just the rear

As the front have warped have been pricing up the biggest size discs (worst case scenario funds wise) from EBC with pads comes to £198 to do the entire car and obv my time to do all 4 corners.

Done discs, drums, shoes, pads before on old bangers and newer cars so will be alright.



Davemm said:


> I had a leon cupra that needed two new rear calipers before 30k miles was not a happy nubby about that but is quite common apparently £300 plus my own time fitting them


I've never had any vehicle need new discs on the rear so new before, bit miffed about it but they supposedly have checked callipers etc


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## lobotomy (Jun 23, 2006)

Cookies said:


> They fitted the wrong injectors to my old Passat, with the result being a car that drove like it was trying to shake itself to pieces..... and it took them a week to figure it out!
> 
> Cooks


Sorry to continue the hijack... but lol! The garage changed the injectors, the car started to run like a bag of nails, and it took them a week to work out it was the injectors? Haha! Maybe they needed a fault code:



> 17964 - Injector Fault: Wrong injectors fitted by morons P1296 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

Cookies said:


> About time chum. You'd think it was rocket science by the way they behave. Now the only thing is that the nut cover won't fit.....
> 
> Btw Steve, re your post above - what do you do for a living chum?
> 
> Cooks


Something involving cars


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Steve said:


> Something involving cars


Cooks, this guy is the ****ing Don at VAG I think. I think he just comes on here to mooch with us little people


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

asonda said:


> Cooks, this guy is the ****ing Don at VAG I think. I think he just comes on here to mooch with us little people


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA

If only


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Oooh very interesting... Now at least we have a contact


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## James Bagguley (Jul 13, 2013)

Glad to hear this is on the way to being sorted, not much thanks to the dealership for the time it has taken so far 

Had an lock nut issue with my 53 plate Civic. 
Ordered a new key using the code card from the car only to find that the part numbers are the same, but the design has been changed 

Needless to say, the dealership did not have master tools for the "old" style keys, hammer and a socket got them off


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Oh I just couldn't watch that being done for fear of my wheel being carefully, but squarely, slapped with the cold face of the tapping gauge. I remember going nuts (no pun intended) when getting tyres fitted , as I noticed the fitter, who appeared to think he was Jenson Button's pit crew, had left about 2 crescent shaped dents on the rims as he tried to break the world record for removing the nuts. He hit the rims several times with the air impact gun. 

The cookie MONSTER appeared that day. He's blue btw, not green. 
Grrrrr.
Cooks


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

asonda said:


> Cooks, this guy is the ****ing Don at VAG I think. I think he just comes on here to mooch with us little people


If you're not careful you'll wake up with a cylinder head on your pillow 

Cooks


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## James Bagguley (Jul 13, 2013)

Cookies said:


> If you're not careful you'll wake up with a cylinder head on your pillow
> 
> Cooks


:lol: Magic!

Admittedly wasn't shy about using the hammer on the manky 15's stuck on my car, plus i trained as a blacksmith for a while, so not too bad accuracy wise!

A different matter with wheels you care about though!


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Lol. Yeh I liked that one myself too lol. 

You've got some cool skills under your belt there chum. 

I'd have hated to see what Jamie's dealer's staff got up to. 

Actually just remembered that they have his lock nut. Lol... Sorry chum.

Cooks


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

If your not already on there, pop on to seat cupra net and get dave @ sere to quote you for some genuine bits.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Well picked up the car and £40 later for 4 new bolts, 4 new caps and £20 labour to swap them using what I reckon is my effing key! Gahh..

I didn't think they'd attempt to wash or hoover it seeing as it's not a service so didn't ask for them to not do it but they did, now I need to see what swirls and scratches they've put on the car because that was not a good hoover and a clean, that was a hoover the matts as quick as possible, rub a sponge over the paint and spray it off as there's still muck all over it.

On the advice of a friend and my own head, I am seriously going to look for a good independent to do work from now on.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

A little update for those following.

I picked up new rear discs and pads today thanks to help from a certain someone :thumb:

Anyway...this is why they need changing. 2 Years old currently at 28,000 miles.










:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho












When I bought the car the ones on the front were new but they soon warped, I think the consensus is the back ones were knackered before I bought the car! So much for buying an Approved Used vehicle! I know the dealership I worked at, wouldn't have let a car go out like that.

Only have myself to blame though.


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

Make sure when you do them that the. Sliders and the pins are all cleaned and greased properly dude ..


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## m4rkymark (Aug 17, 2014)

asonda said:


> A little update for those following.
> 
> I picked up new rear discs and pads today thanks to help from a certain someone :thumb:
> 
> ...


The first mini hatch we bought, which only had 11000 miles on it, had disks which were worse than this, when we complained they relented and changed them under warranty.

As for locking wheel nuts our local dealer was just as bad. When we bought our latest car the locking wheel nut kept slipping off the nuts so went off to the dealer to order a new one. The dealer tried to match it but theirs was gone too so the chap behind the desk I will order two, one for you and one for us - we will call you when it comes in but it might take about 3 weeks to get.

I forgot all about it and called them about 5 weeks later and they said yes it's here just drop in and pick it up. I was busy but said to the other half can you pop by and get it as your passing. So she comes home and said heres the key - I thought she was joking as it was obviously a used one... I called the dealer and asked when did they start selling used parts... There was silence for about 10 seconds and then the guy said we don't sell used parts - oh why did you give us a used wheel nut key instead of a new one then? Turned out they didn't order one for themselves but meanwhile they needed one so used ours and thought it would be OK to give us it used. Absolute nuggets doesn't even cover it! Needless to say they ordered us a new one but funnily enough it turned up in 3 days instead of the 3 weeks we were quoted.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Had a good afternoon putting new rear discs on myself.

Genuine VAG Discs and Pads thanks to a great new friend.

Was very very easy to do on this.










Now for 4 new tyres, alloy refurb and service!


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