[Bramhall]

My Q3 has done only 20,000
miles and has had the fuel flap failure fixed in March 2018 at a cost to me of £130. It has now failed again and Audi have offered to replace the actuator, again at my expense. Surely this can’t be right or fair? An Audio design fault so well documented over the years should not still be causing distress and needless expense to its loyal customers, I, for one, will not remain loyal unless the problem is fixed, but not at my expense this time round. I have tried all the suggested remedies eg red cord tug, WD40 etc but to no avail. Where do I go from here? What can I do by way of redress?

 

[Chippie]

Hi Bramhall and welcome to the forum.
you don’t say that age of your Q3 but as you had to pay for the 1st fix This n 2018 I presume it was older than 3 years in and out of warranty. Unfortunately it’s almost 3 years since the last fix so I’m not surprised that they want you to pay again.
i’d suggest letting a local independent fix the problem as it will undoubtedly be a lot Cheaper.
Perhaps it’s the lack of use with it only having 20k miles that is causing the solenoid to fail

 

[Bramhall]

Thank you, Chippie. The Audi is 2014 Reg so well out of warranty and as I’ve been in isolation since February last has barely been used. Nevertheless, as it is otherwise in pristine condition, I am disillusioned with our local Audi’s response and shall be seeking an independent fix. Sadly no more Audi for me. 😟

 

[manfrotto]

It is a shame that your Audi dealer didn't offer some goodwill. Once the original faulty unit was replaced, it should not fail again. Are you sure they actually replaced the original unit, and not just "lubricated" it ?

 

[mwcltd]

Welcome to the forum. Bearing in mind that the previous repair was done almost three years ago then it is possible that the fuel filler cap mechanism has failed again for possibly another reason. However, I would have expected the dealer to offer a goodwill gesture which would be a reasonable compromise. It is possibly, as has been previously suggested, that the previous repair only involved a clean and a lubricate which would 'disguise' the problem not rectify it. An Indie solution is the way to go but I would not discount Audi as a future manufacturer as there are both bad dealers and good ones.

 

[Mr c]

Mine failed on our Q2 with under ten thousand miles on her, done under warranty but the stealers were closed at the time due to lockdown although we’re answering the phone.
They told me to ring Audi Assist which sent an AA man along who insisted that he tried the manual emergency cord release despite me telling him I had tried it already.
He then said the only way would be for him to force it and asked me to sign a damage disclaimer, it was at this point I told him to go forth and multiply, we had plenty of fuel and couldn’t go anywhere anyway so no biggy
Got back on the phone to the dealer who said he would pencil me in for the first day they reopened and would ring when they had conformation of that and in the meantime would check to see if they had the part required in stock another thumbs up for that particular dealer, we all know they vary enormously

 

[spike107]

Mine (actuator) has just failed on my RS after 23.5k...got my indie to take a look whilst she was in for an MOT. Rather embarrassing trip to the fuel station with me holding up the queue until I stuck a credit card in to get the flap open!
Getting it fixed on weds as he needs to order parts. £115 is the cost. Need it doing as your never far from fuel stops In the RS

 

[TheJam]

Mine (actuator) has just failed on my RS after 23.5k...got my indie to take a look whilst she was in for an MOT. Rather embarrassing trip to the fuel station with me holding up the queue until I stuck a credit card in to get the flap open!
Getting it fixed on weds as he needs to order parts. £115 is the cost. Need it doing as your never far from fuel stops In the RS

Very true. Had mine fixed on my RS about 2 years ago under warranty. I think it could be going on the fritz again though,as it’s getting a little “sticky” over the last week. I’m hoping it’s been the icy weather we’ve had lately. I’m not convinced.....it’s a pretty crappy part imo 🤬

 

[spike107]

Once the new one goes in, I'm going to grease the 'T' bar and filler door immediately to try and prolong it... Your right, very poor design!